Chapter 1: A Strange Shock
It was a dreary day in Roanoke. One of those days where it is all cloudy and depressing outside but the sky just can't seem to rain. That is how I felt right now, for days in fact, depressed but just couldn't cry. I guess I am just out of tears.
I don't know how much time has passed since I sat down in this waiting room, and I really don't care. Nothing seems to matter much anymore. Everything important was now insignificant. Whatever, that's just life I guess. Life up until now was pretty good, but now it sucks and life has kicked the crap out of me in the last couple of weeks.
Then I felt another knee nudge my own, "C'mon Lucas, it's been almost three weeks, your mom wouldn't want you to be like this," Lily said.
Lily Somers, my "temporary" guardian, or something, that's what the lawyer guy said I think. Lily was always there when I was little, every birthday, holiday, everything; I even called her "Aunt Lily" before I found out that she wasn't really my actual aunt. She had always been so kind to me, and treated me like I actually was her nephew, even though I'm not. She is just a cheery and all around good person. She was my mom's best friend. My mom…
There was that sinking hollow feeling again. My mom was my best friend. Since I was born, she was everything. My dad died before I was born, I have no siblings, no grandparents, no aunts, uncles, cousins, anything. It was always just my mom and me. I was her family and she was mine. But now there was no one. Just me. Why did she have to get cancer? Why couldn't that damn know it all doctor remove the tumor? Why did she have to die? Don't they know how much I needed her, how much she wanted to stay. Why did "he" do this to me. Why! Why! Why! Why did this happen to me!?
I kicked the table out in front of me. I must have startled Lily because quick turned to me and gave me a quick glance. Then she went up to the secretary at the front desk. I didn't pay attention to what she said to her but I then felt my arm being grabbed and dragged out my slumped position in my chair, and out into the hall.
"Lucas, I know how hard this has been on you, but you have to know that your mom loved you, very, very much. She wants to be here more than even you do, but she just can't Luke."
"Yeah well if that God damn doctor knew anything she would be here" I quipped.
"Lucas, they did everything they could, you know that. It was just her time, I guess. Does it suck? Yeah it sucks Luke, but we just have to try and move on. She wouldn't want you to be mad and depressed every day that she's not here. Luke you're a great kid, you'll do great things in your life. I know it hurts but your mom lived her life and she wants you to live yours."
I didn't know what to say. Sure, yeah, she was right. Who wants to live as a depressed empty person every day of their life, but it doesn't make it hurt any less.
I heard a door open and then heard that secretary say "Mr. Danforth will see you now."
"C'mon Luke, this is important" Lily said.
"Okay" I said as I got up off the wall I was leaning against.
I started walking back into the office with Lily close behind, back through the waiting room and toward the open door with "Jonathan K. Danforth Attorney at Law" spread across the window.
Inside was that tall gray haired man that I had met a couple weeks ago when he had to go over a few things with Lily about mom's funeral stuff. When we walked into the office, he was poking his nose in his large bookshelf, pretending not to notice we were there. Lily and I took the two seats at his desk.
A few seconds passed in silence. "I hate this bookshelf, never can find anything, you know?"
"Umm, sure" Lily said awkwardly.
"I've spent the better part of half an hour trying to find my copy of 'Lost in Yonkers" he said as his right index finger went from one book spine to the next. "You ever read that story Lucas?"
"No sir" I said admittedly.
"You should sometime, it is a great story" a pause, "Of two boys, brothers, who are sent away to live with their grandmother who they barely know, I don't want to ruin it for you but they end up admiring her by the end, ever hear of it?"
"Sure, I think I've heard of it before" I said unsure. This guy was sure off his rocker. I gave Lily a glance, and she rolled her eyes. I turned back to let my eyes wander around a bit, while Mr. Danforth was rather, preoccupied. It didn't take long for me to find his copy of 'Lost in Yonkers' itself lost under a pile of papers on his desk. "Umm, Mr. Danforth?"
"Yes, Lucas"
"I think I found your book" I said as I stood up and pulled it out from under the papers. He walked over, and I handed it to him.
