Status: Strong language and violence included.
The Academy
Goodbyes
She had given me a sheet of paper with my schedule on it. The blue emblem on the top of the page read: “School of Mandatory Behavioral Education & Rehabilitation.” It was a round logo with the letter ‘A’ in the center; the large ‘A’ meaning ‘Academy’, I gathered. I looked it over and then folded it up and put it in my jacket pocket. She then proceeded to give me another paper with rules and expectations on it. I didn’t bother reading it over because it was like five pages stapled together like a packet. My parents gave them a strange look before looking around the campus. Nobody walked around. Nobody was anywhere in sight. The only people I saw were my parents and these two faculty members.
“Where is everyone,” my mom asked.
Caughenour looked at her with a smile. “We had to locate them to their dorms while we brought in Cal. You know how risky opening that gate can be, don’t you, Mr. Knight?”
“Yes,” my dad said quietly, recalling his past experiences in jail.
The Headmaster patted my mom’s hand and held it tight. “We assure you, Mrs. Knight, that Callahan will be very much welcome here and safe. We have given this lecture to thousands of parents like you. It’s never easy. However, we don’t want to see your son go to prison.”
Nodding, my mom wiped away an emerging tear from her eye and sniffled back her approaching sadness. My dad wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close. He gestured me to them and they brought me in for a short hug. For a moment, we actually felt like a family at home with each other, hugging for a family photo for a card or something. I had forgotten where we were for a second, but reality had pulled me away from the embrace when Caughenour started to reach for my arm. He gripped me arm with his hand and patted my back with the other.
“We have to take him to administration now, Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”
Their eyes widened as I was taken from them. “What do you mean? Are you saying we can’t come in with him; not even to say goodbye?”
“We don’t allow family visits or entry into the school,” he said regrettably. “It’s a precaution for the parents. Students here are sometimes newer than others; been here for a shorter stay. See, we only want you to be safe.”
My dad didn’t buy it. “They’re all in their dorms, you said. In the other building…”
“There are others being registered as we speak, Mr. Knight. We wouldn’t want to put you two in danger.”
Their eyes met the Headmaster and she gave them a reassuring smile. She told them to go back to the car and they would be driven home. My mom’s eyes filled with tears again and my dad held her tighter. I felt a shooting pain in my eyes and the lingering approach of my own tears. I pushed it away as much as I could. Seeing my mother cry was one of the most unhappy things I could have seen. Caughenour was pulling at my jacket sleeve softly to come with him, but I didn’t budge from where I stood.
“Mom,” I let out softly. “Mom, I love you.”
She smiled through her tears. My dad started to cry. I hadn’t seen him cry in a very long time. It was almost as sad at seeing my mom cry. Almost. He was trying to reach for my hand when Caughenour cut him off and started to walk me away from them.
“No,” I begged. “I don’t want to go yet. Just let me hug them one more time.”
Caughenour protested to let go of my arm. “We are wasting time out here. You need to come with me now. You’re forgetting the position you’re in, kid. Come now. Stop resisting.”
“Cal,” my mom’s small voice rang. “Cal, I love you.”
I was feeling the tightness in my chest and I felt the tragedy in my heart. I was being pulled away, but I was resisting enough to find the steps in me to walk back to them as much as I could. But the officer was stronger than me. He was calling on his walky-talky on his shoulder for a guard to come help him take me in. I resisted. I fought their strong hands and tried to run to my parents, being pulled back like a tidal wave pulling me out to sea. It was killing me, aching in me, to hug them just one more time. My legs were tiring and my arms were bruising under the grip of their fists. My parents were escorted by the driver back to the car, and my mom was starting to sob into my dad’s chest. I felt tears escape down my cheeks.
“Let me… let me go,” I said softly.
It wasn’t much of a fight anymore. They’d taken me by the arms and started lifting me off the ground. I felt my body held up by them as they walked. My feet kicked at the ground as they walked, and I hung my head in disappointment at the disappearance of my parents. I looked over my shoulder at the black car, backing out of the gate and returning to the road. Then it was gone. They drove back out into the wilderness, away from this place. My heart sank and they let me back down on my feet to walk the rest of the way into the building. I was out of breath and tired.Now the only thing left I could do was cooperate with them. Otherwise, I was afraid of what they might do to me. They were stronger than I’d thought; stronger than me by a long shot. Their hands wrapped around me like large snakes gripping and squeezing the life out of me.
