Truth Aftermath
Chapter 15
Amanda was finishing the side dish for the pot roast, when Dotty came in the back door.
Amanda seeing her calm expression, asked, "How did everything go, Mother? Did cool heads prevail?"
Dotty answered with a tilt of her head, "Of course, Dear. I was the Queen Of Politeness...I had to be, when I learned that the Fergusons were away, and that the Roebocks were watching the beast-"
Amanda, shaking her head, chided her mother, "Oh, c'mon! So the dog likes to check out the neighborhood. What's wrong with that?"
Dotty sighed, beginning a ramble, "My Darling Girl... When your favorite flowers you like to plant every year are instantly destroyed because the offender in question doesn't have enough attention from their owner, you tend to-"
Amanda knew her mother would carry on endlessly if she didn't change the subject! "Mother! Lee is on his way, and the side dish is almost finished. Anything else I can do?"
Dotty then answered quickly, looking at herself! "Oh, good heavens! I look like a wreck! I'd better change...No, I'll check the pot roast again when I come down, Dear, thank you..."
As Dotty headed up the stairs, Amanda called to her, "Alright...Oh, ask Phillip to wash up for dinner, and then come down, please. He was finishing his homework."
But Jamie, overhearing as he passed his grandmother on the stairs, came down to the kitchen stating, "He's not in our room, Mom."
Amanda, puzzled, asked, "Are you sure, Honey? Maybe he's in the bathroom?"
Jamie shook his head and shrugged commenting, " No, I was just in there...Maybe he made a break for it-"
Just then, the doorbell rang, Amanda sighed and remarked, "Oh, my gosh! No jokes, Jamie! Look, go check the backyard, okay, while I let Mr. Stetson in, please?"
So, Jamie headed out the back door, while Amanda opened the front door to see Lee, armed with flowers and a bottle of wine!
Letting him in, she kissed him and answered with a shake of her head, "I see you listen to me very well...Going for brownie points, are you?"
Lee, giving Amanda a pointed look, responded, "Hey! It's the polite thing to do, alright?"
Just then, Dotty came down, and greeting Lee, stated as she took the items from him, "You're both right, but I like you already...Come in."
Lee, following Dotty, looked back and winking at Amanda, remarked, "So there!"
Amanda playfully stuck her tongue out at him, with Dotty answered, "Amanda, Phillip wasn't upstairs, and put that tongue back in your mouth, Young Lady! Honestly!"
Amanda sighed and following them into the kitchen, noticed Jamie come back inside through the French doors, replying, "He's not out there, Mom. What now?"
Amanda queried, "Did you check the treehouse?"
Jamie shrugged responding, "He told me a while ago he's too old to be hanging out up there, and that I could have it."
Seeing Amanda's pensive look, Lee remarked lightly, "Hey, if this is a bad night, I could-"
Amanda, shaking her head, stated quickly with a gesture, "No, I'm sorry...Jamie, this is Lee Stetson, Lee, this is Jamie, my youngest."
As they shook hands greeting one another, Jamie commented, "I think Phillip went AWOL-"
Dotty asked, "Phillip? No, Dear, he's not in the Army, and I think you watch too many of those serious movies anyway...Amanda, do you want me to look around the neighborhood, maybe? Someone must have spotted him by now-"
But Amanda replied with a gesture, "No, Mother, let's give him a chance to come back on his own, alright? I want to talk to Lee for a moment outside...We'll be back."
And looking at Jamie, she queried, "Would you please set the table for all of us? Thank you, Sweetheart."
As she and Lee headed outside, Lee asked her, "Trouble?"
Amanda gestured towards the gazebo, "Let me explain about today with Phillip..."
-SMK-
So, after the two sat down in the gazebo, Amanda explained to Lee about the trouble Phillip got into at school that day, and then the talk she had with him, giving him punishment, followed by the telephone talk with Joe.
She then shrugged stating, "He said he wouldn't smoke again, but then he leaves after talking to Joe? I know he's upset, but it isn't like him at all! What do I do here?"
Lee, taking her hand, pulled Amanda up with him to stand, answering with a sigh, "Hey, from what you've told me about both boys, they come from pretty good stock...My guess is that he's just trying to figure out some stuff on his own about this...Listen, if you want, I can go take a look-see around the neighborhood? He can't have gone too far to get into any real trouble, you know?"
Amanda, shaking her head, remarked, "This isn't the way I wanted you to get to know the boys, and-"
Lee squeezed her hand replying gently, "Sweetheart, if I was living here, I'd have to deal with a problem like this sooner or later, right?"
