The 'Cousins'

Part One Bravo : Greg Meets Jess

"See Sir, I'm OK. It's just a scratch. I'll be good in an hour. Can I go now please?"

"You, wait right there." The lawman snapped.

"But Sir..." The boy began to protest, but was stopped in mid sentence by another bark from the deputy.

"I said wait!"

The lawman turned to Greg and took out a notebook and the stub of a pencil and licked it, adding another blue line on his tongue. Greg hadn't seen an indelible pencil since his elementary school days 25 years ago.

He was raging inside, but controlled his feelings and stood there as the deputy took his time getting himself ready. Greg noticed the increasing anguish of the boy who kept looking in the direction he had been heading before they had collided and this intrigued Greg.

"I take it from your accent you're not from these parts!" It was a statement more than a question from the officer.

"No. I'm English."

"Your first time in the US of A?" The deputy's eyebrows rose.

"No, I've been a few times. On business." Greg felt the need to justify his manoeuvre. "I know it's OK to turn right on a red light."

"Only when it's clear.' Greg noted the mocking tone in the lawman's voice and it prompted him to make his case.

"It was clear. I saw there was no traffic coming from the left."

The smile on the deputy's lips flattened into a sneer and he spoke as a teacher to a child.

"That's from the south and it was not clear. I saw all of it from the other side of the road. This kid was already crossing from the north- that's to your right."

"I didn't see him. I saw the way was clear from the left. I mean the south." Greg was rattled but reined in his feelings as he became aware he could be in big trouble.

The Deputy pushed back his hat and scratched his podgy fingers among the sweat drops on his forehead. Greg noticed the dark patches on his shirt below his armpits. The deputy gritted his teeth and pointed at the traffic light swinging slightly in the breeze over head.

"Well now let me put you to rights here and now. You can turn right on a red only if your way is clear and that line there and that sign there says you have to stop first."

He pointed to a white line under the car and a sign hanging above the sidewalk. Greg's eyes followed the directions and felt a heavy lump come into his stomach, which got heavier as the deputy continued.

"You didn't stop. You went over the line and turned right, then when you crossed it you swung the wheel the other way again- like you were trying to hit the kid."

The boy stood with his weight on his right leg, open mouthed and anxious to get away. Greg's mouth ran dry. He had not stopped at the junction and knew he was in trouble, yet the boy seemed OK and eager to be on his way.

"OK Sherriff, but there"s no harm done. The boy's fine, he just told us he is and we can both see he is. Can I just say I'm sorry and leave it at that?"

"I'll be the judge of that." The deputy snapped.

He walked around the car making notes, then pointed his pencil stub at the youth.

"What's your name boy?"

"Jess White Sir," Greg saw the boy was shivering and suddenly felt pity for him.

"Officer I've a blanket in the car it looks like he needs it."

"I'll be the judge of that too! You stand where you are." Greg felt chastened, but remained standing and silent by the car while the officer spoke to the boy.