Worthwhile
Copyright 2012 Leslie M. Joyner
Written and Published By Leslie M. Joyner
Edited By Kym Goodell
1Dedicated to all those who touch the lives of young people and show them there is a way out and up.
The day had began as any other. The alarm rang and he slowly rolled out of the bed. Attempting not to wake his wife, who had worked late at the hospital the night before and for that past 24 hours before that. It was hard on the both of them, Melissa was the Emergency Room doctor at the local hospital, and he was a Lieutenant with the drug task force for this district. The past month they were like the proverbial ships in the night, passing and never meeting. Today should be a routine day, nothing on schedule except for some tedious paper work to prepare for Thursday's court appearance.
It really wasn't that much of a case, just the standard drug possession charge for a first time juvenile offender. It would be like all of his other cases before Judge Willis, a slap on the wrist with an admonition not to come back into his courtroom. Give the task force two weeks, and they would catch the young man selling again. It was always the same. Alan wished there was some way to stop the young people of the community, but no matter how many activities that he worked on both through work and outside, on his own time, did nothing to help. It was an activity in futility, a never-ending abyss.
The one redeeming event that kept him from giving up completely was a young man who was coming up on his fourth possession charge, and second charge for intent to sell. This was the one person that Alan felt that he had ever had any influence on. After several meetings with the 17 year old, he decided that Alan was right. Things had to change, the only way that the community was going to change from the drug-infested streets was for the people of the neighborhood to do something about it, and he was taking the first step. Jeffery had begun attending classes' regular, and was working with Alan at the Boys and Girls club teaching the youngest about the dangers of a life of crime, the possibilities of an early death, through gang violence, self-destruction through drugs, and the high probability of prison. Though many of the things did not affect the boys in the area. To them it was a sign of bravado to go to jail and return to the old neighborhood.
Next week was graduation for Jeffery, and Alan was the first one that had received an invitation to the event. Within a year the young man had went from a student who more than likely didn't even know where the school was, to a student with extraordinary grades. Even though he had lost so much of his early classes, he was a very quick study, and by December he was caught up with the kids his age. The only step for him now was too decided what to do with his life. Alan was hoping that the young man would attend the junior college for at least a year before making any major decisions. "Attend there and you can still be here to help me with these kids at the Youth Center, and see what the world has to offer...."
Alan was thinking about all of this as he dressed, and grabbed a cup of hot chocolate. He didn't like coffee, but needed something that would give him that little extra go in the mornings. By 7:50 he was walking out the door and heading to work. His phone began to ring...
"Lt. Nickels..." Alan answered.
"Mr. Alan it's Jeffery, could we meet for lunch today, if you are not to busy?"
"Sure, where would you like to meet?"
"How about the sandwich shop 2 blocks east of the precinct at 1:15?"
"That sounds wonderful. I'll see you then."
It wasn't unusual for Jeffery to call him. They were more like family after all of the things that they had been through. Days like this is why Alan remained where he was, doing what he did. The day dragged on, and finally court appearances came and went, and it was lunchtime. Alan arrived at the shop around 1:00, but Jeffery was already there.
"Hey, why are you looking so smug, young man?" Alan new just by looking at him that he was up to something.
"I know you wanted me to go to junior college this fall, but I've decided what I want to do..."
"Oh really? And just what is that?" Alan looked at him questioningly.
Jeffery handed Alan a packet, and before he could put his glasses on, Alan recognized the envelope...It was the envelope that the test results were returned in to those who applied for the Police Academy... Alan was shocked. He could see that the envelope had not yet been opened yet, which meant that Jeffery really didn't know if he had been accepted yet or not.
"Are you sure about this? You know the pay and the hours are lousy. And besides how do you even know you got accepted?" Alan knew that he had, but still worried. What if he hadn't been accepted, how would Jeffery react? What would he do?
"You told me that no matter what I decided, if I put all my effort into it, and then I CAN do it. This is what I want."
"Well then, let's open this baby up." Alan slid the envelope back across the table for Jeffery to open.
"I kind of wanted you to open it. My stomach is fluttering with butterflies."
"No, this is your decision, you must be the one to open it and find out."
Slowly Jeffery reached back across the table for the envelope...
"What'll you boys have?" Trish asked them as she finally made her way to their table.
"One diet sprite, and one coke, two double hams with onion rings."
It was always the same. They both knew what they liked and it very seldom varied, so Alan ordered for them while Jeffery began to tear open the packet.
"Dear Mr. Cochran..." Jeffery began to read out loud...
"It is with great enthusiasm that we are accepting you into the Police Academy Cadet Unit. Your outstanding grades for the past school term, have greatly impressed your instructors and community leaders..." There was more but it all boiled down to the fact that Jeffery had been accepted. Alan was near to tears. This definitely made the job worthwhile. If Alan never helped another person in his life, and his life ended tomorrow, it was all worth it just to see this young man turn his life around.
"Well, if you don't beat all I have ever seen. From a juvenile delinquent to Police Cadet." Alan said smiling so brightly that you would have thought his son had won the Presidential Race, if he had a son. He and Melissa did not have any children. They had never really found time with their careers. But it never mattered they loved each other and worked around schedules. They were quite happy with no children; so many people just couldn't understand the choice not to procreate...
"When do you have to leave for the Academy?"
"Says here that I am to report On July 7."
"Well then. That gives us one month to get you ready. I hope that I can remember enough stuff to help you out." Alan said as he looked over the letter of acceptance. Trish handed them their meals and walked off to refill someone's coffee.
"Doesn't really look like you need much of my help from these test scores, you are going to fly through the courses. Well, since you evidently don't need my help in the academics department, I guess we will just have to go to the fitness. Good thing I've kept up on that." Alan laughed as he began to devour his sandwich.
"Tomorrow meet me at the track at 5 a.m." Alan said in between mouthfuls.
"You got it!" Jeffery couldn't believe it himself. Last year on this day he was sitting in the juvenile detention center, and now he was a Cadet in the Police Academy. He was definitely not where he had expected to be, and all because of one man, the man sitting before him. The man that had in all likelihood changed his life, if not saved it completely from an early end. They finished their lunch with great joy, laughing and talking about everything that had transpired the past year.
"Well I guess I'd better get back to that paperwork. See you in the morning." Alan said as he laid the money fo
r their lunch on the table and they walked to opposite ends of the street.
Alan could barely contain himself; he was so jubilant over Jeffery's news. He wanted desperately to call Melissa, but he knew that she would still be asleep. So he would just have to wait. They were actually going to have supper together for a change. He wasn't working undercover and she had the next 4 days off.
At 5:00 he was already out the door and headed down the sidewalk to the outdoor florist. He bought a dozen roses on his way home, a little extra surprise for Melissa along with his news about Jeffery. When he walked in he could smell the sweet aromas coming from the kitchen. The dining room was dimmed and the candles were lit.
"I see that you are well rested." He said as he handed her the flowers and kissed the back of her neck.
"Very..." Was her only reply as she slipped around and into his arms? After several intense minutes, they broke apart.
"Supper is ready." She said taking the pans off of the stove and out of the oven.
Before he could even begin to speak she said "I hear that you have some good news for me?" She smiled at him.
"How in the world..." She didn't let him finish as they sat at the table.
"Jeffery stopped by about an hour ago. He said that he couldn't wait to tell you this afternoon, and was almost about to go crazy waiting to come over and tell me. I know you are so proud of him." Melissa reached over and held his hand.
"Yes I am. All these years of working the streets and the communities, and I finally reached someone. It made it all worthwhile."
She just nodded in agreement. She knew how much he cared, just as much as she cared about her patients.
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