No One Likes A Tattle Tale!

I received a very large package from my penpal's attorney one day. As promised, he sent me documents on the case. It looked to me like the package contained every document ever filed and then some! I had a lot of reading to do!

I dug right in- scanning over news articles, motions, answers, etc. I was in heaven! This was better than any true crime book I could ever check out of the library! I decided to start, not in order, but with the appellate brief which was a good over view of the case.

As I sat down with a cup of coffee to begin reading, my younger brother pulled up. He walked in and saw all the paperwork strewn across the table. He asked me what was going on. I started telling him about my penpal. I didn't get too far into the story before he started yelling at me. He stood up and screamed, "What is the matter with you? You need to get out of this NOW!!!"

I didn't understand where he was coming from; what his problem was. My parents had raised us at be Christians. We went to church and Sunday school every week. We prayed for those who were in need, no matter what that need was. Wasn't I just doing what was expected of me? Putting out my hand to someone in need?

I tried to tell my brother he didn't understand. I tried to tell him that I spoke to my penpal's attorney and he had sent me this package. I tried to explain to him that the man was innocent and would be exonerated one day, but he wasn't listening. The more I tried to talk to him, the more angrier he got, and the louder his screaming became. He finally made his way to the door as he yelled, "I'm telling Dad!" I followed him to the porch and watched him get in his car and drive away.

All I could think of was that I was a grown woman. I had talked this idea over with my husband before I wrote Sr. Helen's organization for a name. My husband had set some ground rules which I was abiding by. There was no way I would put my family in any kind of jeopardy. So what was the big deal? I could see that this was not going to be a popular act. I decided to keep it to myself. Of course, my husband knew and now my brother. But that was going to be it.

By the way-- I don't think he told Dad because nothing was ever said about it. In fact, my brother never mentioned it again.