I Love Corey, Chapter Twenty-four

Note : This story is completely fictional!

Monday was another of those beautiful fall mornings. The sky was clear, the temperature cool, and dew made all the leaves sparkle in the sunlight, giving them a jewel like appearance. Just one of those mornings that make you glad to be alive. The antics that went on during the morning shower did nothing to diminish that feeling. In fact, we had so much fun that breakfast was a very hurried bowl of cereal. I don’t know how a shower can take so long. I mean, all we did was help each other get clean. So, some places took extra attention to insure that they were clean. What do you expect? I do think it might go a little faster if I could get him to stop giggling. That makes it hard to do a good inspection of his appendages. A little sniffing and tasting to make sure they were clean seemed to take longer than it should. I do think it was time well spent.

Corey was going to leave a note for his mother inviting her to dinner Wednesday evening as that was her birthday. We’d managed to get some pictures printed for the album and we were going to go through his sketches tonight as he had agreed, when I’d suggested it, adding some of them to the album. Between the sketches and the pictures I thought she would be pleased. If only she would straighten her life out so that she could be more of the loving parent that Corey wanted and needed. 

The morning meeting consisted of only those announcements that always seem to take place. By now, no one really needed to hear them but they were always a part of the meeting. Sometimes I think that we ought to eliminate the meetings but just about the time I feel like making such a suggestion, something comes up that demonstrates their necessity. 

In fact, that’s about the way the first part of the week went. Things were moving forward like a well oiled machine. There didn’t seem to be any problems with any of the students or any further problems with the school board’s decision to no longer allow the Scouts to use the facilities. I suppose that lulled me into a false sense of complacency. 

Monday night Corey had picked up his mother’s answer regarding her birthday dinner. He was on cloud nine. She was going to dine with us. That meant that the two most important people in his life would be together and he could enjoy both at the same time. He just bubbled over the rest of the evening.

We picked out several sketches and a bunch of the prints we’d made and finished putting them in the album. Since there was still a lot of room, we looked over the pictures I’d taken and we then printed a few more. He’d have plenty of time tomorrow to put them in the album and still get it wrapped. He seemed to be enjoying this as much as if it were his own birthday.

On Tuesday I stopped at Downie’s and we picked out a nice standing rib roast. Corey had told me she liked roasts and I was sure that she would like this one as Downie’s always has a good grade of meat. That’s one of the reasons I shop there.

It didn’t even create too much of a problem when the family court called and asked if I could be arrange my schedule to attend and hear the ruling on our petition regarding Corey. We set up the appearance for Wednesday morning just before lunch. By scheduling it then, it would take place during one of my free periods and my lunch period. That way there would be no need of a substitute teacher. Things were going along great.

Corey and I arrived at the courthouse and when the judge called the case, Mrs. Babcock was not in attendance. The judge seemed upset about that but decided to continue with the hearing as it was really only the announcement of his ruling.

I really wonder about lawyers. Mr. Young had petitioned for something I didn’t think he had a chance of getting. Guess that shows what I know. I guess the job of a good attorney is to know all the little places in the legal code that can be used to accomplish what the parties wanted. Not only did the judge grant the petition, he even commented on the fact that it would be a good idea if all single parents, that had no close relatives, did the same. He thought that would assure that the children involved would be better served. 

He also spent some time instructing me that, although under the terms of the ruling I had certain rights, he expected me to refrain from exercising those rights except in extreme situations. I was instructed that they were only to be used if Corey’s mother was not available and a decision was of critical importance. At all other times I was to consult with her and yield to her wishes and judgment.

I really didn’t care as I only wanted the ability to act in case something came up that was critical and she wasn’t available. The ruling would make no difference in the way we normally went about our business but gave me a sense of security in that I could act if it was needed. 

While I was happy with the ruling, Corey was ecstatic. I think it meant more to him because it assured him that I was responsible for him in some way. I guess the fact that I was willing to seek such a ruling assured him that I was there for the long haul. It gave him a sense of security. 

I wasn’t sure Corey’s teachers would be able to contain him in the classroom for the rest of the day. He acted like he was about ready to float off. Upon reflection I thought I understood why he was so happy. No one had ever expressed a sense of love for him except his mother and he didn’t feel he could depend on her. The fact that she would sometimes disappear for several days at a time probably accounted for that feeling. Now he felt there was someone who would be there for him, to love and protect him when he needed it.

His feelings made me think. After I had done so I was forced to admit that it really didn’t take that much to make a child happy. For the most part all they really require is a sense of belonging, some encouragement, and a lot of love. If they have that, the material things that so many parents worry about providing for their children are unimportant. Yes, all kids whine about their friends having various things and they want them too. None the less, their real needs are different from their wants. There were students in my classes whose parents would never be described as affluent. 

