"Ashes to Ashes" (Chapter Five)
by Ennon
Disclaimer:"Degrassi:The Next Generation" and its characters are trademarks of Epitome Pictures and I'm making no monies whatsoever from this fanfic.
A/N- I'll be paraphrasing the best I can some dialogue from the show here so I apologize if it's not exact but I tried to get as succinct as possible for the purposes of advancing this fanfic.
Toronto- Monday, June 14,1999
Joey ran as fast as he could in his socks to the mangled taxi in the downtown street and got a glimpse of Julia's lifeless face and ran up to try to pull her out of there but the police and fire crews held him back as they got to work on their grizzly task. He felt as though the Earth should have opened up and swallowed him whole at that moment. He was in such shock that he couldn't even speak. Archie 'Snake' Simpson came by carrying a bottle of champagne he'd intended to surprise the Jeremiahs with at the restaurant but saw his best friend silently kiss her on the mouth as they put Jula's body in the bodybag then led the catatonic Joey from the spot in the sidewalk where he saw that his world had ended.
"Come on, Man! I'll drive you back to your mother's and I'll tell your children. We can get your mother to identify. .." Snake gulped in utter shock and grief as he led Joey into his Jeep.
Joey numbly nodded.
"Please, you've got to be strong for the kids! For Julia,"Snake said with tears in his voice.
"NO!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!"Joey screamed at the top of his lungs again and again while he pounded his fists into the Jeep's dashboard.
"No, you'll hurt yourself!" Snake begged as he tried to lift Joey's hands off the dashboard.
"I don't CARE!"Joey snarled.
"Joey, it's not what Julia would want," Snake gulped.
"Snake, the last thing she ever said was that she loved me! Me!" Joey sobbed in a choking whisper.
A few minutes later they were at Mrs. Jeremiah's house.
"I'll get my coat, "Mrs. Doris* Jeremiah gulped.
A/N- If anyone reading this recalls them mentioning Joey's mother given name on the original 'Degrassi' series, please let me know and I'll change it but I'm sticking with Doris for now.
"It's summer," Snake tried to explain.
"I feel so cold,"Mrs. Doris Jeremiah shuddered.
" It's OK," Snake sighed.
"I'll tell the children," Mrs. Doris Jeremiah offered.
"No, Ma. This is something I've gotta do," Joey groaned as he walked into his mother's living room where Craig was using a Cookie Monster puppet to entertain Angela.
"Daddy! Did Mommy bring icecream? Where're your shoes?" 22-month old Angela Jeremiah asked- as Joey looked down at his filthy socks and realized he'd left them behind at the restaurant.
"Joey, what happened," 11-year-old Craig (now almost his stepfather's height) asked as he put down the Cookie Monster puppet.
"Children, I. .. she's dead," Joey cried as he burst into tears.
"Who?" Angela asked.
"Your Mommy, baby!"Joey said bursting into tears as he crawled on the floor and hugged them.
"NO! YOU'RE LYING! YOU'RE LYING! NO! NO!" Craig screamed as he pulled himself away.
"Quit calling Daddy a liar!"Angela pouted.
"No, Craig. .Angie. I'm not! She was riding a taxi . .when. .. she's dead!" Joey burst into tears.
"I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?!" Craig screamed.
"Craig!"Snake snapped.
"Craig, Mommy'll get mad if you keep yelling at Daddy and won't let you have icecream!" Angela scolded.
"WHY, JOEY?!" Craig screamed as he finally burst into tears and let Joey hug him.
After a time, Mrs. Doris Jeremiah went down to the police station to identify Julia's remains with Snake at her side.
The accident had provoked such public outrage over security of fire stations and the safety of police chases that the City of Toronto quickly settled on the Jeremiahs a large sum of money the very next day. The bulk of the settlement Joey used to pay for the large headstone, casket and funeral service which he agreed to without really doing more than numbly sign papers put in front of him.
Meantime, Angela kept asking when Julia was returning- and three days later, awoke the morning of Julia's funeral with a 100.8F fever.
Joey and Mrs. Doris Jeremiah both decided that it was best to keep Angela home from her mother's funeral which may have spared her undo trauma.
"No one who ever met Julia will ever forget her! We commit her to you, O Lord and pray that she's in a better place! Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!" the minister intoned while Joey, Craig and the others stoically threw yellow carnations and clumps of dirt into the freshly dug ground.
"Any word on Dr. Manning?" Spike asked Snake in a whisper while they were standing directly behind the coffin while Joey and Craig were about to watch it be interred.
"No, Mrs. Jeremiah left messages for him at the hospital and even tried the house,"Snake groaned.
"Oh, I hope he doesn't pull a stunt like he did at the wedding,"Spike sighed.
Both Craig and Joey were too catatonic to react to what was going on until a moment later when the coffin was being lowered into the ground.
"Craigger! It's time to come home!"Albert commanded as he walked up to the mourners.
"No you don't! This is for Julia and you're not welcome here! " Joey screamed.
"He's my son and I say he goes with me," Albert seethed.
"No! Julia wanted our family to. .." Joey snarled.
"Craig has NOTHING to do with you and that bas. .." Albert boiled while Joey lunged at him.
"Guys. Some respect for the dead, " Snake pleaded as he planted himself between Albert and Joey.
"Like the dead had any respect for me- running off with that runt ,toy boy, cueball homewrecker and taking my son away!" Albert snarled.
"You treated her like dirt! I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing her dead!" Joey boiled.
"Then let Craig come with me right now or I swear to God in front of this minister, I'll spit on her grave!" Albert said with a cruel edge.
