Julio – The Growing Years

 by: Miguel Sanchez

© 2006-2008 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

I put Mikey down then headed for the door. He and Joey went back out to play while I dealt with Ms. Ruiz. I went into my office and saw her on the phone. I waited until she had hung up before asking her just was her major malfunction was but I didn’t get the chance. “Mr. Sanchez, the Sheriff is on his way over. I’m having you and that criminal boy arrested.”

At this point I totally lost it. “Lady, have you taken total leave of your senses?”

Chapter 27

She looked at me smugly. “No Mr. Sanchez, it’s you who have taken leave of their senses. I’m charging you with aiding and abetting child molestation. You allowed a known criminal to be alone with an innocent child so he could do God knows what to that other child. I’ll have this Home closed down.”

I was totally speechless. I went over to the phone and called Paulo. I told him what was going on and he was totally livid. He said he’d meet me at the Sheriff’s office along with the DA and see if this fiasco couldn’t be straightened out.

Guillermo had heard the oral fisticuffs but was told to stay out of it unless he wished to be charged also. I told him everything would be alright and just to take care of the other children.

When Danny arrived Joey and I had to go with him. We were about to leave when the ADA said she wanted Mikey also. Danny was surprised at this. “What do you plan on charging him with?”

“I’m not Sheriff,” she replied. “I want you to place him in protective custody. I’m going to take him over to the hospital and have him thoroughly examined to see what that pervert boy did to him.”

Danny looked at her with contempt. “I would watch my words if I were you lady. That sounded an awfully like slander to me.”

“Watch your mouth Sheriff and just get that boy,” Ruiz ordered.

Meanwhile, Paulo had stopped at Judge Romero’s court to request another emergency detention hearing. When the clerk went into the Judge’s chambers, Paulo heard the Judge cussing up a storm. He came out and handed Paulo his request and an envelope. “Give that envelope to ADA Ruiz.”

Paulo left the courthouse and headed over to the Sheriff’s office. I saw Paulo walking over just as Danny parked his car. I’ve never seen Paulo so mad in my life. “This has gotten totally out of hand Miguel.”

Danny helped us out of the car and we all saw the ADA pull in and park. We all started heading towards the door when she said, “I’ll take the little boy with me, Sheriff.”

Paulo walked over and handed her the envelope. “This is for you from Judge Romero.”

She opened the letter and I could swear I saw her turn green. “What is this? I don’t understand.”

Paulo looked over her shoulder and I could see him giggling. “It looks to me like you and everyone here have been invited to Judge Romero’s courtroom. I can tell you this lady; he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

We all got back into cars and went over to the courthouse. On the way to the courtroom Paulo giggled then said, “I have a feeling this is gonna be good.”

Danny opened the door to Judge Romero’s courtroom and I saw him already sitting on the bench. Another thing I saw was the DA sitting in the back of the courtroom. “Come in, come in everyone and take your places please,” Judge Romero said rather chipper.

We all took our seats and the Judge again began to speak. “Mr. Cortez, I’ve read your petition and we will address the custody of Joey Peña. Before I do that, I have some questions to ask of our ADA here. Would you please stand, Ms. Ruiz?”

The ADA stood and I could see this was going to get unpleasant. “Yes Your Honor, what is it you’d like to know.”

The Judge looked at Paulo’s petition then back towards her. “Have you taken leave of your senses? These are some very serious charges and you better have some mighty strong proof.”

ADA Ruiz felt a little vindicated by the Judge’s statements. “Oh yes Your Honor, I have proof alright.”

The Judge stared at the ADA when she made her statement. “And what proof might that be?”

“Well Your Honor, for starters I saw that criminal boy carrying the other boy.”

“Objection Your Honor,” Paulo stood saying. “Assumes facts not in evidence. Joey Peña has yet to be found not innocent of anything yet and as such, he is not a criminal.”

“Sustained,” Judge Romero said. “Watch how you refer to the young man counselor.”

“Yes Your Honor,” Ruiz said before continuing. “I saw Mr. Sanchez here direct the two boys into a room and close the door then Mr. Sanchez then assaulted me.”

“He assaulted you Ms. Ruiz?” Judge Romero asked surprised.

“Yes, he forcibly led me out of the hall where that boy was doing who knows what to the other one.”

