Date: Sat, 31 Jul 2004 18:09:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corrinne S <quasito_cat@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Graschels of Guenther Street - Chapter 14

The Graschels of Guenther Street

M.C. Gordon

Pertinent information is posted at the beginning of
this series.  Comments welcome to
quasito_cat@hotmail.com or quasito_cat@yahoo.com

Chapter Fourteen

     Winter withdrew for a little while, common in
south Texas.  The temperature returned to mid-sixties
during the first week of the new year.  Eric admitted
he preferred the warmer temperature and wondered how
his old friends were coping with the freezing cold in
Indiana.

     He enjoyed his first days at his new school.
Deet had considered several of the private schools in
town, relying heavily on the opinions of Angelina
Solari, Consuela Fuentes, and Pieter Mussleman.  He
finally decided on the one recommended by Pieter based
on the fact that it was co-ed and receptive to
children raised in same sex families.  Pieter's sister
Amelia and her partner Vivian had two daughters
enrolled in New Concepts Academy and it was the only
school he considered appropriate for Eric and Jane,
when she was ready.

     "The girl who sits next to me in history class is
Korean," Eric related during the evening meal after
his first day.  "She's real smart and kind of pretty."

     "Does she have a name?" Deet asked.

     "Oh, yeah, sorry.  Her name is Kim.  She knows
English, Korean, and Spanish.  Mr. Parker, the
principal, said she's going to be my buddy until I
learn my way around and get to know the rest of the
kids.  She's nice."

     "Is she gonna be your girlfriend?" Jane asked.

     "Give me a break," Eric replied.  "I just met
her.  Besides, she kind of likes a guy named Scott.  I
know why because he's the best looking dude in the
whole school.  He's on the varsity football team and
Kim says he wants to play football when he goes to
college in Austin."

     The dinner conversation was the same every
evening of Eric's first week at school.  He talked
about his teachers, classes, and the new friends he
was making.  Deet listened without comment as Eric
kept returning to the subject of Scott, wondering if
he should ask Van if it would be a good idea to have a
quiet conversation with the boy about sex and
sexuality.

     Things were going well with the children settling
into a comfortable routine.  Eric enjoyed school and
Jane applied herself to her private lessons with
Pieter.  Her reading skills improved almost daily and
even Pieter was amazed at her grasp of mathematics.
There were no objections from either child at the
amount of homework that had to be finished each
evening.

 . . .

     Deet lay in bed one night listening the rain
outside, his thoughts on New Year's eve and Van.  They
hadn't spoken since and Deet was afraid that Van's
battle with his ethics had ended with ethics winning
over love.  Thunder rumbled in the distance, seeming
to echo Deet's tumultuous thoughts.

     Lightning flashed across the sky followed a loud
clap of thunder.  Seconds later Deet heard the sound
of small slippered feet scuffing quickly across the
hardwood floor of his bedroom.

     "I'm scared of storms," a frightened voice
whispered.  "Can I sleep with you?"

     Deet lifted the covers and felt Jane's quivering
body press against him.  "It's okay," he said.
"You're safe here.  The storm's several miles away."

     "It still scares me," she returned.

     "Would you like me to read to you until it
stops?" Deet asked.

     At her nodded affirmation Deet started to get up.
 "I'll be right back," he said.  "I'm going to get
that book Jorge gave you for Christmas.  I think you'd
like to hear about the magic princess and her unicorn
instead of the mystery novel I was reading earlier."

     Jane pulled the covers over her head and tried to
overcome her fear as she waited.  She'd spent too many
nights hovering under cardboard boxes during storms
when she and her mother had been homeless on the
streets of New Orleans, Houston, and San Antonio.
Thunder and lightning had frightened her and she'd
received little comfort from a mother in an almost
constant state of drug induced oblivion.

     "Got it," Deet said as he returned.  He pulled
the covers down enough to get back in bed when
something caught his attention.  "Oh no," he said
laughing, "no cats under the covers."

     "But Miracle purrs and helps me sleep," Jane
said.

     "You might not squash her if you roll over on her
but I could," Deet explained as he removed the black
kitten.  "She can sleep on top of the covers."

     Jane reluctantly parted with Miracle and snuggled
against Deet as he began to read.  "Once upon a time,
a very long time ago, a pretty little girl lived in a
deep forest."

 . . .

     Deet had barely finished reading the first
chapter of the story when he felt Jane relax against
him.  She released a deep sigh and was asleep.  He
closed the book and put it on the table beside the bed
and was about to turn the lamp off when Benji jumped
on the bed.  Before he could tell the pup to behave
and go to sleep he noticed that Benji wasn't in play
mode.  Something was bothering the puppy and Deet
remembered Wolf's behavior Eric's first night with
him.

