7 Parents' War

At two o’clock, Caleb and Bianna could not sleep because their third child had not returned home yet. They kept calling Elodie, but could not reach her due to the busy lines. The couples started to be nervous and then…terrified. They began to imagine the dangers that might occur to their daughter. Why the line kept busy? There must be something that happened at the Miller’s mansion. He also phoned the Millers but the line kept busy the same. Caleb thought about driving to The Millers’ Mansion by himself too.

“Why don’t you sleep?” Bryce walked out of her bedroom. She was reading surely and might hear their noises.

Jesse got down from his bedroom too. “What happens? Why don’t you guys sleep?”

“Your sister isn’t home yet,” Bianna told them. “We’re calling the others. The phone lines are busy.”

Caleb was searching for the number of Mr. Miller’s cell phone. “I don’t have his number. Maybe, I have to go there. I should’ve reminded her to carry my phone. My bad!”

“She may be late,” Bryce suggested.

He pointed to the clock. “Two O’clock, impossible. At least, your sister must call us!”

“Yes, if she didn’t drink…too much.” Jesse assumed. “I’ll call Matt. His sister may attend the party like Alex.”

However, the phone rang before Jesse could do any help. Caleb reached for the telephone in one jump. The caller was Alexis herself. In his relief, Caleb signaled his wife to ease her worry.

“Where’re you? We worry about you. Don’t you know?—what? At the police station? Why?”

Like she had a spring under her feet, in a second, Bianna was standing next to him. Caleb hung up the phone. His body turned numbed for a while and when the senses returned, he rushed to the stairs. Not fast enough, Bianna grabbed his wrist.

“What happens to her? Why’s she there? Don’t walk away like that.”

“Drug test?” Bryce guessed. Alexis went to the party; there was only one possibility would be.

Caleb shook his head, “No, the Act 2966. All of them are under arrest.”

“What? All of them?” Bryce cried out. “That’s impossible!”

“Well, it is. This is why every house uses their telephone!”

Caleb could feel Bianna’s gaze but he was not ready to face her when the hole in his chest was expanding. Those fucking nightmares…

“Someone informed the cops about the Suspect in the party and they came. Alexis just got to the phone. The numbers of telephone booths are not available for all of them. Therefore, it took time for Alexis to call us.” He looked at his son. This was the right time to show his skill though the chance was low. “Jesse, you come with me. Bryce please packed some clothes for your sister. I think she needs it.”

“Why? Alex has to stay there all night?” asked the daughter, terrified. “I thought we can take her out tonight. It must be a joke. How can they arrest all of them?”

Jesse fanned his head from side to side, “You don’t know how strict this law is. They have to interrogate everyone at the party which means our sister must stay there until the process ends. I think it takes a few days.”

“A few days?” Bryce still hardly believed it.

Or more than a few days, Caleb thought but dared not to speak it out. The dream repeatedly replayed the same motion picture like a vicious haunted ghost.

Bianna was still unmoved, thinking the same thing as her husband. She recalled the dream Caleb always told her. Of course, she was, most definitely, frightened. Caleb touched her face. “It must be alright. It must be.”

“Sounds like you remind yourself,” his wife said and slowly lowered her head, trying so hard to have faith in those words.

“Hey, anything to share with us?” Jesse stared at them with suspicion.

“Nothing, Jesse. Are you ready to go?”

“Definitely.”

**********

Caleb and Jesse arrived at the police station within the next ten minutes. They met many parents dashing at the station after receiving the call from their children. And he had to park the car along the road instead of the parking lot because it was full. They saw female and male police deal with loads of anger and dirty words that came like the furious ocean wave. Caleb rushed to the information desk inside the lobby before the other parents behind him.

“I am the father of Alexis Davis, ma’am.”

The young policewoman scanned the dirty white computer and then pointed to the sofa. “Wait for the call, sir.” Her voice was sharp. Jesse let him sit on an empty seat while he surveyed around. Some parents remembered him and they nodded greeting without saying anything. The tension diffused around the room. All of them were worried about the young ones.

“Why did you catch my daughter? She’s clean. She doesn’t deserve to be here!”

Everyone stared at this woman whose colorful outfit attracted all the eyes in the lobby. Her loud yelling thundered as she stepped inside. It was like she verbally attacked the officer as soon as her eyes caught sight of them even though her body was outside.

