The Letter - Chapter 70 (Epilogue)

Two Months Later

Jennifer elbowed me in the ribs.

“Ow, that hurt,” I whispered.  I had mostly recovered from my gunshot wound, but there was still some residual soreness on my left side.

“Shhh.  Get ready.  This is his big number,” Jennifer whispered back.

The music started. Jeff, as Action, stood among his fellow Jets gang members and started to sing.

Dear kindly Sergeant Krupke,
You gotta understand,
It's just our bringin' up-ke
That gets us out of hand.
Our mothers all are junkies,
Our fathers all are drunks.
Golly Moses, natcherly we're punks! 

The number continued with Jeff and the other Jets dancing and singing up to the crescendo of the final chorus.

Gee, Officer Krupke,
We're down on our knees,
'Cause no one wants a fellow with a social disease.
Gee, Officer Krupke,
What are we to do?
Gee, Officer Krupke,
Krup you! 

The audience started to applaud wildly.  Jennifer stood up and continued to clap.  Liz on the one side of her and I on the other side pulled her back into her seat.

“You’ll have to save the standing ovation for the end of the show,” I whispered.

“He deserves it!  Why wait?”

I smiled and shook my head.  When the show was over, the audience did give the cast a standing ovation.  Of course, Jennifer jumped the gun and stood up as soon as Jeff came out for his curtain call.

In the lobby after the show, we met up with Jeff’s parents and told them how much we had enjoyed Jeff’s performance.  Cast members filtered out.  Jeff’s parents handed him a bouquet of flowers.

“Thanks for the rose,” Jeff said to Jennifer.

“What rose?” I asked.

“I sent a rose to Jeff’s dressing room – for luck.  Jeff, you were so good.”  She lowered her voice.  “Actually, you were better than the guy who played Tony.”

“Thanks, Jen.  But Tom’s got a great voice.  You can tell he’s had some professional training.”

“A good singer, yes.  But I thought his acting was a bit stiff.  You, on the other hand were a natural.”  Jennifer took hold of Jeff’s arm and gave it a squeeze.

“You were really good, Jeff,” added Liz.  “You wowed the audience in that Officer Krupke number.”

“Thank you, Liz.  You’re very kind.”

“I gave you a standing ovation after that number, but Liz and my Dad made me sit down.”

“There’s a time and place for everything, Jennifer,” I said, smiling.

“Hey, we’re going to Eat ‘N Park for coffee and dessert,” Bill Radakovich said.  “Would you guys care to join us?”

“Hot grilled stickies ala mode!  Say, yes, Dad.”

I looked at Liz who had come with us.  “Would that be okay with you, Liz?”

“Sure, Mr. Leskovic.  I’ll text my mother.  Hot stickies are my favorite too.”

“Okay, we’re in,” I said to Jeff’s father.  “Meet you there.”

At the restaurant, we chatted about the coming summer and college in the fall. 

“I’m really going to miss you guys,” Liz pouted.

“You should have applied to IUP like we did,” Jennifer said.  “West Chester is so far away.”

“I know,” said Liz.  But they have a good dance program, and I can minor in it, with an elementary education major.”  Liz sipped her coffee.  “At least Jen and I will be able to spend time together this summer at the Jersey Shore.”

I had given Jennifer permission to accompany Liz and her parents on their vacation to Sea Isle City, New Jersey. 

“And what about you, George? asked Marnie with a knowing smile.

“Dad is finally working on a novel.  He’s been sending chapters to his girlfriend in Seattle to edit,” said Jennifer.

“She’s just a friend, Jen.”

“Yeah, right,” Jennifer grinned.  “He’s planning to fly out to Seattle in September – when I’m out of the way at college – to  . . .” she made air quotes, “work on his novel.”

“Ellie has proven to be an excellent editor,” I felt myself blush.  “Besides, I’ve never seen that area of the country.  She’s offered to show me around.” 

“That sounds exciting,” said Marnie.  “How long do you plan to be there?”

“This is the most interesting part,” said Jennifer putting a bite of ice cream covered stickies into her mouth.

