Chapter 10

I had some time but needed to get headed home, especially since I would be driving with the I-4 going-home traffic. "Is it Ok if I come back tomorrow morning and spend the day with you guys? Can you stay another day?"

I needn't have asked. Mr. Bell jumped into the fray and insisted that I have my own key to the suite, and said, "This is just like before. We are a family, and you are a big part of us. Please come as soon as you can and stay as long as possible." Yet again, I cried.

"By the time we see you tomorrow, Colleen and I will still have some details to work out, but your idea is a great one. Colleen is the trust officer and will make the offer to you when it's appropriate. We have to figure out how to make it appropriate..."

"I've got that covered," I interrupted. "I arranged to be gone all day without any suspicion or question, because Carol liked the idea of me going to the library and getting help researching colleges and scholarships. I suggested I might even get help calling some colleges to talk about how to apply and requirements for a scholarship. Right now, money is a big problem at my house, and it will continue to be until I can move some pieces around without Carol suspecting a set up.

"Mr. Bell, I mentioned my emergency account. While we were in Sweden, I moved fifteen million dollars out of my original protected account and put it in a numbered Swiss account, in case something bad ever happened. After I woke up in David's head, I used his savings account as a base and moved cash into it, so I could do whatever I had to do.

"I was afraid you would reject me. It scared me to think we'd never reconnect, and fifteen million would take care of me forever.

"I used some of it to pay off Carol's mortgage this week and was going to use more to attend College of the Ozarks. That way I would be nearby and could find a way to get us back together as a family. Either way, I'm pretty sure Carol will happily let me go away to college, especially while Tim Sanderson could possibly get out on bail. The thing about a scholarship just sweetens the deal, since it means not having to borrow money to send me to junior college."

I needed to get to the point and get on the road. Turning to Colleen, I said, "If you call and make an appointment to come see Carol on Saturday morning, you can tell her that the librarian helped me call the college to inquire about scholarships, and the college called the trust to see if I qualified.

"Once you reviewed my 'case' the trust decided to fund my entire college career, including the extra years needed for a master's in business or other advanced degree. Make sure you explain that the schedule is twelve months a year, with short breaks between semesters, but the trust will cover everything, including transportation, housing, meals, AND spending money.

"There's nothing for her to object to, and if she wants to know why, tell her that I have a sound academic record, and that you all were informed, off the record, about the abuse I'd suffered.

The selection board moved extraordinarily fast and chose me, because I was someone you could really help that needed a change of scenery.

"Heck, that's exactly what we did when we had the trust fund Maggie's schooling, and help get rid of the debt on their farm.

"That back story covers everything and is consistent, if she ever challenged your motives."

The four looked at me like I was an alien, and then Mr. Bell said, "Brian, you were really scared that we'd turn our backs on you, weren't you? Son, we needed to know – hell we had to know or risk losing our minds – what this was all about.

"You KNOW too much for this to be some kind of elaborate scam. You are exactly who you were before, and there's no way to fake that. Even the way you're worried about Carol's feelings is classic Brian.

"We, Millie and I, love you like our own son. For Colleen and Rebecca, you are the love of their lives, and we know you love us back.

"Sure, it was tough trying to believe something utterly impossible, but you knew everything and withheld nothing. That told me you really were you. So, we'll figure it all out, though you've already done the heavy lifting.

"Go home to David's home and be the good son you've always been. Then come back tomorrow. We'll be here waiting for you." Millie and Mr. Bell hugged me for a long time. Millie whispered into my ear, "Thank you for coming back to us, honey."

Rebecca and Colleen walked me to the elevator and rode down with me, working me over pretty good. By the time the elevator hit the lobby, Colleen was panting, Rebecca was gripping me, and I was hard as a rock. Somehow we needed to find time alone. Colleen must have felt the same way because she said, "I have an idea. We'll take care of it. See you in the morning darling," and kissed me so deeply, I lost my balance and had to grab them both for support. We laughed, hugged, kissed some more, and finally parted. As I walked towards the front doors Rebecca said, "By the way big boy, you really are a BIG BOY." That was the perfect send off.

Driving back to Deland, I had a chance to think about the 'fairness' of what I was doing. Carol had done nothing to deserve having her oldest child, and only son, leave home and never come back. Though I'd have to work around the Holidays and semester break issues, I intended to go on with life as Brian, as much as practicable. That meant having to cut off, or at least limit, trips to Deland.

Lots of things would be solved if I faithfully made weekly calls. As long as Carol hears from me on a regular schedule, she would fill in the blanks for herself, accept that Branson is my new residence, and college is my new lifestyle. Carol's worries were about money, and then Tim until his case is settled, and he's in jail. I'd need to think of a way to solve the money thing, soon. Hopefully Colleen and Rebecca would come up with a good idea.

Home was, home. Carol was busy in her bedroom when I came in. The girls were doing their own thing. Other than call out that I was home, I didn't do more than head for my room. I had the college brochures on the desk, in plain sight, so Carol would see them and know I was following up.

Using the laptop, I surfed the website for College of the Ozarks. It looked just like a college in the hills of southern Missouri, to me. Somehow, to satisfy Carol I would have to test out of the BA program as well as the MBA. I guess I could always take a few interesting classes, then endow a chair named for Mr. Bell and skip that step.

As I rested, doing nothing at all, Jill knocked on the door. "Hey, David, can I come in?"

"Sure," I said. This would be a first. Other than at dinner the night before, the girls studiously ignored me.

Jill came in looking like a lost child. She looked around as if she'd never seen the inside of David's room before. Instead of walking in and taking a seat, she stood awkwardly, hands clasped in front of her, waiting for something. To speed things along I said, "What can I do for you?"

She cringed. That's when I knew it was serious. "Hey. Talk to me. What's going on?" I smiled to give her courage and patted the bed beside me to get her relaxed enough to talk.

Jill smiled, frowned, squinted her eyes, and said, "I ... David ... I'm ... afraid of Dad coming home and hurting you and Mom again. When he hit Mom, he really meant to hurt her, but you came in and shouted at him. You've NEVER once talked back to him before, then you just stood up and screamed at him to stop, or you were gonna break him in two.

"That's what you said. I'll never forget how brave you sounded. You told Dad you would break him in two, if he ever hit Mom again, and it was like you turned him into a zombie or something. He got all red, then swung his fist at you so hard you flew across the kitchen and hit the door.

"Seeing you hurt was like an energy drink to him. He grabbed you by the neck and started punching so hard, but you never fought back. Mom said it was because he knocked you out.

Then he grabbed you again and swung you by your legs into the glass until it broke and crashed everywhere." She was crying by now. Sobs tore from her throat, and I pulled her into a brotherly hug, crooning soft words of comfort into her closest ear. I rocked her like a small child, afraid of a thunderstorm. She pulled herself together and kept going.

"Mom says you don't know about any of this because you were unconscious. But David, he tried to strangle you after he broke the door with your head. Glass was everywhere, and you were bleeding, and Mom was screaming, and Joan ran to Mr. Ballard crying. He called the police, and they must have been really close, because they showed up so fast, then ambulances came, and a fire truck, and ... and...

" ... and David I'm really scared. They had to shoot Dad with this weird, scary, electrical thing that made him shake all over, till he stop choking you, and fell down. Mom was crying and trying to get to you to see if you were breathing, but the police were taking care of you while everybody waited for the ambulance.