Be sure and read Parts I & II before reading this post so that you get the whole story...
In the afternoon after my chapel message, I was swamped with questions by teachers and classmates about the finer points of my story. Everyone was unanimous in their dismay at what had happened, but tastefully grateful and gracious to me in stating that if it hadn't I might not ever have gone to school there and made some of the lasting friendships that carry on to this day.
Just before the start of my Government class, "Dennis", one of many hometown faces that had fled the public school after I did came up to me to comment on the story. "Man, that was really something about that rock hitting you.", he said. "How big did you say it was?"
"About this big," I said shaping my hands into the rounded diameter of the stone as I recalled it. As he studied my illustration he pondered for a moment and then said "No, actually it was this big." He formed his hands into a slightly smaller diameter shape and then looked at me... right in the eye. I've never seen anyone actually turn green before, but Dennis did. The shock of his correction and his admission took a good 10 seconds to seep into my brain. In the span of that time, I blew through a dozen different emotions.
"How do you know that?" I asked, with the obvious look of shock still plastered across my face. All Dennis could do was stare...
"Did you throw the rock that hit me that day?!"
Dennis only hung his head and looked at his feet.
"I wasn't trying to hit you in the head. My friend bet me that I couldn't hit you. When I hit you in the head and you fell, we ran away. When I heard you had left school all together after what had happened I felt so bad. I hope you're not mad at me for what I did."
Then it hit me: a flood of cognition that only the human brain can produce. From the first day, four years earlier, when Dennis had walked in and sat right next to me, he knew who I was. He knew what he had done, and he went out of his way to befriend me. To begin to make amends, secretly, for throwing the stone... all the while still harboring a seed of guilt that plagued him until he finally had his chance to confess.
He nearly killed me! But what if he hadn't thrown that rock? Where would I have gone? Who would I be? Not the same person I am today, that much is for certain. The paradoxical nature of his role in my life is still one that I think about from time to time. In the one second of time that he let the stone fly, he was both the epitome of my tormentors and the impetus of my freedom.
What do I do? He hopes that I won't be mad at him? I should be... but... I can't.
Instinctively, I threw my arms around him and gave him the biggest hug I could muster. I think I actually lifted him off the ground. He was surprised by my reaction, to say the least. But what else could I do? Somehow, in that moment I realized that I owed everything to his boneheaded stunt. A crowd quickly gathered in the classroom as my classmates realized what had just happened. I don't actually remember if we had class that day or not. :-)
Soon, we graduated and went on our separate ways, but I will remember, for the rest of my life, the importance he played in helping me become who I am today. Be mindful of your actions; good and bad have a profound and sometimes imperceptible impact on everyone around you.
Epilogue:
Last year I had a chance to catch up with Dennis at my 10 year high school reunion...
God has it been 10 years?
I jokingly frisked him for rocks when he arrived at the party :-) lest he pummel me again and set my life down some new, unforseeable path. He joined the Marine Corps after high school and upon completing his time he got married and had a young son. His wife had recently left him and the boy to go out on her own wild adventures. Both he and his son live in our old home town today, where he works in a Paint and Body shop.
God bless you and yours Dennis, and your bad aim... :-)
8 comments:
Very inspiring. :)
The depth of charcterit took to hug him is amazing. I don't think I am that much of a man. I don't think you have ever told me that part of the story how you knew who it was. I'm glad you did.
~Jef
BeckEye,
Thank you. I hope it does inspire those who read it.
Jef,
I would hope I had remembered to mention the most important detail of the story! :-) I'm sure its been years since you heard it though. Understandable... and thank you for the kind words.
BlackOps,
Great quote, and very appropriate. But does the accident cause the superstition, or is it the other way around? :-)
Your story reminds me of my own past, and how cruel kids can be. I was never physically attacked, but I was teased and called ugly names constantly once I was 10 or so. I ended up being homeschooled. I know that I am probably a better person for the suffering I went through as a kid. I know how it feels to be judged on the way you look, and it sucks. So I am careful not to hurt people that way. I hope I would've known that anyway, but I think I learned a lot from those years of torment. It is great that you were able to forgive him. I think forgiving helps the forgiver more than the forgivee.
Marrie,
You're 100% right. As strange as it may sound, the one emotion that was most powerful in the swell of them that I had in that moment was simple happiness. The irony of it all, the courageous step to admit his guilt. It was all too much! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment. :-)
By the way, Andy, I came across this listing on one of the freelance writing sites that I frequent and I thought your story would be perfect for it. It may need to be edited to hit the word limit, but it would be cool if you could get paid for your story!
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A Cup of Comfort stories weave powerful life lessons into vividly told tales. They are nonfiction stories that read like fiction, but always ring true. They are slice-of-life tales that make us think and care, that give insight and inspire positive action, and that entertain and enlighten. Stories must be uplifting, written in English, based on real people and events, and 1000 to 2000 words in length. $500 grand prize; $100 each for all other published stories. http://www.cupofcomfort.com/share.htm
Wow thank you BeckEye! I will look into this and am flattered you consider my post a worthy submission.
Might be a blogworthy development in its own right! :-)
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