The Void In My Heart - 4. A FAMILIAR FACE AMONG STRANGERS

Back to the present day, Griffith said “my decision was correct at that time. It’s been a year and despite our best efforts, we haven’t been able to set things right for Joey. He has learnt to smile again but his social life is still non-existent. We must seek medical help for him. Perhaps, sending him to a rehab center would help.”

“It would be tough for him, since there will be no one familiar to him there. We have to be very sure that we are taking the right step”, Clara voiced her concern.

“Dad is right. I cannot see my brother with no friends, no social life”, Adam came out of Joey’s room. Before his mother could ask, he said “don’t worry. He is asleep.”

“I didn’t tell you two, but I had been talking with doctors of Goodsville Rehab Center since past one week. It is the best center for teens like our Joey. I even met parents of some of the teens who had spent some time there. They said that they were happy with the results. There is a new ray of hope after a long wait and this is our best bet”, Griffith’s words showed signs of optimism.

“Sounds good, but will he be ready to go to a rehab center?”, Clara asked.

“I will convince him Mom”, Adam sounded confident.

“Hope he gets ready to join the center”, the lady sighed as the rain stopped outside.

Next day was to be a challenging day for the Merryls, especially for Adam as he had to convince his brother to go to the rehab center. Adam went for his morning jog and even took advice from some of his friends about what to say to Joey. Family gathered for the breakfast, but Adam was lost in deep thoughts. He was fighting a battle within. On one hand, he didn’t want Joey to be separated from the family and on the other hand, he wanted a better life for his younger brother. He did not know how his sibling would react. Post tragedy, he was the only one with whom Joey was comfortable while interacting.

After breakfast, Adam knocked at the door of Joey’s room, his mind still stuck in a Trans state and his eyes moist. “Since when did you start seeking permission to enter my room?” Joey asked Adam. “Thought you might be busy champ”, Adam said , his voice trembling a bit. He cleared his throat, “I want to talk to you about something.”

Joey smiled and said, “I know why your voice doesn’t sound confident like other days. This is about sending me to a rehab center, right?” he asked his elder bro.

Adam was shocked to hear that and before he could inquire, the teen spoke, “I heard the whole conversation last night. I know that last one year has been as tough for you all as it has been for me. I know I am becoming a social embarrassment for our parents. You want to know why I don’t want to meet anybody? It’s because one day life would snatch them as well like it took away my friends. I had spent some of the most memorable days with Max, Susan and Fedrick, and those memories are enough for me to sustain life. I don’t need anyone to support me. I have you and our parents. You all are my only world. I know you all are concerned for my social well-being but I am happy the way I am."

“First of all, let me make it very clear to you that you can never be an embarrassment for us. We are proud, the way you have maintained a strong bond of friendship with your friends even after their death. At the same time, life cannot be same always. Everyone has highs and lows in life but that doesn’t mean that we should stop living. Life has to go on. We want you to go to college, meet new people, make new friends and lead a normal life again. I agree, no one can take place of your best buddies, but still they too wouldn’t have wanted you to snap communication with world outside these four walls. They were full of liveliness and I want to see that free spirited nature in you once again. I am not pressurizing you, but just for your own goodwill, please join the rehab center. If you don’t feel good there, I promise you, I will bring you back”, Adam said , his words meaningful and showing the true brotherly care.

“I don’t know if I will get any better, but just for you all, I will go there and see what course my life takes”, Joey said as he hugged his brother. “You will be alright, buddy”, Adam’s eyes got watery as he asked Joey to pack his bag. He came out of the room and informed his parents that the young lad was ready to go to the center. “Though, I will bring him home, in case he feels bad there”, he added further and proceeded to his room.

“May God bless our son”, Clara prayed silently.

Drive to the city was of 6 hours and Adam took out the car from garage. Joey hadn’t stepped out of the house since the tragic incident. He wore his favorite blue denims and white hoodie. He saw his parents and brother standing beside the car, waiting for him. As soon as he saw the car, he was reminded of the incident. He closed his eyes tightly and screamed out aloud, “watch out for the truck Max”. Adam ran towards him and held him. “Hey buddy, it is alright. Open your eyes. There is no truck. You are safe, don’t be afraid”, the elder brother consoled Joey. Adam escorted him to the car and sat with him on the rear seat.

