“I’m listening.”
“I understand you’re finishing your third year of high school at St. John’s. Is that correct?”
Wade nodded again.
“I assume you would like to complete your high school at St. John’s and even perhaps go to college? My proposal would cover that. In other words, you would be working part-time for the government while you finished high school, and if you wanted, also while you attend a college of your choice. We would continue that part-time arrangement throughout college. By the way, under my proposal you would be paid for your services during all this time. We don’t pay the highest rates, but I can assure you our pay would be substantially more than what the Navy is paying you now. If you decide to go to college, we typically cover the tuition as well, while you continue to work for us part time.”
Wade looked off in the direction of the boats, thinking about what Jenkins was saying.
“On the other hand, you may love the Navy and wish to serve out your remaining time with them and take your chance that you will not be called to active duty in Vietnam. And finish high school on your own. If that’s your desire, my proposal would be of little interest to you. I’m not looking for an answer now. I’m just giving you information to think about.”
Wade asked, “Explain again how I would get out of the Navy?”
“Basically, you would be given an honorable discharge from the Navy with a letter of meritorious service. Internally we would be doing an interagency transfer. We do this all the time for people transferring from one branch of the service to another. In this case you would be transferring from the Navy to a federal agency. Let me worry about those details. I can give you more information about that once we have agreed to a suitable arrangement. At this point, I would like you to just think about some of the things I’ve proposed. If you would like to discuss any of this further, please give me a call. Do you have any questions?”
Wade asked, “If I went for this deal, where would I be working after I finished school?”
Jenkins replied “Right here in New Orleans or anywhere else you might choose. We have operations all over the world, but there is one in particular in New Orleans. I think you would be perfect for one of our local agencies.”
Wade was still thinking about Jenkins’ proposal and wasn’t giving him any indication one way or the other as to whether he was interested.
Jenkins changed the subject and said “I didn’t realize the wind came up this much here in the afternoon.”
Wade replied, “Yeah, the lake can get pretty rough this time of year.”
“It has been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Hanna. You have my card. Please think about our discussion and give me a call if you have interest in talking further.” They shook hands and started back to their cars.
Wade had more to think about.
31
Wade had a lot on his mind. He couldn’t dwell on all he had been through. He couldn’t even begin to process the emotional impact of recent events. Right now he had to focus on what was before him.
As his mother’s worsening health condition persisted, he spent more time with her. One evening she was well enough to be sitting up in her favorite blue chair in the TV room. His father was working late. Wade came over and asked politely, “Can I get you anything?”
His mother shook her head no, and he went over to sit on the sofa across the room. Her hands shook and she looked extremely tired. She waved her hand asking him to come closer and sit on the floor next to her. Wade came over and sat down where she was pointing. She put her hand through his hair and just looked at him. Wade was uncomfortable. He couldn’t remember her touching him or showing affection.
She said in her barely audible, gravel voice, “You know I’ve always been the way I’ve been with you so you would be tough and a survivor. You’ve got to be tougher than me and the rest of this family. I know what you’ve been through . . . its all for a reason. ”
In those few words, Wade realized that somehow on a spiritual or emotional level, his mother knew much of what he had been through. The feeling was mysterious to Wade. He didn’t rationally understand his new awareness, but he suddenly understood some things; they just clicked into place. Even her abuses toward him as a child seemed to have a purpose in his mother’s mind.
For the first time, Wade saw his mother’s eyes become red with tears of love, sympathy, and compassion. He had never seen her cry like this in his life. She said in a trembling voice, “I’m not going to be around much longer and I want you to know its okay. You will do just fine in life. I want you to take care of your father. He’s not as tough as we are.” Pointing to the sofa across from her chair, she said “Go watch your TV program.”
She was not watching TV, just looking out through the window, lost in thought, while she sat back in her chair. In the middle of the TV program she tried getting up by herself and fell back in her chair. She said, “I need to get to bed now.”
