Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes

“Now that you’ve selected the complex, all we’ve got to do is get you ready to move and to prepare the house for sale,” my mom began.

“And now that you’ve seen the size of the apartment,” my dad added, “you merely have to decide which furniture you want to take with you.  Once you’ve figured that out, we’ll move the other items to the garage and get ready to have a garage sale before we leave on Sunday.”

“And I’ll help Mom pack up the items you’ll be taking with you but won’t need for the next couple of weeks,” my mom added.  “I’ll also help you box up the items you’re going to donate to charity, and we’ll toss the items you’re throwing away into other boxes so they’ll be ready for the garbage men to pick up.”

“Are you going to be able to do all of that before we leave?” I asked.

“Yes,” Dad answered.  “I’ll call The Terrace on Monday and let them know that your grandparents have selected their facility and ask when they’ll be able to move in.  Once we know that information, I’ll contact a moving company and arrange for them to move everything to their new apartment.  I’ll also call the company that picks up the trash and arrange for a special pick up, and cancel your regular pickups.  After I finish doing those things, I’ll contact a real estate company and make an appointment for someone to come here to talk to us about listing the house, and I’ll also place an ad in the local newspaper about the garage sale.”

“And I’ll put an ad for the garage sale on Craigslist and Facebook,” I interjected.

“We’ll have the garage sale on Friday and Saturday, and we’ll either finish the other tasks or make different arrangements to have them done before we leave.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to do so much in such a short time,” Grandpa responded. 

“I believe we can, if we all work together,” Dad confirmed. 

Shortly after we finished going over everything, Mom and Grandma went to the kitchen to fix supper, since they’d planned on us eating at the house tonight.  While they were doing that, Grandpa showed Dad, Devin, and me the various pieces of furniture we could move out to the garage.  We actually got quite a bit done by the time we were told to wash up and come to the dining room to eat. 

“I had my doubts at first,” Grandpa said.  “However, after seeing how much you’ve accomplished in the short amount of time you’ve been working on it, I’m beginning to think you’re right about being able to do everything before you leave.”

“Of course we’ll be able to do that,” Dad confirmed with a grin.

After we finished eating, we resumed doing the tasks we’d been working on earlier and we continued until it was time to get ready for bed.  Since we’d moved the furniture from Mom’s old bedroom and the guest room down to the garage, we all slept on the box springs and mattresses which we’d left on the floor of those rooms.  It wasn’t perfect, but we’ll survive like this for as long as we’re here. 

     

The rest of the week was a blur of activity.  Dad called The Terrace on Monday and informed them of my grandparents’ decision, and the rep said they’d be able to move in at the beginning of the month.  My dad also called The Village at Bedford Walk to tell them his in-laws wouldn’t be moving there, and then he made calls to arrange for the moving company and trash collection.  After that, he called a realtor and made an appointment for them to come out, and he also placed an ad for the garage sale in the local newspaper, while I placed an ad on Craigslist and Facebook. 

By Tuesday, Devin and I were feeling a little guilty about leaving the following day, so we talked to my mom and dad about it.

“Devin and I think we should stay here with you guys, rather than doing the stuff we’d planned,” I announced. 

“That’s ridiculous,” my mom scoffed.  “We were supposed to be taking you on vacation, so we’re not going to make you work the entire time.  We can afford to have you leave to do other things for a day or two.”

“But don’t you need us here?” Devin asked.

“You’ve done more than enough already, so go spend a day or two having a little fun,” my dad responded. 

“Are you sure?”

“We’re positive.”

“Ok, then we’ll go to St. Louis tomorrow, but then we’ll be back to help you until we leave on Sunday.”

“I think we’re in fine shape, in case you want to do more than that.  I’m meeting the realtor tomorrow to show him the house and I’ll have your grandparents sign the agreement for him to list the property.”

“Ok, but we’re still only going to take one day.”

“And your grandfather has offered to let you use his car, rather than driving the SUV, because you won’t need that much space, it will be easier to drive, and the car won’t use as much gas.  That will help to make the trip less expensive for you, and it will leave me the SUV in case we take boxes of items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.”

“Ok, we’ll do that then, because he has a nice car, not an old-folks-mobile.”

We continued helping out for the rest of the day, and then we went to bed early, because we knew tomorrow was going to be a long day. 

We ate breakfast with the family before we left and I thanked Grandpa for letting us use his car.  During the drive, Devin and I talked about our plans and made a decision.  Since we were going to do some shopping for Devin, we agreed to only do one other thing, and that was to visit the Gateway Arch.  We felt we wouldn’t be able to do more than that, seeing we’d be spending so much time on the road, driving there and back. 

