Not a Criminal

Vivian was standing on the brink of the cliff thinking about jumping off. Why not? Even though it’s not entirely about me, I am responsible. I may as well leave this world for the next. Things can’t possibly go this badly there … wherever “there” is.

She reflected on what she had just done. How could I, with my upbringing and considering how much I care about others, do something like this?

“Viv! Don’t do it!” yelled Michael. “It’s not that bad…”

Vivian turned to see her brother running toward her, waving his arms like he was about to fly over the cliff himself. He’s always been awkward. No wonder he didn’t make the team. What a duffus.

However, Michael did manage to make her laugh, which caused her to hesitate just long enough for him to tackle her and drag her ten feet back from the edge of doom. “What the hell, Vivian! Everybody’s looking for you. I knew you might be here because, well because, you’re you, and you remember what Grandpa did. This isn’t the answer, Viv. Come home. Please.”

She got up and straightened out her dress, which was now dirty and torn and shameful in her eyes. If only I hadn’t been so stupid.

“I wasn’t really going to do it, Mike. I wasn’t going to jump. I was just looking out at the ocean and thinking how big the world is, and how easy it is for people to mess up today. But then I realized that all throughout history people have messed up all over the place. Particularly famous people.”

Mike nodded. “Yup. Even football heroes. I learned that as soon as I hit high school. It’s not your fault the car went over the side of the road. It’s not your fault your friends bailed and fell into the river. It’s not, Vivian. Honestly, it’s not. Nobody blames you.”

“But I should have known. I should have, Mike. It’s my dad’s car and I think those stupid kids were borrowing it to transport drugs. I should have known. Now one of them is dead and the others might go to jail … all because I didn’t stop them.”

“You didn’t know, Viv. You didn’t know. Get that through your head. YOU DIDN’T KNOW.”

Vivian sat down right there in the field even though she could see the car about 25 feet away. “I have to talk to Dad. I hope he’ll understand. It’s just a stupid kid thing – we all want to have friends and take people for rides, and it was so easy to take his car from the driveway. I thought we would be back soon, and he wouldn’t notice. Damn.”

Mike held out his hand and helped her up. They walked to his car. She climbed in and tightened her seat belt. “See. See how careful I am.” Then Vivian burst into tears. She sobbed all the way home.

Their mother was waiting for them. She had notified the police as soon as Micheal had called to let her know that he found his sister. “You’d better bring her home right now but let her know that the police are here waiting to talk to her.” Janine paused, then added, “Also, let her know I love her and don’t blame her for the accident. We can work this out. Keep her calm, Mike. You know how she gets.”

In about fifteen minutes, Mike rounded the corner heading for their house on Maple Street. The windows were partly open, and the loud sounds of Vivian’s wailing were evident to everyone on the street. She was wringing her dirty dress in her hands and visualizing the rolling of the car as it went around a bend on Sparrow Mountain Drive. She heard her friends scream as the car skidded off the road and started to roll toward the trees below.

Vivian knew in her heart of hearts that someone in the car had hit their head and lost consciousness and someone else was screaming that they were dead. She looked back and saw bodies on the ground and panicked. The car was lying on the driver’s side and was just barely balancing on a small tree. She released her seat belt and gingerly climbed up to the passenger window, which fortunately was open. She carefully climbed out and ran up the mountain side toward the shouting. She was able to grab onto rocks and bushes and pull herself up to the road. She never turned around because she was afraid to look down at the devastation.

People had stopped to help, but she only heard the yelling and saw people pointing down and heard the sirens. Vivian didn’t know exactly where her friends were or if they were okay. I can’t look. I just can’t. Dad’s going to kill me for taking his car.

Vivian was told to stand by a police cruiser until an ambulance arrived, which she did. She waited until it arrived, along with a tow truck. Then, when people were crowded around looking at what happened, she ran for it. She knew of a road close by that lead to the cliffs of the Back Bay and she just took off. Nobody noticed she was gone for about ten minutes. That was enough time for her to reach the cliff where Mike found her.

Janine realized she was going to have to tell her daughter a lot more about their lives than she was prepared to do, but now it would be necessary. She was going to have to explain why law enforcement found drugs in the trunk of the car and how Vivian’s dad was involved.

“He is an undercover cop, like his dad, and was taking the stash to a meeting when I called him and threw one of my hissy fits which, as usual, was unnecessary and uncalled for, and he came home to calm me down. That’s when you went out the back and around the side of the house to the driveway to steal his car.”

“So, I was transporting drugs after all? I didn’t know that for sure.”

“No, you didn’t. It’s not your fault. Well, except for the stealing your dad’s car thing.”

‘Oh, no. But what happened to my friends? Freddie and May and Devon? Are they okay?”

“Maybe, maybe not. The police told me that Devon might be in surgery and May had a concussion. Nobody knows where Freddie is. He ran away just like you.”

“So, am I going to jail?”

“No, you are an accidental lawbreaker, Vivian. No jail time for you.” I think.

“And your dad, who is talking with the police right now, is not going to do anything to you. He said you have suffered enough. Let’s just hope Freddie is found soon.”

“Does Mike know about dad’s job?”

Just then Janine’s phone rang. “Uh, huh. Okay. I’ll let her know.” She turned to her daughter and said, “Well, you’re in luck. Freddie is at the hospital, delirious and bleeding a little, but will be okay.”

“Right now, you need to think about what you caused by stealing your dad’s car and how you’re going to repay him. He’s doing a lot of explaining at the police station and will be home in about two hours.”

Vivian nodded and voluntarily went to her room to remain in her own self-induced “custody” until her dad got home. She would not be answering her phone tonight.