The Thursday Night Club Read Online Free PDF

finish. Izzy hurried to him with a hug. “…and that he didn’t feel any pain,” he finished between sobs.
    “Thank God for that,” Kevin said, trying to be strong. “Where did they take him…” Kevin also stopped. Everyone already knew the answer.
    Randy looked up from Izzy’s shoulder. “The chaplain’s trying to get in touch with his parents.” He shook his head. “That’s all I know.”
    “What about the driver who hit him?” Ava asked angrily.
    “Yeah, he must be in custody, right?” Kevin said.
    “I was wondering the same thing,” Randy admitted, “so I asked.” He shook his head again. “He’s not.”
    Izzy was outraged. “He’s
not
?”
    Like a broken man, Randy half-shrugged. “They said it was an accident, with no alcohol or drugs involved, so he was
free to go
.”
    “Free to go?” Ava repeated, more furious. “Well, good for him!”
    “So what about Jesse?” Izzy whimpered. “Is he
free to go
too?” Izzy stopped, setting off a whole new round of sobbing amongst the friends.
    Once they’d composed themselves, Kevin wiped his eyes and said, “You know if it was one of us behind the wheel, we’d be sitting in jail right now, charged with vehicular homicide.”
    “Yeah,” Izzy said, “because they’d think we were texting or horsing around or on our way to some housing project to buy drugs.”
    Ava shook her enraged head. “Jesse’s dead and he’s free to go.”
    All four friends allowed the weight of Ava’s final statement to sink in and a new round of terrible grieving began.
     
~~~
     
    Jesse’s funeral took place on Wednesday morning. In the cemetery, the chaplain had just finished his sermon and mourners began passing by Jesse’s casket for one final good-bye.
    Izzy, Ava, Kevin and Randy—each devastated—mouthed a few silent words to their deceased friend and kept right on walking until they reached a tree off in the distance.
    As they sadly huddled together under the giant oak, their college professor, Professor McKee, surprised the friends by approaching them to offer her heartfelt condolences.
    “Oh great,” Ava said under her breath. “Look who’s here.”
    “I’m so sorry for your loss,” Professor McKee said once she reached them. “I know Jesse was a dear friend to all of you.” She nodded. “He was a very special person.” The heavyset woman had a mop of frizzy hair and a pair of reading glasses that sat on the bridge of a slender nose.
    “He sure was,” Randy agreed.
    “What a waste,” Izzy added angrily.
    “Excuse me?” the female professor asked compassionately.
    “It’s a
useless
waste of life,” Ava added furiously.
    “Jesse’s life,” Kevin explained, “a life that we all know would have done some incredible things…was wasted.” He took a deep breath. “All because of some stupid, random accident.”
    Professor McKee smiled. “You may not want to hear this right now, guys, but I don’t believe there are any random acts in the universe, and nothing is done in vain—nor is anything
useless
.” She searched each of their eyes. “Sometimes, you have to be patient to see how things turn out and, with any luck, reveal the
greater
purpose.” She smiled gently again but—with a stern, rigid expression permanently carved into her brow—she appeared as disappointed and judgmental as ever.
    This comment was immediately met with scornful glances and a few negative grunts.
    “Be patient for what?” Ava asked bravely. She shook her head. “To die, so we can be with Jesse again?”
    “Not at all,” the woman said. “The worst thing you could ever do with your life is to wait for it to end.”
    “Unfortunately, Jesse didn’t have that choice,” Randy said. “His life was ended for him…” He wiped his eyes. “…long before it ever really began.”
    “I agree,” the teacher said, “but you guys are still here…” She searched their eyes again. “…and you each have a choice, don’t you?”
    They nodded in