(3) Questions, Answers, and More Questions

Over the Hills of Whittier: Questions, Answers, and More Questions

(Beau)

Tuesday Morning

The meteors were spectacular.  Bambi and I lay between the canyon and the heavens half the night, alone in the middle of millions.  We watched the sky and talked about life, dreams and blessings, hopes. 

At one point we fell asleep for a while.  I awoke to the awe-inspiring spectacle of seven or eight meteors streaking across the sky at once.  Everyone should have the experience of waking up to that sight at least once.  I woke Bambi and we watched the grand procession of lights for a few minutes before walking back down, hand in hand, to our home. 

The sun was up before we were.  I pulled myself out of bed, grabbed a banana for breakfast, and dressed. 

We needed to take care of some business matters.  Bambi called the preschool to ensure everything was under control, and promised to stop by later.  I called my office at Whittier College and learned that nothing was happening.  We were, after all, between academic terms. 

Then, for the first time since we left the hospital room, we talked about Eddie and his situation.

Bambi was of the opinion that the loan sharks who were threatening her were at the heart of Rosa’s troubles.  I wish I could have agreed.  A loan shark problem is easily solved with nothing more than money.  Other problems can be a lot more complicated.  Given the intensity of Eddie’s concern, his emphasis on communication rather than on financial matters, and the involvement of at least one addict in the story (Carmen), I did not think Rosa’s problems were primarily about money.  I was pretty sure that drugs were involved.  But we didn’t know, really.  We needed to learn more. 

By mid-morning we were on our way back to Whittier Hospital. We parked at the east end of the building rather than in the main parking lot, to be closer to the Bambi’s preschool.  Have I mentioned that Bambi runs a preschool in Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church next door to Whittier Hospital?  It’s handy for her sometimes, like today.  She was planning to stop by after we talked to Eddie.

We went straight to Eddie’s room, where we found him getting ready to check out.  He seemed pleased to see us.  Because he was busy with hospital matters, our talk had to wait a few minutes.  We sat patiently be while paperwork was filled out, medications were explained, and appointments were scheduled.  Finally, Eddie sat himself down sheepishly in a wheelchair for a ride to the front door.  We followed. 

A Walk, a Stop, a Ride, and a Story

At the door, Eddie stood hesitantly, carrying a small bag the nurse had prepared for him.  He had told us he wanted to talk to us about Rosa, but at the same time he seemed anxious to be on his way.  We walked with him from hospital lobby to sidewalk. 

I squinted in the bright noonday sun.  It was hot, but there was a nice breeze from the west.  Eddie looked awkwardly left and right, as if he wasn’t sure what to do next.  “Do you need a ride?” I asked. 

His face lit up.  “Yes, I do,” he responded, with a smile.  I smiled, too.  I had solved at least one problem for Eddie today.

“Are you in a big hurry, Eddie?” Bambi asked.

“I guess not,” he responded, with a quizzical look.

“It’s just that we’re right next door to the preschool where I work.  I'd like to stop in and check on a few things while we're here.  I will be quick.”

Eddie seemed satisfied, and nodded.  “No problem,” he said.  "I don’t have anything pressing on my schedule today.  I just need to figure out what to do next for Rosa.  I guess I can do that from the church as well as from my apartment.”

We walked across to Shepherd of the Hills.  Bambi went out to the playground to talk to one of her teachers, and Eddie and I wandered over to the sanctuary.  It was cool inside, and deserted.  We settled comfortably into a pew.

"I got off easy,” Eddie began.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“I didn’t kill my fool self with that little helicopter.”

I nodded.  We each followed our own thoughts in silence for a couple of minutes.  I said a prayer of thanks for the safety of Bambi and myself, and Eddie, and asked for wisdom in helping Eddie and Rosa.

Eddie broke the silence.  “I used to go to a church like this,” he said.  “It was a long time ago.  I was just a kid, really, a teenager.”  He thought for a moment.  “I sort of drifted away while I was in the Navy, and never really got involved in the church again.”  I nodded. 

“Maybe if I’d stayed more involved in the church, I would’ve been in a better position to help Rosa.  At least I might have more practice praying for her.”  He bit his lower lip.

