The Beresfords Read Online Free PDF Page B

and embarrassed on his behalf, if he minded me seeing Tom whip him. But there was a tug on my hair and I turned to see him holding the twig he’d pulled out of it. His blue eyes were calm again and almost smiling. He gave a tiny shrug. I nodded. Yes, I knew. Tom would be Tom. But he had tried.
    I went inside.
    •               •               •
     
    When Tom left for Colorado College, Uncle Paul no doubt breathed a sigh of relief. Even the little he suspected of Tom’s misdeeds was enough, and Colorado College was far, far away from those most questionable influences, Steve and Dave. He would have preferred Tom go to a Christian college, but Tom balked. In Colorado Springs, he would be in the heart of Evangelical-Land, he argued, sharing the library carrels and the slopes with all kinds of Christians Focused on Their Families—wouldn’t that be enough? Off he went, and there the Beresfords’ troubles began. Or, I should say, there began Uncle Paul and Aunt Marie’s awareness of troubles. And then I should amend that to say that, even when full-blown, the troubles and worry fell mainly on Uncle Paul and his sister. Aunt Marie continued unruffled as ever, as when a tsunami overwhelms a distant shore, crosses the Pacific, and finally washes up on the beaches of North America a mere ripple.
    The first phone call the Beresfords received after Tom went to college was not from Tom himself, but rather from the hospital, to report that he had been rushed there for alcohol poisoning.
    “Whatever is alcohol poisoning?” asked Aunt Marie, when Uncle Paul hung up the phone.
    “It means he drank too much too quickly. They’ve got him on an IV and breathing support. I’m going to go out to the airport and see if I can catch a flight.”
    “But Tom doesn’t drink,” said Aunt Marie.
    “All the more reason he should have been careful. Those damned Resident Assistants! How much tuition am I paying that place? They should keep an eye on the freshmen. All it takes is one foolish choice at a party, and next thing you know, someone winds up dead.”
    “Can I come with you, Dad?” Jonathan’s voice sounded choked.
    “Dead?” marveled my aunt.
    Uncle Paul put a hand on her shoulder. “Not Tom. He’s going to be just fine. Yes, Jon, you come. Throw some clothes in a bag, and let’s get going. Rachel—call your aunt and tell her to come over while I’m away.” Fifteen minutes later, they were gone.
    The garage door rumbled back into place before Julie let out a groan. “No fair! Jonathan gets to miss school, and we get a double-dose of Aunt Terri.”
    “Is Dad bringing Tom home, Mom? Because I wanted his room,” Rachel added.
    Aunt Marie wiggled her fingertips. “Girls, girls. Your father will decide all that.”
    “Meaning Aunt Terror will decide all that,” said Rachel under her breath.
     
    Jonathan returned after a couple days, quiet and shaken, but it was two weeks before Tom came home. He was pale and sheepish but still grinning weakly. Uncle Paul had withdrawn him from Colorado College. He was now to spend the fall at the local community college to recover his health and get back on track. After that, he was to enroll at a Christian school or whichever nearby university would let him transfer. He was going to be watched. “I’m sorry, sir,” he told his father. “I know I disappointed you.”
    “Choices have consequences, Tom. I know college is a time to experiment—but now I hope you’ll be wiser for it.”
    “I do too, sir. I will.” But when his father had left the room, Tom threw his head back against the reclining chair. “God! First there was the anticipation of the lecture and then the lecture itself! I thought it would never end. Dad should look on the bright side: think of the money I’ll save him, going to JC for a while.”
    “You had a close call,” said Jonathan.
    “Not that close, Reverend. I made it to the hospital, didn’t I? Man—I wish I waited till