“Every girl and boy in the mansion must be detained for further investigation. Ma’am, please sit there and wait for the call like the others.” The policewoman pointed to the sofa with her amazing same gesture and facial expression that Caleb met earlier.

The woman did not move. “She returned home before you arrived at that boy’s party. She headed home. How could you drag her along the way? I don’t care which warrant you have but you have no right because she was not there.”

Caleb could swear that he saw the blonde police inhaling a very long breath as if encouraging herself to absorb all the shouting words and exploiting all her tolerance not to lose any temper. This woman was Mary Carter, the mother of Belinda Carter who was the president of the student council and one of the candidates. Her daughter got accepted to the same school as Alexis was. And now…she missed the point. No matter when her daughter had been, the fact was she had attended the party was still the reason for being detained. Well, everyone tries so hard to rescue their child. He was not surprised at all.

“We have to detain your daughter for further investigation. Mrs. Carter, your girl reported the unexpected event that could possibly involve the Risk’s qualification in accordance with Act 2966. We are glad she’s done the right thing as a good civilian should be. But according to the law, we had to interrogate her for more information and, of course, for the truth. Please understand and stay calm.”

Caleb and Jesse looked at each other. They accidentally acknowledged the cause of this trouble. Mary Carter might not expect that she would face many eyes of hatred.

“And why you put her in the cell?”

All parents stood up, especially Mr. Miller, Wade’s father. “Enough! Now we know who’s behind this mess. Your daughter is a big liar. She causes us all trouble.”

Mrs. Carter glared at him with her menacing look; her chocolate brown hair fell from the bun behind her back once she set her chin high, she countered. “Excuse me? My daughter did the right thing.”

Mr. Miller sneered at the woman. “And you should know that they were recording the video to surprise their friends. It’s a magic trick…a stupid trick. I’m watching them all the time. They’re not the risk, not even the suspect. Such a big mouth, A FOOL!”

“How dare you!”

“Your daughter is the liar!” People around him shouted to this woman, the same way he saw in the Salem witch movie. They all were full of emotions. Seeing much support, Mr. Miller could not stop his attack easily. He proposed an ugly idea,

“I know. I know. Your daughter is a candidate too. She wants to frame my son I know it!” The owner of a water business met Caleb’s eyes. “And your daughter too, Doctor!”

He wanted to be invisible at the exact time. Frustrated, yes, but he did not think that fighting against Mary Carter would help their children safe; in contrast, it might lead to a worse result.

Mrs. Jessens, Oslo’s mother, raised her hand, “My son too! My dear son is arrested because of your daughter!”

Caleb looked at Jesse. To his surprise, his son remained calm, showing no sign of any exasperation or the need to join Mr. Miller. Those hazel eyes scanned all people and he just listened to the quarrel, concerning, with a thoughtful smile.

“Jesse?”

“Don’t join them, Dad. Sit quietly,” he whispered. Caleb should say that, actually. “This law offers the absolute authority to the police. Good obedience will keep a good image in their eyes and benefit our Alex.” He explained. “Now I know she’ll be alright. There’s nothing to worry about, Dad. It’s clear that the girl told them lies. They will check Alex’s profile and medical history. And they’ll find nothing. This Belinda will confess and it’s her trouble, not our girl.”

Caleb averted his eyes from the son; that is the problem, checking those things. He thought of Mary Stephen, the nurse who recorded the false information about his daughter into the system. If their investigation came to this stage, it might be her doom and Alexis’s too. Being judged as the Suspect was no better than being judged as the Risk. He felt ill in his stomach.

The dark sea….May you have mercy. Please, God, protect my child. Don’t let her drown in that sea.

“Just read the files?” He asked his son to make sure that the nightmare would never come true. They moved away from the cursing war between Mrs. Carter, Mr. Miller, and the others for the private discussion.

“I’m not sure but I don’t think the case is not bad as I thought before. If Belinda confesses the truth, we can take her home by tomorrow.”

Caleb wrapped his arms around Jesse’s neck. The heat of the argument rose higher and higher but as they were called to visit the girl, it was a good chance to flee from the scene completely.

They were taken into a small room. It was decorated plainly with a desk and three chairs. Alexis was waiting for them with her sleepy face. When she saw them, the girl straightened up but as one of her arms logged by the handcuff that tied her to the table. In this rush movement, she fell back into the chair. His heart weakened immediately. His daughter still gave them a tired smile.

