Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 21:43:05 -0700 (PDT)
From: Corrinne S <quasito_cat@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Graschels of Guenther Street Chapter 8

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

The Graschels of Guenther Street

M. C. Gordon

Chapter Eight

     Thanksgiving dinner was, as usual, one of
Consuela's masterpiece meals.  The adults -- Deet,
Manuel, Consuela, and assorted Martinez and Fuentes
brothers and sisters -- ate at the formal dining room
of the million dollar home in the Dominion.  Two
children's tables were set up to accommodate the large
assortment of brothers, sisters, and cousins.

     The children were all well acquainted with Dieter
Graschel for he had been included in family
celebrations for as long as any of them could
remember.  They were understandably curious about the
two strange guests but their parents had warned them
against asking probing questions.

     When the meal was finished and the tables
cleared, the adults settled in the living room and the
men watched football while the women planned their
shopping expedition to the area malls for the next
day.  The children split into two groups, comprised
almost equally of boys and girls.  Consuela settled
the youngest on the king-size bed in the master
bedroom and gave them an assortment of appropriate
video movies to select from, knowing that all of them
would soon be asleep.

     The older children asked permission to go to a
nearby park and shoot hoops.

     "Not by yourselves," Manuel answered.  "There has
to be at least one adult with you."

     "But I'm fourteen, and so is Eric!" Jorge
exclaimed.  "We're old enough to keep an eye on the
others.  Besides, there's safety in numbers, isn't
there?"

     The Dominion is a gated community with private
security, but the world is a dangerous place for
children and the other parents quickly agreed with
Manuel.  The children saw their request about to be
denied when Deet rose from his chair and said, "I'll
go with them.  Football isn't my game of choice
anyway.  All that extra padding spoils the view."

     Consuela's youngest brother Ramon laughed.
Holding out his hand to the handsome man sitting next
to him he said, "We'll join Deet and the kids.  Rick
and I agree, entirely too much padding.  Call us when
there's a baseball game on."

     Jorge and Connie talked Jane into joining them.
"You don't have to play if you don't want to," Connie
told Jane.  "You can be the cheerleader.  I was until
this year."

     "What's a cheerleader?" Jane asked.

     "The pretty girls who jump up and down and yell,
"Go Spurs!" Connie answered.

     "Nu-uh," Eric said.  "Go Pacers."

     "You're deep in Spurs territory, dude," remarked
Eduardo, one of the many Fuentes cousins, sensing the
beginning of a friendly rivalry.

     "Were we ever like that when we were kids?" Deet
asked Ramon as they escorted the nine children to the
basketball court at the park.

     "Yeah, we were," Ramon answered.  "I like to
think I still am.  You're the one who changed and got
old before your time, hiding inside that big old
house."

     Their conversation was interrupted when they
became aware that Eric was becoming overly defensive
about his preferred basketball team.  "What's his
problem?" Rick asked.

     "Eric's had a few bad experiences this last
year," Deet explained.  "I'll talk to him."

     Before any of the men could approach the children
and attempt to ease the growing tension, a very tall
black man with three young boys stepped in and defused
the situation.  "You know," he said in a deep voice,
"it always takes two teams to have a good game.  The
Spurs wouldn't be two time NBA champions if they only
played against each other."

     The children, none of whom were much above four
feet, had to tilt their heads back to see the face of
the man speaking to them.  He had to be at least seven
feet tall and had arms the size of tree trunks.  Jane
was so frightened at his size that she ran and hid
behind Deet.

     "My friend and I," he said indicating the equally
large man beside him, "were going to play a little
tennis but I've got a better idea.  You kids split
into two teams and we'll be your coaches.  How does
that sound?"

     "Sounds great, Mr. Davis, Mr. Taylor," Jorge
said, for he was the only one other than Deet and
Manuel who knew the two men.

     "I'm not very good at tennis," Don said.
"Coaching a game will be a lot more fun.  When I go
back to work tomorrow I can tell the rest of the guys
that I spent the day with some talent they'll be
watching in a few years."