"Um. ..I'll come with you, Dad," Craig gulped.
"But he doesn't have any of his other clothes with him," Spike sputtered.
"I'll buy him what he needs- and what happens to him isn't anyone else's business from now on!" Albert boiled as Craig swallowed hard and walked off with Albert while intently looking back at Julia's freshly dug grave until it was out of his line of vision.
" I lost Julia and now I've failed her by letting Albert take Craig away! I can't go on, Ma!" Joey cried when he returned back to check on his daughter whose fever had broken.
"Joey, my granddaughter needs you! You must be the father Julia knew you could be!" Mrs. Doris Jeremiah pleaded.
"I know, Ma and I'll take Angie back home. Maybe one day we'll finish eating all those casseroles everyone's brought. Oh, Julia would get a good laugh at the sight of all those," Joey chuckled. .and cried at the same time.
The drive back to the Manning House was even worse than all those trips from the airport the past two years. Albert said nothing the entire way and Craig couldn't think of anything to say.
Then, they entered the front door and he saw that Albert had had a large 'Welcome Home, Craigger!' banner set up with balloons strung up at the ceiling moldings of the living room as though it was a birthday party!
"Look what your Dad's done"Albert beamed.
"Uh. .. thanks,"Craig gulped.
"That's all the gratitude you can muster up after all the trouble I've gone to?" Albert sniffed.
"I said thanks," Craig replied.
"Don't backtalk me!" Albert boiled.
"But. .. " Craig gulped as Albert punched him in the mouth- physically assaulting Craig for the very first time in their lives.
"Craig, I'm so sorry but with the stress of my work and . . .all the other stuff that's been happening.. Well, it will never happen again! No hard feelings, son?" Albert asked.
"OK," Craig gulped rather stunned and unsure what was going to happen.
. An older lady Mrs. Braintree was hired to do light housekeeping and watch over Craig until Albert's return. She kept her own counsel and apart from making sure Craig did homework and household chores, had no real interaction with Craig. He never learned that she was hired to pay off her surgery costs not to mention anything about her background, family or interests- not even her given name. Most of the time she'd stay in the living room and read pulp romance novels. Regardless if Albert returned at 4PM or well past midnight due to 'complications' she'd stay with Craig then leave a few minutes after Albert's return. As dull as she was, at least her behaviour was consistant but Craig found out she was not to be trusted a week later when she overheard him calling Joey and evasively talking then reported it to Albert who, minutes after she left, beat the tar out of Craig and hit Craig's ear so hard that it rang for three days. Albert told Craig NEVER to call or see Joey again without his express permission and Craig knew better than to ask it. Craig was quite relieved when Albert sent him off to camp for the remainder of the summer. That fall, Albert enrolled Craig at the Edgemont Primary Academy- a private all-boys school requiring coat and tie uniforms and whose graduates went onto the finest prep schools. Everyday, Craig would either have Albert drive him there or take a taxi then have an awaiting taxi drive him home. His old friends in Vancouver emailed him but he made no new ones at Edgemont.
At exactly Midnight of Christmas Day,1999 Albert deposited Craig at Joey's house.
"Daddy, who's that?" 30-month old Angela asked shyly as Joey carried her.
"It's your big brother Craig! He's going to be with us to help us celebrate Christmas!"Joey enthused.
"Hey, Kiddo! I've missed you!" Craig exclaimed as he hugged her.
"So, are you okay?" Joey asked.
"I'm fine. Really," Craig replied but didn't look directly at his stepfather.
"OK," Joey sighed.
"Hey! Let's set out the milk and cookies for Father Christmas and wait by the fireplace!" Craig beamed.
"Yay!" Angela cheered.
Despite their best efforts, the three fell asleep sometime before three. Around nine they awoke and Joey and Craig exchanged small presents before giving Angela extra toys. Then the three got into a festive mood and sang Christmas carols with Joey playing the guitar he'd bought Julia and the three took many pictures until exactly at 12 Noon when Albert's car horn honked.
"Um.. .gotta go now! Merry Christmas, Joey, Kiddo!" Craig said nervously as he ran out the door and into Albert's car which sped off.
"Julia, your heart would be broken now if you could see this," Joey sighed to himself as he picked up one of Julia's pictures and wouldn't have been surprised if a tear had appeared on it.
Friday, December 31,1999-
"Craigger, why can't you concentrate on your studies? " Albert asked late that night.
"The New Year and New Millenium in a few hours, Dad," Craig shrugged.
"Actually, the New Millenium won't start til next year but let the idiots celebrate too soon!" Albert laughted.
"I guess so," Craig groaned.
"Come on, Craigger! I want to help you study because I'm your friend. .and friends talk, right?" Albert asked.
Albert had been relatively civil the whole week after Christmas and had gone without hitting Craig the whole time. So Craig thought maybe this peaceful time would last longer than the others had since his return.
"Um. ..well, it's about Christmas,"Craig started.
"Your Dad sure pulled a few strings to get that new camera model for you, eh!" Albert laughed.
"Yeah. .and thanks again, Dad," Craig gulped.
"Something happen at Joey's?" Albert asked.
"No. .I just feel . .bad about. .." Craig groaned.
"About. . what, Craigger?" Albert asked as he looked into Craig's eyes.
Craig gulped and knew he'd have to tell him or the civil mood would end very abruptly.
"Well, I . .said I hated him back in June when, you know. .. and I don't know how to apologize," Craig shuddered bracing himself for the latest blow.
"That's it?" Albert laughed.