     Deet slid away from Jane as carefully as he
could, not wanting to wake her just now.  Not
bothering to worry about slippers, he hurried to
Eric's room across the hall.  The boy was tossing
fitfully in his sleep and Deet reached him just as a
scream of unspeakable horror escaped.  Anger, concern,
and heartache battled for dominance in Deet's mind as
he took his son in his arms and shook him awake.

     "It's a nightmare, Eric," he whispered.  "No one
is going to hurt you here."

     Eric's eyes flew open, filled with fear at the
memories which had rushed over him during the
nightmare.  He clung to his father and began to cry
uncontrollably.  Nothing Deet said stopped the sobs
that wracked his son's body and Deet realized the boy
was beyond his help.

     "To hell with ethics," he said to himself as he
picked Eric up in his arms and carried the boy to his
room.  Jane was awake and sitting up in bed, her eyes
wide with fear.  Deet grabbed his cell phone and
called Dr. Tran at home.  Eric needed help and he
hoped the man's medical oath would overcome any
reluctance to have contact with him.

 . . .

     "I don't like to medicate children," Van told
Deet thirty minutes later when he joined him in front
of the living room fireplace, "but I had no choice
this time.  Eric's nightmare was extremely traumatic
and I had to give him a tranquilizer."

     "Is he going to be alright?" Deet asked.

     "It's hard to tell at this point," Van replied.
"He might be fine when he wakes up ... or he might
retreat into his fears.  I'd like to be here when he
wakes, if that's okay with you."

     All thought of a relationship with Van had
disappeared from Deet's mind with Eric's nightmare.
"I was hoping you would," he said.

     "I'll put fresh sheets on the bed in the room
next to Eric's," Deidre said.  The storm had kept her
awake and Eric's scream had brought her downstairs to
see if she could do anything to help.  Realizing there
was nothing she could do, she had started a pot of
strong coffee.

     "Thank you for coming," Deet told Van as he began
to relax.  Jane sat next to him on the couch, clinging
to him in fear and confusion.  "I didn't know what
else to do."

     "It's fortunate you were with Eric when the
nightmare turned ugly," Van said.  "He needed to know
someone loves him."

     "I would have been asleep but Jane was afraid of
the storm and I was reading to her," Deet answered.

     "How are you feeling?" Van asked the little girl.
 "Do you want to talk about the storm?"

     "Not now," she answered.  "I was scared of the
noise.  I guess Eric was scared of a lot more."  She
was quiet for a moment then asked, "Is it okay if I
sleep with Eric tonight instead of you, Daddy?  I
promise I'll be real still and just hold his hand.  If
he gets scared in his sleep again maybe he'll know I'm
there."

     "We need to talk," the psychiatrist said when
Deet returned from tucking Jane in with Eric and
kissing her goodnight.

     Deet poured two cups of coffee and returned to
the living room.  "I think so, too," he said.

     "First, you realize that it might take years
before either of the children can put their abuse
behind them.  Jane will probably heal more quickly.
Girls tend to mature at an earlier age and she's doing
remarkably well.  She's too young to fully comprehend
what happened to her and she didn't have the
additional shock of being chained and beaten as well
as raped.  As heinous a crime as child prostitution
is, I don't think she suffered the extreme mental
trauma Eric did."

     "What more can I do for her?" Deet asked.

     "Just what you have been," Dr. Tran said.  "Make
sure she knows she's loved and safe.  Keep her daily
routine the same.  She'll let you know when she's
ready for changes.  Don't let Rick talk you into
putting her into one of his classes until she asks.
Private lessons with him will be enough for now."

     "And Eric?"

     "He's been through more than any child should
have to bear," Van said.  "Unfortunately it happens
all too often and there are no simple answers.  As
with Jane, love and a safe haven will be very
important.  He's intelligent enough to know that you
want what's best for him.  But he's also extremely
sensitive and that's the danger.  The six months he
spent being, what basically amounts to tortured, had a
tremendous impact on his psyche.  It's always lurking
in the back of his mind.  They both need continuous
counseling."

     "I know," Deet replied, "and that's a problem."

     "I've already made my recommendation to the
judge," Van said.  "I can't continue a professional
relationship with you."

     "What are the chances of a personal one?" Deet
asked.

     "I'm not sure," Van admitted.  "As the family
therapist I was in a position of power over you which
can be construed as coercing sex.  I promise that it's
not what I had in mind but it still treads closely on
abuse of my position.  I could lose my medical
license."

     "But you didn't coerce me," Deet said.  "I really
have feelings for you."

     "I know," Van replied, "but it's a good idea for
us to put any kind of relationship on hold for a
while."

     "The kids will miss you."

     "I'll stay in touch," Van said, "for their sake."

 . . .

     Deet sat next to Manuel Fuentes in Angelina
Solari's family courtroom on the morning of the
fifteenth of January.  Another cold front had moved
through and the temperature hovered near freezing so
Deet was wearing a pair of gray wool slacks, a blue
shirt, and dark gray pullover sweater.