     "What kinda work you do?" Jane asked, peering
from behind Deet.

     "We run up and down a basketball court," he
replied and the boys burst into giggles.

     "What's so funny?" she asked.

     "Jane," Deet said, "I'd like you to meet Don
Taylor and Robert Davis, both valuable members of the
Spurs team."

     Introductions were made all around, sides chosen,
and plays were outlined by the coaches.  Jane felt a
little awkward trying to be a cheerleader, since she
had no idea what she was supposed to do, until Rick
joined her.  Deet and Ramon shook their heads, trying
not to laugh, as Jane tried to follow Rick through
improvised dance movements.  The adults had agreed it
best not to choose known team names so Rick and Jane
periodically shouted, "Go Don! Go Bob!" using the
coaches names instead.

     An hour later nine exhausted children and one
tired man were accompanied back to the Fuentes home by
Deet and Ramon who, while not tired, were a little
hoarse from cheering.

     "That was totally awesome," Eric told Jorge
during the drive back to Guenther Street.  "I can't
believe we just shot hoops with two of the most famous
players in the NBA!"

     Deet carried the sleeping Jane to her room,
removed her shoes, and tucked her into bed while
Jorge, Connie, and Eric carried in the neatly packaged
containers of leftovers and put them in the
refrigerator.  Consuela, as usual, had prepared enough
to feed a starving nation and Deet normally had enough
turkey and ham for several weeks.

     . . .

     Consuela and her sister Maria arrived early the
next morning.  Maria's car was already filled with
several children and Consuela hurried Eric, Jane,
Jorge, and Connie to her waiting vehicle.  "I'll have
them back before dark," she told Deet and the two
women headed for the city malls and Christmas
shopping.

     Deet had let the dogs out to tend to their
business before he woke the children and now he called
them back in.  Wolfgang went to his favorite spot in
front of the fireplace while Benji looked around for
something to chew on.  Deet sipped another cup of
coffee and fed Miracle.  The sudden silence of the
house bothered him.  His life had been full of
children for several days and he missed their voices.

     "Maybe Manuel was right," he told the kitten as
he wiped milk away from her tiny mouth.  "I guess I
did need someone to love.  I haven't loved anyone
since Rick took Ramon Martinez right out from under my
nose."

     He finished his coffee and straightened the
kitchen after putting the sleeping kitten in her box.
He had contacted several possible tutors and they
would begin arriving for interviews within the hour.
He showered, dressed, and went into the attic while he
waited for his first interview and carried boxes of
holiday decorations down the stairs.  They hadn't been
used since the last Christmas his parents were alive.

     The antique grandfather clock in the foyer had
just struck eight o'clock when Minerva let herself in
the front door, her niece Deidre Thompson with her.

     "I was hoping to meet the children," Deidre told
Deet when he explained Eric and Jane were being
introduced to the annual `shop till you drop' hysteria
of the day after Thanksgiving.

     Jane had been reluctant to join the others until
Deet assured her that he was going to give Consuela
enough money for her and Eric to spend on presents for
each other and their new friends.

     "Consuela is a little difficult to say `no' to,"
Deet told Diedre as the two of them nibbled at the
donuts Minerva brought with her.  "And I'm not about
to face the madness of Christmas shopping.  And Jane
needs clothes.  I'd rather have a woman see to that
right now, until I get to know Jane a little better
and learn what she likes.  I already made the mistake
of buying Eric a wardrobe that was nixed by his friend
Jorge."

     After several moments of casual conversation Deet
decided he liked Deidre.  She was taller than most of
the women he knew and wore her deep bronze hair in a
short bob.  Her eyes were a soft gray-blue and filled
with an intrinsic love of life just waiting to be
released from their sadness.

