NOTE: In the previous installment you met Steve, bachelor father of David, Josh, Shawn & Cody. You learned a little bit about them and their routines. If you have not yet read part 1 of this story I suggest you do as it will make this installment easier to understand.
Now that you understand my circumstances and the routines I have put in place for my boys you will much easier understand the story I am about to tell you.
On the fateful day I am going to tell you about David got out of school and decided he was hungry. So instead of going to the middle school to pick up his brothers he went to the cafeteria and got himself something to eat. After he had finished his mid afternoon snack he wandered his way down to the middle school and retrieved his brothers. Both had notes that they were supposed to bring home to their parent/guardian for their signature. You see both Josh and Shawn were not doing well in school.
A little bit more background is necessary at this point. I was very strict with my boys. ALL of my boys were required to do their best at school and to maintain certain grades. For David he was required to maintain a solid B average. A B- was not acceptable. Josh and Shawn both had to have C+ averages and Cody had to have at least a C average in school. Josh and Shawn currently were carrying D+ averages.
David told his brothers that they would discuss the situation when he got them home. He would see what he could do to assist them. They got to the elementary building and found that Cody was in the principals office. He had been disruptive in class. David told Cody that he would discuss that with him at home as well.
Anyway, to make a long story a little shorter, David commenced to go about punishing all of his younger siblings. Now he knew that whenever he carried out a punishment that he was to make a full report to me as to the offense and what punishment he meted out so that I could assess if he had been on the mark or if he had been too harsh or too lenient. When I returned home from a hard day on the job I found all of my children sitting like angels at the table doing their homework. They all appeared to be comfortable, I would later find out that David had been way too lenient with his charges.
One day I was driving my area and on the radio came a message that I had a phone call and it was from Cody's school. Fearing that my son was ill I told the dispatcher to patch the call through. Needless to say the call had nothing to do with Cody's physical well-being. The person on the other end showed concern because despite Cody having been punished the day before and a note having been sent home his behavior today was much the same as yesterday. I told them that he was to be held at the Principal's office and I would be in as soon as I could to pick him up and to have a conference with the principal.
I was extremely angry to think what I fool I would look like because I had never seen the note and now Cody was in trouble again.
The next thing I knew I was getting another phone call, this time from Josh and Shawn's school because I had failed to call in and schedule a conference with their teachers to discuss their almost failing grades. I told them I would be in as quickly as I could to have those meetings.
I called on the radio for someone to relieve me for the rest of the day. This happened every once in a while and most of the time was no problem. The department was very understanding of my need to care for my children.
Seeing as Cody's school had called first I went there first and when I entered the building I saw Cody sitting on a chair outside what appeared to be the principal's office. I opened the door to the outer office where he was and stepped through shutting it behind me. Without a word to Cody I stepped up to the secretary and said, "I'm Cody's father. I believe the principal is expecting me." She indicated that he was and she would tell him that I was there. Before long the man's office door opened and I was summoned in.
I apologized for Cody's repeated behavior problems and assured him that Cody would indeed have some correction taken against him and he would behave the next day.
The principal indicated that it was school policy to suspend a student for one day when this type of thing occurred and I indicated that I understood. I stood up and shook hands with him and then exited his office. "Cody come on we're going home." I said sharply. He came out and was horrified when he saw I still had my cruiser. I loaded the little convict in the back seat and drove up to the middle school. Josh and Shawn were seated on a bench outside the principal's office. Inside were all of their teachers waiting for me. I stepped in and had a brief meeting with them where I found out that they had failed to turn in assignments and often times appeared to be unprepared for tests.
Apparently the middle school had similar policies and so now I was to have Cody, Josh and Shawn home from school the next day on suspension. I went to the high school and picked up David. He got to ride up in the front seat. He was also very much in trouble because I had a feeling he had hidden his brothers crimes from me.
The ride home was quiet. When I got back to the police station I unloaded Josh and Shawn and David carried Cody to my car. I put Josh and Shawn in the back along with Cody and David got in the front seat. Once again silence as we drove the rest of the way home.
When we arrived at home all the kids got out of the car and I said, "family meeting in five minutes. In the living room." All the boys headed there.
I walked into the room and found them all assembled. David in a chair and the other three seated on the couch together.
More stories by Redhawk