Dinner Is Cold

Dinner has Gotten Cold

Tom felt bad for his mother. She had gone to a lot of trouble to make a nice dinner to celebrate whatever you might call the new relationship between Tom and Alice and everyone was sitting around the dining table picking at their food when the three of them came appeared.

"Angela, sweetheart" exclaimed Susan "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Susan. I'm so sorry to spoil dinner. But I learned something. I have two amazing friends."

Alice put her arm around Angela and gave her a squeeze.

"Let me tell you what I know," said Angela. "I saw Bill last evening and I knew he had gotten some heroin somewhere. I don't know why he wanted it. He offered me some but, of course, I refused. I told him it was a very dangerous drug and that he needed to throw it down the toilet. I should have told a grownup, I guess. If I had known Alice last night I would have gone to her and maybe Captain Elton could have helped."

"You didn't need Alice to tell me, Angela." said Captain Elton. "I'm not a hard-ass, if you excuse the expression. The kids in this town can all come to me for help and expect sympathy and understanding. I know kids make mistakes growing up."

"It's true" said Alice. "Dad would help. He's that kind of man. Anyway, it's too late for poor Bill. Dad, we don't know where he got the heroin but I would bet he got it from whoever is selling the other drugs kids in this town sometimes play around with."

There was a general hubbub at the table when Alice said that.

"Come on, folks," Tom said, "don't be surprised that kids in this town are smoking a little pot and sometimes trying other drugs. The shame is, they don't have any reliable guidance. They need to know the truth about drugs, not some Nancy Reagan Just Say No. They need to know the real risks that they take if they experiment. Don't mix heroin and alcohol, for example. Everybody should know that. Just like they ought to know not to mix tylenol and ibuprofen or tylenol and alcohol or GHB and alcohol."

"Is that true, Tom?" asked Susan. "Tylenol and alcohol?"

"Yes it is and that kind of life-saving information got lost in the baloney anti-drug programs the government supports. So if you want to help the kids, Mr. Elton, do something to make sure everyone gets the truth about drugs. I have done a lot of research and, if you want, I could put together a preliminary list of the facts everyone should know. We could put it in the paper or on flyers at the Police Department."

"We have to talk it over, Tom. You know, people would object if we flat out told people which drugs they could get away with using and how to use them. It would sound like we were promoting drug use."

"I know, but don't Tylenol and Motrin commercials promote drug use? If the average person regularly worked his way through giant economy bottles of Tylenol it would do the same liver damage as regular excessive drinking."

"That may be true, but it still would be hard to sell a drug program that didn't absolutely come out against street drugs."

"A tough sell doesn't mean it can't be done. We have to try. It would save lives. You can't just change the truth because the truth is inconvenient."

There was a pause in the conversation as people caught up mentally with all they had heard.

"This has been quite an evening," said Marge. "But you know, I think it has brought all of us together. We love each other and we want to help and protect each other. To me, that makes us family. By the way, what is GHB?"

"It's a date rape drug." said Captain Elton "It makes the person who takes it forget what happened to them under the influence."

"Right sir." said Tom "Like alcohol. But GHB has also been used therapeutically. Anecdotal evidence suggests it can break an addiction to alcohol. On the other hand, long-term use of GHB is also addictive and suddenly stopping it can cause death. So, like everything else in our world, it has a good side and a bad side. It is human nature to want to know a simple answer to every question. As a consequence, for many drugs, we have thrown the baby out with the bathwater, as the saying goes. It is up to us to try to know the truth and to navigate between good and evil."

Tom looked across the table at Alice. They made eye contact and she nodded once.

"Well," said Tom, "Today's sad event has taught each of us something special and something unique and personal. I'm truly sorry poor Bill had to pay for our lessons. Mrs. Elton is right. Today has begun to make everyone here part of one family. That has to be a good thing. But it's also an emotionally exhausting thing. Alice and I would like some time alone, so I'm going to drive her home. "

"Yes," said Henry, "I'm sure we are emotionally played out too. Susan and Bernie, thanks for the fine dinner and for sharing your home with us. As they say in Spanish, our house is your house. Feel free to visit us any time. If you ever need friends, we are there for you."

"Oh yes," said Marge. "Any time."

"Thank you both" said Susan, "for everything. For embracing our son and for caring. As you say, if you ever need friends we are here for you."

Tom rose, walked around table to Angela and put his arms around her from behind her chair.

"Be good to yourself and call me or Alice if you need us."