"You're not mad?" Craig laughed.
"Why should I be mad? I'm PROUD of you! No need to ever apologize for hating the homewrecker!"Albert beamed as he hugged Craig.
"But Dad, he's good to Angie and he was good to. .." Craig pleaded.
"I know he may have acted like he liked you to impress the woman who bore you but he probably hates you cos you're a living reminder that I'm the one who . .had your mother before anyone else. Just like I hate Angie for being a living reminder that Joey had her last," Albert shrugged.
"Dad, that's embarassing!" Craig groaned.
"Hey, don't worry! Your secret's safe with me! Now, let's go over your trig exam notes one more time before we start counting for the New Year," Albert beamed.
"But, Joey's trying to get visitation," Craig pleaded as he and Albert were in suits outside a courtroom in March,2000.
"He's trying to keep peace with Angie. He couldn't care less about you!" Albert sniffed.
"Joey. ." Craig started to say.
"Didn't convert his weightroom into your darkroom like I have! Now you don't have to depend on pharmacies to develop your shots!" Albert beamed.
"Do you think I have a chance?" Joey asked in a suit for his court date in March,2000.
"I'm sure the judge will at least allow Craig to visit Angie!" Snake encouraged.
"But they wouldn't even grant me an Emergency Injunction and it took forever to get a date on the court docket," Joey groaned.
"But Your Honour, my late wife expressly put it in writing that she wanted Craig to live with me if anything happened- and she had Primary Custody!" Joey pleaded while in court.
"Craig, did you tell my client, your father Dr. Albert Manning that you hate Mr. Jeremiah?" Mr. Fowler (Albert's lawyer) asked as he was on the stand.
"Dad said. .." Craig said in a rather stunned tone.
" Just answer the question," the judge ordered.
Craig looked away from Joey and could see he was quite hurt but he couldn't avoid Albert's glare and knew if he didn't answer that question exactly as Albert wanted, he'd be dead meat.
"Yes, I did," Craig groaned.
" Well, in that case, there's really no reason for you to be visiting him or his daughter more than half the day Christmas which Dr. Manning allows. Court finds in favor of Dr. Manning!" the judge ordered.
"But Your Honour!" Joey's lawyer (Ms. Trevor) pleaded.
"Case closed!" the judge sniffed as he slammed his gavel.
"Joey, you can file an appeal," Snake pleaded.
"Appeal? For Craig to say he hates me again?"Joey boiled when they reached the lawyer's office.
"But, Joey. ." Snake gulped.
"I almost went broke with this lawyer and I've gotta pay the mortgages and taxes on the dealership and house! Craig hates me so Ma and Angie are the only family I have and I've gotta take care of 'em!" Joey snapped.
" I did it, Adéle!" Albert beamed as he and Adéle hugged later that afternoon at her apartment.
"You sure did! I told you that judge would see things your way-especially after your under-the-table deal. .and you thought he'd turn you in!" Adéle laughed.
"Even easier than some of those board members!" Albert laughed.
"So when are you going to introduce Craig to me?" Adéle asked.
"Why do you want to meet him?" Albert asked.
"Because he's your son- and this sneaking around is getting tiresome," Adéle sniffed.
"Are you threatening to dump me again? You'll get no part of Julia's inheritance if you do," Albert laughed.
"I don't have to depend on that! I'm making a very good living at marketting and I can find new guys anytime!" Adéle sniffed.
" And I can find new girls," Albert snarled as he slapped her.
"You just try that!"Adéle spat as she slapped him back.
"I have- just as you've had other guys these past five years but we keep coming back to each other," Albert laughed as he rubbed the sore spot on his cheek.
"And you know why?" Adéle asked.
"Because we're the only people we can be our REAL selves around. Everyone else we tell what they want to hear and putty in our hands!" Albert laughed while Adéle joined him.
Sitting with Mrs. Braintree waiting for Albert to return Craig's mind raced back to all those times in his childhood in which Albert had hit,slapped,belted and kicked at Julia and all those horrible things he said to her followed by 'gifts' and 'apologies' he'd given her- and Craig realized that now it was his turn. The deafening silence that permeated the Manning House underscored the fact that Albert intended it to be a tomb- and now he knew its intended occupant.
Christmas, 2000, came and went with Craig and Angie having a great time together for the brief time but an even more awkward time between Craig and Joey than before. .and Joey finding his Wedding Album in Angie's room with the pictures taken out and scattered about afterwards . Angie pleaded with Joey that she hadn't touched the album and Joey wanted to believe her but he didn't know what to think. ..and he couldn't find the picture of Mr.Prescott, himself and Julia again. Craig had secretly pocketted it and decided to hide it from Albert as he had no other picture of his mother left.
Christmas, 2001, was awkward as usual between Craig and Joey but. .
" . and Mommy told me how her ancestor walked to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem all the way from Santiago, Spain in 1000AD. I wish I could remember all the details she told me!"13-year-old Craig recalled.
"Wow! Do you think they saw any dinosaurs in Jerusalem ?" 4-year-old Angie asked.
"You're something else, Kiddo!" Craig laughed.
"You,too! I started pre-K in the Wheeler School. I like the jungle gym outside! Mrs. Bainter usually lets us play all by ourselves!" Angie beamed.
"Maybe I'll surprise you there one afternoon and teach you how to work this camera!" Craig pondered as he pointed the lens in her direction..
"Uh. .Craig, your Dad's here!" Joey groaned as he came into Angie's room.
"Bye, Kiddo! Love you!" Craig beamed as he hugged Angie and took her picture then nodded at Joey while walking out.
