Such is Life

Such is Life

The party was in full swing. As Frank looked at the backyard, lit by the light of a full moon, he could see at least a hundred people getting rambunctious. There were more than that inside, the noise was deafening. He turned back. It was like the whole town was there. The whole eighth grade anyway. He glanced at his watch, eleven-thirty.

Frank was done worrying about what would happen when his parents came home. He’d spent time trying to get people to stop telling other’s about the party, which started as a gaming party until Jake Conway heard about it. Jake was pure evil.

When people started arriving, he’d tried to get them to leave, everyone thought he was kidding, except Jake who started the rumor that the last person to leave would win a hundred bucks! Frank finally just fell into the background, planning to run away before his parents came home.

Then he got a better idea. Closer to the time his parents were due, he went into the hall closet. With the help of boy scout training, he tied himself up nicely. After gagging himself, of course, in a way that would look like he’d spent hours getting the gag loose enough to yell.

It all worked so well, Jake was arrested and sent to Juvenile Court. He failed to convince anyone he was innocent. He had community service for years.

That day in court, Jake said “I’ll get you for this if it’s the last thing I do.”

Fifty years later, Frank still looks over his shoulder all the time, just in case.

Unknown to Frank, Jake is the minister in the North Baptist Church. He sends thanks to Frank daily for having turned his life around in junior high.

Such is life.