     "I'll let Miss Minnie show you the house," he
finally said.  "I'm going to be interviewing tutors
until three and have another appointment at four.
Consuela promised to have the children back before
dark but I know her.  She'll take them to eat at Taco
Cabana so they probably won't be here before six.  I
want to thank you, Deidre, for agreeing to help me out
here for a while.  The kids are both great but they
need something safe and stable in their lives right
now.  Both of them were put in harm's way by the
action of women and they need a loving, positive
female presence.  I can't ask Consuela to do that
because I know she wants to, and then Manuel would
have sue me for spousal interference or something.
And I'm already making him as rich as Midas."

     "Go right ahead and do what needs doing, Mr.
Graschel," Deidre said.  "I'll just settle myself in
one of the servant's rooms and learn my way around the
house."

     "I hope you don't think of yourself as a
servant," Deet said.  "I don't expect you to live
here."

     "My own home is too full of memories right now,"
Deidre replied.  "I see Bill everywhere, and hear his
voice in the dark.  I don't believe in ghosts, mind
you, but we lived in that house off and on for thirty
years.  When Aunt Minnie told me about this position I
was thrilled.  I'd much rather hear a living man tell
me I burnt his morning toast than the silent voice in
my home."

     Tears had begun to fill her eyes and Deet took
her into a warm embrace.  "You'll need several pairs
of house-slippers," he said.  "Eric's puppy has a
slipper fetish."

 . . .

     "Based on what you're telling me, Mr. Graschel, I
believe spending yesterday with your friends might
have been just what the children needed," Dr. Tran
told Deet during their first private session that
afternoon.  "I suggest you purchase a video camera and
record them as often as possible.  I would have
enjoyed seeing our little Jane Doe pretending to be
one of the Spurs Dancers.  I didn't expect her to
behave like that so quickly."

     "I was surprised myself," Deet told him.  "And
she was really doing pretty good because Rick kept
doing more intricate footwork and she almost kept up
with him."

     "Is Rick a good friend of yours?" Dr. Tran asked.

     "I guess so," Deet replied.  "He was three years
ahead of me in school but I didn't really get to know
him until he started hanging out with a friend of mine
after I got out of college.  He is one hell of a
dancer, though, and is often invited to join Ballet
Folklorico when they perform here.  He teaches dance."

     "Rick Jordan?  Are you telling me you know Rick
Jordan?" Dr. Tran insisted, "the premier ballet dancer
in San Antonio?  That Rick?"  He was much more envious
of his current patient knowing Rick than he was of him
knowing two of the Spurs players.

     "That's the one," Deet said.  "He stole my
boyfriend from me and I've never forgiven him.  And I
never will even though we're good friends now."

     Dr. Tran quickly gathered his thoughts back into
the direction they needed to be flowing.  "Do you
think he would accept Jane as one of his students, if
she's interested?"

     "Probably," Deet replied.  "He was really working
hard with her yesterday and had her giggling a lot.
In fact, she related quite well to him."

     "For the same reason she's feeling more
comfortable with you," Dr. Tran said.  "She recognizes
the fact that she's not in any danger of being
sexually abused.  Young children often have the
ability to identify those of the opposite sex who
prefer their own sex, and they do it subconsciously.
It's not the same thing as you or I recognizing our
own sexual orientation in others.  We're always
searching for our own, hoping to find someone to
please us for one night or love us for the rest of our
lives.  Jane instinctively finds safety in men who are
interested in her as a person and won't ever think of
her sexually.  Eric has a different problem since he
was molested by a man."

     He tossed a large file on his desk.  "This is the
report I received from the Castleton Police
Department," he said.  "Your friends at Freeman,
Freeman, and Birch have a lot of clout.  Milhauser
hasn't even seen this file yet because he directed
them to send it straight to me.  I want you to read
it.  I'll stay with you while you do because it goes
into greater detail of what happened to your son than
we knew a few days ago.  It's bad, Deet," Dr. Tran
said softly, "very bad."

     Dieter Graschel slowly read the report of what
the CPD had found when they acted on the concerns of a
school principal.  He alternated between tears and
forming his hands into fists, gritting his teeth in
anger.