As soon as he returned to his room alone, he looked at the picture of Mr. Prescott, Joey and Julia intently and realized that the reason he liked being with Angie so much was that she reminded Craig of Julia- and Joey was raising her as lovingly and dotingly as Julia's own father had done years earlier.. How Craig wished he could do more than observe his 'real family' once a year but these observations gave him strength for the rest of the year. .. Saffron Times indeed those were. If only, he hadn't messed things up with Joey by saying he hated him.
Mrs. Braintree had retired and Albert knew Craig would sit quietly at home waiting for him but what Albert didn't know was that when Albert on those days Albert hadn't already arrived from the hospital and the conditions were sunny and warm, Craig would sneak over to Angie's kindergarten and visit her through the fence. Craig counted on Mrs. Bainter never showing up outside. He felt bad that no one was really watching these children but it was the only way he could see Angie and at least he'd be there to watch out for the kids when he visited. Angie didn't like keeping secrets from Joey but thought the visits were fun and was afraid that if the grownups found out about them, they'd end so she kept the visits secret.
Meantime, Craig was e-mailing his old friend Melanie in Vancouver who had scanned pictures of herself to him as they were becoming teens. Seeing that the freckled redhead was ripening into a desirable teenaged girl, Craig decided he wanted to return to Vancouver with Angie for Melanie to help raise while he enjoyed Melanie's companionship but had no idea how or when to make this happen. Yet, besides emailing Melanie and seeing Angie on those secret visits, Craig felt there was nothing for him in life.
Edgemont ended at Grade Eight and Craig was due for high school. Albert had considered putting Craig in another private all-boys school when he chanced upon an article about how Ms. Daphne Hatzilakos's last three classes had the largest number of science prizes, scholarships and awards meted to any secondary level class in Toronto. Hence, with the news that Ms. Hatzilakos in the article was joining the Degrassi faculty and the Manning House being on the outer edge of its school district, Albert decided at the last possible minute to enroll Craig in Degrassi without having ever seen the school or its prized teacher in person.
"So, Jeremiah, you're coming to Spike's Birthday Party on Wednesday afternoon?" Snake asked on a Monday in late August,2002.
" Why is she throwing her own party?"Joey asked while Snake was visiting Jeremiah Motors.
"How else is she going to make sure she gets her fave eats with all her friends?" Snake laughed.
" Wish I could make it but I've got a date with a calendar girl!" Joey beamed.
"Hey! Great you're dating again but can't you put it off. ..?" Snake asked.
"I've been putting off having fun for three years now and I think Julia should be happy that I'm not shutting myself off anymore,"Joey shrugged.
"I think she'd also be happy that Craig's going to get his own Degrassi friends!" Snake laughed.
"Craig Manning? No way!" Joey scoffed.
"Way! I just got the latest roster and he's in my homeroom tomorrow morning!"Snake explained.
"OK,"Joey shrugged.
"Aren't you going to ask me to look out for him, give him a message from you or anything?" Snake asked.
"What for? He doesn't care anything about me. He's not called me once in three years and barely speaks to me on those Christmas mornings," Joey snapped.
"Come on, Joey! He must care something about you," Snake sputtered.
"Only the fact I'm Angie's father and she's Julia's other child! Yeah, he's nice to her but I don't think he minds not seeing us more than once a year," Joey fumed.
"He lived with you for two years and you got along great then," Snake recalled.
"Yeah, but it's as though I was only worth caring for when Julia was living. He didn't deny he hated me in that visitation hearing in 2000!" Joey groaned.
"Joey, now that you're dating again, it would be a good time for you and Craig to at least patch up any misunderstandings before. .." Snake pleaded.
"Okay, if Craig asks about me, tell him I'm wondering how he's doing and to give me a call!"Joey sighed.
Craig's visit with Angela went smoothly Tuesday afternoon until Angie's new kindergarten teacher Mrs. Herkimer called her name and asked her the identity of the teen she was talking to. Craig hadn't known that Angela's previous teacher Mrs. Bainter had been fired by the Wheeler School for incompetence after being caught eating the entire supply of library paste with her toast
Still,Craig wanted a picture of his three favourite people together and decided to wait for Joey and Angie at Julia's cemetary while he snuck the pictures. .but Angie admitted to Joey seeing Craig and Joey nearly caught Craig before he was able to run out of the cemetary grounds.
"Dad, I'm not like Mom," 14-year-old Craig groaned reluctantly for the millionth time (hoping his tone would be convincing enough to not trigger a beating from Albert) after Albert asked him about a phone message from Joey later that evening.
"Aunt Christy, have you met my big brother Craig?" Angie asked at Spike's birthday party Wednesday afternoon.
" He sure has grown into a handsome man!" Spike laughed.
"It's good to see you, too,Ms. Nelson," Craig beamed as Spike gave him a hotdog on a bun.
"Can we draw on the sidewalk, Mom?" Emma asked.
"Sure, as long as you clean it up after the party's over!" Spike warned.
"Yes, Mom," Emma groaned.
"Come on, ladies. My Mom showed me how to draw like Pablo Picasso! Wait'll you see this one!" Craig beamed as he started to draw a dinosaur.
"Julia sure would be happy to see these two getting along so great!" Spike quietly said to Snake.
"He's a good kid but I can't help thinking there's a lot more going on than he's letting on," Snake groaned as Spike nodded in agreement.
"DADDY!" Angela squealed in delight as Joey joined Spike's party.
Spike and Snake immediately noticed that Craig's demeanor immediately changed as he turned away from Joey and tried to lose himself in the small party.