Yet in many cases the kids were happy and well adjusted. That just went to reinforce my belief that money is not that important. As long as one has enough food and shelter from the elements, one can be happy. Love makes up for a lot of money. In fact, there were a few well to do families whose children seemed unhappy and lost. I’d guess that those children’s parents spent too much time worrying about money and not enough time paying attention to their children.

 Those thoughts made me wish I could make a difference in the lives of all the students that appeared to lack something they needed. I could not think of a case where money would do the job. The problem from my standpoint was that in most cases I had no way in which I could supply that which they lacked. I couldn’t even approach their parents or parent and suggest what I thought was needed. Bummer. Here I was, expected to teach and help students grow up so they could become an useful part of society and I was hampered by customs and rules.

By the time we left practice Corey had calmed down. He was happy but not longer acted like he had just won the lottery. Since it was the day before our game, we tapered off during practice. That meant that we managed to get done a few minutes early. We hurried home and I suggested to Corey that he try to get as much of homework done as he could. That way he would be free to enjoy the evening with his mother and help her celebrate her birthday.

He headed for his room and I went to the kitchen. The roast was just as close to perfectly cooked as it was possible to achieve. I’d put it in the oven before leaving for school using the slow cook method. Now all I had to do was finish the rest of the meal. 

As I went about my preparations, I finally noticed it was past the time that Mrs. Babcock should have arrived. I couldn’t call as she no longer had a phone. I called the bar where she worked and was told she hadn’t come to work this evening. That left me no alternative. I finally asked Corey to check on his mother and get her over for dinner. He’d just finished his homework so we would have the rest of the evening free to eat and entertain her.

He was back in a few minutes. What had been a happy bubbling child was now a sad depressed person. Neither his mother nor her car was there and there was no note explaining why. I felt sorry for him. Her absence and the lack of an explanation changed his whole mood.

Somehow an excellent dinner no longer mattered to either of us. Neither Corey nor I seemed to be hungry or enjoy the meal. My heart felt like it was breaking because he was so sad. 

No matter what I tried or said, Corey was more than subdued the rest of the evening. At best his answers were monosyllables and sometimes not even that. He just kept getting quieter and sadder.

Finally it was time for bed. We’d both showered after practice so all that we did was go to bed. Corey quickly assumed his usual position and things seemed normal except I could feel his tears drip onto my chest. He wasn’t sobbing or anything like that. He was just lying there with tears slowly running down his face and slowly dripping on me. 

I had my arm wrapped around him and was gently rubbing his back. The holding of him in my arms and the rubbing of his back normally calmed him and brought him out of any sadness or depression he was feeling but tonight it didn’t seem to work. The tears just kept coming.

“Something must have come up. She’ll probably be at the game tomorrow and we can give her the gifts then,” I offered.
“Why, why wouldn’t she even come to her own birthday party?” he sobbed. I could feel him start to cry harder.
“I don’t know. Maybe something came up. I’m sure she’ll be able to explain it.”

He continued crying and I continued to hold him. All of a sudden he rolled off of me and looking at me asked, “Doesn’t she love me? She didn’t even leave a note. She took her car but she couldn’t leave me a note.”\

I pulled him back against me and held him. “She loves you. Why else would she allow you stay with me? After all, she doesn’t have to do that.”
“She does it so she doesn’t have to take care of me. All she thinks about is that white powder.” There was a bitterness in his voice I’d never heard before. He continued, “She didn’t care if we had enough to eat, it was all about cocaine. Never food, never a place to live, just that white powder.”

While I’d suspected what her drug of choice was, Corey had never said anything that would indicate he knew what she used. In fact, he’d never even let on that he knew her problems were drug related. I wondered if he was finally admitting to himself that his mother had a drug problem. How many of us know things that we never really admit to ourselves? After all, if you don’t admit it, you don’t have to deal with it. In Corey’s case he knew he couldn’t do anything about her problem as he was too young so it probably was easier to ignore it. None the less, those thoughts must have been in the back of his mind for a long time.

A couple of times I’d tried to get her to accept help and allow me to provide the funds for a rehab clinic. I didn’t feel I could push very hard due to the situation I found myself in. Even had I been able to apply more pressure, I doubted that it would do any good because unless someone is willing to admit they need help, a rehab clinic wouldn’t do any good. Until one is willing to admit they have a problem, they can’t be helped. None the less I wished I had tried harder.

“I’m sorry Corey. I should have tried to help her.”
“You can’t help. Nobody can help.” He continued crying. I just continued to hold him, trying to help ease his pain. Finally his tears slowed.
“Maybe when she gets back we can talk her into getting help.”

When he answered me I could hear a resignation and sadness in his voice. “It won’t do any good. She’s going to kill herself. Her friends did. She’ll do it too.” His crying again picked up.