There was definitely no question about where we needed to go, since we could see the Gateway Arch looming above the city long before we reached St. Louis.  It’s the equivalent of a 63 story building with a shiny metal exterior, and it led us toward it as if it was a beacon on a moonless night.  After parking the car, we walked the rest of the way to our destination and entered the structure at the base.  We then had to make a decision about which of several package options we preferred, and then we purchased our tickets.

We watched a 35-minute documentary film first, which described how the idea for the Arch was conceived and how it was constructed.  As soon as the film ended, we got in line to take the tram ride to the top of the Arch. 

“The film was neat, but I don’t know how those guys were able to work so high up in the air while building it,” Devin stated. 

“Yeah, it certainly wasn’t the type of job I would have applied for.”

The film had explained how the barrels that make up the tram we were riding in are connected to a track and able to rotate 155 degrees as they make their way to the top.  It took four minutes to make the ascent, and then we exited the tram so we could look out the observation windows.  It was a lovely day, which meant we had a magnificent view and could see up to thirty miles in all directions, as well as straight down. 

“What’s that?” Devin asked as he pointed out the window toward the ground. 

“It’s Busch Stadium where the Cardinal’s baseball team plays.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize the stadium was so close by.”   

We ended up spending a half hour or more taking in the sights from this aerial vantage point, and then we took the tram back down, and it only took three minutes.  When we reached the bottom, we immediately began seeking out various younger employees so we could ask them a question. 

“We’re not from around here and want to buy some clothes for college, so where would you recommend we go to shop?”

Each one told us the stores they would shop at, and then we decided to visit the stores that had been mentioned most often.  I looked them up on my phone to get the directions, and then we made our way back to the car so I could drive there and we could look around.  But before we got to the car, Devin asked me a question. 

“What would you think of the idea of making love with that tall, skinny, good-looking guy we were talking to?”

“Do you mean the dark-haired guy with big brown eyes?”  He was about 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and probably weighed around 180 pounds (81.6 kg).”

“Yeah, I thought he was a hunk.”

“He was cute, but I’d rather just make love to you.  I guess he would probably be ok, if that’s what you wanted to do.”  Devin didn’t say anything more after that, but he did flash me a huge grin.

When we reached the parking lot of the first store, Devin spoke to me before we exited the car. 

“Here, I want you to hold onto my money so I don’t lose it while I’m trying on clothes.”  He then pulled the wad of hundred dollar bills out of his pocket and handed it to me. 

“Put $500.00 in your right pocket and keep the rest in your left pocket because I doubt I’ll spend more than $500.00 here and I’d rather not have anyone else see you with so much money.”

“Ok, I can do that.”

As we wandered around the store, we both had a fairly good idea about which prices were reasonable and he picked out a couple of items there.  Once again, the clothes he selected were mostly single colored and not very fancy, and after we left that store, we went to the next location.  As before, he had me take enough cash out of my left-hand pocket to supplement what I had in the right pocket so it totaled around $500.00.

He picked up a few more items at that store as well, and then we ended up going to a third store.  While we were there, he chose even more items and then he told me he was finally done.  We had just about reached the checkouts at the front of the store when we heard the sound of gunfire, so we ducked down behind one of the displays.  We could tell by the rapid bursts of gunfire that the person was using an assault rifle and I immediately wondered how many clips of ammunition he’d brought with him. 

We could also hear people screaming as they tried to run away or hide from the shooter and we could hear bodies dropping.  We’d noticed earlier that the store was quite crowded as we made our way around it, so we could only imagine how many people he might kill or injure in this shooting spree, but then all of the sudden the shooting stopped.  Devin popped up quickly and looked over the display to see what was happening, and then he dropped back down and spoke to me briefly as he was transitioning.  He was bulking up, increasing his height by a few inches, and he was also changing his facial appearance.

“His weapon jammed,” he said, and then he bolted in the direction of the shooter. 

After taking my own quick glance at the situation, I ducked down and began to change my facial appearance and transitioned into a slightly larger and more muscular body before I raced to the front of the store to help him.

I watched in awe as Devin tackled the shooter like he was a football linebacker while the guy was trying to clear the jam.   In fact, he hit the shooter so hard that he knocked the weapon out of his hands, and as soon as that happened, I kicked the weapon over to the wall and then stood in front of it to make sure that no one else attempted to pick it up. 

Devin had the guy face down on the ground with his arms behind his back.  The shooter was struggling and doing everything he could to get away.  He was attempting to free his arms from Devin’s grip and was also kicking Devin in the back with the heels of his boots, since Devin was sitting on his butt and holding his arms behind his back.  It appeared the shooter was hoping that by doing this it would cause Devin to release him, but Devin wasn’t about to let that happen. 