The whole party heard Joey's talk with Craig about Albert not allowing Craig to see the Jeremiahs before Craig walked away from the party altogether.
Craig dreaded his return home more than usual . Still, he thought if he could make it to his darkroom, he could have a few hours peace before Albert lit into him but Albert followed him in and gave Craig one of the worst beatings of his life. Albert trashed the entire darkroom and all its equipment while slamming Craig around and beating him with his ' Perfect Family' photo album. As soon as Albert left, Craig painfully picked himself up and looked inside fearing the worst. He found it. Albert had discovered the Joey and Julia's Wedding Photo with Mr. Prescott- and had torn out Julia's image from it! That was even more painful than the bruisings. How much longer before Albert tear him away, Craig wondered as he heard Albert drive off.
"A new picture for my dartboard- and she looks like a cow here!"Adéle cruelly laughed at the picture of Julia seven-months pregnant.
"Yeah, good thing you don't have to worry about getting pregnant!" Albert laughed.
" Albert, you shouldn't have!" Adéle beamed in her apartment as he pinned the scrap of Julia's image onto it.
"Yeah, and I showed Craig who's boss!" Albert laughed.
Craig heard Albert get in a few hours later but didn't dare ask him about his whereabouts before Albert drove him to school and gave him a large number of Canadian Dollars to buy him off. . .and (Craig was beginning to see) buy his very soul. Still, he didn't want these new folks at Degrassi to see a scene with Albert and it was embarassing enough to him to be seen having Albert drop him off so he played his usual game and accepted the money that Thursday morning.
Craig didn't want Angela to know that not all children were as lucky as she being raised by a father who'd never do more than verbally scold her. .and he frankly didn't want Angie to know anything about Albert's existance so he told her it was a dinosaur who caused the bruising as she pulled his shirt up. Craig was taking Angie by the hand out of the park to get her icecream before boarding the afternoon bus to BC, he'd decided to call Melanie as soon as the bus reached Sudbury to let her know they'd be on their way to Vancouver to move into her garage. Angie considered Vancouver to be the moon but believed one could reach it if one jumped high enough. Still, there was one thing Craig never counted on from Angie.
"Angie, I was worried!" Joey exclaimed as he hugged her.
"Craig, can Daddy come,too?" Angela asked.
"Come where?" Joey asked.
"Craig's got a million dollars. We're moving to British Columbia!" Angela beamed as she ran up to Craig and pulled out the money.
"What do you think you're doing? You think you can just take her away with you?" Joey sputtered.
"No I don't!.Joey, it was just pretend," Craig gulped.
"Like that money in your pocket's pretend!" Joey scorned.
Craig hemmed some more.
"Just stay away from Angie and me like your Dad said,"Joey ordered.
"Joey, I can't DO that!" Craig pleaded.
"I MEAN it!" Joey growled as he scooped Angela in his arms and stormed off.
"Okay, fine," Craig said dejectly.
On the way home, Craig realized that he'd burned his last bridge to sanity. Angela would never have wanted to go anywhere without Joey. Why would she have? Joey had never given her a moment of fear or hatred in her life much less been anything but a caring, doting father to his only child. Craig knew he'd screwed up big time- and he'd been too immersed in his plight to consider that anyone at Degrassi besides Sean would have any use for him. Not to mention, Joey would have called the police and the bus would have been pulled over even before it reached the Greater Toronto Metro Limits- and Angie would have likely gotten fussy and lonely for Joey after mere minutes on the bus. Craig decided to just go home and let Albert destroy him once and for all after that. At least if he was dead, he'd be with Julia again and they could watch out for Joey and Angie together!
To an outsider, would have seemed to have been in an okay mood that afternoon but Craig knew he wasn't and then the phone rang. .Joey. Of course, Joey would do anything in his power to protect the most important person in his life from stupid teen boys wanting to take her on three day bus rides without even asking permission- even if it meant calling his worst enemy Albert. Craig decided he had one last chance to live to get to Melanie's in Vancouver so he quickly called Sean on the phone while he could hear Albert destroying his bedroom door with his golf club.
" Thank God Joey called me instead of the police- or else your name would have been in the papers and I'd have NEVER lived that one down! How dare you humiliate me and make folks think I've warped you!"Albert screamed at the now-empty room as he burst in moments after Craig's escape.
"How could I have been so stupid! Why didn't I realize that since Albert beat the most wonderful woman who ever lived, he wouldn't be above doing the same to his own son?" Joey yelled as he and Sean were in his classic car searching for Craig.
"Joey, it's not your fault. I've seen this happen before and kids are too ashamed to admit they've been beaten by those they love," Sean groaned.
"I guess I didn't want to know! It was easier to think that Craig hated me but Albert treated him okay after I lost the visitations than it would have been to think Craig was all alone with no one in his corner," Joey groaned.
The freight yard attracted folks at night Craig had never imagined existed in daytime. .and some of them seemed even more creepy and frightening than Albert. After a receiving a few stomach-churning glares from them, Craig had enough and fled the freight yard altogether.
Craig decided he had to say goodbye to Julia one last time before he joined her as he hadn't done so when Sean pulled him away that last second. He lovingly touched her headstone thinking back to those distant Saffron Times when she, Joey and Angie were taking care of him .. .and he was happy!
"Where am I supposed to go, huh? Back home so my dad can. .?" Craig yelled after Joey came upon him.
"So your dad can what? What does your father do to you? Does he hit you?" Joey asked- as Craig turned away.
