DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Jack's House
HTML https://jackshouse.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Introductions and FAQs
*****************************************************
#Post#: 4672--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Jack Date: March 25, 2018, 5:38 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I know I kind of spoil the boys, and sometimes I worry if
they'll have trouble when they grow up, but I like having fresh
snacks ready for them when they get home. To me, that just
feels like love.
Since the kids were still eating when the doorbell rang, I went
to answer it.
I did, to see a shocking site before me. The boy was about my
height - maybe six foot. The cop holding him was at least three
inches larger.
"Sorry officer, but that one's not mine, and I'm already over my
limit."
I started to shut the door. The cop started to laugh. Stu just
rolled his eyes.
"This is my dad, Mr. Wells, Mark Crane. Dad, this is Mr. Wells,
he's Perry's... god father?"
"Good enough," I informed him, reaching out to shake his
father's hand.
"Stuart told me about what happened today, and I just wanted to
come by to thank you."
"You didn't have to. Would you like to come in?"
I waved them in, then invited them into the kitchen for a drink.
The kitchen/breakfast nook was starting to empty out, but
several eyes went wide as they saw the two.
"This is Stu Laughlin and his dad," I informed everyone, in case
anyone thought the cops were bringing me in to handle their
outsourced spankings.
"Hey, Stu," several people said, including Zeke, who apparently
has or has had a class or two with him, and Jim Worley waved
(which shocked Stu - I think him being here, not him waving).
Mark seemed disappointed that I didn't have any soda pop, but he
was happy to have a white grape juice, and Stu was more than
satisfied with a brownie and a glass of milk. Stu seemed to
have heard stories from Perry or something, but Mark was in
shock.
"I thought you were kidding about being over your limit," he
told me at one point.
The kid wandered off, Stu making sure it was okay, then followed
the other boys into the backyard. Mark and I settled on the
stools and talked. He seemed happy to have someone to talk to.
"Thank you again for sticking up for Stu. He's been in so much
trouble, and he deserves some suspicion, I guess. It's just
that he's tried so hard - worked so hard - to put this behind
him. It's not like I let him run wild. It's been four years
now, but he knows this kind of thing can stick with you... God,
I'm sorry. I'm talking like you know his whole history..."
I assured him it was okay, and that I understood the need to
vent.
It's kind of interesting. I mentioned some of the troubles Stu
had had when he was younger, but his mom met Mark - his step-dad
- during those troubles. Mark brought Stu home from one
incident and, in a result much like an MMSA story, stayed and
spanked him (last time his mom had tried to spank him, he'd hit
her). Mark checked back on them a few days later, and a couple
of weeks after that, they were dating. Six months later, they
were married. For the record, while Mark admits to being very
strict with Stu, and while Stu still isn't treated as 'maturely'
as most boys his age, it's clear he worships his dad.
#Post#: 4673--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Zyngaru Date: March 25, 2018, 5:47 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
WOW!
It couldn't get any better than that. Mrs. X better watch out
that she doesn't speed or park in a no parking zone.
If Mark has it in him to come and thank you for standing up for
Stu, he probably has it in him, to make things interesting for
Mrs. X if she ever gets a little out of bounds.
So, does this mean that Stu is going to become a frequent
visitor to your house?
#Post#: 4674--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Jack Date: March 25, 2018, 5:52 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=473.msg4673#msg4673
date=1522018057]
So, does this mean that Stu is going to become a frequent
visitor to your house?
[/quote]
I don't know, Z. He's certainly welcome here, and Ethan asked
me who he was, after they left. He showed a lot of interest in
Lego Mindstorms, so it's certainly possible.
#Post#: 4678--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: kalico Date: March 25, 2018, 9:11 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Oh wow that part about the cop and to many was just st to
good....
Happy you were able to help him out and that dad came by to say
thanks
Hugs kal
#Post#: 4682--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Jack Date: March 26, 2018, 2:27 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=kalico link=topic=473.msg4678#msg4678
date=1522030277]
Happy you were able to help him out and that dad came by to say
thanks
[/quote]
I don't really think there was any reason for them to come by,
and I was certainly surprised by it. On the other hand, I've
seen how past behavior can stick with a person and leave them
labelled. It can be very hard to leave that behind you, but it
can also be hard to tell when someone is reacting because of
that, or when someone is reacting for entirely different
reasons. Even though Mrs. X didn't seem to know Stu, and hasn't
been around BCA that long, I think Stu and his dad both felt
like this was Stu's past haunting him again. Honestly, while it
sounds like he was getting in epic amounts of trouble when he
was about 13, none of it sounds that serious in the course of
things (except possibly stealing the bike, and the way I was
told about that sounds like that wasn't the real story or at
least not the entire story), I doubt it's effecting him much
today. But as the people who had to live through it, he and his
dad are probably still really sensitive to it.
Actually, in some ways, this is very much like what I saw with
Denny, or even what Daniel and I had to deal with. The honest
truth, however, is that, even though I knew a bit about Stu's
history, I never saw this as anything but giving a kid a fair
break.
#Post#: 4684--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: db105 Date: March 26, 2018, 7:33 am
---------------------------------------------------------
What a curious story. Sometimes reality surpasses spanking
fiction. At least in Texas.
#Post#: 4689--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Zyngaru Date: March 26, 2018, 10:19 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote]The honest truth, however, is that, even though I knew a
bit about Stu's history, I never saw this as anything but
giving a kid a fair break.[/quote]
That is one of your attributes that I love. You are able to
give a boy a break. Both the guilty ones like Brian and the
blemished ones like Stu.
#Post#: 4696--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Jack Date: March 26, 2018, 2:55 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=473.msg4689#msg4689
date=1522077588]
[quote]The honest truth, however, is that, even though I knew a
bit about Stu's history, I never saw this as anything but
giving a kid a fair break.[/quote]
That is one of your attributes that I love. You are able to
give a boy a break. Both the guilty ones like Brian and the
blemished ones like Stu.
[/quote]
This is just my opinion, but people who are self-righteous and
don't want to give someone a second chance are only in denial of
how many they've needed.
#Post#: 4700--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Lia Date: March 26, 2018, 4:59 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
“Actually, in some ways, this is very much like what I saw with
Denny, or even what Daniel and I had to deal with.”
Sorry. Could not figure out how to correctly include the quote.
I was wondering if you could remind me who Denny is? Is he in
any stories? Thanks
#Post#: 4705--------------------------------------------------
Re: Stu Laughlin (17)
By: Jack Date: March 27, 2018, 3:47 am
---------------------------------------------------------
[quote author=Lia link=topic=473.msg4700#msg4700
date=1522101551]
“Actually, in some ways, this is very much like what I saw with
Denny, or even what Daniel and I had to deal with.”
Sorry. Could not figure out how to correctly include the quote.
I was wondering if you could remind me who Denny is? Is he in
any stories? Thanks
[/quote]
Denny is Dennis Archer, who is now a college football player.
He's been friends with Noah almost since Noah moved in with us,
and he's also a closet geek. He's also an old friend of Blake
Cavanaugh.
While he appeared in a number of stories and anecdotes over the
years, he was introduced in Josh's RPG: Meeting and Heating -
HTML http://www.bransomtx.com/meetheat.html
[hr]
BTW, Stu stuck his head in my classroom yesterday, before the
first bell, just to say hello.
*****************************************************
DIR Next Page