Julie was active in the Breakfast Club, a fund raising initiative of the student government. The Breakfast Club brought doughnuts to school every morning and sold them to sugar hungry students for what appeared to me as an exorbitant profit. On the mornings when Julie had to bring the doughnuts, I would walk with her, carrying her books while she carried the doughnuts. I always made the excuse that I needed to get to school early to use the library. Truth was that I just wanted to walk with her.
One morning in mid December of my junior year, I was walking Julie to school. We were both studying for exams and had lots of extra books. I carried them all and tried my best to not sound out of breath as we talked.
"You sure go to the library a lot, Tad." Julie said.
"Yeah, I have a lot of homework to do." I said trying to act as nonchalant as possible. "I am taking an extra class. If I do this again next semester and then take summer classes, I might be able to graduate next August."
I saw a funny hesitation in her step but she didn't say anything. After a few moments she said "Isn't it funny that you need to go to the library on the same days that I have Breakfast Club."
Somehow she had figured it out. She turned and looked at me. My arms were throbbing under all those books, and I was out of breath. I knew I was blushing, but I tried to look as dignified as possible.
"Yeah, I guess it is funny."
She didn't say anything. She just smiled at me. In a moment of amazing maturity I managed to muster up enough presence of mind to meet the situation head on.
"The truth is, Julie, I like you very much"
She smiled again and then as though she had a change of heart, she stopped smiling, turned and started walking briskly away. I struggled to keep up with her. She was walking very fast and the books were slowing me down. I was running every third step to keep up and starting to get winded.
"What's the matter, Julie?"
"Nothing!"
"Nothing? It sure looks to me like something is the matter."
"It's too complicated."
"What's too complicated?"
"Nothing!"
Back to that again. I followed her into the cafeteria, put her books on the Breakfast Club table and went to the library. All that day I went over the nine words I said trying to figure out where I had gone wrong.
Women! It would be a whole lot easier if they came with instruction manuals.
That afternoon when school was out I went straight home instead of waiting for Julie. I was hurt and humiliated. I never should have told her how I felt. At least she would tolerate me before. Now she probably wouldn't have anything to do with me. As I approached the house I saw Uncle Earl's car in the driveway. I was always happy to see Uncle Earl so I ran inside letting the screen door slam.
"Good afternoon Uncle Earl. What brings you here."
He smiled, but it looked a little forced. His sad eyes gave him away.
"We need to talk Taddy. I've gotten to the bottom of a few things and I have some pretty unpleasant news."
"Am I completely broke now?" I asked oblivious to the gravity of the situation.
"No. In fact your financial situation has improved a bit. Sit down. This is going to be as hard for me to tell you as it is for you to hear."
I sat down thinking that whatever he had to tell me couldn't possibly be any worse than the fiasco I went through with Julie this morning.
"Go ahead, Uncle Earl. Lay it on me."
"Taddy, I've gotten to the bottom of your parent's shady business. It looks like at least one of their businesses was a front for distributing pornography. We don't have proof yet, because the evidence so far is circumstantial and not as solid as it could be."
I only vaguely knew was this meant. So I said "So what does that mean to me?"
"Well, Taddy, there are two significant issues. First, distributing certain kinds of pornography is a federal crime and the Federal Government has the right to confiscate any assets gained in the commission of this crime. Your father was very clever about distancing himself from the proceeds by setting up phony corporations. But if I manage to connect any of the assets of these corporations to his estate in an attempt to recover the money for you then the Feds can confiscate all the assets of the estate which will leave you with nothing. So I have to be very careful and it might take a while before I extract what money I can from this maze of phony names and holding companies."
Tears welled in my eyes as I thought about the perfect American couple sitting on their porch swing enjoying the profits made from ruining the lives of innocent people for the sick pleasure of some pathetic old men. Anger welled up inside of me and I found myself feeling glad that they had died and regretted only that they didn't suffer.
"There's more Taddy. And I'd better give it to you all at once. Nobody knows about this right now, but once the word is out you will be an outcast in this town. Everybody will assume that you knew about it and didn't say anything. Some will even speculate that you were involved. You are going to have to leave town and probably never return. I've spoken to your guidance councilor and I know you can finish your high school requirements by August. I suggest you do that and leave immediately for college. I'll take care of your financial affairs here in town until this is all straightened out."
"You said that my financial situation improved?"
"Yes. Apparently, your father practiced setting up a few dummy corporations before he got deeply into his illegal activities. I have already liquidated one and think I can get a couple more without endangering the rest of the estate. For what its worth, you own a paint store, a sidewalk pretzel vendor and a condominium at University Plaza. The condominium will come in handy when you go off to college."
At that moment Julie came in the door and smiled at me as though nothing had happened.
"Hi, Taddy. Nothing to do in the library this afternoon?" she teased.
Complicated, I thought. You have no idea how complicated things are going to get. For that matter, neither did I.