"Well thank you very much Lucas"
"Uh, no problem, sir"
"Mr. Danforth!" Lily spat. She was quite frustrated.
"Yes Miss Somers?"
"Why are we here?"
"Oh yes, the matter at hand, Lucas, please take a seat" he said. He sat at his big leather chair and put on his gold rimmed glasses and peered over some papers. "Well after the funeral, I have been gathering information on Ms. Danner's financial situation, and it appears that after all is said and done, between medical expenses, funeral costs, etcetera, etcetera, that, well…" he stuttered.
"Yes, Mr. Danforth?" Lily asked inquisitively.
He looked up from his papers, "Well it appears that Ms. Danner's estate has been left with no money" he said bluntly.
"Oh my god" Lily was shocked.
"So… what, now I'm broke too?" I asked in a semi-sarcastic tone.
"Well it appears that way Lucas" Mr. Danforth said.
Great, just great! I was now motherless, penniless, and hopeless. This had just been a great month.
"So… the house? The car? Luke's college fund?" Lily asked frantically.
"It all had to be liquidated in order to pay meet Ms. Danner's expenses" he said, leaning back in his chair.
"I… just can't believe" Lily said in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, but there is just nothing I can do" Mr. Danforth stating, motioning his arms.
My head had made its way down to sink into my hands, shaking back and forth. How could this be happening? Then I felt a reassuring hand on my back, "Don't worry Luke, as long as I am around you will be taken care of, I will make sure of it sweetie."
"Well, actually, that brings me to my next point"
That caught my attention, and it caught Lily's too. She shot Mr. Danforth a 'what the hell are you talking about?' look, but he paid no mind, and shuffled through his papers. "And what might that be, Mr. Danforth?"
"Well I've managed to track down a copy of Ms. Danner's most recent Last Will and Testament."
Lily cut him off, "Well there is no money Mr. Danforth, so I hardly see the point of a will?"
"Well there is the matter of custody you do realize Ms. Somers?" Mr. Danforth said, shooting Lily a stare.
"What of Luke?" she said, somewhat sarcastically laughing. "Do we really need to go over that? Obviously Allison wanted him to stay with me."
Mr. Danforth shot back a 'boy have I got news for stare' as he sat back in his chair, "Well, by reading Ms. Danner's will it appears that she appointed someone else, well two people, as Lucas' legal guardians.
"I don't understand, how can that be possible?" Lily said.
"Well, umm, Ms. Somers, when did you and Ms. Danner first meet?" he questioned.
"I guess Luke had to be about.. err… two or three when we met, we had just started working at the same office and…" Lily started to stray.
"Well," Mr. Danforth interrupted, "according to my records, this will was written about three weeks after Lucas was born."
"There must be a new one, shouldn't there?" Lily pondered.
"Ms. Somers, I have looked and looked, this is the only will Ms. Danner has ever written."
"How can that be?"
"Well it is very common for people as young as, well, Ms. Danner, to not think well… long term… and not plan for the… unknown… and…" Mr. Danforth said.
I couldn't take this anymore, "So who gets me?!" I yelled, then calmed, "Mr. Danforth?"
"Oh, yes, well, why don't I just read it then, word for word, it says, oh, uh, Section 4 Paragraph 1 and I quote 'I, Allison Marie Danner, in the event of my death, appoint and make known legal guardians for my minor son, Lucas Mitchell Danner; John Richard McHale, III, also known as "Ricky McHale," and his wife Melissa McHale, of Whisper, Virginia,' end quote" he said and placed down the paper.
"Do you know who either of those people are Luke?" Lily asked, calmly.
I just shook my head.
"Well, I took it upon myself to investigate this further" Mr. Danforth said, shuffling a couple more papers on his desk. "And in Ms. Danner's files I was able to find Lucas' birth certificate."
"Yeah, so?" Lily said.
Mr. Danforth ignored her, "Lucas, do you know your father's name?"
"Well, umm, no" I confessed. Mom rarely ever mentioned him; I could only remember one time actually. I finally got up the nerve to ask her about him, all she said was that I looked like him, a lot, but I could see it pained her to talk about him, so I just dropped it.