Wade helped her get to bed in the next room. That was the only time in Wade’s life he remembered having an intimate, loving moment with his mother. She was always much too tough for that. It would also be the last moment alone he had with her. She died a few weeks later.
His mother’s worsening condition over the last months had brought Wade and his father closer. After his mother’s funeral, Wade could see the impact her loss had on his father. They would have dinner together more often, and they talked more. At one of these dinners, his father asked, “Have you given consideration to college or what you are going to do after high school?”
Wade answered, “I’ve thought about it some, but not a lot. I know I have to start thinking about it. My senior year is going to be over before I know it.”
His father nodded and said, “Your senior year will go by in a flash.”
Wade mentioned, “I was contacted by a government services company trying to recruit me to come to work for them.”
His father said, “That’s fine. I just want you to know that if you are interested in going to college, your mother and I have put aside some funds to help you financially.” He continued, “We don’t want finances to be the reason you don’t go to college, if that’s what you want to do.”
Wade was surprised, and touched. He said, “Thanks Dad I will definitely consider it.”
Wade checked with the St. John’s administrator and found they had a career counseling center which was run by Brother Albert. Wade set a time to meet Brother Albert, who turned out to be a very friendly, a small built person with horned rimmed glasses. He reminded Wade a little of Mr. Pete.
Brother Albert seem to ask all the right questions. He told Wade that he needed to get some information from him and set up some testing that would give an indication of his areas of academic strength and preferences for college and the workforce. The results would allow Brother Albert to match up college entrance requirements, costs, and loan programs with his academic strengths and interests. They agreed to meet after Wade took the tests. Wade was familiar with this routine from his experience with Mr. Pete at his alternative school.
Wade took the tests but didn’t feel they were as comprehensive as the ones administered by Mr. Pete. The results came in, and Wade met with Brother Albert to hear the results.
Brother Albert said, “Wade, we have some interesting results here. I’ll start with saying that you meet most of the minimum entrance requirements academically, but are you sure you want to attend college?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“We have some test results indicating you might want to consider becoming a mechanic. Like repairing engines.”
Wade felt himself withdrawing a bit as he answered, “I’ve already done that.”
Brother Albert continued, “There is another result here which is also very unusual. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this result before?”
Wade asked, “What is it?” Brother Albert replied, “It says you may be well suited as an undertaker.”
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p; “What? You mean like preparing dead people in a funeral home?”
Brother Albert raised his eyebrows, seemingly incredulous himself, and replied, “That’s what the results are showing.”
Wade thought to himself for a moment that maybe the test was picking up on all the dead bodies around him.
Wade decided not to explore that image with Brother Albert.
Brother Albert continued, “I have no idea what that’s all about. That’s a very strange test result, but let me tell you that college is not for everyone. There are many professional careers that don’t require a college education. Here’s a brochure on some of those careers, in case you want to look at it.”
Wade was upset and not interested in hearing a lecture on becoming a mechanic or undertaker. He interrupted Brother Albert by saying, “Excuse me, Brother, but can I get a copy of my test results? I just realized that I have another meeting which I am late for. I will check back with you at another time.”
“Anytime my son. My door is always open to you.” He gave Wade a copy of his test results. Wade tossed the brochure on alternative careers in the trash just outside of Brother Albert’s office.
He thought, “Those tests and that person are not going to determine my future”.
A week later, Wade called Mr. Pete and asked to meet. He couldn’t stop thinking about the “undertaker” test result and wondered if that was some kind of destiny message or weird prediction about his fate.
In the meeting with Mr. Pete, Wade told him of his active duty deployment and told him about the results of his testing with Brother Albert. Mr. Pete asked if he could see the test results. Wade provided them, and Mr. Pete took his time reviewing the results.
Pete finally looked up and set the package of tests aside on his desk and said, “Before we get into these results, let me ask you some questions. First, what do you want to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you given any thought to going to college?”