“Maybe,” I responded.  “But you can still pray for her.  And we can work together to help her now."  Eddie smiled. 

"Bambi and I got the beginning of the story yesterday, but we really don’t understand what kind of help Rosa needs, or how you expected to help her by flying up to Sycamore Canyon.”

“You did help me when I needed it the other day, and you do keep coming back to hear about my problems, and Rosa’s.  I’m not sure why, but maybe there’s a reason we crossed paths.” 

As we both looked up at the cross over the chancel, Bambi entered the sanctuary.  Hearing no conversation, she began telling Eddie a little about the church and her preschool.  Eddie listened with apparent interest.  Either he was a good actor or he was thinking seriously about getting involved.

Bambi said the preschool issues were under control, so she was free to come along on the ride to take Eddie home.  

We walked out to the car.  Following Eddie's directions, I drove south on La Serna, then turned left at Whittier Boulevard.  I thought about how we would proceed with the conversation.  I had the sense that Eddie wanted to tell us the whole story, but that if we pushed too hard, he might get spooked and stop talking.  So we had to let him tell it at his own pace.

When we stopped at a traffic light at the entrance to Whittwood Town Center, I found myself looking longingly at the Carl’s Jr. on the corner.  That banana had been a long time ago.

The light changed, and I accelerated.  “Where did you get the helicopter, Eddie?” I asked casually.

“I borrowed it,” he responded.  Apparently uncomfortable, he offered no more information.

“Who did you borrow it from?” I pressed just a little.

“From a friend of mine.”  He paused, took a deep breathe and continued.  “I guess I stole it,” he admitted.

Bambi joined in.  “Why did you take it, Eddie?”  she asked.  I stopped for the next traffic light.

“I didn’t mean to steal it,” Eddie responded.  “I was going to ask Hank if I could borrow it, but he wasn’t home.”  He looked back and forth from Bambi to me, as if seeking approval. 

"Who is Hank?" Bambi inquired nonchalantly.

“Hank was with me on USS Iwo Jima,” Eddie told us.  “Hank was the one who showed me what little I know about flying.  It was a long time ago.  When we were on the ship we kind of hit it off because we both went to the same high school, even though we weren't there at the same time.  When we got out of the Navy, we stayed in touch."  I wondered which high school, and when, but I didn't interrupt.  He was on a roll.

"Hank built that ultralight by himself," Eddie went on.  "I knew he would help me, maybe even let me use it, once he understood how important it was to me, and to Rosa.  But he wasn’t home.”  Bambi and I exchanged a glance.  The more Eddie talked, the more questions we had to ask him, eventually.

I started with an easy one.  “Where does Hank live, Eddie,” I asked.

“Oh, he lives on the lower part of Rideout,” Eddie responded.  "Down on the south side of Sycamore Canyon.  Below where you live, I guess.”  He paused.  “I didn’t really get too far with the helicopter,” he admitted, awkwardly.

“Do the police know you took the flying contraption, Eddie?” asked Bambi.

“No,” Eddie replied.  “I’m already in enough trouble for flying without a license.  I admitted that to them, when they came to talk to me in the hospital.  They're still deciding what to do about that.  I didn’t think it was in my best interest to admit that I stole the aircraft, too.  I told them it was my helo.”

"Where is Hank now, Eddie?” I asked. 

"I guess he’s out of town.  He hasn’t come home yet.  I dread having to tell him I wrecked his ultralight.  I don’t think he’ll press charges on me… we go way back.  But he’ll be really upset that I wrecked it.”

We crossed into La Habra.  “Tell us what happened at Hank’s house.”  Bambi got our inquiry back on track.

“Well,” Eddie said, staring upward, “Hank left his garage unlocked.  So while I was waiting for him to come home, I pulled it out into the yard, just to save time.”

I was so fascinated that I almost didn’t notice the Super Turtle restaurant on the right.  I love Super Turtle Tortas.  But Eddie’s story was getting really good.

“Then I started it,” he went on, “just to see if it was working all right.  Then I strapped myself in, just to see if I knew how.”  Eddie’s voice trailed off... 

And then, there I was, all ready to go…”

“What did you do, Eddie?”  Bambi urged him on.

