The Ten of Them – Chapter 13: Dealing with Sam’s nightmare

Adult story: The Ten of Them – Chapter 13: Dealing with Sam’s nightmare

by Hard93

In our last chapter, saw the wedding of Marshall and Misty. I sent them off for the weekend a really great hotel in the Smoky Mountains only a few hours from here. When the class is over I’ll give the class a two-week vacation in Hawaii. I’ve also made reservations for Alyssa a five-star hotel in LA plus first-class airfare for her and Mom for just before court date to a few days after. Johnny will accompany his mother on her trip. Joan pleaded out of it, she wants to finish class. Marshall and Misty’s combined total is enough for them to retire on if they wish, but we won’t stop them from continuing with the class.

My poor Sam is having a recurring nightmare ever since she moved into her bedroom, lacking the security Kathryn and I give her Sam’s dreams turn to nightmares. She never sees Lester but she knows he is after her. What really scare her are the reactions of her uncle Marshall and Kathryn within her nightmare. She always wakes up after Kathryn begins to cry in her dream.

The way her nightmare plays out would be the way I would react if I found out Lester gotten bail and then released. A more likely scenario is somehow he escaped and was armed and dangerous. Either way our family will be safe in the security of the house when George, Michael and I confront him. Sam says she hears the booms that can only be their shotguns just before her Mommy begins to cry and Sam wakes up.

I hope Sam’s dream doesn’t play out the way she relates it. The only problem is that’s the current plan if Lester does leave jail some way. I lack the heart to tell Sam that, and hope that he won’t see any bail or at least so high that he and his family cannot raise the money for it.

Sam’s nightmare has quickly become mine, not as I sleep, but as I worry through the events of the last few days. If Sam is right, Lester will come after her and I’ll do what I have to protect her.

Lester’s lawyer continues working away at the case against him. Even with the video evidence thrown out he works against the witness testimony. I think he’s trying to get the DA the lower the charges against Lester or make a deal reducing Lester’s time in jail or perhaps to remove the career criminal that would assign Lester a life sentence.

As Kathryn I go through our exercises, something we been lacking on. I tried to center myself but find it hard to concentrate. My mind continuously wonders if I can kill Lester like I did the bear. The bear seemed to be in almost instinctual event, my training taking over in the few moments when the bear decided to attack. My speed and strength from pure adrenaline, I wonder if it will be enough to protect my family this time. I love my family that drives my desire to ensure their safety. I couldn’t protect myself without first protecting them.

I see Sam is my daughter and I guess you can say I am a proud father. I brag on her every chance I get. The family is there witnessing most of what Sam does, so bragging to them isn’t good. The Coach chuckles at me, he’s been there and understands. Another truth is he sees himself as Sam’s grandpa and loves to brag on her too.

Ms. Clark is still working on the adoption paperwork, and she got the permission from Sam’s home state to continue. The child protective services there had no clue on what happened to Sam after her grandmother passed. Ms. Clark is working closely with them. After six months of custody and home visits from Ms. Clark and other coworkers of hers we should be able to adopt Sam with no further CPS involvement.

So far Ms. Clark is very happy with Sam’s progress, and she’s one person I get to brag about Sam to. She’s been fifteen to twenty minutes with Sam alone and always come back laughing. She smiles at me and says, “Sam has some of the most interesting stories about you and Kathryn. Did you really letter shop for everyone in the family is her birthday present?”

I tell Ms. Clark, “Sam convinced me that was what she really wanted to do. She asked nicely and I let her do that because it was something that was going to make Sam happy.”

Ms. Clark says, “Sam is very happy and adjusting well to your family. Do you still have her reading?”

With a chuckle I say, “Sam has that e-book full, I’ll have to move some stories soon for Sam, she finishes two or three a day, and can easily read and a third or fourth grade level now. Kathryn I also read to her a story at bedtime. Michelle Collins, who Sam calls Aunt MC, reads during the afternoon on the weekends. Her Grandmas also read to her, we will read a page and then Sam reads a page. Only now again she stops when she doesn’t recognize a word and Sam would ask for help. We have taught her how to sound them out. When she has it she will ask what it means. Lately I’ve been having her go to the dictionary to find out.”

