The Ghost of Lizard's Rock (21 page)

Treasures

I hung up the cell phone
and turned to Allie. “Can you come over to my house for a little
bit?”

“
Can I use your cell phone
for a minute to call my aunt?” Allie opened it up and called her
aunt. She closed it and handed it back to me. “She said that I had
to be home by 4:30. What’s going on?”

“
We’re going to go visit
Grandma Grace.”

Ten minutes later, we were
both walking into G.G’s house.

“
G.G.,” I closed the door
behind us, “Do you know anything about a foster parent house about
six blocks from our school?” I was sure if anybody knew about the
house, it would be Grandma Grace.

“
No talking until I get
proper hugs,” answered G.G. from the table in the
kitchen.

Allie was the first to hug
her and nearly broke into tears right on the spot.

“
What’s wrong darlin’?”
Grandma Grace had a way of always knowing when something was
wrong.

I told her of the lost
necklace and that we were pretty sure it was Robert. She held
Allie’s hands as she listened to everything we told her about the
backpack and Robert’s slipping into a side door from the
playground.

“
The foster parents are
actually friends of mine,” said Grandma Grace. “Just sit here
quietly and don’t say a word.”

G.G. took her phone and
hit a speed dial number. She stared at us as the phone rang through
and then turned her head. “Sheri! It’s Grace.” She didn’t look at
either of us as she talked. “You’ve got a boy about 13 in your home
right now. I think they call him Robert.” She listened to Sheri on
the other end. “I’ve got a girl from his class here with me that
thinks he may have taken a gold necklace with a locket from her -
any chance that she may be right?” Grandma Grace listened to the
other person for a few minutes and then hung up the
phone.

“
Robert just left the
house with her husband for a few moments. She’s going to go check
the backpack. It’s still in his bedroom.

Allie and I stared at
Grandma Grace’s large pendulum clock and watched as the minutes
ticked by. The silence was broken by the sound of G.G.’s
telephone.

Grandma Grace picked it up
and began talking with the person on the other end. The
conversation ended with G.G. doing a lot of listening.

“
Thanks Sheri.” Grandma
Grace pushed the ‘End’ button and set the phone down in front of
her on the table.

“
The necklace and locket
weren’t there.” Grandma Grace took Allie’s hand. “I’m so
sorry.”

“
I really thought he had
it in his backpack with the other things he has probably stolen.”
Allie was devastated.

I added, “He likes to
bully little kids and we think he steals things from them as
well.”

“Girls, thinking and
knowing are two very different things.” G.G. stared at both of us
for what seemed like forever. Finally, she took a deep breath and
exhaled loudly. “Pull up those chairs.” She motioned to her kitchen
table as she turned to grab the pitcher of iced tea from her fridge
and a plate of cookies from the counter. She sat down slowly and
took her time pouring the tea and serving the cookies. I could tell
she was thinking because she was quiet the entire time. After
another deep breath she sat down and looked us both squarely in the
eyes. “I think you need to hear some of Robert’s story. Sheri has
told me bits about him and I think you need to understand the truth
before you make accusations.” G.G. was serious as she continued,
“You both know that everyone has a story and I know you both
understand how personal and private those stories are.” I looked
from G.G. to Allie and back again. We both understood and nodded
silently. “I need you to both understand that this conversation
cannot be repeated to anyone ever. Not even to Robert. This is his
private story but I think you two need to hear it.” We both nodded
and assured her that we would never break her confidence by saying
anything.

“Robert’s story isn’t like
yours. I know you have both had to face a lot. Losing a parent,”
she said looking at Allie. “Divorce,” she continued looking at me.
“I know that both of these things were awful for you two. Robert’s
story is worse. At least you two have always had at least one
parent looking out for you and loving you. Neither of you have ever
felt unloved and uncared for. Robert’s parents got involved with
drugs and the drugs became more important to them than Robert.
Drugs change people. The drugs changed them and they began to care
about nothing but the drugs. They didn’t take care of Robert and
worse still, they started to abuse him.”

I felt my stomach start to
drop. I glanced at Allie and I could see she was thinking the same
thing. We were wrong about Robert. He was still a bully and mean to
little kids. He had been awful to Allie on the first day of school.
We hadn’t been wrong about that part but we were wrong about who he
was as a person.

“
Robert was brought to
Sheri's foster home about two weeks ago. He has been placed here
until one of his other family members can come and get him. Sherry
checked his backpack and did not find the necklace. Instead, she
found some of Robert’s small ‘treasures’. Sherry found pictures of
Robert’s mom and dad before they got involved in drugs and other
things from when he was a little boy. But there was nothing that he
had taken from anybody else.”

Grandma Grace paused and
let what she said sink in. I could see Allie thinking about what we
just heard. Her fingers had instinctively gone to where her locket
normally would sit. Her face was pale and her expression showed she
knew how important those things were.

Grandma Grace continued,
“You both know what it is like to only have memories. But you are
lucky enough to have at least one parent still in your lives and
now you have each other and that friendship. Robert isn’t that
lucky. He wants friends but making them is hard and he’s going
about it the wrong way. He lived with thinking that having power
over someone was the only way to be safe, so he doesn’t know how to
stop.”

“You mean he doesn’t want
to be the way he is?” Allie asked tentatively, as if trying to put
all the pieces together. “He wants to be nice and have friends but
he doesn’t know how?”

“Exactly,” said G.G.
“Everyone wants friends and to be liked. Robert is the same but he
hasn’t had people in his life to show him how. This sounds odd but
getting caught is one of his ways of learning.”