"Yeah. .. He does!"Craig replied then burst into tears while Joey hugged him.
"How long has. .?" Joey asked.
"It started the day he took me away from Mom's funeral. I think I always knew he wanted to but, for some reason, as long as Mom was alive he stopped himself,"Craig bawled.
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" Joey asked.
"I screwed things up by saying I hated you! " Craig cried as Joey hugged him.
"You were angry about your mother's death! I know you didn't mean it," Joey replied.
"But I DID. .at the time. Can you ever forgive me?" Craig bawled.
"Yeah, I can. It's time to put that behind us," Joey gulped.
"So you think you can at least get Dad to let me visit you and Angie maybe once a month? I promise never to take her anywhere without your permission!" Craig sobbed.
"I can do more than that!" Joey replied firmly.
"Yay! Craig's here in our house!"Angie cheered.
"I hope to stay here as long as I can,Kiddo! Emma, could you show Angie some of the photos in that album upstairs in her room?" Craig asked.
"Sure,"Emma replied as the two went upstairs.
"Okay. I'm ready to call Dad," Craig stated.
"If you don't think you can, I. .." Joey offered.
"No, Mom stood up to him on her own and she'd want me to do the same. I need to call him," Craig said firmly.
"Do you know what time it is?" Albert boiled as he picked up the phone.
"Dad, it's me, Craig. I'm here at Joey Jeremiah's for the night. ."Craig insisted.
"Yeah, Albert. Craig's with me!" Joey quickly added.
"Joey, I don't know what this punk ingrate's told you but I'm coming over and. ."Albert boiled.
"You come by my house or business EVER again and I'll have you arrested for Tresspassing," Joey exclaimed.
"But. ."Albert sputtered.
"And I'll press charges of assault and battery on you, Dad!" Craig added but with a gulp.
"I'll drive him over after school tomorrow and he's picking his stuff up,"Joey added.
Craig made himself say what he had to say, pack what he could carry then walk away from Albert. He knew he couldn't survive in that house anymore. Albert and Joey glared at each other but too much had already been said between the two for either of them to add anything before Joey took Craig with him to start a new life. While Craig felt torn having to leave Albert, he could feel Julia's presence comforting him and assuring him that he'd made the best decision he could.. and Joey almost could swear he smelled Julia's rain scented hair and felt a kiss on his cheek as they drove away from the Manning House.
"You finally told Craig about us?"Adéle asked as she hugged Albert the next day as they were making out in her apartment.
"Yep! And he said that no one could ever replace his mother so I told him you were far better than she and if he didn't like it, I'd send him to boarding school!" Albert gloated.
"And. .? "Adéle asked.
"Yeah, that's what I've done! I've showed the ingrate who's boss once and for all!" Albert beamed.
"Oh, I'd like to have been there to have seen his face when you sent him away!" Adéle laughed.
"He kept looking back but I've had it with him," Albert groaned.
"To think ,we drove out Julia AND her spawn. Now I can move in!" Adéle gloated.
"Keep your apartment but let's spend as much time together as possible," Albert pleaded.
"Oh, I can hardly wait to tell everyone what you've done for me!" Adéle laughed.
"Better not. Why should folks know I raised an ingrate? Better they think I raised someone so brilliant that no school in Toronto was good enough for him, " Albert laughed.
"That's good!" Adéle beamed as she hugged Albert while they continued to make out.
About a month later, Adéle ran into Ms. Clothilde Sauvé at the marketplace.
"Adéle, how have you been?" Ms. Sauvé asked as they sat down at a small table and put down their produce baskets.
"Couldn't be better! Where have you been?" Adéle asked.
"Quebec, taking care of Mémé,"Ms. Sauvé groaned.
"Oh, your Grandmother Bourgoyne's not well?" Adéle asked.
"Hopefully, she's in a better place. That Alzheimer's took seven years to finally kill her after it robbed her of so much," Ms.Suavé groaned.
"So you and Jean-Paul. ..?"Adéle pondered.
"He took care of Mémé with me!" Ms. Sauvé replied.
"How gallánt of that plumber!" Adéle sniffed."
"We owed it to her to keep her as comfortable and happy as possible in her own home- especially considering that she was the only refuge any of us had growing up!" Ms. Sauvé sigh,
"Don't think I'm not grateful but I had so many things going on here,"Adéle replied.
"You couldn't make even one visit to her in seven years?" Ms. Sauvé snapped.
"You'd said she had Alzheimer's and she wouldn't have known me from a beanstalk. So, how are you and Jean-Paul doing now that. .."Adéle asked.
"I'm sorry. I'm just so raw after her long goodbye and passing. We're fine. He's never been out of work as a plumber and I just started being a guidance counsellor at this school here called Degrassi,"Ms, Sauvé explained.
"Still trying to save the world," Adéle laughed.
"Not every young person's as lucky as we were to have a Mémé in their lives- and my helping them sort things out helps me keep her legacy alive!"Ms. Sauvé sighed.
"I suppose. Maybe Albert will help me keep mine alive awhile, "Adéle pondered.
"Who?" Ms. Sauvé asked.
"My boyfriend I've been with these past five years. Dr. Albert Manning. He's divorced and his ex ran off with a used car salesman then he sent his ingrate son to boarding school after he refused to meet me," Adéle replied.
"Dr. Albert Manning. . why does that name sound familiar?"Ms. Sauvé pondered.
"He's somewhat prominent in the medical field. Maybe you've referred someone to him," Adéle shrugged.
"Wait a minute! That's Julia Manning's husband!"Ms. Sauvé exclaimed with a shudder.
