Suzie’s House 107: The Case Before Me

Judge Jennifer Armatage steepled her hands before her thoughtfully. She loved her job, despite all the ambiguities. She loved the sense of purpose, the importance of choosing the best path for the salvation of a family or a child. She prided herself on allowing even the youngest child a chance to have his or her say. But how far could she let it go?

“Young man, are you saying it is all a conspiracy?” She addressed her question to the 12 year old boy currently caught in a custody dispute.

“Yes,” Ben Hammaker answered. “I am.”

His chin up, his eyes flashing, she could see his belief. He honestly thought there was a conspiracy between his father, his teacher, and his friend’s father to see him locked away as a lunatic. Though boys his age would occasionally try to fool her, she did not think he was one. However, nothing said he was entirely sane, either.

“Do you believe your mother is part of this conspiracy?” Jennifer asked gently. She was looking for signs of paranoia or schizophrenia. It was one thing to think his father and a couple of others might be out to get him, quite another if he thought everyone was.

“No! No, Mom is the best thing in my life. Mom would never do anything like that. She stood up for me when Mrs. D. first started giving me bad grades for no good reason, and , and…” His eyes cut to the side and he bit his lower lip. There was more here, but Jennifer elected to look wait before attempting to examine it.

“So you have a friend named Gene who can verify what you claim?”

“Yes!” Ben nodded, his gesture full of nerves. He’d been nervous since she entered the room, though, so she didn’t take it seriously. “He said he’s coming today. You can ask him yourself, when he gets here.”

“When you say your fathers want to commit you to Mendota Sane Asylum, I assume you mean your father intends to commit you, and his father intends to commit him. Is that correct?”

“Yes!:”

“Can you speculate on why they would wish to do so?”

“I can kind of see why Gene’s dad would do it. He really hates him. He’s always beating Gene black and blue.”

“He beats him?!” Jennifer’s voice rose to high for dignity, much to her irritation. Abuse tended to make her lose her sense of calm.

“Yeah. All the time.” Ben spoke as though it were simply a matter of fact. Jennifer could not accept it so calmly. She would be sure to pass Gene’s name to Child Protective Services.

“And you own father?” She asked to get them both back on track.

“I don’t know. I think he just doesn’t like me. He’s always making me go away when I’m supposed to spend the night at his place, but he won’t let me go home to Mom.

“Always?”

“Almost always. Actually, I guess only when he has a girlfriend, which is most all the time. It’s not like with Mom where she makes me do my homework and cooks something besides pizza all the time and listens to me. I mean really listens. Dad never does,” The resentment came through strong in both voice and the narrow eyed look he gave his father. “I still don’t know why he wants to do this to me. What’s it to him that I love Mom more?”

Mr. Hammacker drew back with a hiss as though he’d been slapped. His face turned red and his teeth clinched, but his legal adviser drew him back into his seat before Jennifer had to find him in contempt of court.

“Mr. Hammacker, if I give you sole custody of Ben, what do you intend to do with him?”

“Nothing! I swear.” His lawyer stopped the man from saying anything further.

“Nothing? No playing ball together? No going to movies? No homework?”

“I, uh, well of course I’d do those things.” He was lying, much to Jennifer’s growing irritation.

“And you say you want custody because your wife is endangering your son?”

“The boy claims he’s been kidnapped twice.” Mr. Hammacker’s attorney said. “There was no ransom note, but we must assume…”

“Is this true?” Jennifer asked Ben. She noticed Mrs. Hammacker shifted uncomfortably. There was certainly something here. Perhaps the best course would be to place the boy with the state, rather than with either of his parents.

“It’s true,” Ben said cautiously. “It’s because of Drew, I think. Not that Drew did anything wrong! But he’s and FBI agent and he and Vin are investigating these guys, and they followed him home, and one of them likes me, I guess, because he kept trying to grab me. But it doesn’t matter now! Cause Mom hit him with a frying pan when he came into the kitchen and now he’s going to jail so I’m safe. Right?” He looked at his mother, who nodded.

“So there is no need for a change in custody.” Jennifer raised an eyebrow at Mr. Hammacker, who exploded from behind his table.

“No! I don’t know what’s going on in that house, which she shouldn’t have anymore anyway because it was our house when we were married, but I know she’s at fault!” He pointed at Mrs. Hammacker. Spittle flew from his mouth and his face turned so red Jennifer wondered if she should call in an ambulance. “She was a lousy wife and terrible mother, always fawning over him, and acting so happy all the time. She should be devastated for leaving me. It isn’t right. She doesn’t deserve Ben.”

His attorney tried to shut him up, but the damage was done.

In that moment Jennifer made her first decision. She would not be giving Mr. Hammacker sole custody of Ben. In fact, she knew of a social worker or two who might be interested in investigating him.

As to the larger issues of whether or not Ben should be allowed to stay with his mother, and if he needed psychiatric help, the jury was still out.

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