Amanda nodded slowly, commenting, "I know, but-"
Stopping her words with a kiss, he pulled back and responded with a gesture, "C'mon, you go back in and I'll scout around for him, okay? And I'll call you when I've found him...Go on."
Having no choice, Amanda headed back towards the house, and as Lee saw her go in, he went back to the driveway to get into his car to begin his search.
Coming back into the house, Amanda remarked, "Well, dinner will have to wait, Mother. Lee volunteered to go look around for Phillip, but it shouldn't be too long. He promised to call when he found him, alright?"
Dotty sighed, and checking on the pot roast once more, answered, "Okay...I guess everything gets put on Warm until they return..."
Meanwhile, Lee searched the perimeter of the neighborhood, and finally spotted him three blocks from the house, outside talking to a boy that looked to be around Phillip's age.
Parking some distance away so as not to frighten either one of them, Lee got out and went behind some shrubbery to watch and listen to some of the conversation, deciding to only step in if need be!
He then heard Phillip state,"Listen! If it wasn't for your stupidity, we wouldn't be in this mess, Billy!"
Lee recalled Amanda mentioning the boy's name as Billy Richman, and continuing to listen, heard Billy answer, and watched as he saw Billy with his index finger jabbing Phillip's chest, "Oh, yeah, King? Well, I didn't force feed you the cigarette! You could've said no!"
Phillip shaking his head, waved away the other boy's finger, growling, "Yeah, right! So I'd be labeled a baby by you and the other clowns in our group?! No thanks! Anyway, you smoke all you want, but I came here to tell you that I'm done! Tell that to your cousin!"
Billy then shook his head commenting, "Well, it doesn't matter, because he won't be coming around here for a while, anyway...He got "jail time" at home just like we did for even giving us the cigarettes! How long for you?"
Phillip sighed answering, "Two weeks...You?"
Billy groaned stating, "The same, but my old man got me odd jobs around the neighborhood to keep me busy after school and on weekends...How about you?"
Phillip sighed replying, "I have to help my mom around the house since she just got out of the hospital."
Billy then swallowed and remarked, "Hey, I meant to tell you I'm sorry about your mom and what happened."
Phillip nodded asking, "Thanks...What time is it?"
Billy looked at his watch answering, "Almost 6."
Phillip responded with a groan, "Oh, boy, I'm gonna get it if I don't leave now! I'll see ya around, Billy."
Billy stated, "See ya, King..."
As Lee stood behind the tree a few more minutes, he marveled at the way Phillip handled the conversation!
But he knew his focus at the moment was to get Phillip home, so, as he got to his car, he carefully circled around until he could catch up to him, and seeing him at the end of Billy's block, slowed the car down, answering out the window at him, "Phillip? I'm Lee Stetson...Look, don't be mad, but your mom was worried when she couldn't find you earlier, so I offered to come look for you...Are-Are you okay?"
Phillip sighed, and looking around, shrugged, commenting slowly, "I don't know...I'm kinda wiped out, I guess..."
Lee nodding, gestured and responded gently, "It's alright, Pal. Hop in, and we'll go back to the house. Dinner's gotta be ready by now, huh?"
As they made their way back to the house, Phillip stated, "Nice to meet you, and I'm sorry about this. Mom told you about today, right?"
Stopping at a light, Lee got on his phone and dialed the house, replying, "That reminds me..."
Amanda answered immediately, "Lee? Did you find him?"
Lee commented, "Yeah, and he's okay and we're almost home now."
Amanda, breathing a sigh of relief, replied, "Okay, good! We'll have dinner on the table when you get here...Put Phillip on, please."
Lee answered, "Sure, but I told you, he's fine-"
Amanda stated firmly, "Lee Stetson, put that boy on now!"
Handing Phillip the receiver, Lee, clearing his throat, responded to him, "She just wants to know you're okay, huh?"
Phillip swallowed, and nodding, commented into the phone, "Hi, Mom...Yeah, I know...Uh-huh...Yes...I-I know, but see, I was just trying to-Yeah, okay... Alright...Hey, Mom, I love-"
Lee saw Phillip's crestfallen face as he gulped, and putting the phone back in the cradle, replied, " Boy! She's steamed all right! Hung up on me and everything...Listen, do you think we could stay away, at least until my senior year? She might calm down by then!"
Lee chuckled and shaking his head, commented as he clapped Phillip's shoulder lightly, "N-No, Pal! In times like this, you've gotta face the music like a man. And even though I've just met you, I'm sure you're up to the challenge, okay?"
As the light changed to Green, Lee drove ahead, as Phillip groaned, "Only if I survive the lecture! Whew..."
TBC