“Well, I just pulled back on the stick, and rose up into the air."  Eddie smiled happily, then suddenly remembered his little adventure hadn't ended so well, and frowned.  “Turn right on Euclid Street,” he told me just in time.  “Then left on La Habra.”

Bambi and I glanced at each other.  We were both thinking how to ask the big question that we had to ask next...  But before we could ask it, Eddie piped up again.  "Here," he said, "Turn left here.  There's my apartment, up there.  You can pull over anywhere."

Eddie lived in a small second floor apartment.  His injuries had not been nearly as serious as they could've been, but he was definitely walking with a limp.  He also seemed to have some issues with balance, so we walked with him up the stairs. 

Eddie unlocked the door, took one step inside, and paused.  He turned and asked us in.  It was obvious that he was only trying to be polite.  He wanted our help, but he was uncomfortable.  After all, he barely knew us.  Maybe the thought he was saying too much.  After all, he had just confessed to grand larceny.  We knew he wanted our help, and we wanted to help him.  But we had to be patient.  Maybe he was tired of talking about it.  Maybe he was just tired.

I was thinking about taking him up on the invitation, sincere or not, but Bambi responded first.  “No, Eddie," she said, "I don’t think we should come in today.  I think you should rest.  But we do have just one more question.”  Eddie smiled a friendly but tired smile.

“Why,” Bambi asked, “did you need a helicopter?”  There it was.  She had acknowledged the elephant in the corner.

Eddie smiled even wider, at first.  I guess he was worried we were going to interrogate him about stealing the helicopter.  Then the smile faded and he grimaced with worry.  “To find Rosa, of course,” he responded.  “She was kidnapped.  They’re holding her prisoner somewhere in Sycamore Canyon.”

My jaw dropped.  I hadn’t seen that one coming.  From her expression, neither had Bambi.  Had we been fooled into taking seriously a man who wasn't really in touch with reality?  Prisoner in Sycamore Canyon?  Impossible. 

I remembered to close my mouth as Eddie continued.  “I really appreciate your help,” he said.  “And I do think I could use some more help, if you’re still willing.  Can we talk again tomorrow morning?  Would that be okay?”

Bambi found her voice first.  “Absolutely!”  Smiling confidently, she added, "We’ll give you a call in the morning.  You call if you need anything, okay?”

Eddie nodded, smiled, and quietly shut the door.  Bambi turned to go down the stairs.  I stood still looking at the closed door. 

Kidnapped?  Why?  Was this story real?  Being held in the canyon?  How was that possible?  Even if it was, why use a helicopter to try to find her instead of simply walking into the canyon? Why? 

I forced my whirling thoughts to slow down, and turned to follow Bambi.  She was looking at me, amused.

“Carl’s Jr. or Super Turtle?” I asked.

Beau

(2) Eddie's Story

Over the Hills of Whittier: Eddie’s Story

(Bambi)

Beau’s account of the Sunday afternoon crash is pretty much correct, except he left out the part where he suggested we throw the pilot a rope and pull him down.  I think he was serious, too.  Oh, and the part where he crawled over to the rim of the canyon after the crash on his belly and elbows.  He found an anthill on the way, too.

Seriously, though, when the pilot jumped from the doomed helicopter, he had the breath knocked out of him and hit his head hard.  He managed to dig his fingers into some thick ground cover before he passed out.  I’m thinking he needs to write a nice ‘thank you’ note to our neighbors the Henry family for keeping such a nice lawn with grass tough enough to hang onto.  Without that, he might’ve slid back over the edge before we reached him, to be hit by shrapnel or worse.

As Beau told you, we raced to Eddie as soon as he hit the ground and pulled him away from the canyon rim.  Eddie was the pilot’s name.  He was already unconscious.  After the blast, I checked for breathing (yes, he was) and then for bleeding (yes, that too).  Although his injuries did not appear life-threatening, he was definitely in need of some first aid and a quick trip to the emergency room.  I found one fairly ugly cut on his left arm, another small one on his forehead, and some burns from the engine on his legs.  I thought he might've cracked a rib, and I also found not one but two nasty goose-eggs on his head.  I’m not sure how that happened; maybe he bounced when he hit the ground.  About that time, Mrs. Henry came running out to see what the ruckus was about.  We sent her to call the ambulance while I did some first aid on poor Eddie.