Ms. Clark is impressed and says, “That is a lot better than most of the children that I deal with in some of those are in third and fourth grade. What do you plan to do for Sam Schooling?”

I state, “I’m not sure yet Ms. Clark, I arrange my own home schooling when I was seven because classes at the public school were boring to me. Bored children do often misbehave. Maybe homeschooling would be just the thing for her. I can see that it keeps her busy, challenged and engaged.”

Ms. Clark says, “I’ll bring by the materials and the paperwork to begin her homeschooling next week. I figure she’ll be in a second grade before long, and if other academics are anywhere near her reading.”

Ms. Clark continues, “Coach Edwards is bragging on Sam’s swimming. He can use his accreditation for Sam’s physical education requirement.”

With a chuckle I say, “I want to see about getting my accreditations as an instructor in jujitsu and tae kwon do. Because I have a third Dan in tae kwon do and a second Dan jujitsu I instructed at the local high school for four years in self-defense.”

Ms. Clark says, “I met a few of your former students, I also have to do rape counseling, the girls were in shock but your training kept most of them from being raped or worse. One girl had several knife cuts was still able to fight off her attacker. You may my job a lot easier because of that. A couple of the rapists were in worse shape than the girls by the way.”

I say, “I’ve always instructed them if they have to defend themselves it was a no holds barred situation, let the person have it without any holding back. Some of those girls were strong enough that they were really could hurt a guy. Others at full strength I worried about, with adrenaline pumping through them after what they knew they probably could stand up for themselves pretty well.”

With a chuckle Ms. Clark says, “One of the rapists that was beaten the worst, was by this little eighty-six pound girl. She broke his arm, nose and dislocated his knee, and three of his ribs were also broken. She put him in the hospital for a week. The number of rape cases has steadily dropped over the last few years too.”

I think that’s when I decided I’d go back to high school not as a student but to continue giving my classes in self-defense. As long as they let me continue doing that I would. If that could help one girl it would be worth it.

Ms. Clark leaves after a few more minutes of discussion and setting a time to return.

I rejoin the rest of the family. Sam is getting a swimming lesson from the Coach. Most of the family is there watching Sam and her grandpa work on her new swimming style she’s learning. Last week Sam learned how to do flip turns from Kathryn. Now Sam is up to nearly twenty laps before she needs to float for a time. I don’t want to slow Sam’s development but I worry she is pushing herself too hard.

I don’t want to be one of those dads that push kids so hard that they hate whatever sport they were truly good at. Sam seems to enjoy swimming, playing in the pool it is really fun for her so far and I don’t want her to lose that. Childhood should be about being able to have fun and enjoying oneself. There’s plenty of time for Sam to be serious and work hard when she’s older.

I am amazed how fast she picks up new strokes, and how fast she can swim across the pool now. In a short race Kathryn and I always lose to Sam now, and we don’t even try to, there’s no need to swim a little slower to let her win, instead we swim full out trying to give her a little challenge. The one way to win against Sam now is to swim past her endurance, but that seems to be improving daily. Sam has stopped using the lifejacket to swim most of the time, her laps she swims without it. I’m more at ease with her in the pool now, I don’t let her swim alone ever and Sam hasn’t tried to do that.

Sam is well behaved, any restriction that I place on her she follows. She has questioned them more than once and when I explained them fully, and answered all her questions Sam hasn’t once broken a rule. She even reminds me once in a while of my rules.

Kathryn’s and Joan’s driving has increased and improved they took their test and both past easily. Now both have farm license and can drive to and from the market. Alyssa likes this. She sends the two off for vegetables from the market at least twice a week.

Also the preparations for Kara’s birthday party another event for the boat house are underway. We were going to make it a surprise party but forgot to tell Sam it’s a secret that she can’t tell Kara. So Kara found out very quickly. She punched me in the arm and says, “What is this I hear about a party?”

Jokingly I say, “I just needed another reason to dance with a beautiful woman.” I give Kara a peck on her cheek and quickly disappear.

I tell Kathryn about what happened and ask her if there’s some way we can help our sister. Kathryn says she wants to go by her a new dress for the party. I get Kathryn a kiss and a prepaid credit card one I was going to use for our annual shopping trip, but I will replace it. Kathryn gets a mischievous look and asks, “Can I spend the entire card on her?”