His Uncle

  When Ulysses was in the sixth grade at ten years, he was popular with the students and teachers at the William Taft Grammar School. He was smart, outgoing, and friendly. A charmer, he had taught himself several foreign languages and would talk to the house cleaning staff in Spanish. He spoke only French to the French teacher. Most of the kids wanted to sit with him at lunchtime. 

In November, his mother was at a parent-teacher meeting.

Ulysses teacher, Miss Regina Wilson, said, “Mrs. Jasper, Ulysses is by far the smartest student I have, but he’s bored in my class. He needs to be in a private school. The nearest one is a hundred and twenty miles away. Advancing him to the eighth grade is not the answer.”

“I‘ll discuss this with my husband tonight,” Mrs. Jasper replied.

That night Agnes Jasper told her husband, Scott, what Miss Wilson had said.

  “You call the principal and ask him to recommend a tutor that we may hire after school to come to our home four days a week and tutor each of the children. Each child will have it’s assigned day. Accept any figure he asks. Invite him to have supper with us on those nights,” instructed Scott.

     Scott Jasper did not have the opportunity to go to college. His children would not have that problem. Known to no one, not even his wife, Scott Jasper thought that just maybe Ulysses could become president of the United States. He was certainly smart enough. Ulysses was as handsome as JFK and as charming. The money would be no problem. This small flame would burn in Scott’s heart until the day he died. 

Mr. Hawkins, head of the physics department at Hendersonville High School, was recommended. He also taught history. He accepted the tutoring position at ten dollars an hour. He tutored Mary Ann on Mondays, Morgan, on Tuesday, Alliance Ulysses on Wednesday, and Bobby Jean on Thursdays. 

     After two weeks with Ulysses, Mr. Hawkins suggested to the principal that Ulysses spend his academic hours in the library doing physics and history assignments given to him by Mr. Hawkins and his other teachers prepare advanced lessons for him in their subjects. The principal agreed but insisted that during recess, physical education, and lunchtime, Ulysses would join his classmates. 

The school library had an extensive inventory of books because of the generous donations given by the Jasper family and other wealthy families. The library staff consisted of two ladies; Miss Carter and Miss Johnson. Ulysses would take breaks to charm and joke with the library staff.

“Miss Carter, that sure is a pretty dress you’re wearing,” Ulysses said.

“Do you think so, Ulysses?” she asked.

“ Yes I do, Miss Carter, I can smell that wonderful gardenia you are wearing from the back of this room,” 

Ulysses, you say the sweetest things. I have some homemade cookies; would you like to have some?” Miss Johnson asked

“Miss Johnson, you are so kind,” Ulysses said.

Mrs. Jasper’s stepbrother is Father Randall Wilcox. Randall Wilcox is a Priest at the largest Catholic Church in Kansas City and well connected politically.

  He visited the Jaspers on Thanksgiving and Christmas and stayed in the guest bedroom at the end of the hall, on the third floor, which shared the bathroom with Ulysses’ bedroom.                                    

    He usually arrived on Wednesday afternoon before Thanksgiving, with gifts for the children and flowers for his sister. He gave the girls a peck on the cheek, and the boys bear hugs that lasted much longer than one would consider customary,

Father Wilcox was short, overweight, and pear-shaped, and his small feet made him look as though he might fall over if you touched his shoulder. Instead of a clerical collar, he wore crisp white long-sleeved shirts. The bow ties he wore, he tied himself. 

Everybody revered him. His parishioners gave him a five thousand dollar Rolex watch for his birthday. The farmhands and cowboys were extra careful to watch their language when they saw the Reverend’s Cadillac in the driveway. 

Thanksgiving dinner was served at two o’clock Thursday afternoon.

“Well, Randall, how is business?” Scott Jasper asked with a straight face while passing the mashed potatoes to his wife.

“Unmarried teenage pregnancies are unbelievable. Adultery is the norm. Sin is everywhere. My job is never done,” Father Wilcox replied, already scooping a large portion of the potatoes on his plate.

The children acted as though they didn’t hear what he said. Each hoped there would be enough potatoes left for them.

That night around 3:00 a.m. Randall tiptoed into Ulysses’ room, waking him up as he fondled and sodomized him.

This ten-year-old woke up terrorized. His brother had never seen him naked. 

 His whole body was trembling. Ulysses raised himself with his elbows and saw this older man’s head between his legs smiling. The moonlight came through the window, shown down on his uncle’s three front gold teeth. They sparkled in the darkroom. Ulysses never forgot that devilish smile looking up at him. Nightmares occurred for the rest of his life. He would wake up soaked in sweat and trembling.

“Alliance Ulysses, this will be our little secret. Here is a brand new one hundred dollar bill for you to buy anything you want. If you tell anyone about this, God will punish you,” Father Wilcox said.

           **********

On that fateful Thursday night, a monster was born. He made a covenant with God that he would severely punish these depraved people that prey on the young and defenseless. 

   Friends and family noticed the change in Ulysses. He became withdrawn. He no longer joked with anyone. He didn’t talk much as he used to.

“Ulysses, did you feed the dog?’ Mrs. Jasper asked.

“Ulysses, did you hear me?” his mother repeated.

“What, what did you say?” Ulysses asked.

“I said, did you feed Rebel?” his mother said.

“I forgot,” Ulysses said.

“What is the matter with you Ulysses, I have to keep telling you things over and over,” his mother said.

Mrs. Jasper took him to the family doctor. Dr. Herbert Johnson examined Ulysses for forty-five minutes.

“Ulysses, you are in tip-top shape. Get dressed, and I’ll be right back.”

Dr. Johnson left the examination room and joined Mrs. Jasper in the conference room. 

Dr. Johnson looked at Mrs. Jasper in the eyes and said, “ Ulysses is in top physical health. There is something on his mind that he will not tell me.”

As the days passed into weeks, and weeks into months, Ulysses changed.

 His apparent depression and sadness became manipulative, charismatic, charming, everything well organized and planned out. He would have no remorse or guilt for anything he would ever do.

     When she closed her eyes at night and every Sunday at Church, Mrs. Jasper thanked God for the improvement she saw in him.