A couple of hours later, events were winding down.  We had assisted the paramedics who showed up surprisingly quickly considering how hard it can be to find addresses up Rideout.  We had talked to the police detective who arrived just after the ambulance.  We had granted an interview to one lucky cub reporter for the Whittier Daily News.  He had been over on Circle Drive visiting at his girlfriend’s house when the crash happened.  He came running and earned himself a scoop. 

Eddie had been taken to Whittier Hospital, admitted, cleaned up and stabilized.  We went to visit him with some questions that needed answers, starting with what went wrong.  Unfortunately, when we arrived we were informed that Eddie could not be disturbed.  Beau was in favor of waiting, but I knew how long that might take, so I talked him out of it by promising we would come the next day.  I also bribed him with the promise of an ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins on the way home.

Monday – We talk with Eddie

Monday morning I got up early and spent a few uneventful hours at the preschool where I am Director.  A little before noon, Beau and I met for lunch at our favorite uptown sidewalk café, Mimo’s on Greenleaf Avenue.  Then we went in search of some answers from the mysterious helicopter pilot.  On the short ride, we discussed a few of the questions we needed to ask.

In just a few minutes we were walking into the hospital and finding Eddie's room.  We had already learned that even though his injuries were fairly significant, he was expected to make a full and speedy recovery.  He was to be kept for observation for a day or two.  We we arrived at Eddie’s room.  A smiling nurse greeted us on her way out. 

We had called ahead, so Eddie knew to expect us.  He greeted us graciously, but with a bit of hesitation, almost shy.  We, of course, knew who he was; we'd helped get him through his ordeal and safely to the hospital.  But since Eddie had been unconscious for most of that time, Eddie had never really met us.  We introduced ourselves, shook hands, and received his sincere thanks.

Eddie did appear healthy enough, given what he’d been through.  The lumps on his head were already smaller, and the cuts and burns didn’t seem nearly so bad after proper medical attention and a day to begin healing.  The binding around his chest was barely visible.  His demeanor did seem a bit distant, strained, as if he had somewhere else he should be.  He was definitely quite happy to be alive, but he also seemed strangely worried about something quite apart from his present condition.  We would understand in time.

Eddie didn’t remember the accident itself, perhaps due to the concussion.  He supposed the memory would come back to him in time.  He did know that we were the people who had made sure he hadn’t fallen down the canyon or taken shrapnel in his backside, so Eddie was happy to tell us what he did remember.

 “I really appreciate how you folks helped me,” he began.  “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t followed me up there and helped me out.  I’m not out of the woods, yet, of course… Neither is poor Rosa… but at least I’m still around to help her, thanks to you two.”

Rosa?  Who was Rosa?  And what kind of help did she need?  Before I could ask, Beau jumped in.

“Eddie, we were wondering why you were flying up Rideout, given the problems you were having with that little flying machine.  Was it just an ordinary flight that went wrong?  Was there more to it?”

Eddie pondered a moment.  He bit his upper lip.  He seemed to come to a decision.

“This is all a bit complicated.”  A long pause ensued as Eddie decided how to begin.  “I'm not really a pilot," he admitted.  "A long time ago, back when I was in the Navy, I was a member of a helicopter crew.  Several of them, really… in places like Grenada and Panama and Kuwait.”  Beau’s ears perked up, because he too had been in the Navy, in some of those places.  I gave him a look that said, “I know, but wait.”  He restrained the urge to start swapping sea stories.  As interesting as that would doubtless have been, we both knew we had more urgent things to do today.

Eddie continued.  “I wasn’t really a pilot, but I had hundreds of hours of just watching them fly.  A couple of times this one Lieutenant... he was a great guy... he let me take the controls.  He wasn’t supposed to… could’ve gotten in big trouble… but he trusted me so when there was nothing in particular going on… Well, you understand.  Of course, I haven’t touched the controls of a helo from then ‘til now.  That is, until yesterday.”

We waited patiently… to all appearances.