The Judge looked over at me and at that point I stood. “Your Honor, if I could. I escorted Ms. Ruiz back to the waiting area of the Children’s Home then showed her the posted sign at the entrance to the boy’s wing. It reads Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point. She is not authorized to be in that area. This rule is strictly enforced.”

“That’s because you’re allowing God knows what to happen to those children. For all we know, you could be involved with it yourself.”

I really had to bite my tongue at that point. I’d never hit a woman before but in her case I was almost willing to make an exception. Poor Mikey was getting madder by the minute and before I could stop him he jumped to his feet. “Lady, you don’t know shit.”

At that moment, everyone’s head had turned and was now looking at Mikey. As soon as the words left his mouth, he slapped his hand over it. “Excuse me young man?” Judge Romero said.

Poor Mikey, he looked like he wanted to find a hole and crawl in it. “I’m sorry Judge Sir, but she doesn’t know Jack about what happened.”

I saw the Judge stifle a giggle as Mikey spoke. “Well then young man, maybe you’d like to tell us what really happened.”

Yes sir,” Mikey said smiling as his chest puffed out a little. “First off Judge, I’m Mikey and this here is Papa Miguel. He fixed my knees up real good after I fell and skinned them. Joey here carried me inside ‘cause I couldn’t walk too well. Then he took me to my room and put me on my bed. After that, he got a cloth and washed my knees and that really stung but I didn’t cry or scream or anything.”

“I see,” Judge Romero said looking at the ADA. “Did Joey have to touch you any place else?”

“Well Judge Sir,” Mikey said starting to answer the Judge’s question. “He had to hold my leg a little so I wouldn’t kick him. It did sting, you know.”

The ADA interrupted Mikey at that point. “Go on Mikey, tell the Judge how Joey took advantage of you and touched you in bad places.”

“Shut up lady,” Mikey said as he tried to run over to her but was restrained by Danny. “Joey didn’t do anything like that. He never would. You’re sick lady.”

The Judge was glaring at Ms. Ruiz. “Is this the evidence you have counselor, your own supposition?”

She was getting more flustered by the minute. “I know good and well that that’s what happened in that room. They even have three females living there. Who knows . . .”

“That’s just enough counselor, and I use that term for the time being,” Judge Romero interrupted. “Ever since you first heard Ruben Peña say Joey hit him when he was in handcuffs, you’ve done nothing but go out of your way to incarcerate him. Why, I haven’t a clue. In this city, we do have problems with children living on the streets but that doesn’t make them criminals. Joey supposedly hit someone while in handcuffs. If true, that was wrong but it’s not worth putting him in jail until his hearing. He’s still innocent until this court says other wise. You made some very serious charges against a fine man here without one shred of evidence. That, Ms. Ruiz, I find reprehensible. Your charges of child abuse are without foundation and merit and I release Joey Peña back to the care and custody of the Miguel Sanchez Foundation Children’s Home. Joey, would you stand? Joey stood and looked at Judge Romero. “Son, it’s been alleged that you hit your Uncle while he was in handcuffs. Did you in fact do this?”

Joey looked at the floor for a second then raised his head. “Ah, yes sir, I did. I know it’s wrong to hit someone but the things he was saying just got me mad. He’d beat me before and he was saying he wanted to do it again. I’m sorry Judge. I promise I’ll never do it again.”

Judge Romero looked at all of us for a moment then wrote something on his papers. “Joey Peña, I firmly believe you understand what you did was wrong and I also believe you’re remorseful and that it truly will never happen again. I hereby find you not innocent of simple assault and sentence you to 30 days probation and one year good behavior. If you do not get into any more trouble during that time, I will order your record cleaned. Do you understand all this?”

Paulo looked over to Joey and nodded his head. Joey smiled then answered, “Yes Your Honor.”

“Very well,” the Judge said. “Now as for you Ms. Ruiz, I’ve never in all my years on the bench found someone so willing to destroy someone’s life without so much of a shred of what we call evidence. I’m ordering a copy of these transcripts be sent to the District Attorney’s office and to the Bar Association for possible disciplinary actions. I read your case files Ms. Ruiz and you are a good lawyer. I don’t know what happened but I don’t want to ever see you in my courtroom again. This court is adjourned.”