"Ex-husband, what's your point," Adéle shrugged.
"You brought your friend Julia to me to see if she could get help in getting out of her abusive marriage," Ms. Sauvé recalled.
"Oh, Julia was just trying to extort money from him so she could get a good settlement. She made all that stuff up,"Adéle sniffed.
"She showed me the bruises!"Ms. Sauvé recalled.
"And you never heard of people deliberately injuring themselves? She later told me she did all to herself to extort money from him so she and her new boyfriend could start their fling in style as they ran off to BC!"Adéle laughed.
"I just . .. .can't believe it," Ms. Sauvé shuddered.
"So your bat sense took a beating. Happens to the best of us!" Adéle insisted as she looked right into Ms. Sauvé's eyes.
"I guess," Ms. Sauvé exclaimed in astonishment.
"Besides, your Mémé would have been the first to tell you that outsiders just aren't as reliable as villagers," Adéle intoned.
Christmas, 2002
"I'd have thought Craig would have been sent home for Christmas," Adéle sniffed,
"His boarding school had other plans. Besides, I wanted to spend it with you- all day long this time!"Albert cooed.
"Then why didn't you go to my marketting firm's Christmas party?" Adéle asked with an edge.
"I'm not comfortable around marketting folks," Albert shrugged.
"Why not? You've been selling yourself to everyone forever," Adéle sniffed.
"Yeah but I'd rather do my consulting with you one-on-one," Albert beamed as he and Adéle hugged again.
Late Spring,2003
"Laura, what is it?" Ms. Sauvé asked as Ms. Kwan stood outside the Guidance Counsellor's office.
"It's about one of my students, Craig Manning. I asked my students to perform interpretations of a key scene in 'Taming of the Shrew'. .but he and Ashley Kerwin did something drastically different from the others," Ms. Kwan sighed as Ms. Sauvé opened the door and let her inside.
"How so ?" Ms. Sauvé asked as Ms.Kwan sat down in her office.
"They saw it as strictly a tragedy of domination and abuse," Ms. Kwan shuddered.
"Hmm, I'm afraid my cynical side tends to get the better of me with that play,too, but why are you telling. .?" Ms. Sauvé asked.
"You should have seen the look on Craig's face when he put on the suit and glasses, like a demon possessed him and then when he took them off at the scene's close, it was like he'd cast out that demon. ..but was afraid of the demon ever returning,"Ms. Kwan gulped.
" His marks are fairly good except he could pull up science and he's caused no disruptions in school so I haven't really had any reason to. ." Ms. Sauvé considered.
"Clothilde, please just talk to him and see if you can find out something at home that should needs tending to, "Ms. Kwan begged as she stood up.
"Of course, Laura. I'll do what I can," Ms. Sauvé sighed as she pulled up Craig's record and studied them more thoroughly than ever before.
Ms. Sauvé recalled a brief chat months earlier when she'd asked Craig about why Joey was his temporary guardian and Craig just muttered something about Joey being closer to Degrassi than the Manning House and Ms. Sauvé didn't want to press the issue. Then she studied Craig's vital statistics more thoroughly than ever before instead of just giving them a cursory glance.
Father-Dr. Albert Manning Mother- Mrs. Julia Jeremiah (Deceased) Temporary Guardian- Mr. Joey Jeremiah (Stepfather)
Ms. Sauvé desperately tried to reach Adéle with the news after she'd talked to Craig but Adéle refused to answer her calls or e-mails. Weeks went by, then Ms. Sauvé cornered her in the marketplace again at a corner table blocked off by a large display wagon.
"Why are you bothering me about Albert?" Adéle asked.
"Because he DID abuse Julia- and Craig! Her son told me enough gory details!"Ms. Sauvé pleaded.
"You went up to Craig's boarding school?" Adéle asked.
"There is no boarding school! Craig's at Degrassi Moreover, Julia Ibañez Manning Jeremiah died in 1999 in a very bad multi-vehicle collision," Ms. Sauvé boiled.
"Really?" Adéle replied.
"Quit lying to me, Adéle! You had to know that one! It made all the headlines in Toronto for a week and I pulled up the account on the search engines but you knew I was in Quebec tending Mémé and wouldn't have seen that! How could you slander a dead woman like that?" Ms. Sauvé seethed.
"Okay, she found out about Albert and me. Yes, we started our affair while she was still married to him! Satisfied?" Adéle asked.
"No! I don't care what Albert's told you about their marriage! Craig said. ." Ms. Sauvé started to say.
"You're going to listen to that ingrate after he got snotty about me replacing his mother?"Adéle seethed.
"Craig doesn't know you exist! He's actually happy his stepfather's dating- even though a remarriage would technically change their status . When I asked him about Albert's dates, he said he thought maybe a girlfriend would make Albert happy but he just thought Albert had been seeing prostitutes since before Julia left!"Ms. Sauvé boiled.
"How DARE you judge our love like that! " Adéle snarled.
"What love? How many people has he introduced you to? How many functions has he taken you to? Why is hiding you from as many people possible? What makes you think he's above abusing you then covering himself if he did that to his wife and son?" Ms. Sauvé pleaded.
"I don't have to listen to this,"Adéle seethed as she pushed the table out of her way, then the cart and stomped out of the marketplace leaving her produce behind.
"You LIED to me,Albert!" Adéle boiled the next day after Albert arrived at her apartment.
"Big f---ing deal! You've lied to me and everyone else you met!" Albert sniffed.