“Uh, that’s not been determined,” I said sheepishly.  “At least a few weeks.  Maybe longer.  It somewhat depends on my progress in finishing my novel.”

“We will not ask him where he’ll be staying for those few weeks, or maybe longer,” said Jennifer.

“What’s a fitting punishment for a daughter determined to embarrass her father?” I asked Bill and Marnie.  Everyone laughed.  I continued.  “But seriously, if not for a mysterious, lavender letter, and if not for some amazing detective work by my daughter . . .”

“And her able assistant,” Jennifer said pointing to Liz.

“And if not for the heroics of her boyfriend,” I added, noting as an aside, “It’s okay for a father to embarrass his daughter.  In fact, it’s an essential part of the job description.  Yes, if not for all that, who knows what path our lives would have taken?”

“So here’s to Aunt Ellie for coming up with her devious plan to bring us all together,” said Jeff raising his glass of cola.

“Here! Here!” The rest of us laughed, raising our glasses and clinking them together.

The End

The Letter - Chapter 69

“Did I hear something about a letter writing lady from Washington?”  A blonde woman with wire rimmed glasses walked into my hospital room carrying a vase filled with daffodils and irises.

“Ellie?  Is that you?”

“It is, George.  Are you okay?”

“I’m getting better by the minute.  Ellie, this is my ex-wife, Melissa Zingerman.  Melissa, this is Ellie Barnhart.  We graduated from high school together.”

“I was just leaving,” Melissa said.  “Nice to meet you, Ellie.  Melissa nodded toward Ellie and then turned to face me.  "George, take care.  Speedy recovery.”  Melissa waved as she left my hospital room.

“So, Ellie," I said smiling at her.  "We finally get to see each other after . . . how many years?”

“No need to count them on my account, George.”

“Ellie, thank you so much for the flowers.  I love them.  A breath of spring to chase away the midwinter blues.  I’d offer to shake your hand, but as you can see, my right hand has an IV and my left is in a sling.”

“Then how about a gentle hug – if you think you can bear it?”

“Sounds good to me.”  Ellie leaned down and attempted a hug.  I got a pleasant whiff of her Wind Song perfume.  “So, how did you hear about this?”

“It was all over the news in Cleveland.  But even before I heard it was you that had been shot, I was packing to drive to Pittsburgh.  I just had a feeling you were one of the victims.”

“To quote Ronald Reagan, ‘Honey, I forgot to duck.’”

Ellie chuckled.  “I hope that’s the only time you quote Reagan.”

“Actually, he supported the Brady Act when it was being considered by Congress, but I disagreed with him on most other issues.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.”  Ellie took off her coat and sat down in the chair next to my bed.   “So George,” she looked at me and smiled, “it appears you’ll do most anything to avoid a date with me.”

I laughed.  “Yes, I was planning to drive to Cleveland on Saturday to take you out to dinner, wasn't I?”

“Will you even be out of the hospital by then?”

“They haven’t told me yet when I’ll be discharged.  But I’ll be one armed for the near term.  I’m not sure when I’ll be cleared to drive.”  I heard a knock as the door to my room opened again.

“You are not going to stand up this lovely lady on Saturday, because I will drive you to Cleveland.”  Jennifer strolled into the room with a stuffed bear.

“Isn’t that your bear?” I asked.

“Yes, it’s Zachary.  I’m loaning him to you to keep you company and growl at the nurses if they don’t treat you well.  Or if they try to flirt with you,” she giggled.

“Well, I guess I’ve been promising to find you opportunities to get more highway driving experience.  So I will accept your offer, young lady.”  I looked at Ellie.  “Can you recommend a hotel for us in Cleveland?”

“I most certainly can.  The Hotel Barnhart.”  Ellie smiled.  “My son Jimmy insists that you stay with us.”

“So he can keep an eye on Dad, no doubt,” Jennifer grinned.

“No doubt,” I grinned back.  “So I’ve heard that your boyfriend Jeff is a hometown hero.”

“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s just a friend.”  Jennifer blushed.

“Really?  Not based on what I saw when the two of you returned from your date the other night.”

