Timmy

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

Later the next day, Timmy stood silently in front of the small window wearing a black suit. Tears flowed from his eyes as he stared out into the alley. After the surprise birthday party was over, he had returned to the theater to spend one last night.  There, he had spent most of the following morning into the afternoon packing his belongings into a number of pieces of luggage Jeff and Jason had purchased for him.  All of the Broadway production posters had been carefully taken down and neatly rolled up.  The discarded costumes and the old backdrop were all washed clean and neatly folded.  The music books, the hand drawn map of the vents and secret passage ways, even the small foldable table were all neatly packed away, ready to be taken away to his new home.  Only Timmy was not yet certain where that home was going to be.

  He took a brief moment to carefully look around to be sure he had not forgotten anything.  The crawlspace was completely empty, as it was that stormy night both his mother and father were murdered.  Only the many, small candles hanging from make shift hooks reminded him that he once lived inside that small, dark corner beneath the roof of the theater.  Saddened, he turned back and continued to blankly stare out the window. Again, only the soft and steady beat of the pouring rain seemed to offer him any comfort.  His mind was filled with excitement and worry as the time for his final court appearance slowly drew closer.  He was both anxious and afraid to hear the judge’s decision to either allow or deny him the right to be adopted into Angel’s family.

  Ever since that tragic opening night, a number of families had made a request to adopt him, including the former boxer, Dan Fable.  A few of these families went to court to fight each other and Angel’s parents for the right to have Timmy in their family.  With the press following every last detail of the court hearings, all but two families were eventually turned away by the courts.  Timmy smiled slightly, wondering how the press was going to react to the deal Grandma and Grandpa Pizano made with Mr. Dan Fable to drop his case to adopt him. In a strange way, it was the perfect solution. Dan Fable was the first to offer to adopt Timmy but Annie’s family was the closest he had to relatives; he wanted to be a part of that. Still, he liked the idea of Mr. Fable being his God father.

  He sighed, looking down at his hands; both of them were still bandaged due to the heavy injuries he had suffered catching and holding on to the steel cable.  His left arm was better but it was still very sore and tender from the fall from the ancient wooden catwalk.  Looking back at that tragic opening night, he could not help feeling lucky to be alive.  Still, he knew that his life, good or bad, would never be the same again.

  Behind him, Angel quietly emerged from the shadows wearing a long black dress and watched Timmy for a moment. She teared up slightly, seeing Timmy standing in front of the window; she could only imagine what was going through his mind.  For four long and lonely years, he had called the small corner home and now he was leaving it to an uncertain future.  Angel walked up beside him and looked out, passed the alley at the busy street beyond.

  “Jeff and Jason told me I would find you up here.” Softly, she said. She sighted. “It’s almost six o’ clock.”

  Timmy sniffed, wiping the tears from his eyes.  The moment he had dreaded the most, even before he met Angel, had come.

  “It’s going to feel strange to have a real family again.” Whispering, he said. “I am going to miss this old theater.” he frowned, turning to Angel.  “If the judge decides that I cannot be a part of your family, I will run away.”

  Angel looked at him, startled; she knew he was serious and that frightened her. “Where would you go?  What would you do?”

  Timmy clenched one fist, tears forming in his eyes. “I had thought of that.  The old orphanage downtown has a crawlspace attic like this one. If the judge says no, that is where I will live until I grow up.” A small smile began to form on his face. “After all, I am a ‘Broadway’ orphan.”

  Angel smiled and lightly placed a reassuring hand on Timmy’s shoulder. “Then let’s just hope he says yes.”

  Timmy gave Angel a small, grateful grin then turned away and began to blow out all of the small candles, one by one.

  Upon reaching the last candle, he paused to pick up two red roses from the window ledge and turned back to Angel.

  “We had better go; I don’t want to be late.”

  Angel nodded and carefully made her way through the darkness, towards the open door in the crawlspace floor.  Timmy took one last longing look out the small window at the city lights then blew out the last candle and followed her out.