That’s when I spotted another guy racing toward them and I watched to see if that guy was going to help Devin or the shooter, because I was ready to help Devin if the guy attacked him instead.  When the other man saw what the shooter was doing, he grabbed the shooter’s legs and sat on them to stop him from kicking Devin in the back.  When I saw that I breathed a huge sigh of relief and started scanning the area for other problems. 

Although it took longer than it should have, eventually a couple of the store‘s security guards hurried over to take charge of the situation.  One of them had a pair of handcuffs, so he slapped them on the shooter’s wrists to lessen the possibility of him becoming a threat again.  And while the first guard was doing that, the other guard came over and took custody of the assault rifle.  As he carried the weapon in one hand, each guard then grabbed ahold of one of the shooter’s arms and led him away. 

As soon as the guards took charge, Devin and I slipped away so we could return to where we’d taken cover when the shooting began.  As soon as we got there, we ducked down and returned to our normal appearance, and then Devin collected the items he’d left there that he was planning to purchase.  As soon as he had everything, we headed toward the check out area again. 

It wasn’t surprising that all of the cashiers were too upset to even think about returning to their duties, so we waited patiently until one of them was ready to assist us. 

While we waited, another security guard came over to ask Devin if he was the guy who had tackled the shooter. 

“Nah, that wasn’t me.”

“You appear to be dressed the same as the guy who had tackled the shooter.”

“He may have been wearing something similar to what I have on, but I think if you check your security footage you’ll see it wasn’t me.  That guy was much bigger and better built.”

“I’d check the footage, but unfortunately the cameras on the front end have been down all morning and we’re waiting on a service call from the company contracted to maintain them.  I’m now beginning to wonder if the shooter might have had a hand in the cameras malfunctioning."

“I guess that might be possible, although I have no idea about how that might work.  I would think they’d be more secure so things like that couldn’t happen.”

“I thought so too, but they went down sometime overnight and we placed the call for service as soon as we noticed the problem.”

“Seems like the company is slow to send someone here, so I wonder if the shooter might have had an accomplice at that company.”

“I suppose that’s possible as well, but I’ve got to get back to work, since I hear the sirens of the emergency vehicle as they’re pulling up in front of the store.  Have a great rest of the day.”

“Thanks and you too.”

By this time the police had arrived, along with several ambulances and multiple EMTs.  As they were going about their duties, the manager convinced the uninjured cashiers to get back to work so they could clear out the store.  We were one of the first to checkout and leave, and then we hurried over to my grandfather’s car so we could drive away. 

“Are you a fucking idiot?” I asked Devin as soon as we were in the car.  “You could have been killed rushing the guy like that.”

“Nah, his gun had jammed and I knew I could reach him before he cleared the problem.”

“But he could have had another weapon, possibly a handgun or a knife.”

“If he did, then I could have put on a burst of speed and stopped him before he released the safety and pulled the slide back or grabbed the knife.”

“I don’t care.  That was fucking reckless and you could have been killed.”

“And if I hadn’t done it and he managed to clear the jam, then a lot of other people could have been killed or injured, maybe even the two of us as we were hiding behind the display.” 

“Oh, I never thought of it that way.”

“Well I did! I don’t know what the security guards were doing at the time, but they didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight or rushing to help out.  I also noticed, after the fact, that they weren’t carrying guns.”

“Ok, then maybe you saved the day again, but we were also lucky the cameras in this area were down or they would have had video evidence of us transitioning.”

“Yes, we were lucky concerning that, but just drop it now and let’s go back to your grandparents’ house.  I think I can get the rest of what I need somewhere else.”

“Ok, but don’t say anything about this to my parents or grandparents.  I don’t want them getting all upset, because then they might not get as much done while we’re here.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing,” he agreed, and then I started the car and headed back to my grandparents’ house. 

When we reached Columbia, we decided to stop at a couple more stores and Devin found a few more items that he wanted to buy.  After he paid for them, we drove back to my grandparents’ house. 

“Did you boys have a good time today?” my mom asked shortly after we walked through the front door. 

“Yes, it was nice.  We went to the top of the Gateway Arch and then we did some shopping for Devin, both in St. Louis and then here in Columbia.”

“Ah, that would explain what’s in the bags you’re carrying.”

“Yeah, my dad gave me money so I could buy some clothes for school,” Devin responded.

“Have you boys eaten?” Grandma asked. 

“No, not yet.”

“Well, I saved you some of the food that we had for supper and I’ll heat it up for you.  You’ll have time to wash up while I’m doing that.”

“Thanks, it sounds great.”

My parents and grandparents sat down at the table with us while Devin and I ate, so I asked my grandparents a question. 