Jennifer gave a sheepish grin.  “Okay, he is my boyfriend.  Or was until I mistakenly thought he shot you.”  Jennifer described her shock and confusion when she saw Jeff holding the shooter’s gun.

“Well, it sounds like your boyfriend is a brave young man,” said Ellie.

“We’re both going to IUP in the fall,” said Jennifer.

“Who’s going to IUP in the fall?”  Jeff walked in with his parents.  Jennifer met him with a hug. “Hi, Aunt Ellie.  Hello, Mr. Leskovic,” said Jeff.

Bill and Marnie Radakovic each hugged Ellie.  “Jimmy called to tell us you were coming here,” said Marnie.

I assured Jeff and his parents that I was doing fine and on the road to recovery.  I thanked Jeff for his bravery in subduing the shooter.

“Yeah, I was thinking about studying to be a social studies teacher, but I’m reconsidering.  I’ve heard IUP has a really strong criminology program.

“I can’t believe you’re considering becoming a cop,” said Jennifer.  “I would be worried about you constantly.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I said.  “You’ve got a lot of time to think about the future.”

We all chatted for a while, recounting the events of the night before.

“Lunch time!” an orderly carried in a plate with my lunch, bringing our conversation to a halt. 

“Well, I’ve got to get back to Cleveland,” said Ellie as she picked up her coat.

“Are you sure?” I replied.  “Jennifer can put you up in our guest room.”

“And you’re always welcome at our house,” said Marnie.

“That’s very generous, George, and Marnie, but Katie’s counting on my help.”

“Sure.  I understand.  Well, thank you again for the flowers, Ellie.  Jennifer and I will plan to see you in Cleveland on Saturday.”

“Looking forward to it George.  See you then.”

My visitors left the room.  Jennifer said she’d get some lunch and would come back to visit for a while longer.  I thought about Ellie and how fate had re-introduced us after so many years.  She had a very nice family here in Pittsburgh.  I looked forward to getting to know her better and to meeting her son and daughter-in-law in Cleveland.  I smiled as I wondered how we could build a relationship separated by so many miles. I pushed the thought out of my mind. If this shooting had taught me anything, it was to not worry about the future.  I was happy to be alive today.  I would enjoy life minute by minute, day by day.

The Letter - Part 4, Chapter 68

I opened my eyes, and the room slowly came into focus.  I was in a hospital.  An IV was inserted into my right arm.  Another tube was attached beneath my nose, blowing oxygen into my nostrils. The window curtains were closed, but the morning sun was peeking through the gap at the bottom.  Sunday morning?  I wasn’t sure how long I had been out.  I saw a female figure sitting in a chair next to the bed.

“Jennifer?” I croaked, struggling to sit up.

“No, George, it’s me.”

“Missy? I’m sorry, Melissa?”

“It’s okay, George.  Missy is okay.  You just relax.  You’ve been through a lot.”

I fell asleep again.  When I awoke, my ex-wife was still there.  Memories of the previous evening came flooding back. I had been shot.  I passed out and woke up in an ambulance.  The paramedics told me we were going to Mercy Hospital.  I remembered being wheeled into surgery and then waking up in this room with Melissa in the chair beside my bed.  I turned my head and tried to focus my eyes to see her better.

“How long have you been here, Melissa?”

“Ever since they brought you back from surgery late last night.”

“What about Richard?”

“What about Richard?  He’s back in California preparing for a trial and analyzing whether this is going to have an impact on his election.”  Melissa forced a smile.

“Where’s Jennifer?”

“She’s staying with her friend, Liz.  She’ll no doubt come to visit you later today.  I’ve been texting her through the night with your progress.  Luckily the news has been pretty good.”

“What can you tell me?”

“I assume that you know you were the victim of a shooting during your rally against gun violence. Pretty ironic.”  She paused, pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed her eyes before continuing.  “Sorry. The doctor stopped by while you were sleeping and gave me the details from your surgery.  He said the bullet wound came from a small caliber handgun. The bullet went clean through you.  It just missed hitting a lung, which would have been bad.  Miraculously, no vital organs or arteries were hit.  They cleaned out the wound and patched you up.” Melissa stopped again, dabbed her eyes and blew her nose.  She looked at me and tried to smile. “The Doc said you should be fine in a matter of a few weeks or months depending on how fast your wound heals and how well you do in rehab.”