Joey looked at Paulo then hugged him. “What does all that mean sir?”

Paulo patted Joey on the back as he returned the hug. “Simply put it means you have to behave yourself for the next year and not get into any trouble. Once a week, you’ll have to see a probation officer and she’ll talk with Guillermo and you to be sure you’re doing as the Judge wants you to. Think you can do that?”

Joey then jumped into my arms and I quickly had to wrap my arms around him. “Oh yes sir. I promise I won’t get into any more trouble.”

Mikey took Joey’s hand as we headed for the back of the courtroom. I saw Mr. Moreno giving Ms. Ruiz a royal tongue lashing. He spotted me then said as he extended his hand, “Miguel, I want to deeply apologize for the actions of our office. I know there are grounds for civil action and we’re prepared to accept full responsibility.”

I shook his hand then said, “As long as Ms. Ruiz never sets foot on any property owned by the Foundation or bothers us, there is no need to worry.”

We stepped out into the afternoon sun and headed towards the parking lot. I was about to ask Paulo for a ride back to the home when I saw his car. There was no way all of us could fit in his small car so Danny took us back. After we arrived back at the home, we all made it part way down the hall when we were mobbed. I heard José and Chico yell, “Yay, Joey’s back”

I threw my hands up quickly to gets the kids’ attention. “Calm down everyone, calm down.”

I ran the gauntlet and went into the dining area then sat down. José took his place on my lap while the others gathered around to hear what all happened. Guillermo came in and sat down then I talked with everyone. “I know you all have questions so I hope what I have to tell you will answer them. The biggest thing is Joey isn’t going anywhere. Joey did hit his Uncle and that was wrong. The judge said Joey has to see a person once a week for a month then behave and not get into trouble again. Now, I know you guys make mistakes here but that’s not the trouble Judge Romero means. Joey isn’t to break the law again but this is something I don’t want any of you to ever do. Does this answer all your questions?”

They all looked at each other then Robbie raised his hand. “Why did that lady want to make such a big deal over all this?”

I thought real hard about his question and for the life of me, I had no answer. “I don’t mean to give you a short answer Robbie, but I don’t know. I could sit here and tell you all sorts of things but they would only be guesses. But I know we’re all glad it’s finally over.”

“Yeah,” everyone shouted.

I saw it was almost time for dinner then asked Danny if he would like to join us. Danny was about to say something about Raul when he walked in. “Hi Dad, I thought I saw your car here.”

That solved Danny’s problem about having to cook for Raul. “Raul, you just solved a problem. You’re both invited to dinner.”

I sent the kids to get cleaned up then told Hanna we had guests for dinner. She was just taking a huge roast out of the oven. “Man Hanna, that looks wonderful. I’m really starved.”

She set the roast on top of the stove then closed the oven door. “Flattery will get you nothing right now Miguel. Shoo and get out so we can finish in here.”

I went down to my room to clean up and as I was washing my hands, I heard a knock on the door. I looked over and there was Joey standing there. “What’s on your mind son?”

He went and sat on my bed and he didn’t seem as happy as he was before. “Um Papa Miguel, you said I’m not supposed to break any laws, right?”

I was wondering where he was going with this. “Yes son, that’s right.”

He looked at the floor and his lower lip was shaking. “What is it Joey,” I asked as I quickly sat beside him.

“Uh ah,” he started stammering. “I think I have.”

I’d been here for four days and I knew of only one thing but now he’s telling me something different. “What do you mean Joey?”

He looked me in the eyes and he looked lost. “Me and Robbie.”

I was trying to think what he and Robbie could have done. “Joey, I don’t understand what you mean.”

My mind was in a whirl when a voice said, “It’s easy Papa Miguel. Joey and I ah well we kinda been doing things.”

Then it all fit. I looked up and saw Robbie standing in the doorway. I motioned him in and patted the bed beside Joey. “Boys, I just have one question here. Did either of you pressure the other into doing anything neither of you wanted?”

They quickly looked at each other then started shaking their heads no. “I didn’t think so. I know what it’s like to be young and in love. My two oldest sons were like you both. They were in love and did things together. I want you both to listen very carefully here. Neither of you have done anything wrong nor broken the law. What you two do in your room is between you guys and no one else. I’m also happy for you guys. Any questions?”