“Sorry, I cause you trouble and wake you up.”

“Don’t worry about us. How are you? Have you rested a little bit?” asked Jesse. The way he looked at her declared the love of the family.

Alexis shook her head to Jesse. “I can’t though I want to. They took us to the cells. A lot of people were talking and talking. We’re all afraid at first. Pepper and Greta cry all the time. We discussed what happened—how it happens…”

Alexis paused. She made the face as if something nailed her head. “And the scholarship…I just heard that all the candidates in our district have been withdrawn from the list.”

She seemed to be concerned about this topic rather than her situation. When she saw the question marks on their faces, the girl added, “I heard it from Ryan. His father works at San Bosa Post and he is the first one who arrived at the station. Ryan said tomorrow, no, today news will report that we are charged with drug use. Some of the arrests are the candidates for the government’s scholarship and their names have been withdrawn from the list.”

Caleb already abandoned his hope for the scholarship but wished her freedom more than anything else. But when he saw her sad face, he knew Alexis was totally disappointed to be withdrawn from the false accusation.

“I want it and I don’t mind if I don’t get it but not because of this.”

“Belinda Carter reported you and your friends to the police,” Jesse revealed. “Hope it fixes your bad mood. If they find out—if everything is clear, your name will be enlisted again.”

The girl got stunned, more confused rather than upset. “Carter? Really? Why she did that?”

“Well, I just heard they’re arguing. Your friend’s father guessed that she wants to eliminate the rivals. But I don’t know her true intention, literally.”

“So, if they prove that she told lies, I could go home? Really? And I still have the chance for the scholarship? But in the morning, they will announce the winners. I think it’s too late to hope. And I can’t believe she’ll do that. She’s a very just person. As I know, she’s not that kind of person.”

Jesse moaned in disapproval, eyes narrowing on his sister. “I wish she did. So, they can release you. That’s the best thing I hope will happen.”

Alexis turned to her father. “Dad, you’re so quiet. Are you alright? Are you mad at me or disappointed in me?”

His mind could not focus on her presence but on the girl in those nightmares. That angel's face smiled sadly. She said goodbye and went away. Even though they thought she would be freed, his instinct still signaled the ungraceful feeling toward the incoming future.

“Dad?” Jesse and Alexis called him.

“I just haven’t slept since you’re out,” he lied. “Where they put you in?”

Caleb was not a good actor. His children exchanged the look because Alexis just told him about it.

“In the cell, dad, about ten people in the same cell, it’s very small but not that bad. I mean because there are a lot of people and everyone thinks it’s a joke though we thought it was scary at first. Anyway, it’s still hard to sleep on the cold solid floor.”

Caleb disagreed. “No, it's not a joke, my dear. And you should concern more about it.”

Alexis lowered her head, “I’m sorry. I should think more when I speak. I mean there are too many people and we don’t take it seriously. I know the law, dad and…Jesse just told me Belinda reported the false accusation.”

“Yes, it’s not her fault, dad” the brother gave the excuse for his sister. He grabbed the girl’s hand and squeezed it gently. “You gonna be alright. Don’t cause any trouble. Obey them. Trust me. There’s nothing to worry about.”

She nodded obediently.

“I sue you and her daughter. I sue you all!”

“That’s Mr. Miller, your friend’s father,” Jesse told his sister.

“Wade’s father.”

They heard the woman’s voice come after. She must be Mrs. Carter.

Jesse thought something then told his sister, “Another thing, tell your friend to warn his father. This trick won’t work but make it worse. Sometimes they may find none of the evidence but the accused is convicted of being what they aren’t. You know? The bully in disguise as the authority, these officers hold the superior power, and if they have no fair mind, hell. Don’t risk it. We should be nice in their eyes. This kind of behavior disturbs their nerves. Tell your friends to warn his father.”

Alexis nodded, “Sure, if I can tell Wade in time. So, I can get out tomorrow, right?”

“If there is nothing more, yes,” Jesse confirmed. “Dad, don’t worry.”

Alexis smiled at them. “You don’t mind if I sleep at noon?”

Caleb did not answer. Jesse confirms and I should trust him but why my heart is unrest? He quietly watched when they were talking.

It’s just a dream, Caleb. Only a dream.