Upon my response Mr. Danforth dropped his eyes back to the piece of paper in his hand, "His name was Mitchell Jacob McHale."
I cut him off, "Mitchell is my middle name" I gasped. This was the first time that I had heard my father's name, ever.
"Yes, well, upon further investigation…" he frantically shuffled through several more papers on his messy desk, "Oh, yes, here it is… I found Mr. McHale's obituary." He took the paper and handed it to me, and I read it to myself
Mitchell J. McHale, 23
Mr. Mitchell Jacob McHale, of Whisper, died last night, January 19, 1997 in a car accident on Hwy 191 near Vanderpool. He was 23 years old. Mr. McHale was a Hardenburgh County Sheriff's Deputy for three years and a graduate of Whisper Regional High School.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow, January 21st at the home of Mr. McHale's parents at 9 a.m. with burial to follow at the McHale Burial Grounds. There will be no visitation hours.
Mr. McHale is survived by his parents, Jack and Darla McHale; his brother Ricky McHale and his wife Melissa; his sister Emma Lynn Wilder and her husband Benjamin; his grandparents Laura McHale and W. Patton and Janie Tritt; and two nephews Ethan and Alec. All of Whisper, Va.
I couldn't believe what I just read. In less than five minutes I found out my dad's name and that, I have family. I didn't even know what to say.
My thoughts had barely time to digest what I had just read before Lily snapped the paper out of my hand. I couldn't believe how she was acting, she was never like this, she was always so sweet and timid, she must be as confused as I am.
She speedily read the paper and glared at Mr. Danforth, "But he does not even know these people?" she turned to me "Do you?"
I slowly shook my head back and forth. I was still too overcome to say anything.
"You see, how can he live with people he has never met?" she paused and there was silence for a second, "Or live with people that have never taken an interest in him for that matter?" she paused again, and calmed, "Mr. Danforth?"
"I wish I could say something to make this better, to make you feel better, but I can't, I am legally obligated to turn over Lucas to Mr. and Mrs. McHale" he stated very bluntly.
Lily took a minute to collect herself and calmly said, "Do they even know?"
"Yes, they do" he responded.
That caught my attention. I now knew I had family, but now they know about me, I decided to pipe up, "Did they know about me? Well, did they always know about me?"
"When I spoke to Mr. McHale on the phone he said that he had no idea that his brother had a son, but he did know your mother, very well actually."
"Oh" was all I could muster at this point. How could my mom not of told me about this? I have family, and she kept them from me? She knew about them, and she kept them from me! She knew about them, and she kept them from me! But she had to keep them from me for a reason right? A reason for not telling me? But, then why would she make it so I had to live with them? God, this was so damn confusing. I didn't know what to feel anymore.
With all the questions roving around my head, I lost my attention to whatever it was that Mr. Danforth and Lily were saying each other. I tried to refocus my attention from what was swirling in my own head to what they were saying.
"All I can do is grant you thirty days of temporary custody Ms. Somers" Mr. Danforth said sternly.
"Well that is just unacceptable, Mis-ter-Dan-forth!" Lily snapped. "I am going to fight this, I am going to fight it for Allison" she said as she collected herself, readying to leave, "And I'm going to do it for Luke, good day Mr. Danforth," she stormed out of the office, leaving me behind, bewildered.
I turned to face Mr. Danforth, who was just about as confused, shocked, and dumbfounded as I was by what had just happened.
"So… you talked to them?" I asked.
"Yes, I spoke with your uncle" he responded.
"Lucas, are you coming?!" I heard Lily yell from the waiting room.
"Umm, just a minute!" I said to her, turning back to Mr. Danforth, "Well, what did he say?" I asked.
"C'mon Luke!" I heard Lily again.
"Listen, Lucas, here's my card, call me when you get a chance" he said as he handed me his little manila business card. I made my way towards the door, when he got my attention, "Hey, Lucas"
"Yeah"
"Catch" he said as he threw me that book he had been looking for not all that long ago. I caught it haphazardly. "Read it, you might enjoy it" he said and winked.
"Thank you" I said, and I left.