They looked at each other and once again they shook their heads no. I stood up and took their hands as they stood. I pulled them into a hug. Joey looked up at me and smiled saying, “Thanks Papa Miguel, I knew you’d figure things out.”

We headed back to the dining area and the kids were already eating. I helped the boys fix their plates then fixed mine. I started eating then Guillermo started filling me in on his afternoon. “I called the Foundation office and got the name of the medical supply house. I ordered the furnishings you wanted for the office and they’ll be delivering them tomorrow. Pablo made a couple of calls and ordered the medical supplies and they’ll be here tomorrow. I also had another idea Miguel. With the number of staff living on premises now and I can see us needing one or two more, I was thinking about the possibility of adding staff living quarters on a second floor.”

We would need another male and female live in staff worker and possibly a nurse. As the census grew, I would want more security here also. “That idea is worth looking into. I can see us having 3 maybe 4 additional staff needing to live in as we grow.”

That night after dinner we all just relaxed watching movies. The next morning after breakfast, the medical supplies came and I was busy setting up the small medical station. I had another seven days left on my trip so it was important now to get a nurse hired. The only thing I had to worry about was weather the children would take to the opposite sex needing to tend to an injury. With Guillermo here, I could hire a female nurse and he could be present if the boys had a problem.

Casey and the kids hit it off well and she decided to take the live in position on the girl’s side. I talked with some of the doctors at the clinic and asked if they knew of a nurse who would be looking for a position. There were a couple they knew of but they weren’t sure about them because they were terminated from the clinic because they didn’t work well with children.

A few days later, Guillermo and I had a meeting with a contractor at the Foundation’s office. Pablo found the company who built the motel and they were able to bring the plans with them. Guillermo described what he had in mind and asked if they could build another wing connecting the boy’s and girl’s wings together.

In the new wing there will be 8 rooms for staff quarters and they will be a little larger than the regular rooms. The dining room will have room for 200 children. There will be sliding partitions to close off half of it until the space is needed. It will be built in such a way so the kitchen staff can feed the kids cafeteria style.

Guillermo and I returned to the home and during lunch, we talked with the kids about the nurse. The boys voiced reluctance because they didn’t want a girl seeing their groin but when Guillermo said that he’d be with them if they wanted; they said it would be fine.

It was now Friday and I was scheduled to fly home on Monday. Jackie had the kids in class and I decided to see if the contractor had the job done. I told Guillermo where I’d be then headed over to Papa’s house. The gate was open but I didn’t see that many vehicles around. I parked the Blazer then walked around to the back to see if the pool guys were still there.

As I walked around the house, the first thing I noticed was an eight foot high fence around part of the property. I tried to open it but it was locked from the inside. I went back to the front and decided to check on the inside. I couldn’t hear any workers so my heart and stomach started to switch places. I walked up the stairs and was amazed at what I saw. The hall had been painted and there was new trim installed. I walked into Luiz’s old room and I was stunned. It was perfect. I now had a small suite where a guest could stay and be comfortable. I checked out the bathroom and it too was amazing. I looked at the other rooms and was astonished at the work that had been finished in a short amount of time. “Ah Mr. Sanchez, what do you think of it?”

“I’m amazed at how it looks now. I think Papa would be very pleased.”

I walked back into Luiz’s room and stepped out on the balcony. I saw why the privacy fence was put up and the new pool just complimented everything. I must admit, I like the fact the gate was locked from the inside. The contractor patted me on the back as he handed me my keys. “The two new keys are for the lock on the gate and to the pool house. I hope you enjoy your new home Miguel.”

The house was finished on time according to the new deadline I’d given him. He handed me the invoice and I noticed it was already stamped paid in full. I went into my office and sat down then wrote him a check for what I owed him. “Here you go. I know sometimes things take a little longer than expected. I’d rather have a job done right the first time than done sloppy.”

I could tell he was surprised by what I’d said so he took the check then shook my hand. I walked around the new house and even though this dream house was now finished, it was missing something too. It was missing the sounds of happy children playing. I checked to make sure everything was secure then went out to the Blazer. I thought to myself, ‘The next time I come here, I’ll have the family with me.’

To be continued...

Posted: 06/27/08