Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Meet John Doe part 2

Emily was just finishing with the dishes as the sheriff made his way back into the kitchen. As she turned to speak he stopped her and took her by the hand and led her back through the house to the front porch. Emily knew that this meant trouble.

"Sissy, you know why I am here don,t you?" asked the sheriff. Emily raised her trembling hand to her cheek to wipe away a tear. The sheriff pulled a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and offered it to his sister. Then he continued to speak..."You knew...we knew from the beginning that this day would come! It is hard for me to believe that it hasn't happened sooner." said the sheriff while rubbing his eyes as if he were trying to awake from some awful nightmare.

" But, why now...why ...after all these years I thought maybe his parents had given up their rights...that they would have given up..." stuttered Emily as she wiped the tears which were now free flowing down her face. The sheriff took a deep breath and let it out real slow as if contemplating his next words very carefully.

"Emily Elizabeth Doe, I knew that when I brought that boy to you.."

"You mean Johnny! His name is Johnny!" interrupted Emily with a look of flushed anger crossing her cheeks.

"Okay...okay then...Johnny" replied the sheriff as he took his sister's hand in his to calm her. " when I brought Johnny to you that I was asking a lot of you...heck you had just got out of college and were so young...but you did not even hesitate...you took that boy...I mean Johnny in like he was family."

The sheriff leaned back as if to collect his thoughts and then continued.

"I had told you that the boy was a ward of the state and that he needed a good home... you never asked any questions and I guess it was better that way. But know you need to know the truth. You see Johnny's parents did not abandon him they were murdered by...by..someone who...who broke in to steal their stuff. Apparently they did not expect to find the family at home and when they did they left no witnesses. Somehow they missed the sleeping baby. I was the responding officer that night and as I searched the house I found Johnny asleep in his crib. I knew then and there that I had to protect this baby. So I bundled him up and snuck him out of the house before any of the other units arrived. After we cleared the scene I drove straight here and the boy...Johnny has been here ever since...in your loving care."

Emily just stared at the sheriff as if seeing her brother for the first time. She had never asked about why the state had given them Johnny. Mostly because she did not want the truth. But now...what her brother was telling her...it made no sense? What did he mean that he had to protect Johnny? Some thing was not right and she said as much. Her brother leaned back and then suddenly rocked forward and began to speak. This time there was no slow collection of thoughts it was more like the confession of a repenting man who has been waiting a life time to be set free. The sheriff talked without interruption and Emily sat and listened. When he finally finished his head was buried between his hands as if he were afraid to see his sister's face. He did not know what to expect but it was not this.

Emily rose from here seat and headed to the front door. As she opened the door she stopped and turned and said, "You know Robert, you said that I took Johnny in like he was family...and now he is! So whatever these ghosts from the past are we will face them together..as family! You just let me know what it is that we need to do!" and with that she turned off the porch light and went upstairs to bed leaving the sheriff in the dark to wrestle with his own demons.

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