“See, I was trying to help Rosa.  Rosa is my niece.  My brother’s daughter.  My brother and his wife were good people, and she was their only child.  They loved her more than anything.  She was only 15 when there was this freak accident.  They were lost at sea on a cruise to Catalina.  That was four years ago now.”

 Eddie drifted off for a moment, then continued.  “Rosa lived with aunt and uncle, her mother’s sister Alie and her husband Bob.  Everything seemed to be fine.  Rosa spent about a year working through it all, dealing with the loss of her parents.  I visited her often.  Talked with her about things.  My brother and I, we were kind of close, and I think Rosa, when she talked with me, I think she felt a little closer to her Dad.  So in time, Rosa finished high school.  Did reasonably well, all said and done.  She worked a jobs at the grocery for a year or so, and she just enrolled in a couple of courses at Rio Hondo College.” 

Beau and I exchanged a glance.  Rio Hondo College was a bit more than a mile north of Grande Vista Drive as the crow flies, but at least three times that by road, due to the need to drive around Sycamore Canyon.  If Eddie's helicopter hadn't crashed, he might've flown right across the canyon to Rio Hondo.  I wondered if that were just coincidence.  Maybe.

Eddie went on.  “Then some troubles started.  First, Rosa just seemed to be really irritable.  She had always been a nice pleasant girl.  We thought it was just because of her being a teenager, or maybe she had boy problems.  But it got worse. 

"Rosa started getting in trouble.  She used to be very responsible, but she started skipping work sometimes.  Not enough to get fired.  She used to be respectful, but she started giving her aunt a lot of trouble, especially when her uncle wasn’t around.  He’s a truck driver so he’s out of town a lot.  She just wasn’t acting like herself.  Anyway, because Rosa and I had become kind of close since the accident, Alejandra - that’s Alie, Rosa’s aunt – called me to come talk to her.  That’s why I had to fly that little helo.”

You couldn't have called a taxi? I wanted to ask.  But I kept quiet.

Eddie paused, looking downward with a worried expression.  He looked up then and smiled, as if we should be starting to understand everything.  Of course we were as confused as ever.  We still had no idea what Rosa’s trouble was, or how it had caused a man with no training to end up crashing a tiny helicopter.  

I bit my tongue to keep from asking a dozen questions at once.  My natural inclination was to jump in with both feet to a long, involved question-and-answer session.  I would rather have pulled the whole story out of Eddie at once, to be sorted out later.  One of the things I learned when I was a paralegal was that a questioner can usually get more quality information by proceeding in a patient manner, calm and methodical.  Beau can do that with a lot more ease than I can.  I really hate that.  But I held back.  Beau was formulating a question for Eddie, doubtless the first of a series of questions to be asked in a calm, orderly manner, when the nurse returned.

Fearing that the nurse was about to bring our session to an abrupt halt, I jumped in.  “What do you mean?” I asked.  Hadn’t  I been the soul of patience up to that point?  “How does it follow?  A young woman misses work a few times, and so her uncle... her uncle who does not have a pilot’s license... he flies a miniature helicopter over my house and crashes it into Sycamore Canyon?  How does that happen?” 

Eddie got that worried look again, then smiled at me.  “I guess I didn’t finish telling it all,” he said.  The nurse stopped, apparently curious.  Beau chastened me with a glance.  Eddie went on.

“I had decided Rosa had probably gotten into drugs, what with the personality change and all.  But in fact, that wasn't it at all.  It turns out Rosa got into trouble borrowing money.  She had this friend who had borrowed some money – kind of borrowed without asking, you know – and she didn’t have any way to pay it back.  The friend, Carmen, was going to get in some serious trouble with some really bad people.  Rosa was trying to help her out.  Rosa didn’t have much money of her own.  It was a struggle for her just to pay tuition.  But she’d heard about this guy who would loan money to anyone.  A loan shark, you know?  So she went to him and borrowed the money.  She knew it was a bad idea, but she’s the kind to help a friend in need no matter what, and so she did it, you know?  Just because she’s a really good person.”

I sat silently.  Part of me wanted to challenge Eddie's conclusions and part of me realized that I might've done the same thing for a friend at her age.

