The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright

Author:Jason F. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2010-08-04T00:00:00+00:00

THIRTY

Field Trip

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME TRAVIS HAD ARRIVED FIRST.

I met him as he got out of the van and took the chance to say hello to his mother. She said good-bye to Travis and retracted the wheelchair ramp into the van.

When Travis didn’t immediately wheel himself down the walk and toward the store, she invited him to.

“Travis, I’d like to speak to Mr. Conner, please.” She continued only when he’d made it out of earshot.

“What can I do for you, Mrs. Nielson? I’m sorry—Beth.”

She looked left and right, presumably for the other students. “May I be blunt?”

“Of course,” I said, though I was actually thinking, Uh-oh.

“Are you making progress with Travis?”

I couldn’t decide if it was a trick question or not. “I’m afraid that’s not an easy answer, Beth.”

“Why?”

“Because every student is different. And quite honestly, I don’t even know what defines progress yet. But I can assure you he’s having a good experience.”

She fumbled with her keychain.

“Sometimes he comes home in a good mood, sometimes he’s angry about something.” She looked around again for other curious ears. “I’ve lost my job. And it’s a long drive, Mr. Conner. It’s a long drive over here and gas is expensive. And when I ask Travis what you talk about, what your Discussions are about, he says he doesn’t really know. I just want to know if it’s helping him.”

I put my hand on her arm. “I can’t tell you to what degree it’s helping. But I can tell you I’ve been at this for over a decade, and the lessons the kids take away can change them.”

Her crossed arms and defensive stance screamed, Does he need changing?

“We’re having a good time, and if he keeps asking you to bring him, then it’s probably worthwhile. That’s my opinion.”

She glanced at the store, then back to me. “Has he told you what happened?”

“With?”

“With his legs. The reason he’s in the wheelchair.”

I shook my head.

“When he trusts you, he will. It’s our arrangement. I’m not allowed to talk about it with anyone but him. It’s his story to tell when he’s ready.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t. Not yet. When he tells you, you’ll understand why he didn’t want to come back after you told the story about the boy who let the little girl drown.”

The description stung, but I was still pleased that Travis had shared the story of Flick with his mother.

Laughter startled us from the corner where alley met mall. Between a tree growing unnaturally out of the brick pedestrian mall and a much more at-home lamppost, we saw Jade standing by Travis. It appeared she was reading from a book.

Travis laughed again.

I looked back at his mother, but she was already rounding the front of the van.

I saw a smile, though a guarded one, as she got in the van.

Just as Travis’s mother pulled out of her customary parking place, Kendra and Miles pulled into the one before it. We all joined Jade and Travis on the mall.

“What’s so funny up here?” I asked.

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