Truth Aftermath

Chapter 21

As Phillip stayed seated on the couch that afternoon, Amanda stated with a gesture, "Mother? Lee and I need to talk outside for a moment. Would you please keep an eye on Phillip?"

Dotty nodded answering, "Of course, Dear. Jamie was nice enough to bring home Phillip's homework for today. I'll have him bring it down so Phillip can at least start on it."

Amanda nodded as she and Lee got to the back door, and she commented, "Oh, but send Jamie right back upstairs to finish his own, please, since I haven't begun my talk with Phillip yet."

So, going out the back door, and closing it, Lee followed Amanda to the gazebo to talk, and as they sat down, Amanda asked sadly, "How did it come to this, Lee? I-I don't understand this at all! First, the smoking, then sneaking out, and now, trying to travel on his own on an airplane?"

Lee, stroking Amanda's back and kissing her temple, remarked softly, "I-I know, Sweetheart...But don't you go blaming yourself for this, huh? You are a great mother! He said he was just trying to go visit Joe-"

Amanda, shaking her head in confusion, replied sharply, "Well, I find that a bit hard to believe, since he said he was angry at Joe for not understanding what he and Jamie went through after hearing about my accident."

Lee put up a hand to her, answering, as he put his hand in his jacket pocket, "Oh, before I forget...Here..."

He handed her Phillip's Virginia state I.D., and his passport, and the few bills that Phillip had left in his wallet stating, "He was being questioned by the airport security after the whole thing went down with Daryl Holden, and then Francine called me when she couldn't reach you-I still can't believe Phillip took a chance like that, and-"

Amanda, shaking her head as she took the items, and putting them into her sweater pocket responded softly with a gulp, "I've never been so angry and ashamed of him! And he's too old to spank, so what do I do now?"

Lee murmured, "Okay, so spanking from you, or the military measures I was thinking about aren't the answer here...So, what do you want to do, Honey?"

Leaning back against Lee, as he wrapped his arms around her tenderly, Amanda asked puzzledly, "Military meas-Oh, the Colonel...Well, he doesn't know Phillip yet, and I'd hate to subject the man to this problem, Sweetheart-"

Lee clearing his throat answered, "Um, hello? You married me, who lived with a military man for years, and although he and I butted heads more times than I can count, I actually kind of grew to respect the man and his methods-"

Amanda chuckled lightly, "Oh, c'mon! Somehow, I think, that if you could actually write a book about growing up with him, it would be titled, "Surviving The Military: One Order at A Time."

Lee joined in her light laughter and grinned remarking, "Or Die Trying."

Amanda nodded, and then, as a lightbulb idea went off in her head, she suddenly sat straight up, answering, "That's it!"

Lee queried, "What's it? The book idea?"

Amanda, shaking her head, jabbed him with her fist lightly, stating, "No, of course not! But Phillip obviously has forgotten how very lucky he is, growing up here in a nice home, with people that love him!"

Getting up from the gazebo bench, she took Lee's hand and commented, "I've got just the right idea for him to get a nice wake-up call! Follow me..."

And as Lee followed her back to the house, he grinned, replying, "Whatever you have in mind, I'm loving it, Honey!"

But Amanda stopped in her tracks suddenly, making Lee bump into her, and grabbing her arms to keep her from stumbling, he responded, "Ooh-Hey!", while Amanda, turning to face him answered, "You didn't always like my ideas, remember? You said they confused you."

Lee sighed, and kissed her nose stating with a smile and a gesture towards the back door, "Well, that was before we really got to know each other...C'mon..."

As they reached the back door, Amanda turned back to Lee and remarked, "I do love you, and I want you there for support, but please just let me handle it, alright?"

Lee shrugged, responding, " I-I love you, too, and I understand. It's your call, Sweetie. Besides, he's heard enough from me today, anyway."

They came in, and Dotty asked guardedly, "Shall I go upstairs for a while?"

Amanda sighed answering, "No, Mother. Let's all sit down..."

-SMK-

As Phillip then noticed all three adults sitting down around him in the family room, he sighed, and with a shrug, asked, "What? I'm doing my homework like you wanted, Mom...What's going on?"

