The Future Awaits
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Chapter 15
A few days later I take Mike to get the cast off. He takes a few steps and complains that it hurts.
"It will until the strength in those muscles comes back. Walking will do you good." The doctor tells him.
As soon as the doctor is out of sight, Mike pulls his crutches in place. "Let's go."
Mike insists he needs them the rest of the day, so I say nothing until he comes out on them the next morning. "Put them away. You don't need them now."
"Yeah I do. My leg hurts."
"Not that much. You need to exercise it."
"But it's a long way from the science building to English. You know."
"Yes, and I walked it on crutches every day. You're the one was complaining about how hard it is."
"It's not now, just like you told me. Please, dad."
I happen to see Tommy trying to stifle a grin. "All right, what's going on here?"
"That blond Mike's been trying to make time with has been all over him since he's been on crutches."
"How you know?" Mike asks.
"Was coming over for you one day and saw her totin' your books for you."
"Bustin' my leg was worth it, cause she cut me dead 'til she saw my crutches. I think she likes me now."
Tommy grins. "Guess she thinks they're sexy. I heard her call you her poor little boy. Hey, if she goes for guys on crutches, maybe I ought to ask her out. I got a real reason to use 'em."
One look at Mike and I say sternly, "Michael, not one word."
"But, dad … ."
"Remember what I told you the other night? I meant it. Now shut up." At his forlorn look, I relent. "But if it's so important to you to have her to see you on crutches without the cast, go ahead."
He cheers up.
A few nights later, he comes out wearing his good slacks and a new knit shirt. His loafers are polished to a dazzling shine, but he's on his crutches again.
"I thought I told you to quit using them."
He gives me a sly grin. "Got a date with Beth. She likes me on 'em. Besides, most everybody's been extra nice since I've been using 'em, and some of my professors cut me a little slack."
"Which reminds me, did you make your organ lessons while you had the cast?"
"Yeah."
"How'd you play?"
"He gave me stuff without pedal parts. Now I can play the pedals again, I blame it on my leg not being well if I screw up a passage, and he doesn't say too much."
"You con artist. That's it, no more crutches. Now get out of here before I change my mind and kick your butt down the stairs, crutches or not."
Tor rolls in on Friday and after we've had dinner, he, Tommy, and I settle in for another session. Tommy's reluctant to tell Tor he wants to try library science and minor in computers, but when he's done, Tor says, "If you really want to help people, it's a fine profession. Lord knows, Paul has saved me hours of work researching things."
"You don't think it's no sissy job?"
"No more than being a teacher. If that's what you want, go for it."
"You don't care?"
"Look, babe, if you get up every morning happy to go to work, then you're in the right profession. I'm not saying there aren't times you won't feel that way, but most times you will. Take a few basic courses and see how you like them."
"I gonna lose some credits."
"So what? You're young. At most you shouldn't be more than a semester behind, and a summer session or two will take care of that."
"But it's gonna cost more, and I got no way to pay you and Drew back."
Tor reaches across the table and ruffles Tommy's hair. "You repay us by being our son. We want you to be happy with your studies, then get a good job."
Tommy's eyes grow moist. "I didn't ever think there was people good as you and Drew and Mike. I love you."
"We love you too, babe."
"Well," Tor asks when we're in bed, "you think he's making a good decision?"
"He seemed happy after he talked with Ashford. Read the books he lent him immediately. He didn't tell you, but Ashford offered him an assistant's job next semester to find out what it's really like."
"Paul's tough, so he must have seen something in Tommy we missed. He wouldn't do it simply because he's our son. That's why I suggested you talk with him."
"Let's hope we've finally gotten the boys settled in."
The second date Mike has with Beth after he's off crutches, I happen to be in the mall picking up a couple of things that same evening, when I spot them across the way. This is the first time I've seen Beth dressed up rather than in jeans. She's as lovely as Mike intimated, and she's clinging to Mike just as Tommy had said. Mike's swinging along on his crutches easily, but when I get a closer look, I see that he's apparently taken off his right loafer and, with his slightly long jeans, managed to pin the leg closed below his foot so that it appears to be missing. My own experience with Vince comes rushing back. I don't let them see me, but he and I are going to have a talk.
Mike comes in about eleven without the crutches. He seems surprised to see me sitting there with a cup of coffee. "Hi, dad. What's up?"
"We need to have a talk. Sit down."
"Not now." He yawns. "I'm tired and I've got an early class tomorrow."
"Yes, now. Sit."
"What's this about?"
"Using crutches when you have absolutely no need of them."
"But I told you Beth likes me to use them."
"I shouldn't have to tell you what went through my mind when I saw you at the mall tonight."
"Oh, shit! I'm sorry you saw me, dad. Beth talked me into doing it."
"I think you've hooked up with a devotee, babe. I'm not sure you're old enough to handle this."
"Devotee?"
I nod. "That's someone who likes guys on crutches, especially if they're amputees like me. You may not know the word, but you're doing this because you think she'll drop you if you don't pretend."
He shrugs. "So?"
"So you'll be using crutches for as long as you're around her and you won't regain full strength in your leg if you don't stop."
"My leg's fine. It's just for dates."
"And you don't care if others see you, especially those you know?"
He shrugs. "I guess. This is the first time we've gone to the mall or any place like that."
"Where are your crutches?"
"In the car."
"Go get them."
"Why?"
"Because I asked you to. Now go." I can tell Mike's surprised at the sharpness of my voice, but he goes.
"What you gonna do with them?" He asks when he comes back and I take them.
"Tomorrow these go in the dumpster." They won't, because they are too good to throw away and mine are old and badly worn, but he doesn't know that. "You are not to use crutches again unless you have a real need for them. You're too intelligent to be playing such games."
"What if Beth dumps me?"
"You're young and good looking. There are plenty of girls on campus who don't fixate on cripples, real or pretend."
"But I like her and it wasn't hurting nobody if I pretended."
"I'm sorry, Mike, but this is it. I expect she'll find a real amputee for fun and games, if she's that attracted. But you're not one and I don't want you to be. Now go to bed."
When he leaves for his next date with her, he's back home in less than an hour. "What happened?" I ask him.
He gives me a sad look. "When she saw I didn't have my crutches, she dumped me like I figured she would."
"I'm sorry, if you really liked her, but now you can find a nice normal girl like Andrea."
"Yeah." He goes to his room to sulk.
Tommy and Andrea wisely limit their dates to weekends. Tommy worried that she might want to go to a big dance that's coming up, so he finally told her about his feet. When he came in after telling her, he said she hugged him and told him she doesn't care much about dancing. I do know they often see movies, or find other things to do. Though I have given both boys credit cards on my account, Tommy never uses his, so I frequently slip him a few bucks and tell him to use the card to take Andrea to dinner occasionally.
Mike looks envious when Tommy goes out on Friday evening. I offered to let him have the car for their date, but Andrea has her own. I suppose Mike is still disappointed over Beth for I don't see that he's really trying that hard to find another girl. It worries me enough that when the summer session is over in three more weeks and we'll be taking the break at home, I'm going to have a talk with Martha about him.
To be continued...
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