A few days after that party at Chris', Grace took the bus over and was hanging out with me at my house. Edina was doing her work so we could hang in my room as long as the door was open. Whatever we wanted to be doing, we had to be respectful of Grace's mom. We could lie on my bed together, talking, kissing, but nothing more than that. It was very frustrating.
After a while, I brought up something I wanted to talk to her about. "Gracie, how would you feel if I bought you a car? A good used car, reliable transportation."
"You're not buying me a car! Are you out of your mind? I can barely drive! I have my license, but I haven't been behind the wheel of a car for six months at least. Put me in the drivers seat and you'll be visiting ME in the hospital! No way, Henry."
"But Grace, it's at least another month before I'll be able to drive. That means we don't get to see each other more than a couple of times a week. And we have no privacy. We can't even go out because in ten days, our friends will all be gone to start school. I don't think I could stand having my mom or dad drive us to the movies or anywhere else, like we're 15 years old. So what do we do for the next month at least?"
"I don't have an answer for you. But I just don't have enough experience driving. Besides, in a few months we'll both be in New York. Neither of us can take a car there. We don't even need a car there. So what will I do with a car?"
"You can let Gus drive it. Come on, I'll help you practice. You can help your mom with errands and chores."
"Henry, it's too much. My birthday is coming up in a few weeks; just buy me a nice sweater or something. Do not buy me a car."
That was that; she wouldn't hear of it. Best I could hope for was getting permission from my doctor to start driving sooner, maybe in a few weeks. In the meantime, our sex lives dropped to near zero. We just couldn't get any privacy.
Two weeks after the party with our friends, they were all gone off to school. A few people were around, either going to local colleges or not going at all, but these were not really friends. Grace took the bus over a few times a week, but she couldn't realistically come over on a Saturday night by bus, when my parents were likely to be out for the evening. I would have needed my dad to drive her home and while I was sure he would do it, it seemed like an imposition.
About a week after Darrell, Chris and everyone else was gone, my dad came home from work in a great mood, smiling broadly. He had two things to share with me. Mom was in on one, but she didn't know the second. The first came down the driveway about 15 minutes later, a mint condition 76 two tone, dark green with white Gran Torino. I almost ran down the front steps to the driveway (as best as I could move with a cane) and checked it out. It was beautiful, a real muscle car almost exactly like my totaled car. A different color and some minor differences because this one was a year older, but it was basically the same car. He paid the delivery team and they left my new, old car there for me.
"Mom, dad, I love it! Thank you both so much! I can't wait to get the ok from Dr. Ryder to drive!"
Dad said "That's surprise number one."
Mom said, questioningly "What else is there, Thomas? You look like the cat who are the canary."
"Both of you read this" he said, handing over a sheet of paper. "It's from the State Attorney General's office."
Mom and I read it together, with me reading aloud. "The office of the Attorney General for the State of South Carolina announces an investigation into charges of corruption by Dorchester County Sheriff James Parker, aka Jim Parker, has resulted in an indictment of Sheriff Parker on six counts of bribery (two counts), extortion (two counts), theft of government funds and misuse of office. Also indicted on three counts is Deputy Wayne Brill on two counts of extortion and one of bribery. Further charges against these and other individuals may be forthcoming." We both looked at him like we had been slapped in the face. "Thomas, is this true?"
"Indeed it is. All true. They were both taken into custody two hours ago."
I asked him "Dad, did you have something to do with this?"
"You know, Henry, South Carolina is a one party consent state, meaning only one person in a conversation needs to consent to it being recorded. I knew that son of a bitch was going to shake me down to get you released. So I put a recorder in my briefcase. I knew...well, I counted on him being too arrogant to even think a smart lawyer would trap him in a crime. I knew not to offer money first, to make sure he asked and for Brill to be recorded as well asking for a cut. They were dumb and greedy. And corrupt. Now they can think about the next ten or twenty years in state prison, not a 'farm'."
"Dad...I don't know what to say. It was incredibly risky. But I love it!" I moved as quick as I could and hugged him hard and kissed his cheek.
"Thomas" my mother added as she hugged him from the other side with what I can only describe as a sexy voice, "you are just full of surprises." They kissed with a big kiss I rarely saw and figured my dad was in for a good time that night. Then I pushed it far out of my mind.
"Henry, why don't you sit behind the wheel of your car and start it up at least? See how she sounds and feels."
With my own big grin I sat in the drivers seat and ran my hands over the steering wheel. This model even had bucket seats instead of the bench. This was like the Starsky and Hutch car, except in green as opposed to red, and not the super charged engine. I didn't care. It was perfect. I turned the key and the engine purred to life, a sound any lover of fine cars loves to hear. I imagined driving it down the street and highway.......
And I broke out in a cold sweat. Suddenly in my mind I could see bright headlights from my left and the sound of crunching metal. I was shaking all over.
Mom noticed first. "Henry, are you all right? Henry! Thomas, somethings wrong with Henry!"
Dad rushed over, reached across and turned the key to the off position. "Henry, it's ok. You're fine, you're home with us." He opened the car door and helped me out and I fell into both their arms, crying hard.
They helped me to get inside the house. Edina was there, getting ready to put dinner on the table, when she saw me like that, in a bad state. "Henry, what's wrong, sweetheart?"
"He's ok, Edina, he's just a little upset" my father said. My mom took her aside and talked for a few minutes while I tried to get myself together. I noticed mom leaving the house a few minutes later without really being aware of it. Dad held me while I gradually calmed down. Edina worried over me as well, then a half hour later, mom came back with Grace. Dad told mom I was better and Grace ran to me on the couch and held me to her, her arms around my back and my head. "I'm here, baby. Everyone's here for you. We all love you." She kept saying these things over and over, comforting me. Her fingers stroked my hair and she just kept whispering to me.