“Are you ok son?” Clara and Griffith asked Joey, who replied “yeah. I am ok. Let’s go.” Griffith started the car and the family left for the city. Joey looked through the window, all the years he had spent in his hometown were vivid in his memories. He was leaving the place where he grew up, the place where he met his best buddies for the first time and the place which meant so much to him. The drive to the city was a smooth one except the occasional fear in eyes of Joey whenever he saw a big vehicle. Thankfully, Adam diverted his mind by talking on various topics.

It was night when they reached Lerenze. Cold breeze welcomed them as they stepped out of the car. Griffith had booked a reservation in one of the hotels and the family was to spend the night there before visiting the rehab center, the next day. The rooms were spacious and had a nice ambience. Griffith and Clara were in the room adjacent to the room of Joey and Adam.

“If you have any apprehensions, you can share with me kiddo”, Adam said. “Neither I have any apprehensions, nor any excitement. I am just going there for you all, since you believe that I will come out as a changed individual”, Joey gave a cold answer.

“There are many people of your age at the center, you might interact with them at least”, Adam was trying to boost the morale of his younger brother. “Adam, you know everything and there is no point in having meaningless conversations, when I know I will never be friends with them”, Joey was adamant not to make any more friends. “Ok buddy, relax. You can interact with me over Skype”, the elder brother tussled his hair. “You better give some time to your friends. I will be ok”, the lad smiled back.

In the adjacent room, Griffith and Clara were having discussion about the next day. “I just hope everything goes well there”, Clara said.

“I am sure our son will adjust to the new environment. The doctors sounded friendly and the center has a good reputation in the city. Don’t worry; it is for his betterment that we have to take such step”, Griffith comforted his worried wife.

Joey got up early in the morning and looked through the window frame. The city looked beautiful with majestic buildings, patterned rows of trees, wide boulevards and neon lit billboards. Dew drops on the glass seemed like tiny crystal balls. He went for a morning walk but upon waking up, his family got worried that he might have ran away. “Where can he go at this point of time! Adam, you were there with him. Did he say anything unusual to you last night?” Clara was almost in tears. Adam was himself confused and worried.

They decided to contact the local police but before they could dial any number, Joey came inside the room. “What’s up folks? Ready to go to the rehab center?” he sounded so calm while his family looked at him. “We were about to contact the police department. You should have told me at least”, Adam told Joey about the chaos in the room. “I am sorry brother, but I had just gone to take a morning stroll”, the lad replied. Clara hugged her son, “it’s ok. Get ready for the center.” The family checked out of the hotel and Adam drove to the Goodsville Rehabilitation Center, while Clara sat on rear seat with her son. The center was not far away from the hotel and within half an hour, the family reached the center.

The location was beautiful. Lush greenery and spacious buildings inside the campus were a treat to the eyes. One of the staff members came to greet the family and after initial inquiry, escorted them to the main office. Many teens were outside with their mentors. Some of them passed smile to Joey, who was indifferent to all of them. He just looked here and there and walked silently with his family. They entered the main office where Dr.Marcus Reeves, the head of the center, welcomed them.

“Good Morning to all of you”, the doctor greeted the Merryls. “Hope you liked the ambience here”, he said with a smile.

“Indeed, it’s a nice place. We have high expectations from your center and hope that your team would leave no stone unturned in order to make Joey comfortable here”, Griffith said politely. “We have a reputation of being the best center for teens like Joey. Special attention is given to every teen and we believe in building trust with parents who come here. I can assure you that Joey would not find difficulty in adjusting to the new environment”, the doctor smiled at Joey who wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation.

Griffith asked Joey to say hello to the doctor but the teen said nothing. The doctor was used to this kind of behavior and said “it’s ok. It is his first day here.” He made a call to one of his assistants and asked if the doctor who had been assigned for Joey’s case had arrived. There was a knock at the door in no time and a young man in his 20s, wearing a white coat, entered the room. “Let me introduce you to….”the doctor had barely started speaking when Adam stood up and said “Felix? You are Felix Miller from the St.Peters High School, if I am not mistaken.”

“Of course it’s me playboy Adam Merryl”, Felix hugged his long-time friend. “It’s so good to see you man. We are meeting after 6 years. Those days were fun”, an elated doctor said.

“Well, seems like this young guy doesn’t need any introduction. Yet, don’t let his jolly nature and young age fool you. He is one of the friendliest and capable doctors here. He has handled many cases with utmost ease. Now that you know him, I hope there is no more doubt in your minds regarding Joey’s well-being here”, the doctor asked Felix to show the campus to the Merryls.

Griffith shook hands with doctor before leaving and the family started touring the campus. Felix and Adam talked about their yester years but at the same time, Adam gave equal attention to rest of the family members as he explained the daily routine of teens at the center.