“Was anyone else shot?”

“Yes, the guy who introduced you.  He was shot in the arm.  They weren’t sure if it was a separate bullet or the one that passed through you.  It shattered some bone.  They had to remove the bullet, plus bone fragments.  His rehab will take a little longer, but he should be okay as well.  I know all this because I stopped by his room and spoke to his wife.  He’s just three rooms over. Sadly, this hospital has a wing devoted to gunshot victims.”

“Did they get the shooter?”

Melissa laughed.  “Yes, they got the shooter.  Now that’s an interesting story.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our daughter’s new boyfriend – Jeff?”

“Yes?”

“He’s something else.  You know he punched Henry, my chauffeur at that dance?”

“Yeah, I know.  I’ve seen Henry.  He could have broken Jeff in two.”

“Jeff’s either fearless or crazy.  He tackled the shooter and disarmed him.  The gun went off into the air during the struggle, but apparently no one was hurt.”

“Thank God!   What a story.  I’ll have to thank Jeff.  He may have saved my life.”

“Perhaps.  In any event, I’ve heard rumors that the Mayor of Pittsburgh is planning to present him with some kind of medal or plaque.  It will probably wait until you and Mr. Corey are out of the hospital and able to attend the ceremony.”

A nurse came in to check the IV and take my temperature and blood pressure.  She seemed satisfied that everything was as it should be considering my condition, and she removed the oxygen, making it a little easier to talk.

When she had left the room, I said to Melissa, “I’m thankful that you’re here, but I have to say I was more than a little surprised when I woke up and saw you at my bedside.  I guess we’ll have to ask our lawyers to postpone our Tuesday meeting.”

Melissa sat silent for a moment.  Then she looked directly at me and said, “George, there isn’t going to be a meeting.” 

“Really?  Why not?”

“This is a little complicated, so let me try to explain.  They identified the shooter on the news.  He apparently has a history of mental illness.”

“And yet he was able to get a gun.”

Melissa continued.  “Maybe he wasn’t the only mentally ill person with a gun in that crowd.  Maybe there was someone else – a very bitter woman who was jealous of the love clearly evident between a father and his daughter, who for a split second had the insane thought that she could steal that love for herself if she could just make the father go away.”

“What are you saying, Melissa?”

“George, I can’t say for sure why I came to that rally.  Maybe it was to spy for Richard.  I’m sure he would like to hear my thoughts on the strength of the local anti-gun movement.  Or maybe I came to see the man who once loved me come into his own leading that movement.”  Melissa gave a short laugh and then continued.  “Or maybe I came hoping to see Jennifer.  I don’t know.”  She paused.  “But for a moment when I saw you standing at the podium, it occurred to me that I had a gun in my purse.  I’m an expert shot, George.  If I had decided to use it, I wouldn’t have missed.” 

“Melissa, do you really think you could have gone through with it?”

Melissa took a breath and looked at me.  “No, George.  I may be many things, but I’m not a murderer.  Moments after I had that crazy thought, I recognized the consequences.  You’d be dead, I’d be in prison or worse, and our daughter would be all alone, trying to make sense of it all.”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of Jennifer.  Melissa placed her hand on mine and looked me straight in the eye.  “George, I tell myself I could never do that, but the fact that I considered it for a second – the second right before that maniac pulled the trigger, made me think – I mean really think.  Melissa paused, looking away for a second and dabbing her eyes with a tissue.  “And I’ve been thinking ever since I saw you go down and followed you here.”

Melissa took a deep breath to compose herself, then turned to me again.  “George, I love our daughter, but I realize now that I’m in no condition, mentally or emotionally, to take over your role.  I’m abandoning the custody action.  First thing tomorrow morning, I’m asking Sidney to end it.”

I sat silent for a moment, trying to process what Melissa had just said to me.  “Thank you, Melissa.  But I think it’s important that Jennifer and you have a relationship.”

