COLLEGE DAYS: CASUALTY STRIKES THE OLD CROWD

We all happened to be in the Atlanta area the next day when the news hit. My mother contacted my soul sister, hoping she could somehow cushion the blow for me, knowing I would not take the news well. Janice, the Indian Princess had been found deceased in her North Side Atlanta townhouse, and the autopsy result had shown heroin overdose as the cause of death. My sister carried the news to Alice, and Alice carried the news to Robert and I, who were still together.

Our little band, including my soul sister, and Lawrence, neither of whom actually knew Janice all that well, visited the funeral home to pay our final respects. At the time, my soul sister wanted to organize an anti-drug march, but since most of us were drug users, this would have been difficult to accomplish, and Lawrence knew it. He successfully discouraged Joan from doing so. Following a discussion between Robert Anderson, Mark Redburn, and my brother in law, Lawrence; however, Fat Cat was busted for heroin possession with intent to distribute, and removed from the streets of Clayton County.

We all felt the pain of losing Janice to heroin overdose. Alice attended narcotics anonymous meetings nonstop, Robert and I stayed in bed and made love almost compulsively until I had to return to Statesboro, Mark stayed stoned and drunk too much beer, and Joan and Lawrence organized and set dates for still more anti-war protest marches. The funeral was almost like a reunion of old acquaintances, and I was nothing less than shocked when Ricky May showed up in a Forest Park Police uniform, looking like his heart was broken.

“We really will miss er,” Ricky said after the service was over. “She looked really beautiful in that casket, but what a waste.” His eyes actually looked glazed, his face gloomy.

I had to ask. “How did you manage to become a police officer, with your criminal record?” I knew the timing could have been better, but when would I ever see Ricky again? If I wanted an answer to my question, I’d have to ask it then.

“None of the charges had actually gone to court,” he responded. “I was young, and my mother was on the police force. She pulled some strings to have my charges dropped, and the record expunged. All I had to agree to was not to reapply to enter the armed forces, but Mom was able to get me a position on the Forest Park Police force. I was proud to bust that Fat Cat asshole. I just wish I could have killed the bastard.” Since Fat Cat reportedly died of heroin overdose a few months later in prison, he ended up being just as dead without Ricky having the honor of doing him in.

Two months later, when John, the Indian Princess’ brother, became a casualty of the Viet Nam War, we all attended his funeral at the same church. Nobody saw Janice’s Dad; perhaps he stayed at home drunk. Her Indian named mother stared into space, and spoke to no one. She did not attempt suicide or indulge in substances, legal or otherwise. Life had always been difficult for her, so she continued to live day-to-day much as before. She continued to work at Sun Shine’s Department Store, but people said she looked right through the customers, only going through the motions of being physically or emotionally present on the job.

We were all in a very deep depression. Death was supposed to be for older people. I guess death didn’t discriminate, either. I heard rumors that Janice’s mother believed she had been murdered, rather than dying of drug overdose. Some said the parents consulted a spiritual medium in an attempt to talk to Janice and John. Whatever happened felt pretty pathetic, and none of us were able to shake the reality of it.

CASUALTY STRIKES THE OLD CROWD IS CHAPTER 46 OF UNDERCOVER; TO READ PREVIOUS CHAPTERS, CLICK LINK BELOW:

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