Free Lake Overturn by Vestal McIntyre

said.
    The judge looked a little wary. “Yes, Mrs. Wojciechowski.”
    “I would never dream of interrupting the proceedings, it’s just that we’ve played out this scene in our living room about a hundred times over the past two weeks, and I thought I’d save you some time. Gary swears up and down he didn’t do it, and so does Winston, Gary’s friend, the over-eighteen kid. Well, there’s been days when we’ve believed them and days when we didn’t. Finally one night, after praying and thinking it over, things became perfectly clear to me. I turned to my Lawrence and I said, ‘Honey, whether he did it or didn’t, the punishment’s the same. Whether he overturned one receptacle or he smashed them car windows too, I want to soundly punish Gary in a way he won’t forget.’ Lawrence agreed with me, Your Honor.
    “See, Gary’s always been a sweet, gentle boy who minds his manners. That’s the type of boy I raised. Not some ruffian who barrels down the street in Boise raising Ned. The biggest animals on earth, Your Honor, whales, eat the smallest, little bitty shrimp. I will not let my Gary become some monster that eats and destroys without thinking. I’ve seen it happen to other men. They hurt and kill and damage property, then go on their way without looking back. I’d rather Gary be a shrimp who fights fair. The meek shall inherit the earth, that’s what I’ve always taught him.”
    The craving in Wanda’s heart and the pain in her thumb throbbed in unison now and overcame her. She choked back tears and lifted the tissue to her face, until she realized it was speckled with blood. She wiped her eyes with her other hand. Gary placed his hand on her shoulder.
    “I’m sorry, Your Honor. I’m almost done. Gary won’t tell us the names of those other boys. Says he just met them that night. Carl. I don’t know no Carl. Well, whoever it was, Gary won’t be seeing them for quite some time. Gary’s been grounded since that night, and will be for the next two months. He lost his car privileges except to and from school. He does his homework, spends some family time, then goes to his room.
    “We, as a family, volunteer every Saturday at the Mennonite soup kitchen. Have for years. Lawrence and I decided Gary should work there Sundays after church as well, and go to the Wednesday administrative meetings. Sure, he griped at first, but he’s done real good. He’ll keep on after his punishment’s over.”
    Wanda allowed herself a glance at Gary, whose jaw hung open like a broken drawer.
    “Your Honor, my friends think me and Lawrence are being too hard on Gary. I tell them that if I have any power at all as his mother, Gary will never darken the door of a courtroom again. He will never damage another person’s property. He will never harm a person littler than himself.”
    Now Wanda broke down and hid her face against Gary’s shoulder. Then she lifted herself. “Thank you, Your Honor.”
    The judge sat for a long time, holding the tip of his reading glasses in his teeth. A fear gripped Wanda’s heart. What if he put down the glasses and said, “Miss, you don’t seem old enough to be this young man’s mother”? Instead he put them on again, leaned forward, and wrote some words on the forms. Then he stacked them and pushed them away.
    “In cases like these,” he said, “I usually levy a fine and require that the offender spend some time in community service. However, I would guess that you, Mrs. Wojciechowski, and your husband would be burdened with the fine, and not your son. I certainly don’t want to punish you when you appear to be raising the boy right. And as far as community service, you’ve already got him involved in projects more worthwhile than painting hydrants. So,” he turned to Gary, “young man, I have two requirements of you. Are you listening?”
    “Yes, Your Honor.”
    “One, honor your mother, just as it says in the Bible.”
    Gary nodded.
    “And, two, tell that Polack he’s