     "Now here's Jane's file," Dr. Tran said.  "I hate
like hell doing this to you all at once, but I can't
help you help these kids until you truly understand
what's happened to them."

     The sun was setting in the west when Dieter
finally regained control of himself.  He found himself
leaning against Dr. Tran on the expensive burgundy
leather couch of the psychiatrist's private office at
the hospital.

     "I can't help these kids," he sobbed.  "My God,
the horror they've been through isn't anything I've
ever known.  I got the shit beat out of me when I was
a teenager, but that was just by other kids. I never
had to deal with anything like this. I can't do this!
I love these kids but I can't do this!"

     "Yes you can," Dr. Tran said quietly.  "You're
already doing all the right things even if you didn't
know it.  Do as I suggested, and video as much of them
as you can."

     "I thought about asking my attorney if I should
take pictures but got worried that Judge Solari would
think I had ulterior motives."

     "Believe me, Mr. Graschel, she won't.  We've
known each other for years and she trusts my opinion
when it comes to children.  In fact, let me know the
next time you have an impromptu basketball game and
I'll bring her along.  She's a huge Rick Jordan fan
and I can just about imagine the look on her face when
she sees Jane getting personal lessons on being a
Spurs Dancer."

 . . .

     Deet arrived at his house shortly before Consuela
and Maria brought the children home from their
marathon shopping session.  Jane and Eric ran past him
at the front door, bags of packages clasped close to
their small bodies.  Jorge and Connie helped Consuela
and Maria with bags and boxes which were carried
straight to Jane's bedroom while what seemed like a
hundred other children carried more bags of things
into the house.

     "I only gave you a thousand to spend, Consuela,
did you counterfeit it for more?"

     "I didn't need to," she answered as she came down
the stairs.  "You have open accounts at too many
stores and I only had to tell them that Eric is your
son and show them Manuel's copy of his birth
certificate.  You're only in the hole about ten grand,
give or take a thousand or so."

     She stopped and burst into laughter at the look
on his face.  "The clothes for Jane and little things
for her room are an early Christmas present from
Manuel and myself," she said.  "I limited them in what
they could spend, I promise.  I have all the receipts
except the ones they insisted were privileged
information, Jorge and Connie's idea.  God help us
all, my children are going to follow their father into
law.  They've had supper and here's the rest of the
money you gave me," she said and gave him back seven
hundred dollars.

     "I envy you your children, Deet," she whispered
as she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  "Now, can
I impose on you to borrow your attic until Christmas
Eve?"

     The commotion brought Deidre down from the third
floor and introductions were made.  "You can use my
room," Deidre said.  I've discovered that it has a
secret room attached which is probably where presents
were hidden more than a hundred years ago.  I even
found a key that fits the door, but it's not likely
the kids will even know because my room is all wooden
panels and the door looks like just another panel.  I
like the idea of being a connection between the past
and the present."

   Two days later Deidre found Dieter crying and woke
the children.  "Wolfgang passed from us last night,"
she said.  "He's gone to that place where the dog
joins the wolf, fox, and coyote in the pantheon of the
spirit world.  My great-grandfather was a Cherokee
shaman and told me when I was much younger than you
that everything that happens in life has a purpose, we
must only listen carefully to understand.  Wolfgang
was a wolf spirit, one of the strongest, and you must
listen carefully to what his spirit tells you."

Author's notes:

Ballet Folklorico is a group from Mexico that combines
traditional ballet with folk dances from Mexico,
including those of the early Natives of that country.
Their performances are spectacular and I would
suggest, for anyone thinking about coming to this city
on vacation, to plan the visit when they're here and
see the performance.  The star players for the San
Antonio Spurs do not exist and I apologize for any
unintentional resemblance to real people.  If I erred
it is only because of my deep admiration for the team
and their civic contributions and strong role models.
It is a truly international team and has brought all
of us closer to understanding their native countries.
The better half of my existence is 1/4 Cherokee and I
have spent the last 30+ years researching his heritage
for him.  I hold the traditions and beliefs of
America's Indigenous People in the highest respect.