  Minutes later, through the drizzling rain, Timmy and Angel slowly entered the dark alley behind the theater. They each held an umbrella in one hand and a single rose in the other. The two walked side by side to the end of the deserted alley, only twenty one feet away from the fire escape ladder where they stopped and kneeled down together. There, Timmy and Angel gently placed the two roses onto the alley floor.

  “I will grow up and grow old before I start looking for you again.” Tearfully, Timmy said. “Just promise that you will wait for me.”

  He began to sob as Angel placed a reassuring hand onto his shoulder. “I’m sure they will.” she said. “They will wait for both of us.”

  Timmy turned to Angel, tears flowing from his eyes.  “It- It’s just so hard for me to say goodbye after waiting and hoping for so long.”

  Angel nodded, tears flowing from her eyes as well.  She could still remember the pain of having to say goodbye to her father after the heated divorce trial. “I know.”

  The two cried as they comforted each other until they noticed that the rain had stopped. They looked up, wiping the tears from their eyes, and smiled upon spotting a bright, colorful rainbow in the sky.

  “That is beautiful.” said Timmy.

  Angel nodded, gently wrapping one arm around him. “Yes it is; a good sign of a happy ending.”

  Timmy placed his right arm around her in turn.  “I hope so; it would feel good to have a family again.”

  The two rose to their feet and watched the rainbow as it seemed to follow the setting sun as it slowly vanished behind the tall buildings.


  Early the next morning, everyone from the theater’s crew, staff, and cast rose to the bailiff’s command. It was almost literally standing room only, making the courtroom hot and stuffy. Angel, wearing a short red dress, stood nervously behind the plaintiff’s bench with Mr. Thomas.

“This is it; the moment of truth.”

  Behind them, Angel’s mother and father crossed their fingers as Karen and Rachel’s father, Todd Jackman stood with Timmy at his side behind the defendant’s bench. The two wore matching black suits and ties only Timmy was not comfortable with the tie and it showed. Todd glanced back at Angel’s parents, exchanging a worried glance before turning back to the front as the judge entered the room. It was the same judge who had heard Angel’s case against Mr. Stravis and he again moved slowly to the podium as he looked over a number of papers in his hand. Angel and Timmy turned to each other from across the courtroom, uncertain.

  In the three days before that tragic opening night, Angel and Timmy had formed a strong bond. During the weeks Angel’s parents had struggled to adopt Timmy, the two of them had become literally inseparable. Mr. Thomas did all within his power to convince the court that Timmy would be given a good, stable home with Angel’s parents. Still, Angel’s parents had just remarried after a heated divorce and a long separation. Now, after all of the deliberation, they were about to hear the judge’s decision regarding Timmy’s fate. Both he and Angel knew the decision that faced the judge would not be easy.

Finally seated behind the podium, the judge turned to the court room.  “Be seated.”

  Angel and Timmy quickly turned to face the front and slowly sat down silently waited as the judge spoke. “Cases like this usually do not have a happy ending. Divorced couples often find it difficult or worse, near impossible to adopt children so soon after reuniting; especially those who had been separated for such long periods of time.”

  Angel took her lawyer’s hand as tears slowly formed in her eyes.  Behind the defendant’s bench, Timmy looked about the room with extreme discretion, searching for some means of escape in case the judge decided to rule against him.  Todd Jackman placed a firm hand on Timmy’s shoulder as if he knew what he was thinking.

  “Will the plaintiff and defendant please stand.”

  Angel slowly rose, releasing Mr. Thomas’ hand while Todd rose, keeping a firm hand on Timmy’s shoulder as he stood at his side.  Behind them, Maria fought the urge to rise with them as she took her husband’s hand and prayed.

  “It is cases like these that I hate the most.” Solemnly, the judge continued. “Like the recent case of Angel verses Stravis, I do not want to dash the hopes of a young child, namely Timmy, who so much wants to be a part of someone’s family, the Mc Conner’s. At the same time, I cannot waver from the law I have sworn to uphold.”