“So when he does something
wrong, Robert feels bad about it and really wants to get caught?” I
asked a bit confused.

“Yes,” said Grandma Grace
with a sad smile. “I know it’s hard to understand but it’s a way
for him to stop. You know what it’s like when you do something you
know is wrong. The anticipation of getting caught and the guilt is
worse than anything. You know how you feel better once you get
caught. It’s the same for Robert. Once he’s caught he feels better
too.”

"I felt like Robert always
wanted to pick on me," said Allie.

"It's not that he wanted
to pick on you," said Grandma Grace, "he actually cares about you
because of your loss with your mother. He can relate to it but
couldn’t tell you about his parents. He hasn’t told anyone. He
never talks about it.”

Allie didn't know what to
think. Her mind was replaying every contact she had with Robert
since the first day of school.

“
That’s really
complicated,” I said. “What about the necklace?”

“
I don’t know,” said G.G.
“He may have done it and then maybe he didn’t.”

Allie and I left Grandma
Grace’s house befuddled.

I took my cell phone out
of my pocket and called Oliver. "Hey there! Call Dan and Jacob and
tell them that tomorrow is on. We'll do it at lunch." I closed the
cell phone and looked at Allie.

The next morning Allie
found herself staring at Robert across the room. It was no longer a
look of anger and suspicion - it was now a look of wonder and
confusion.

At lunch we all gathered
at our table and reviewed our plan to catch Robert. If Robert was
trying to get caught, then we were going to give him a little extra
help.

"Let's make sure everybody
knows their jobs," I looked around the table at each member of the
group.

We went over the plan one
last time.

I placed my hand into the
center of the table. Each of the others placed their hands one at a
time on top of mine and the person before them.
 
 I whispered the words,
“Cow Pie Gang.”

The boys left the table
and headed toward the doors to the playground while Allie and I
went to the library.

There must be something
said for principals and their schedules. It only took about two
days and every student in the school knew Ms. Kelly went to the
library at 12 o’clock sharp. She would make one loop around the
tables and head back for the office.

I waited for her to get
about a step away from me and leaned toward Allie. “Do you believe
Oliver brought back those crazy sunglasses and that hat again? He’s
probably putting them on right now out on the
playground.”

Ms. Kelly over heard every
word just as planned. She turned around immediately and took off
for the playground at full speed.

Allie and I looked at each
other and giggled. Although it was a little sneaky, I must say that
I enjoyed it. It’s kind of like being a spy!

We shoved our chairs back
under the library table and headed out the door right behind the
principal.

It didn’t take Ms. Kelly
long to locate Jacob’s big body over by the building standing with
his back to her. She recognized Dan standing beside him. They were
both talking to someone in front of them, although she wasn’t sure
who it was,
 
Ms.
 
Kelly figured it was Oliver and that she’d get the hat and
sunglasses and keep them until the last day of school.

“
Mr. Jackson…” said the
principal.

Jacob and Dan separated-
exposing Oliver, who was looking at a sports magazine.

“
Yes ma’am,” said Oliver
quickly.

The principal could see
that Oliver didn’t have the sunglasses or hat on or even near him.
“What are you looking at?”

“
There are some really
cool pictures of the championships!” Oliver turned the pictures
around for Ms. Kelly to see and purposefully lifted the magazine up
a little.

Principals have eyes all
over their head.
 
Ms.
 
Kelly looked right over the top of the magazine just as
Robert slipped in the open classroom door. A questioning expression
spread across her face, “Make sure you don’t bring back that hat
and sunglasses Mr. Jackson.”

Allie and I walked up to
the boys and smiled. We placed one finger on the side of our nose
to signaling a sting – except for Dan who kept his hands in his
pockets.

“
Come on,” said Allie to
Dan.

Dan grinned as he placed
his finger on the side of his nose for a few seconds and then
placed it quickly in his nose.

Allie turned her back to
face the other way; Jacob thought he was going to puke; Oliver fell
on the ground with his hand over his mouth; and I looked up and
closed my eyes.

“
Ah,” said Dan, as he got
in one last scratch, “That feels so good.”

We turned around and
started walking back toward the doors. The bells rang, sending
everyone in.

Allie whispered to me, “Do
you think the principal caught him?”

“
Yep,” I said, nodding my
head toward the main hallway.

We watched Ms. Kelly go
past with us with one hand behind Robert’s back and the other
holding his backpack. There was an expression on Robert’s face that
kind of looked like relief. We both thought about what Grandma
Grace had told us.

We watched as Ms. Kelly
passed by us again in the hallway - heading toward our classrooms.
Robert wasn’t with her.

“
Maybe,” I said, “they
will find your necklace inside the backpack.”

“
You never know,” answered
Allie. “See you at PE.”

We separated and headed
for our homerooms.

Ms. Carson and the
principal stood outside the classroom door talking
softly.

“
I found him in the
classroom by himself,” said Ms. Kelly. “It didn’t look like he took
anything. There was nothing in his backpack except things that were
personal to him.”

“
You didn’t happen to find
a gold necklace and locket in the backpack?” said Ms.
Carson.

“
You mean that one,”
replied the principal. She pointed to the top of Allie’s
desk.

Encircled on Allie’s desk
was the gold necklace and locket. Allie quickly picked it up and
stared at it. The clasp had been repaired. She slowly opened the
locket and smiled in relief as she stared at her mother’s
picture.