“That’s kind of you, George.”  Melissa stood up and walked to the window.  She opened the curtains letting in the morning sun.  Then she turned to face me.  “I’m going to seek counseling, George.  And I know for the next few months, I will be heavily involved in Richard’s campaign.  Let’s see where I am after that’s over.  In the meantime, if you’re looking for a female role model for Jennifer, perhaps you should get to know your letter writing friend from Washington better.  Presuming, that is, that I didn’t destroy your chances for a relationship with that crude letter that I penned to her.”

I smiled.  “No, Melissa, the letter writing lady from Washington and I have been corresponding quite a bit over the last few weeks.  I’m not sure where it will lead.”

Melissa walked back to where she had been sitting and picked up her purse and coat.  “George, I have to be going.  Get well please.  And give my love to Jennifer.”

The Letter - Chapters 65 - 67

Chapter 65

“Fellow citizens,” I began.  I looked out over the large crowd.  People were milling around.  Some were crossing the street.  “Good evening and welcome to a conversation about gun safety.”  I looked for Jennifer and her friends and spotted them about fifty feet in front of the podium.  “We are a unique society in that we have woven the right to bear arms into the very fabric of our governing document – the United States Constitution.”  I paused for a second. 

“You better believe it!” someone shouted from across the street. 

“Second Amendment Rights!” someone tried to start a chant.

“But like all rights,” I continued, “those guaranteed by the 2^nd Amendment are not unlimited.”  I saw some movement around where I had seen Jennifer, then a loud noise.  I fell backwards.  Had someone thrown something at me?  Then, another explosion.  A body fell on top of me.

“There’s a shooter!” someone yelled.  

I heard a third shot as I felt myself lose consciousness.

Chapter 66

I heard a loud bang.  Then I saw my father go down.  Then two more gunshots.  I looked for my mother, but I couldn’t see her.  Liz was hugging me.  I looked for Jeff and saw a commotion about fifteen feet to my left.  Two figures were rolling around on the ground.  Several police officers raced toward them.  They dragged two men to their feet.  One was holding a gun.  It was Jeff.

“Jeff!” I screamed.

Chapter 67

I sat in front of the television watching the local Cleveland news.

Up next, get ready for the return of winter.  Our meteorologist Phil Travain has all the weather details. Wait.  I’ve just been told we have breaking news from Pittsburgh where a rally against gun violence turned ugly this evening.  Two people were shot and have been taken to the local hospital.  One gunman has been apprehended.  Police are still trying to determine if there was more than one shooter. One of the victims was in the middle of giving a speech at the rally.  Names are being withheld pending further information from the hospital.

“God, it’s George.  For sure one of the victims is George.  I know it as clearly as if they had just said it out loud.  Jimmy?!”  I ran out of the room to look for my son.

End of Part 3

The Letter - Chapter 64

Liz looked around at the mass of people crowding the sidewalk.  “I told my parents there would probably be a dozen people or so at this event.  How many people do you think are here?”

“At least a couple thousand,” said Jeff.  “I’m glad we didn’t drive.  There will be a massive traffic jam when this thing is over.”  Jeff turned toward me.  “When is your dad going to speak, Jen?”

“He texted me earlier to say he was first, right after the guy with the welcome speech.”

“Well, maybe we can cut out after a few speeches,” said Jeff.  “The First Avenue Station is just a few blocks away.  Those people across the street are giving me the heebie jeebies.”

“The heebie whats?” I said.

“Sorry.  Something my dad says.  Means they’re making me nervous.  There are some ugly dudes over there – not that I’m afraid for myself.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine.  There are police everywhere,” I said.  “I’m not saying we need to stay through all the speeches.  Let’s listen to a few and then decide.”

“I’m fine with that,” said Liz.  “Look.  The program is about to start.”

The first speaker introduced himself and welcomed the audience.  Some of the people across the street started chanting and yelling insults at the speaker.  I turned to see what they were doing.  I noticed a woman crossing the street.  She was blonde and wore sunglasses, but something about her looked familiar.  The speaker introduced my father who walked up to the microphone.

Then it struck me.  That woman was my mother!  I recognized her coat and hat.  What was she doing here wearing a blonde wig and sunglasses?  My father started his speech.