Jeff waved, and someone up in the press box turned on the CD player, a slight hum coming over the speakers. I'm sure there were a few people who were at first surprised at the Dropkick Murphys blaring over the sound system, especially when the lyrics of the refrain became clear. However, I wasn't the only one singing along by the end with the final line, "I don't really give a shit, I'm going out in style!"
It ended the memorial on a high note, and I saw a lot more smiles going out than when I'd come in. Even Melina, who was exhausted after working three and a half extra shifts in the past two days, was smiling and clapping.
As a member of the staff, I was lined up with the others at the gate while the stands cleared. The actual burial would be a private family affair in Boston, where Jeff and Tawny both had family, and I was sure would hold a proper Irish wake for her.
As the crowd filed by, quite a few stopped to ask how I was doing, and I could tell that the story of my actions was already circulating amongst the locals. It would only be a matter of time before someone talked to the press, which I didn't want to have happen. I kind of hoped that it would at least stay small scale enough that the unfortunate cycle of the news would move on to the next headline-grabbing crisis.
Dwayne, my student from the fourth period class who'd shown so much leadership during the shooting, was one of the last to stop by, accompanied by his parents. I knew his Dad was one of those men who just couldn't seem to stay on the right side of the law and had a rap sheet that ran into multiple volumes.
"Hey Swag," Dwayne greeted me, dressed in black jeans and a black t-shirt. I'd never seen Dwayne in anything other than t-shirts and wondered if the young man even owned a shirt with buttons. "Good service."
"I'm sure you would have liked the music to have a bit more bass to it," I said. Dwayne offered his hand and we shook. "You doing okay Dwayne?”
“Oh you know me, I’ll be fine.”
I nodded. “So does that mean I’m going to see you in class next week?"
Dwayne chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, you will. You'd be happy to know that I even did some homework the other day, and not just reading Iron Man either."
I nodded, noting the chagrined look that came over his father's face. Dad moved on, leaving Dwayne behind. Dwayne watched him go and leaned into me. "Hey Swag, can I ask you a favor?"
"Go ahead," I said.
Dwayne's eyes cut left and right, and he dropped his voice low. "Listen, this thing . . . it kind of woke me up. Would you mind if I stopped by sometimes to get some help? I was thinking, maybe I can be more than my old man."
I patted him on the shoulder. He was one of the local tough guys, and if the word got out that he was turning to the books, he'd have all sorts of problems with his so-called friends and acquaintances. "We'll talk Monday. Find me during lunch."
He grinned, then shook hands with Melina and took off on his way.
The sky rumbled, and we could feel the first few drops of rain start to fall. Instead of the tears I thought it would feel like, it somehow felt like it was washing away something, some of the pain and rage of the past few days.
On the way home, Melina was quiet, watching as the rain splattered and dripped down the passenger window. "It was a good service," she said quietly, her hands folded in her lap.
“It was,” I agreed. “Hey, are you needed at the pharmacy today?"
Melina shook her head, leaning her forehead against the side window and closing her eyes. She was exhausted, and couldn't fight it any longer. "Jay closed the whole thing today. He said for me to take tomorrow off too, someone would cover for me.”
"That's good," I said. "Because you’re wiped out. You should crash when we get home."
She nodded silently, giving me an appreciative glance before closing her eyes again. In the ten minutes between leaving the stadium and getting home, I heard her start snoring lightly, and I had to jostle her shoulder when we parked. I was tempted to carry her into the house in my arms, but the way she was sleeping, there was no way I could have gotten her out of the car without her waking up anyway. Still, she was asleep again minutes after lying down on the couch, and I thought for a moment about helping her out of her blouse and skirt before they got wrinkled, but decided against it.
After I changed into some casual clothes, I sat down at Albertine, getting down to work. I knew that Pinzetti was EPA, and I knew some of the information on him. It was time to turn Albertine loose again.