“Yes, but all I heard from St. John’s was that I’m not suited. It seems like the more they tell me I’m not suited, the more I want to go.”
Mr. Pete replied, “Isn’t that pretty much how most of your life has gone so far? You’ve fought your way through everything you’ve achieved in life when everyone said you couldn’t do it. What makes you think college would be any different?”
“I don’t know.”
Mr. Pete continued, “Wade you’ve gone through a lot; you’ve already been through more than most people will go through in their lives. Listen to me: Whatever you decide you want to do and become, you can do it. Do not take my words lightly; I mean every one of them. I know you well enough to know that whatever you make up your mind to do, nothing will stop you from being successful at it, except yourself. The fact that your parents will assist you financially is a great advantage and you should give that tremendous weight in your decision.”
Wade nodded.
Mr. Pete continued, “Look, Brother Albert means well, and I’m sure he provides a valuable service to his students. But the tests you took at St. Johns are outdated. I, for example, use similar tests that are probably three generations beyond the tests you took. As for the ‘undertaker’ results, there is a default mechanism in these tests which puts up this category when the person’s answers contradict each other. All that means is you have some uncertainly in you responses, which is normal, that’s all. I haven’t used this test in years. The new tests no longer have the ‘undertaker’ category.”
Mr. Pete continued, “Look, put these tests away. I can tell you that your academic scores, while not at the top level, will allow you to attend most private and certainly all public, colleges that you might choose. You simply have to decide where you want to go and apply yourself.”
Wade said “But I don’t know what I want to major in or what I want to do.”
Mr. Pete assured him that most kids starting college don’t know either, even when they think they know. “Most people rarely end up where they start. It’s a journey Wade. Just pick something you feel might interest you and start. Let the journey begin. Your gut will tell you where to go from there. Fate and your hard work will determine where you end up. Don’t let this decision confuse or stress you. Think of it as fun. You get to make a decision and go where you want to go rather than where someone else wants you to go. Make it your decision.”
When that meeting ended, Wade felt like a heavy weight had been lifted.
Mr. Pete had removed another obstacle in front of him.
Wade thought, “What a great friend to have.” Wade felt he was in control. He could now view Mr. Jenkins’ proposal with new eyes and compare it to his father’s offer. He was determined not to get into anything that would interrupt his path to a college education.
It was another two months before Wade contacted Mr. Jenkins. This time Wade had done his research on colleges and had determined where he wanted to go. Now he needed more information from Jenkins. Perhaps his offer had some potential but not under the terms Jenkins originally proposed. Wade was prepared to begin negotiation with Jenkins along the lines of his decided career path. He wasn’t simply going to let some government agency make that call for him. He asked for a meeting with Jenkins to start negotiations.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without the people whose devotion, time, skill and ideas contributed to the many aspects of making this novel a reality. Special thanks for technical advice go to Ken Corona, Master Chief U.S. Navy (Retired) SEAL and Assistant Executive Director of the SEAL Museum, Fort Pierce, Florida. Ideas and helpful critique were provided by Suzanna and Leela D’Antoni and Betty Stein. Martha Romero for her skill and devotion in getting this text ready and in final format.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joseph D’Antoni is a true forensic and economic expert having spent many years testifying in court cases throughout the world. His clients have included the FBI, Department of Justice, intelligence agencies and some of the largest law firms in this country. He holds advanced academic degrees and has taught at three major universities. His fictional characters are often inspired from actual cases he has worked on and events he has investigated.
The popular cold war suspense novel, Silent Sanction and two short stories, Invisible Markings and Undersea Voices are recent fictional works based on actual events which took place in and around New Orleans, Louisiana where he grew up.
His non-fiction fine art black and white photography book, Louisiana Reflections, has received wide acclaim as an introspective photographic study of New Orleans and Cajun Country before Hurricanes Rita and Katrina devastated the area.
He currently resides in Southern California where he writes and works on art when he is not investigating or consulting on forensic assignments.
Silent Sanction: A Novel Page 21