“Where is everyone,” my mom asked.
Caughenour looked at her with a smile. “We had to locate them to their dorms while we brought in Cal. You know how risky opening that gate can be, don’t you, Mr. Knight?”
“Yes,” my dad said quietly, recalling his past experiences in jail.
The Headmaster patted my mom’s hand and held it tight. “We assure you, Mrs. Knight, that Callahan will be very much welcome here and safe. We have given this lecture to thousands of parents like you. It’s never easy. However, we don’t want to see your son go to prison.”
Nodding, my mom wiped away an emerging tear from her eye and sniffled back her approaching sadness. My dad wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close. He gestured me to them and they brought me in for a short hug. For a moment, we actually felt like a family at home with each other, hugging for a family photo for a card or something. I had forgotten where we were for a second, but reality had pulled me away from the embrace when Caughenour started to reach for my arm. He gripped me arm with his hand and patted my back with the other.
“We have to take him to administration now, Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”
Their eyes widened as I was taken from them. “What do you mean? Are you saying we can’t come in with him; not even to say goodbye?”
“We don’t allow family visits or entry into the school,” he said regrettably. “It’s a precaution for the parents. Students here are sometimes newer than others; been here for a shorter stay. See, we only want you to be safe.”
My dad didn’t buy it. “They’re all in their dorms, you said. In the other building…”
“There are others being registered as we speak, Mr. Knight. We wouldn’t want to put you two in danger.”
Their eyes met the Headmaster and she gave them a reassuring smile. She told them to go back to the car and they would be driven home. My mom’s eyes filled with tears again and my dad held her tighter. I felt a shooting pain in my eyes and the lingering approach of my own tears. I pushed it away as much as I could. Seeing my mother cry was one of the most unhappy things I could have seen. Caughenour was pulling at my jacket sleeve softly to come with him, but I didn’t budge from where I stood.
“Mom,” I let out softly. “Mom, I love you.”
She smiled through her tears. My dad started to cry. I hadn’t seen him cry in a very long time. It was almost as sad at seeing my mom cry. Almost. He was trying to reach for my hand when Caughenour cut him off and started to walk me away from them.
“No,” I begged. “I don’t want to go yet. Just let me hug them one more time.”
Caughenour protested to let go of my arm. “We are wasting time out here. You need to come with me now. You’re forgetting the position you’re in, kid. Come now. Stop resisting.”
“Cal,” my mom’s small voice rang. “Cal, I love you.”
I was feeling the tightness in my chest and I felt the tragedy in my heart. I was being pulled away, but I was resisting enough to find the steps in me to walk back to them as much as I could. But the officer was stronger than me. He was calling on his walky-talky on his shoulder for a guard to come help him take me in. I resisted. I fought their strong hands and tried to run to my parents, being pulled back like a tidal wave pulling me out to sea. It was killing me, aching in me, to hug them just one more time. My legs were tiring and my arms were bruising under the grip of their fists. My parents were escorted by the driver back to the car, and my mom was starting to sob into my dad’s chest. I felt tears escape down my cheeks.
“Let me… let me go,” I said softly.
It wasn’t much of a fight anymore. They’d taken me by the arms and started lifting me off the ground. I felt my body held up by them as they walked. My feet kicked at the ground as they walked, and I hung my head in disappointment at the disappearance of my parents. I looked over my shoulder at the black car, backing out of the gate and returning to the road. Then it was gone. They drove back out into the wilderness, away from this place. My heart sank and they let me back down on my feet to walk the rest of the way into the building. I was out of breath and tired.Now the only thing left I could do was cooperate with them. Otherwise, I was afraid of what they might do to me. They were stronger than I’d thought; stronger than me by a long shot. Their hands wrapped around me like large snakes gripping and squeezing the life out of me.