“Course.” Jason sat down. “That means you’re a judge for bad kids.”
“Good kids too. But, yes, I'm a judge.”
Mr. Emerick leaned on the front of the lady’s desk and dipped his head toward Jason’s mom. “This is young Jason’s mother, Carolyn Potter, and this is Tom Kirby, her employer and one of our corporate clients.”
Mom and Mr. Kirby shook hands with the lady judge, and everybody sat down.
The judge quietly read from an open folder on her desk then closed it. She stared at the closed folder for a long time before looking at Jason. “Do you understand why you’re here, Jason?”
“Sort of.”
“Well, we’re all here to find out what happened on November 11.”
“That was my birthday. I’m nine.”
“Well, you’re getting to be a great big man now, aren’t you?"
“No, ma’am.” He didn’t feel very big today. “I only just turned.”
“I see. So, tell me Jason, what happened right after school on your birthday?”
“My mom was late picking us up.”
Yikes.
He hadn’t meant to say that. He turned to look.
Darn.
She was crying again, digging into her purse to find a handkerchief.
“I see,” said the judge.
Jason turned back.
Her dark brown eyes drew closer, leaning toward Jason. “Can you tell me anything else?”
His chair felt sticky and Jason moved, trying to get more comfortable. His collar felt tight, probably because of his tie. He pulled at the knot then remembered it was one of those clip-on types. He folded his hands into his lap and watched his thumbs wrestle with each other. “Me and Jimmy waited and Jimmy asked where she was.” He looked at the judge. “It was cold and rainy.” His voice sounded funny in his ears, like someone sitting behind him, someone he couldn’t see.
“I see.” She opened the file and wrote a note. “What happened next?”
“It was getting dark and cold so Jimmy decided we should walk home.”
“I see. Then what happened?”
“I followed him.”
She waited for more.
“Some bigger boys walked uphill from the park and stopped us. It was already dark out.”
That’s all I know.
“Can you remember how many boys there were?”
“Three. Anybody could remember that.”
She made a note. “What happened next?”
Jason didn’t want to remember any more.
She looked right into him and waited.
“Jimmy knows karate. He’s teaching me.”
“I see. So, did Jimmy start a fight?”
“No. Jimmy and I tried to get away but it was uphill and we had our packs full of books and stuff.”
“Stuff?”
“Yeah, pencils and paper and stuff.”
“Did you or Jimmy have a knife or anything?”
“No. Our moms won’t let us.”
“Okay. What happened next?”
He turned and touched his ribs, showing her where. “One of them slugged me on my side and pushed me down.” That unseen voice from somewhere behind Jason was whining. He hated that.
“I see.” She leaned close, smiling, being a friend. “What about Jimmy?”
“Jimmy’s my best friend. He could lick anybody.”
“I see. So, what did he do?”
“They pushed him down too. He could beat ‘em but they were too big, all three of them.”
She made more notes in the file. “Tell me, Jason, what happened next?”
“One of them, the littlest one, he told us to give them our money or else.”
“Or else what?”
Jason shrugged. “Or else.”
“I see. And what did you do?”
“I only had two dollars and I was on the ground.”
“What about Jimmy?”
“Jimmy told the littlest one, he was their leader, he told him we knew who he was and the biggest one slugged Jimmy real hard. I could hear it.”
“I see. So, what did Jimmy do?”
Tears flowed down Jason’s cheeks and dripped onto his clenched fists. “He kicked at the biggest guy but the other one had a knife. He cut Jimmy three times and Jimmy stopped kicking.” Jason could see Jimmy’s eyes like he was there. “Jimmy tried to tell me something but he was bleeding all over.”
Jason grabbed the arms of the chair and slid forward to touch the floor with his toes. Maybe that would stop him from shaking so much.
“Okay, Jason. Can you remember what happened next?”
“Let’s give him a minute.” Mr. Emerick stepped between Jason and the lady and sat on the corner of her desk. He smiled at Jason. “You okay, son?” He leaned forward and held Jason’s shoulder like he really cared.
“Jimmy was my best friend.” Tears ran down Jason’s face.
“You miss him, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir.” Jason wiped his face and took a deep breath.
“Well, I think we’re almost done here.” Mr. Emerick stood and looked down at the lady judge.
She smiled and nodded.
Mr. Emerick returned to his chair.
“Okay, Jason.” She smiled, warm and friendly. “After Jimmy got hurt, what happened next?”
Jason looked down at his wrestling thumbs. “Jimmy whispered he was sorry. I couldn’t hear but I could read his lips.”
“Sorry for what, Jason?”
“I don’t know.” Jimmy’s last comment had haunted Jason. He had dreamed about it, seeing it over and over in his sleep. “It was my fault. It was my mom who was late.” Jason looked.
Mom had buried her face in her handkerchief. Her shoulders jerked, crying like crazy.
“I’m sorry, Mommy.”
She moaned, shaking all the more.
Mr. Kirby reached over and rubbed her back.
Jason hated him for that, for touching his mom. He turned back into the judge’s friendly dark eyes, her smiling red lips. He said, “Maybe because his karate never showed up.”
“I see.” The judge smiled until her big white teeth showed, flashing her eyes at Mr. Emerick. She looked back at Jason. “Okay, Jason, do you remember what happened next?”
“One of them kicked me here.” He touched the left side of his head where they had just taken out the stitches. “I couldn't see it coming. I only had two dollars anyway. I remember looking at Jimmy then I got kicked again. I don’t remember after that.” He stood, close to her desk, feeling sticky all over.
“Okay, Jason.” She reached over and touched his hand, trying to calm him. “You’re doing a very
