Three weeks later, Mary, Barry, Margarita and Tomas are sitting in a lawyer’s office on one side of the table with Mary sitting at the edge next to Barry and Margarita on the other side of Barry and Tomas on the other side of Margarita. Principal Cole and the two school security guards sit behind them. Marcus, Richard, Jessica and Vanessa sit on the other side with Marcus having a cast on his right arm and wrist and crutches beside him.
The lawyer Mr. Logan, a white male in his early 50’s sits at the edge of the table and says to Principal Cole, “Now Principal Cole, are you sure that it was Jessica’s sons Marcus and Richard who sent that phony letter to Diane D’s family about a little boy in your school who is dying of leukemia?”
“Yes,” Principal Cole says. “Richard made a confession right inside my office. I witnessed his confession.”
Mr. Logan looks at the two school security guards in the back and asks, “And how about you two security guards? Did you two witness this young man Richard make a confession that it was him and his brother Marcus who sent that phony letter to Diane D’s family about a little boy in the school who is dying of leukemia?”
“Yes,” the first security guard says. “I witness Marcus’ brother Richard making a confession about it.”
“So did I,” the second security guard says.
“Like Richard said, the school had absolutely nothing to do with sending Diane D’s family that false letter about a little boy who‘s dying of leukemia, Principal Cole says.
“So you’re saying that there is no child in your school who has leukemia?” Mr. Logan says.
“From the school medical records the nurse, teachers and I checked out, there is absolutely no kid in our entire school who has leukemia.”
“No kid at all?”
“None at all.”
“Mr. Logan I can‘t afford this out of court settlement!” Jessica shouts. “I‘m a single parent!”
“Well can’t your children’s father help out?” Mr. Logan asks.
“They have different fathers!”
“Oh I’m sorry. Well can’t your children’s fathers help out?”
“No! Their fathers aren’t anywhere around! My mom right here is the one who had to help me raise them!”
“I’m sorry Miss Whitley, there‘s nothing I can do.” Mr. Logan turns to Mary and asks, “So you don’t want to settle for anything smaller?”
“Not for what this woman’s children did to my family,” says Mary. “Lying to us by sending us that phony letter, preying on our emotions like that, especially Diane’s emotions! Having us let Diane come to the school on false pretenses!”
“I’m sorry for what my sons did to you and for what they did to Diane D!” Jessica says. “I wasn’t aware of what they did at all!”
“Listen Miss Whitley,” Barry says. “People sue our organization at times and we settle out of court and pay these people. We do that for them and you can do that for us.”
“I’m sorry I don‘t have that kind of money!”
“Sorry is not going to help us Miss Whitley,” Tomas says. “It’s not going to change what happened. Because of what your sons did, Diane wants nothing to do with visiting any sick children at any hospitals or schools anymore.”
“Miss Whitley,” Margarita says. “When sick children from different hospitals heard that Diane went out of her way for the little boy she thought existed, they sent a lot of letters to our organization saying that they were touched by it. They said that they wish it was THEM that Diane did all that stuff for, buying toys, gifts, a fruit basket, bringing the toys, gifts and fruit basket to them, giving them a chance to meet her. They said they felt sort of envious when they heard that Diane went out of her way for this mystery little boy and want to know if Diane can do the same thing for them. They also want Diane to come to their hospital and sing for them.”
“Oh yeah?” Mr. Logan asks. “Does Diane D know about that?”
“Yeah she knows about that.”
“Well what did she say to that?”
“Nothing,” Tomas says. “When we told her about it, she just walked away. She’s very bitter about being lied to. She’s bitter about all of us being lied to because of the false letter that we received!”
“It’s like Diane has completely turned her back on visiting any children at all!” Barry says.
“I’m so sorry that this all happened,” Mr. Logan says. “How is Diane D doing by the way? Is her foot still broken?”
“Yes her foot is still broken Mr. Logan,” Margarita says. “It’s heeling, but she is going through a lot of therapy trying to get the strength back into her feet and toes.”
“I see. How is the damage to her face and the rest of her body doing so far?”
“She still has slight scars and bruises on her face and body, but she’s doing okay.”
“That’s good. Where’s she at now?”
“We have her at our home still resting.”
“I see. So she still does not know or remember how she got those injuries on herself?”
“No she still does not remember Mr. Logan,” Barry says.
“Sorry to hear about that. So there’s no chance of you all settling for a smaller amount for Miss Whitley?”
“No there is no chance!” Mary shouts. “These two boys have to pay the consequences. Because of them, we don‘t trust anymore sorrowful letters that will come our way.”
Jessica sadly looks at Mary. Then she sadly looks at Vanessa as Vanessa sadly looks back at her. Jessica and Vanessa turn and sadly look at Mary, Barry, Margarita and Tomas.
Chapter 40
Marcus Makes A Shocking Confession To His Family