  Angel choked down a silent sob as Timmy’s muscles tightened with Todd Jackman remaining alert, knowing that Timmy was all but impossible to catch once he was on the run. Only they all froze as a broad smile slowly formed on the judge’s face.

  “However, thanks to the influence of certain individuals…” He motioned to John Stravis and Paul Jackman. “I am very pleased to say that the city and state of New York has decided to make this one exception.”

  Angel smiled, tears flowing from her eyes.  She knew where the judge was going, as did Timmy, but they fought back the urge to cheer aloud.  In the crowd behind them, however, both the boys and girls from the musical cast began to cheer and the judge was finally forced to hammer the podium with his gavel.

  “There will be order in this courtroom!” he demanded firmly.

  The courtroom slowly became silent again and the judge turned to Angel’s parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Mc Conner, you have raised a remarkably brave daughter.  Not only did she brave the lawsuit that gave her the chance to perform on Broadway, which I might add was a great success, she also helped this extraordinary young man who had braved four long years without a family find his way home.  Together, the two helped uncover and bring down a major drug smuggling operation.” The judge smiled. “A team like that I would not dream of separating.  Therefore, this court here by grants Mr. and Mrs. Mc Conner the right to adopt and raise Timmy King as their own.  This court is adjourned.”

  The judge struck the podium with his gavel and the courtroom was instantly filled with loud cheers as Angel and Timmy ran to each other and embraced in a long, tight hug, laughing and crying at the same time.  Jeff and Jason exchanged a quick high five and ran over to the two with the others following.  Within seconds, a small crowd of people had formed around Angel, Timmy, and their overjoyed parents.

  “I thought no one could catch you, kid.” said Jason, laughing.

  Timmy blushed slightly. “That was the first time. I’m glad I was caught; I have a family now.”

  “You were right, Angel.” said Mr. Thomas. “It was just the beginning.”

  Angel laughed as Mr. Stravis stepped in and shook Timmy’s hand.

  “Congratulations, Mr. Timmy King Mc Conner.  You are more than welcome to help my two sons behind the stage during the encore ‘Orphans on Broadway’ tour, if you like.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Stravis.  I’d like that.”

  “All we need to deal with now is Stone’s trial.” said Mr. Thomas. “But I don’t think the city and state of New York is going to be very easy on him and his gang.”

A sudden frown came to Timmy’s face. “What- What if they escape?”

“You need not worry about that, Timmy.” Gently, Rita said. “My husband has made arrangements so they will not get away.”

Timmy opened his mouth to ask her how but she silenced him with a gentle touch to his lips. “All you need to know is that they will not get away so stop worrying about it.”

  “We can deal with all of that later.” Changing the subject, Maria said. “Right now, I say we celebrate the newest member of our family.”

  Stravis smiled, a mischievous grin forming on his face as he turned to the reporter, Mae Wood. “I couldn’t agree more.” Winking at her, he said. “I my wife and I have a little celebration set up at the theater in honor of Timmy and his newly adopted family.”

  Mae wood grinned ear to ear then loudly stated, “A celebration party at the theater? That sounds like a capital idea!”

She then left the courtroom with Hank following. Other reporters who had heard her hurried out of the courtroom as well. Seeing them all rush out, Annie turned to John Stravis, smiling. “There is no party at the theater, is there?”

John chuckled. “I’m not telling.”

  The group gathered their belongings then left the courthouse, pushing passed the wall of reporters with the help of John’s new security team, the ever ready Blure bothers. Timmy and his new family piled into one of four limousines which drove away, towards the theater. Timmy and his new family sat in the back of the lead limousine with Mr. and Mrs. Stravis.

  “My wife and I have something for you, Timmy.” Handing him a wrapped package, John said. “It’s not much but it’s our way of saying thank you.”
Curious, Timmy opened the package to find a large, rolled up piece of paper which he opened and smiled.

  “What is it?” Seeing his smile, Angel asked.

  “It’s the production poster to ‘Orphans on Broadway’.” Turning to her, he said. “They reprinted it and guess what; I’ve been named Scott’s understudy!”

  Angel giggled.