Amanda nodded answering, "That's fine, Phillip, but we have to talk now. Don't worry, you can start it again later, alright?"

Looking at Dotty, she then asked, "Mother, has Mrs. Carlisle called recently?"

Dotty asked perplexedly, "Mrs. Carlisle? Oh, Honey, you can't be helping her right now, when you're trying to recover. Why would you-"

But when Amanda subtly glanced towards Phillip, and back at her mother, Dotty nodded in understanding, saying, "Ahh, I see...Yes, as a matter of fact, she did phone the other day, and would like you to call back as soon as you can."

Lee, clearing his throat, queried, "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but who is Mrs. Carlisle?"

Amanda replied to Lee, "I'll explain in a moment, Sweetheart."

And turning her attention to Phillip, Amanda stated sternly, "But first, I need you to tell me how you managed to get the money to get to the airport to try to leave the country?! I know I give you allowance, Young Man, but we're not Rockefellers! Please tell me you did not borrow money from Grandma or Jamie, giving them a tall tale about anything!"

Dotty shook her head answering, "Oh, I think he knows he wouldn't get away with that from me!"

As Amanda continued to stare at Phillip, he put up a hand remarking, "Jamie paid me back five dollars that he owed me from last week, and then...Well-"

As Phillip hesitated, Amanda shook her head answering firmly, "Something tells me I won't want to hear the rest of this, but please continue!"

Phillip then sighed, and responded slowly, "Okay...I got back money from my friends that owed money to me, and then I pawned my bike-"

Amanda, stunned, gasped, "What?! The bike that your dad and I got you two years ago for Christmas?! Where is it?"

Phillip shrugged commenting, "The Royal Pawn shop on 23rd St.-"

Lee and Dotty shook their heads as Amanda stated with a gesture towards the stairs, "Alright. Go upstairs and get the ticket, so you can get it back-"

Phillip shook his head answering, "I don't know if I can, Mom. The payment to get it back was due today, and when I found out what the airline fare was gonna be, I asked for an extension-"

Lee groaned then, shaking his head, and Dotty queried worriedly, looking at her son in-law, "What? He's not in danger from them, is he?"

Lee sighed, stating, "No, but they can spot a newcomer a mile away, and take unfair advantage of him. He's gonna be paying a hefty fee to get his bike back."

Amanda swallowed, responding softly, "L-Lee, as upset as I am with Phillip right now, I don't want anything bad to happen...Could you please see if you can get the bike back?"

Lee, getting up from the wing chair, replied tiredly, "Yeah...Okay, Phillip. Go get the ticket, so I can get this over with, huh?"

Phillip got up from the couch, and looking at his mother and Lee, remarked, "I really am sorry, Mom, Lee...For all of this..."

Amanda, shaking her head, commented with a wave of her hand, "Don't even try to apologize, Phillip. I'm not in the mood right now. Go on and get the ticket, so Lee can leave."

When Phillip headed upstairs, Dotty then got up to get the photo album out of the bookcase answering, "Oh, Lee, you'll need a picture of it, right? Let me get it..."

She quickly found it, and pulling it out of the album, handed it to Lee, commenting sadly to her daughter, "It was his favorite Christmas present two years ago...Oh, Amanda! How could he have changed that much?"

Amanda sighed and swallowed, remarking with a shrug, "He's a teenager, Mother...And like all teenagers, they have rose colored glasses on and think the world is their oyster...Boy, is this one in for a rude awakening!"

Phillip came down, moments later, and handing Lee the ticket, went to get his jacket remarking, "We'll be back soon, Mom-"

But Lee put his hand up to Phillip, who got his jacket on, answering with a shake of his head, and pointed to the couch, "Oh, no, Pal! You park your butt back on that couch! Your mom isn't finished with you yet, and I am perfectly capable of dealing with a pawn broker!"

Giving Amanda a kiss, he commented softly, "Be back soon..."

Lee left, and Amanda got up from the couch to head to the kitchen to get some aspirin, and narrowing her eyes at her son, quipped, "So...Have you got any other surprises for us, Young Man?"

TBC