Jason Wales

By the time 6^th grade began I had moved in with my father in Binghamton and was going to a new school. Walking to school was really a pain in the ass now, especially in the elements. It was basically from the Hess on Glenwood Avenue all the way to Recreation Park. On a normal day it would take about 45 minutes one way. However, sometimes children tend to frolic so on occasion it could take longer. That’s why I was happy when I learned that I knew one of the kids in my homeroom class. Jason Wales had been in my 2nd grade class at my old school and lived nearby. He was also making the long trek everyday, so we began to walk together. It was great having somebody to walk with and knowing somebody already. Going to a new school can be difficult, even if you had a lot of friends before it was like starting over.

            Jason was a very small child, even for a 6^th grader. He wasn’t the coolest kid in school either so he would get picked on from time-to-time. Here and there I would try to stick up for him but he pretty much kept to himself.

            One day we were crossing Main St. which is the largest intersection on the way to school. It is a very busy street in Binghamton no matter what time of day it was. There were two parts to crossing, first over a one-way onto an island, and then across Main St. We were standing on the island waiting for our chance to run across when I found mine and jetted across. I was still jogging slightly when I looked and seen Jason still standing on the island. I kept walking for a few more moments, and when I looked back for the second time he was gone.

            I didn’t understand how he could have disappeared so I turned and began walking back towards the intersection. There was a trust and savings bank on the corner so I couldn’t see to the right. Suddenly I heard a commotion and saw people running down the street. When I got back to the corner I saw Jason lying in the road about 20 yards away with a woman with a long coat standing over top on him screaming. He was unconscious and not moving, his book bag was still attached. A young man probably in his mid-30’s emerged from sh vehicle and ran over in tears. “Oh my god I didn’t even see him!” He began to scream madly at the sky with tears streaming down. “Pleaseeeeee god nooooooo, I’m so sorry nooooooo;” He pleaded. I had never seen a grown-up crying before. He picked Jason’s limp body into his arms and continued.

            Very quickly more and more people began to surround Jason to the point where I couldn’t even see him any longer. A police car pulled up and I could hear an ambulance siren in the distance along with the screaming of several bystanders. Every now and then I would get a glimpse of Jason but he wasn’t moving at all. Suddenly I couldn’t hear anything at all, just a bunch of people running around. I started to walk backwards and considered running home. But, if I ran home nobody at the school would know about Jason. I was so scared and I didn’t know what to do. I turned around and ran to school.

            When I got into the homeroom class I sat down and didn’t say anything. When the teacher took role she asked is anybody had seen Jason, and I began to cry uncontrollably. She took me out into the hall to ask me what was wrong but I could barely speak. I told her that Jason had been hit by a car on the way to school and I think that he might be dead.

            When I got home that night I remember watching the World Series between the Blue jays and the Philles, but all I could think about was Jason. I kept calling his house but nobody would answer. For the next few days I kept calling and calling, praying that he would answer the phone, but nothing.

            A week or so later my teacher told me that Jason was going to be OK, but that he would be out of school for a while. It seemed like about a month had passed before he finally returned to school. To my surprise he seemed physically fine. However, he was not allowed to walk to school anymore. I guess his mother made a stink to the city about crossing guards, but they never put one there. And because we didn’t walk to school together anymore we began to talk to each other less and less. He ended up hanging out with different kids, as did I. The next year he was in my gym class but that was it. I eventually moved back to my mothers house and never seen Jason again.

            I looked him up on facebook to see if he would remember me. I think he did, and we bull-shitted a little bit back and forth. Apparently he lives in Norwich now and has a child of his own. I hope that when the child is old enough he walks them to school, at least until 7^th grade anyways.