     Jane was dressed equally as warm in a pair of
thick jeans over warm tights, and a light green
sweater.  She sat by her attorney, Herbert Milhauser.

     Family court was summoned to order and Judge
Solari picked up the paperwork in front of her.
"We're here today to rule on the adoption petition
filed on behalf of Dieter Graschel and the minor
child, Philadelphia," she said.  "Everything seems to
be in order, but I've received a second petition that
I think bears a great deal of weight on my decision
today."

     The judge looked over the top of her glasses ...
first at Deet and then at Jane.  "I believe this
second petition is perhaps more important than the
first although I must say, Mr. Milhauser," she said as
she removed her glasses and laid them in front of her,
"I was most surprised that this one was not actually
filed with the court.  Do you have any knowledge of
this second petition?"

     Herbert looked totally perplexed.  "No, Your
Honor," he said.  "This comes as a complete surprise
to me."

     "Mr. Fuentes?" Judge Solari asked.

     "Not that I'm aware of," Manuel replied.

     "Very well then," the judge said.  "What I have
before me is a petition on behalf of Philadelphia
Latasha Anderson to adopt Dieter Marshall Graschel as
her father.  The petitioner further asks that this
court legally change her name to Katarina Jane
Graschel."

     Judge Solari smiled to herself as she considered
the petition.  It was almost perfect with the
exception of several misspelled legal terms, and
signed by Philadelphia Anderson -- witnessed by Jorge
Fuentes and Eric Graschel.

     "The most important part of my job," the judge
said as she put her glasses back on and leaned back in
her chair, "is to determine the welfare and future of
the children who come to my court.  I have spent a
great deal of time going over all the evidence in this
case.  I have a preliminary report from Dr. Tran Van
Nam, who has advised me that he believes Dr. Martin
Allison is better suited to continue with the family
at this point.  I also have a report from Pieter
Musselman regarding Miss Anderson's scholastic
progress, which I find very impressive.  Rick Jordan,
at my request, has provided his written opinion of the
suitability of the Graschel home for the child.  I
asked Mr. Jordan for this because several of his dance
students are from broken or abusive homes and he has a
special insight with these children.  I've taken all
of this into consideration but wish to address the
second petition first.  I'd like to see Philadelphia
in my chambers."

     Angelina removed her robe and fixed a cup of hot
cocoa which she handed to the nervous child sitting
quietly in her chambers.  "Why do you want to adopt
Mr. Graschel?" she asked.

     Jane studied the cup in her hands before she
looked at the judge.  "Well," she began, "I heard Mr.
Milhauser and Mr. Fuentes say how single guys can't
`dopt in Texas.  And I heard on the tv that lots of
people don't want gays to have kids.  I really, really
want to stay where I am, Ma'am.  Eric might need me if
he has another bad dream.  Daddy, I mean Mr. Graschel,
takes good care of me.  And Deidre said I could talk
girl stuff with her if I want to.  There's a little
girl who rides her bike on the street and she waves at
me when she goes by the house.  I think she lives
pretty close and I'd like to make friends with her.
So Jorge thought maybe I could get around the whole
`doption thing if I `dopted instead."

     Judge Solari sat quietly at her desk and appeared
to consider what she'd just heard.  Her decision had
been reached weeks earlier but the child, acting more
like an adult than most of the adults Angelina knew,
deserved her petition to be taken seriously.

     "Let's go back to the courtroom," she finally
said.

     Jane sat next to her attorney and squeezed his
hand as hard as she could when the court was called
back into order.

     "After weighing all the information provided
against the statutes of this state," the judge began,
"I've decided to allow the petition for adoption.
There are no precedents for a child to adopt a parent
so I'm going to approve the adoption of Philadelphia
Anderson by Dieter Graschel instead and use the second
petition to support my ruling.  I am also granting the
legal name change of the minor, Philadelphia, to
Katarina Graschel.  Now, if there is no other business
this court is adjourned."

     Angelina removed her robe and allowed herself to
share in the joy Katarina was anxious to spread
around.  She had barely dismissed court when the girl
leaped from her chair and threw herself into the arms
of her new father.  The attorneys congratulated each
other and Deet, profusely thanked Angelina, and hugged
Deet's new daughter.

     "Party tonight," Manuel announced, "my treat.
I'll reserve the Grey Moss Inn.  You're invited, Your
Honor.  And before you say you can't ... it's for
Katia."

     "You couldn't keep me away, Manuel," she replied.
 "My legal duties have been discharged and I enjoy
celebrating with friends.  Is it alright if I order a
certain child psychiatrist to attend?"

     "You bet," Manuel replied.

     Angelina smiled and added, "Oh, by the way,
Manuel, please inform the next generation of Fuentes
legal counsel that I expect him to clerk for me when
he learns the correct way to phrase a petition."