Some of the teens were being trained in different sport activities. "You see that girl over there? Her name is Wilma and she came to this center 5 years ago. Within 2 years, she left the center as a strong individual. Now she keeps coming back to coach teens here", Felix pointed to a girl who was teaching hockey to some girls.

A boy came running towards them. "Hello Dr.Felix , guess what, I scored two goals for my team today! Thanks for motivating me. Have a good day", the young lad was brimming with joy as he spoke.

"Well done Mark! Keep it up", Felix smiled as the boy ran back towards the field. "There has been a drastic change in this boy. When he came here, he used to remain alone. Neither he interacted with anyone, nor showed interest in any sports activities. Looking at him no one can tell how he used to be a year ago”, Felix told the family.

"Felix, how long would it take for Joey to be alright?” a concerned Adam asked his friend as they walked few steps ahead of others. "Adam, I can understand this is a tough time for you and your family. You have to be patient. Doctor Reeves told me about the tragedy and even I was shocked by what happened with Joey's friends. So, you can imagine what impact it would have had on him, as he witnessed it all in front of his eyes", Felix asked his friend not to expect results real soon.

"Generally, how long does it take for teens like my brother to lead a normal life once again?" Adam wanted to know when his brother would return home.

"I cannot tell you the exact time, but I will try my level best to ensure he doesn't feel uncomfortable here during his period of stay. You got to be strong man", Felix cheered his friend.

Amidst all this, Joey was not looking at anyone. He just kept looking here and there. His parents were trying to talk to him, but he hardly paid any attention. Whenever he saw a group of teens laughing together, he would immediately look away. Even after one year, he hadn’t come to terms with reality. He knew that he would never see Max, Susan and Fedrick, nor their laughter will reach his ears, yet, he was not ready to accept any stranger in his life. The young eyes had seen a lot after all.

After showing them around the campus, Felix led the family to the boys’ dormitory. “As you can see, all rooms are spacious and properly ventilated. Usually, one room is shared by two people, but it’s up to Joey if he wants to share the room or not”, the doctor looked at Joey who turned to his brother, a peculiar frown on his face. Adam understood and said, “It would be nice of the authorities if they can allow Joey to stay alone in this room. I hope you understand Felix.”

The doctor smiled and said, “don’t worry buddy, I will talk with Dr.Reeves and I don’t think the authorities will have any problem in allocating single room to Joey.”

"Thanks a lot man. I had many apprehensions before coming here, but now that I know you are here, everything will be fine", Adam was relieved after meeting his longtime friend.

"I will come to Bree whenever I find some time" Felix said.

"You are most welcome young doctor" Griffith smiled as Carla thanked Felix for taking responsibility of their son.

Feeling satisfied with the arrangements and hospitable nature of doctors, the Merryls helped setting the room for Joey, who was just sitting near one of the two windows of the room. "You like the place buddy?" Adam asked him, hoping for an optimistic reply.

"It's good enough to spend some time here. I know you all are excited after hearing those success stories, but don't expect anything from me brother. I myself don't know how long it will take for me to get out of the bad memories" Joey gave a routine answer. Nevertheless, this didn't dampen the spirits of the Merryls, who were hopeful of good results in the coming months.

Joey's parents hugged him , as Clara was overwhelmed with emotional surcharge. She had never been away from her son for more than 2 days, and who knew if it would take 2 months, a year or longer for her to be with her son. She kissed his forehead and smiled at him.

Griffith promised that the family would visit Joey on a regular basis. "It's ok dad, you don't need to travel every week, though it would be great to see you all once in a while" the young lad said. The tragedy had a deep impact on the young mind, so much so that it had made him distance himself from even his family members, except his elder brother.

Adam hugged him tight and said “will miss playing games with you buddy. You are going to be alright soon. Take care." "You too take care", Joey said and then whispered in Adam's ears" give sometime to Jonah now; don't want her to leave you".

Adam smiled and said in a low tone “don’t worry, she will be fine. She can't be angry with me for long".

Jonah was Adam's childhood friend and would be fiancée. She loved Joey as much as Adam did. Although, she had been feeling lonely lately , since Adam spent most of the time with his brother. He had even forgotten to attend her Dad's 50th birthday, which had enraged her.

Joey felt guilty as he held himself responsible for their differences. That was one of the major reasons, why he did not hesitate coming to the center. Adam gave first priority to his brother and he had told Jonah about this, but his absence on her Dad's birthday was unexpected by her.