CHAPTER 3
868 Words
CHAPTER 3
“No, he never told us his name.” Kennedy was still parked in front of the gas station where she had finally decided to call her parents in Yanji.
“Well, I’m sorry,” she replied to her dad’s reprimand. “It’s not like I wake up every day and tell myself to ask for the name of every single cop who pulls me over and starts kicking my friend on the side of the road.”
She could hear her mom sigh on the other end of the line. “You know you’re going to have to report this, don’t you?”
Kennedy’s stomach was twisting and twirling like a double helix. “How can I do that if I don’t even know the guy’s name?”
“They have records of their traffic stops, sweetie. All you have to do is tell the police department where you were and what time it was when you got pulled over.”
Kennedy didn’t try to keep the sarcastic barbs out of her tone. “And then he can say it wasn’t him and make me and Reuben out to be liars.” In spite of all her arguments, she knew her mom was right. She’d have to file a report, but she didn’t even know how to begin. Was she just supposed to waltz into the station and ask to speak to the cop in charge of complaints?
“But his superiors will have the record of him pulling you over,” Kennedy’s mom insisted, “and you’ll have the paramedic workers there to verify that’s where your friend was injured. That’s evidence enough in anybody’s book.”
Her father cleared his throat. “Not if the officer failed to call in before he stopped. That would explain why there wasn’t any backup. Cops do it all the time, pull someone over and unless they write a ticket, there’s no paper trail, no proof whatsoever.”
“But she can’t just go on as if none of this ever happened ...” Her parents went back and forth, but their voices were too low for Kennedy to hear most of their bickering.
“All right,” her dad finally said, “here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to call my friend’s son Taylor. He’s a state trooper out somewhere in Alaska, but before that he was on the police force in Waltham. I’ll get in touch with Taylor, run everything by him, ask what he thinks you should do. Sometimes these cops, they got this unwritten code. Work together to keep each other out of trouble, make a big mess for anyone who challenges the status quo.”
So much for his policemen are our friends mantra.
“But what about Reuben?” Kennedy noticed the whine in her voice but couldn’t control it. “He hurt him really bad. By the time I realized what was going on, the cop was already gone, and Reuben was on the ground, and ...”
“You said he’s at the hospital, right?” her dad asked. “I’m sure they’ll have the police meet him there so he can give his story. And the paramedics said he was going to be fine. You’ll just have to take their word for it.”
But he didn’t even want to talk to me. Kennedy kept the thought to herself. Some things were too painful to speak out loud. Why did her parents have to live so far away?
“Listen,” Kennedy’s mom inserted, “are you busy tonight? Do you have any homework you need to get done by tomorrow?”
“No. Reuben and I were going to see Aida. We got the tickets two months ago ...” She cut herself off before her voice betrayed her.
“Ok then,” said her mom. “Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to drive yourself over to Carl and Sandy’s. I was emailing Sandy just a second ago while you were talking with your father. She’s already expecting you. I want you to go to Sandy’s, take a nice hot shower, do something to relax. Then tomorrow, after your father talks with this trooper guy and gets his opinion, we’ll call you back and make some decisions. For now, you just get the rest you need and try not to worry.”
Oh yeah. Not worry. That was so like her mom. Here dear, eat a cookie and all your troubles will vanish.
“You ok, Kensie girl?” her dad asked.
Kennedy shut her eyes and let out her breath. “Yeah,” she lied.
“Oh,” her mom piped, “I just heard back from Sandy. She wants to know do you want her to come pick you up?”
“I don’t know. I need to get Willow her car back.”
“Are you well enough to drive safely?” her dad asked.
“Yeah.”
“Then go over to Carl and Sandy’s now and take the car back with you to campus later on. Ok?”
When she lived at home, she hated the way her dad had so many rules, so many protocols for everything, but now it was nice to have a simple plan to follow. Why had she spent so much energy in high school complaining about her family?
She spent a few extra minutes convincing her mother she was really ok before telling her parents good night and hanging up. She thought about sending Reuben a text but decided against it.
Get herself to Carl and Sandy’s. If there was anyone in the Boston-Cambridge area who knew how to pamper her, it was her pastor’s family. A night sipping tea with Sandy or listening to Carl’s booming preacher’s voice impart some wisdom or inspiration was just what she needed.
She took a deep breath and reminded herself that after everything she’d been through tonight, she should be proud she hadn’t had a single panic attack. She sped up before merging onto the freeway on her way to the Lindgrens’.
- Writer