"How could you tell me that Craig was in boarding school instead of him being with his stepfather and in school in Toronto?" Adéle asked.
"I have my pride, you know!" Albert shrugged.
"And I have mine!" Adéle seethed.
"Meaning?" Albert asked.
"You give me at least $500,000 Canadian of Julia's money or I'll tell the whole world including Craig about all we've done down the years! I know all about him being at Degrassi and his stepfather having temporary custody,! You LIED to me!"Adéle boiled the next evening after Albert arrived at her apartment.
"Trying to extort me? At least Julia left me with money," Albert sniffed.
"Come on, you owe me for these eight years of sneaking around and secrecy- and for being the only one to understand the REAL you!" Adéle seethed.
"Actually, so did Julia and Craig. That's why they deserved what they got,"Albert boiled as he hit her.
"You once said that to destroy me would be like destroying yourself," Adéle seethed as she hit him back.
"Well, I'm really sick of both of us!" Albert snarled as he left.
"Come back here! You can't leave without compensating me! I don't deserve to have to work in an office the rest of my life! Come see me off to my Singapore business trip tomorrow and tell me you're giving me my due!" Adéle boiled.
That Tuesday evening, Albert went back to his house and cleared every single remnant of Adéle's presence from his house- including the pictures of them together.
The next day, Albert stopped by Degrassi to help Craig study for his science final exam of Grade Nine. Thursday, he invited Craig to his house to study. As much as Craig liked visiting him at the hospital again and seeing their old house, he knew he couldn't return. He also smelled the strong scent of Lysol eminating from Albert's bedroom.
Friday, Albert sped off in a fury after knocking Craig to the ground outside a Toronto restaurant and Craig rejected his offer to take him back home- leaving the London tickets in the street next to the curb. Craig had no way of knowing that Albert had originally bought them for Adéle and had just changed her name to his before he offered them to Craig that Friday night.
"What?" Albert asked as he answered his cellphone while speeding.
"Albert, I demand what I deserve!" Adéle boiled as she called from Singapore.
"How did you get my new number ..?" Albert asked.
" I have the capacity to get just about anything I want! I'm not to be thrown away so easily," Adéle boiled.
"Look, I couldn't introduce to Craig and the others or go to your office parties. We'd have cancelled each other out," Albert pleaded.
"Is it still about saving face? Well, you know what to do to save yours!" Adéle boiled.
"You think my standing's going to be gone forever cos of what we had?" Albert laughed.
"You can't save your face forever!" Adéle boiled.
At that moment, Albert hung up and turned his head a moment before he struck the embankment. This caused caused his gas tank to explode- barely singing his torso and limbs but burning his face and hands beyond it being recognizable as human before he died of shock from the intense pain and agony as he was raced to his hospitable one last time.
Saturday morning, Craig received the news and picked up Joey's guitar and practiced the finger scales for the first time since he was seven.
"Stephen, what are you doing here?" Adéle asked on Sunday.
"Adéle, Albert was in a fatal accident. I'm sorry!" Dr. Stephen Watley groaned.
"Come inside and have some tea," Adéle pleaded as she started shaking.
" I can't right now. These were in Albert's office. They're yours.," Dr. Stephen Watley sighed as he was holding a large box at Adéle's apartment doorway.
"When's the funeral?" Adéle asked.
"Just take this box and don't come to the funeral. We're trying to celebrate all the good Albert did," Dr. Watley sighed.
"But we were on and off for eight years," Adéle gasped.
"I know but we'd really prefer not to bring up Albert's dark-side tomorrow- and we've hired security so don't show up,"Dr. Watley said firmly as he pushed the box into Adéle's hands.
"But I loved him!" Adéle pleaded.
" Mourn him on your own. Marguerite's waiting for me in the car. Goodbye and take care of yourself," Dr. Watley snapped as he left the apartment complex's hallway.
Dr. Watley was most relieved that Adéle didn't show up Monday afternoon- especially since security cancelled at the last minute. Mrs. Braintree sat near Craig at the funeral but they didn't converse- the same as always. Dr. Watley was as shocked as anyone else when Craig burst out laughing and ran out! After Craig had the meltdown at the Luau Dance over Albert's passing, he went to the garage and started playing the guitar as though he'd been playing every day of his life and composed a tribute song to Albert and Julia in the wee hours. Joey gave him the guitar outright and knew that when he played it, Craig would think of Julia freeing his soul through music.
The next day at Children's Aid.
" The court finds that since he has Craig's best interests at heart, Craig wishes this to be so, he is the widower of Craig Manning's late mother- and Craig has no other living adult relatives, Joey Jeremiah will be awarded sole custody and guardianship of Craig until Craig Manning's 18th Birthday!" the judge ruled.
A week later, Ms. Sauvé was seated at the marketplace table talking to Adéle.
"Eight years and all I received was my own clothes, nighties and toiletries back in a box!"Adéle bawled.
"Adéle, consider yourself lucky that you got out of that relationship unscarred," Ms. Sauvé consoled.
"Unscarred? No, eight years and nothing to show for it! He left everything to Craig in a trust and even put it in his will that if anyone successfully challenged the terms, the Estate would award them One Dollar! One Dollar for all those years!" Adéle sobbed.
"You need to move on to other things and meet new people," Ms. Sauvé sighed.
"Clothilde, Albert was the only one who understood me,"Adéle sobbed.
"Sidonie Adéle Duvallier Brewster, it's over. It's finished! You need to move on!" Ms. Sauvé groaned.
"No, it's NOT over and I'm not finished! You move on! " Adéle boiled as she walked out of the marketplace.