“Well, Rosa gave Carmen the money she’d got from the loan shark, and helped her get out of trouble.  The plan was for Carmen to pay back the money to Rosa, with interest, so she could repay the loan shark.  She was supposed to save all the money from her job for six weeks, and then give it to Rosa to pay the guy.  But Carmen double-crossed Rosa.  Rosa went out on a limb to help Carmen, but she left Rosa hanging. 

"Carmen saved up the money, sure enough.  And according to her story, she was on her way to give Rosa the money, and she got robbed.  That's what she said.  What really happened was Carmen looked at all that money in her hands and decided it made a lot more sense for her to buy a bunch of drugs than to repay the friend who’d gone out on a limb for her.  If she had just given Rosa the money to repay the guy, none of the really bad stuff would’ve happened…”

Eddie’s voice trailed off.  His expression clouded.  He stared at the floor.  I couldn’t tell if he were angry or about to cry.  He sniffed and took a big breath.

“So Rosa was left hanging out there.  She owed money to these bad guys.  She didn’t want to tell her aunt and uncle what she had done because she knew they’d disapprove, and she hated to disappoint them.  She got really worried.  The bad guys were making threats, and she didn’t know where to turn.”

"Finally, she confided in me."  Eddie stared off into the distance.  “I don’t know why she didn’t come to me earlier,” he said softly.  "But I told her she shouldn't have done all that.  Instead of trying to help her, I insisted on telling her how stupid I thought she'd been.

"I'd never been so blunt with her before, and I guess it hurt her a lot.  She already knew she'd messed up.  I didn't need to remind her.  She tried to explain the part about helping a friend, but I didn't listen or offer to help her.  That was my big mistake..."

Eddie was becoming distraught.  I knew it wasn’t good for him to get too upset, in his condition, and the nurse did, too.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” the nurse interrupted, “but it’s time to check some vital signs, and I really think that’s probably enough talk for now.  It’s not good for the patient to get too excited.”

I wanted to hear more, but I knew she was right.  I knew it would be best for Eddie to take a break. 

Eddie would rather have told the rest of the story right then.  Apparently Rosa was still in trouble and he wanted, or needed, to help her.  Somehow the helicopter stunt was supposed to help. We didn’t understand how yet.  Even so, it was not healthy for a man with a double concussion and a cracked rib to stress himself any further on our account.  Eddie had told us a great deal.  We would simply have to wait until morning for the rest.  Probably no harm would be done by waiting.   

“Eddie,” I said, “We know you are a good uncle, and that you care about Rosa, and want to help her."  Eddie smiled a little.  “If we can, we will try to help you help her.  But the nurse is right.  You had a big accident less than 24 hours ago, and you need to take it easy.”  I consciously rejected the impatience welling up inside me, and continued.  “How about if we continue this tomorrow?”

Beau smiled at me.  He knew how difficult it was for me to wait.  He also knew that, as a former nurse intern, I would never allow my own curiosity to interfere with the best interests of a patient.

With a smile and a handshake, we left Eddie in the care of the competent nursing staff.  We drove home, surprisingly, in silence.  I guess we were each lost in thought about Eddie and Rosa and self-sacrifice and betrayal and where all this might lead us.

Monday Evening

As evening approached, we each worked on our own for a while.  I halfheartedly pulled together some preschool lessons and listened to the radio.  Beau did some things in the yard.  Really, I was feeling some empathy for poor Aunt Alie, and at the same time wondering how anyone could be lost at sea on the way to Catalina.   

Twilight was settling in when Beau came inside.  I told him I’d heard on the radio that the Perseid meteor showers were beginning to be noticeable in the early morning hours.  Under the lights of the city, they wouldn’t look like much.  But, I pointed out, on the inner rim of a wild canyon that contained no artificial light source… that would be a different story.  I suggested we might take advantage of the clear night and our location to do some stargazing. 

We made the wise decision to put developing events on hold until morning.   It was almost dark when we took a blanket and hiked hand in hand up the steep fire road along the southeastern rim of Sycamore Canyon to watch the sky over the Whittier Hills.  I saw the first meteor streak across the sky almost as soon as we passed the gate.

Bambi