“Devin doesn’t have room to pack the things he just bought in his suitcase, so would you be willing to have them shipped back to the house for us?”

“Don’t bother your grandparents about doing that, because I can do it for you before we leave,” Dad stated.

“I know you can, but we don’t want to send them too soon, because someone might steal the package if it’s left sitting at the house for very long.”

“Ah, good point.”

“Yes, I’d be happy to do it for you,” Grandpa agreed. 

“Then just schedule it so the package will arrive on Monday or Tuesday after we get back from Florida.”

“And I’ll give you some money to pay for the shipping cost,” Devin added.

“That won’t be necessary.  You’re helping to do so much for us without getting paid, so I can do this for you.”

“Thank you.  Do you have an extra box that I can use to put everything in?”

“No, but I’ll purchase a box from UPS that’s large enough to fit all of those things in.”

“Thank you that will be a big help.”  

“Did you get the house listed?” I asked.

“Yes, we signed the paperwork and I gave the guy a key,” Grandpa answered, “but he won’t actually list the house or show it until after we’ve moved out.”

“That makes sense,” I said, and then we went up to the bedroom we were using.  

As soon as we arrived there, I grabbed my laptop so I could check something out, and it didn’t take long before I found what I was looking for. 

“There’s an article here that tells about the shooting earlier.  It says the guy was a disgruntled former employee and he killed three people and wounded eleven others, and some of the injured are in critical condition.  It seems the shooter was formerly an assistant manage that got fired a few weeks ago.”

“And he came back to take out his frustration on the cashiers and the customers?”

“It’s true that some of those injured were employees as well, so maybe they’d filed complaints against him that got him fired.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s possible,” he said, and then we got ready to go to sleep.

On Thursday, we finished packing up the things my grandparents were donating to Goodwill and the Salvation Army, and then Devin and I helped Dad drop those items off.  When we got back to the house, we finished getting ready for the garage sale. 

We woke up at 6:00 on Friday to have breakfast, because the garage sale was starting at 9:00 and we wanted to get set up before they arrived.  Although everything fit in the garage temporarily, it would be too crowded for people to move around, so we’d have to move the tables with the other things on it out to the driveway. 

I was surprised when some of the people showed up before we were done or the 9:00 start time, and when that happened I made a quick suggestion to my parents and grandparents.

“Why don’t the four of you spend your time talking to the people that are looking at the furniture and other items, because you can answer their questions?  Devin and I will take care of the money and control the cash box for you.”

“Thank you, that will be a big help,” my grandparents agreed.

At lunchtime, my mom and grandma went inside to eat first, and then they fixed sandwiches for the rest of us.  They also gave us the choice of having either cottage cheese or yogurt to go with it, along with a drink.  We let my dad and grandpa go in to eat next, and when they finished, they came out and took over for us so Devin and I could go inside to eat next. 

We actually sold quite a few of the items by the time we stopped at 6:00, but Mom and Grandma had gone inside before then to fix supper.  After we took care of the last customers, we went inside to join them, and we all ate as my dad and grandfather talked. 

“I’m surprised at how much we sold today and I’m hoping we can sell the rest of it tomorrow,” Grandpa said. 

“At least most of it,” my dad added, “but it’s possible that everything won’t sell, and then you’ll have to decide what to do with those items.”

“Yes, I know.  I’m just hoping for the best outcome.”  

As soon as we finished eating, Devin and I helped my mom and grandma clear the table and do the dishes, and then they helped us do our laundry.  This way we’ll have clean clothes to wear when we get to Florida, and when each of those things had gone through the washer and dryer; we took them upstairs so we could pack them in our suitcases.

We did the garage sale again on Saturday and even more people showed up, but we didn’t sell nearly as much as we had on Friday.  We were still pleased with how much had been purchased over the two days, and by the time we closed up at 6:00 there were still plenty of items left over. 

“I’ll leave it up to you as to whether you want to donate the items that didn’t sell or if you just want to put them in the trash,” Dad told Grandpa.  “Just set the items you want to throw out over here and the boys and I will get those things ready to be picked up when the garbage men arrive on Monday.  I’m afraid you’ll have to deliver the other items to Goodwill or the Salvation Army on your own, if you decide to donate them after we leave.”

“That’s fine and I can take care of it.  The four of you have done more than enough for us.” 

After super, Devin gave my grandparents the things he wanted them to ship back to our house.  Once that had been taken care of, my parents, Devin, and I went to make sure that we’d packed everything and wouldn’t leave anything behind.  We didn’t want to get to Florida and discover that we were missing items that we needed.  If we did, however, my grandparents could have shipped them to the house with Devin’s clothes.  Now, we just had to catch our flight the following day.