Sky's the Limit
The next day was my big day; ‘release day’, they called it, but it was Freedom Day for me. Freedom from the hospital, at any rate. The cute male nurse came in and helped me into the baggy jeans and a shirt that Sara had gotten me. We had to cut the left leg off the jeans so I could get them on easier, but man it felt good to be in real clothes again.
Later that morning Chip, Dad, and Sarah showed up with someone I didn’t know. “Jonah,” Chip began, “This is Dr. Brewer, Dr. Tom Brewer. He’s and old friend of mine but he’s also Billy and my primary care doctor in Memphis; he’ll be yours too if you want. He’s going to ride back with us to keep an eye on you during this little excursion of yours.”
“Thanks, nice to meet ya.” I said as I shook his hand. He was a very nice looking man; tall, blonde, and very handsome. I would guess that he and Chip were the same age.
“Thanks, Jonah, I’m pleased to finally meet you too. I’ve heard a lot about you, and just call me Tom. You’ll get to see a lot of me when we get back to Memphis. I live just one floor down from where you’ll be staying. Your Uncle Chip and I are old fraternity brothers.”
I hadn’t even considered that. I don’t even know where I’ll be living. I never asked and they never told me. I had assumed Chip had a house. “One floor down?”
“Oh, that’s right.” Chip said. “He doesn’t know. We live in a condo, Jonah.”
We all visited for a while. Eventually, a nurse came in and said they were finishing up my paperwork and I could go in about an hour.
“That’s our cue,” Dad said. “If we’re gonna be there when y’all arrive. We gotta leave now.”
“Jonah, I’ve got that music you wanted.” She said as she handed it to me.
“Thanks, Sis.”
“I’ll see ya later.” She said as she kissed my forehead.
After about an hour and a half some guys came to put me in the wheelchair, got all my stuff and we were off. I stopped by Dex’s room for our final farewell. It was way too teary, but we got through it. When we got to the elevator, though, to my surprise we went up, not down. We got off and went out onto a rooftop heliport and toward a waiting helicopter. “What’s this?”
“Our ride.” Chip said.
They loaded me back onto a stretcher and into the helicopter. Tom and Chip took the only two available seats. It was maybe a half hour later that we were landing. There was an ambulance waiting for us. They took the stretcher out of the helicopter and slid it into the ambulance. Dad and Sara were there, Chip got into the car with them and Tom rode in the ambulance with me.
“Is all this absolutely necessary?” I asked Tom.
“Probably not, but it is a lot easier. Getting you in and out of wheelchair as many times as this would require would be pretty taxing. We’ve still gotta get you to Memphis and settled in. You’re body’s been through serious trauma.”
When we got to the school, they put me in a wheelchair and took me straight to the auditorium and arts wing of the building, where the service would be. Nobody at the school was told I would be there except the principal, and of course Doc would be there. I would wait in the AV booth in the back out of sight till the end of the service and someone would bring me down. They were supposed to have the keyboard and a mike set up for me.
I had several minutes, so I had them take me to the school choir room so I could practice first. My choir director, Ms. Walters, was shocked when she saw them wheel me through the back entrance we used to load and unload risers and other gear. The cool thing was there was also a back way from that room into the auditorium, where I could still be moved and not be seen until I was ready. Sarah stayed with me, Chip, Dad, and Tom went to the auditorium with Doc who had greeted us at the school.
I had given a lot of thought to what I wanted to say and what I wanted to sing. I was having trouble deciding on a song, but I was dreaming about Mom again when the perfect song came to me. She was singing it to me in my dream. Mom was a huge, I mean huge, fan of Nat King Cole. She played this song so much I could sing it when I was five. It was something I had played for her for years before she died. I should have thought of it to begin with. It’s short, so simple, so perfect, and says everything I need to say. Thanks, Mom.
I went through the arrangement a few times in the choir room. Ms. Walters had tears going down her face when I was done. She came over and hugged me.
“That’s just beautiful, Jonah. It’ll be perfect. I’ll be so happy to have you back in choir where you belong.”
“I’m not coming back, Ms. Walters.”
“What!?”
“No one knows yet, but I’m leaving today to live in Memphis with my uncles.”
“Jonah, I guess I understand, but are you sure?”
“Yes ma'am, I’m sure.”
“Good luck, Jonah. You’ll excel wherever you go.”
“Thank you.”
It wasn’t long before it was time to go to the auditorium. Sarah pushed me down the narrow hallway to the back door to the AV room. The tech guy was in there fooling with the sound board and the video monitors. I knew him, his name was Alan, a senior. He was a bit of a geek, but cute, very cute. “Hi, Jonah. Man I didn’t know you were back.”
“ I’m not officially, this is just a visit. I’m moving away after today, but don’t say anything yet, okay?”
“Sure man, hate to see ya’ go. There’s not that many cute gay guys in this shithole town.”
Did he just say that? “You mean you’re . . .”
“Yeah, I’m not out either, but I figure you won’t say anything. You been there.”
“Yeah.”
The program started and it really was very nice. Doc got up and gave a long talk about tolerance, prejudice, and acceptance. He really was very good. A couple of kids I knew from choir got up and sang a duet of Amazing Grace. The Methodist minister where Zach went to church gave a remarkable talk on Christian love and the beatitudes. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth. That was Zach. I know what you’re thinking, no church services on school property and all that. This is the South, people. It happens every day. Besides, I liked the Methodists. When I would visit there with friends, I was always welcome, and the sermons were, well, not preachy. They would always talk about acceptance, loving your neighbor, the love of God and not the fear of God that I was used to hearing.
A couple of younger kids that I knew were friends of Zach’s, said a few words and then it was time for me. Sarah came to push me down the aisle to the stage.
I could hear a few audible gasps and loud whispers as Sarah pushed my wheelchair past the packed rows of students. She pushed me up a small ramp to the stage and under the Yamaha S80 keyboard, and there was also a mike set up for me.
“Hi, most of you know me, or about me. I’m Jonah, and I’m a friend of Zach’s.” I looked out in the audience. In the front row I could see the principal, Mr. Lee, Doc, Dad, Chip, and Tom. But right next to Dad was Gloria. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t prepared to see her. I should have assumed that she would be there. I started to tear up just thinking about what she had been through. I had to control it. Dammit, Jonah, you can do this.
“I’ve got a lot I wanted to say, but there’s not enough time. Everyone knows what happened. I want to talk about the why. There’s too much hate in this place. When I met Zach, he had faced that hate for a long time because people thought he was different. He maybe talked a little different or acted a little different from other boys. So what. Shame on all of you. Did any of you know he was only thirteen when he started tenth grade, or that he never even made a “B” his entire life? Zach was special. It was more than just bein’ smart, he was wise way beyond his few years. Way beyond me. He could have won a Nobel prize one day, or been the next Bill Gates. We’ll never know now because of petty hate and prejudice. Don’t judge someone because they’re different. It’s those differences that make us human, that make us special and unique. The ugly, ironic truth is, I was the only gay kid in that jeep, and I’m the only one able to be here and talk about it..
But this is about Zach, not me. Besides being the smartest and wisest person I’ve ever known, he was probably the bravest. He was my hero. He faced rejection, ridicule, and even violence every day but still excelled in school and wanted to make his momma proud. He was a great person to know. I’ll miss ya, Zach.
I want to do a song. A song that says something about Zach and what I think Zach would want to say to us if he was here.” I started to play. I played a longer prelude than was written to get myself ready, to get lost in the music.
