returned to work several days later, Janice marched up to him and said, “I want you to come with me down to the medical center.”
“Why, Mama?” Adam said sweetly.
“I want you to take a drug test. You’re an employee here—you need to take one just like the rest of the fellas.”
“I am not on drugs, Mom!”
“Well,” said Janice, “then let’s get this done.”
The following day, after Janice and Larry found out that their son had tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines, Adam was already gone again.
He showed up at Heath’s apartment in Conway and stayed for two days, during which time he told Heath how hard he and Cindy had been partying and that his parents had sent him for a drug test. Heath was shocked—and relieved that Janice and Larry knew what was going on.
For his part Jeff had been concerned that Adam seemed content to stick around Hot Springs crashing high school parties. His concern turned into disbelief when Adam told him during a phone call soon after that he’d begun to shoot up meth and crack because injecting them made the high last longer.
“Cindy showed me how to do it,” Adam said. “We do it for each other. I shoot her up, and she shoots me up.” It had “bonded” them, Adam explained.
When Jeff shared this new development with Heath, Heath decided that Cindy Gravis was not just a loser but “pure evil” as well.
Two weeks after the drug test, Adam returned to the farmhouse. He was repentant and wanted to come home. “It will never happen again, Mama,” he said to Janice. He promised he’d stopped the drugs—he knew they’d been a mistake. That meantsomething to his parents, because as far as they knew, Adam had never broken a promise. They forgave him, but continued to keep a wary eye out for signs of drug usage.
Unbeknownst to Janice and Larry, Adam proceeded to break his promise. He supported his addiction by cleverly stealing from his family, using the All Service Electric account at local supply shops and hardware stores to buy tools and other items he then sold for cash. Soon he was taking credit card checks from Janice’s purse or Larry’s desk, making them out to himself and forging his parents’ signatures for cash or goods that he could sell. Over a month passed before they figured out what he was doing. When they confronted him, he disappeared.
He suddenly reappeared, then disappeared, reappeared, again and again, always weaseling his way back into Janice and Larry’s home and hearts. They allowed it because they were relieved he was alive and because they remembered the pure, sweet boy they’d raised to always do the right thing. They believed that the Adam they knew would eventually decide to kick his addiction in the butt.
This cycle continued well into 1995.
During one of his disappearances, Janice and Larry recruited Shawn and Manda, and together they combed the streets of Hot Springs until they found him—and Cindy—strung out in a “borrowed” All Service Electric truck parked beside a convenience store. Noticing his family, Adam and Cindy got out and walked over.
“Adam, you need to come home,” Janice pleaded through her open window. “You two don’t need to be together. You’re not ever going to get well this way.”
Adam looked at Cindy, put his arm around her, looked at his folks, and said, “Nope.” Staring at the Browns, Janice in particular, Cindy snickered.
“Adam,” Janice said, “you are going nowhere good with her. You come home. Now!”
Cindy pulled away from Adam and leaned in the window. “You don’t hear so well, do you? He said no. He’s staying with me!”
Janice was furious. Never had she spit in someone’s face, but—shaking with anger over what this drug addict had done to her baby—that’s exactly what she did. Jerking away, Cindy wiped at her face and cursed while Adam glared at his mom, a look she hadn’t thought he was even capable of.
Angry and disheartened, the Browns
“Why, Mama?” Adam said sweetly.
“I want you to take a drug test. You’re an employee here—you need to take one just like the rest of the fellas.”
“I am not on drugs, Mom!”
“Well,” said Janice, “then let’s get this done.”
The following day, after Janice and Larry found out that their son had tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines, Adam was already gone again.
He showed up at Heath’s apartment in Conway and stayed for two days, during which time he told Heath how hard he and Cindy had been partying and that his parents had sent him for a drug test. Heath was shocked—and relieved that Janice and Larry knew what was going on.
For his part Jeff had been concerned that Adam seemed content to stick around Hot Springs crashing high school parties. His concern turned into disbelief when Adam told him during a phone call soon after that he’d begun to shoot up meth and crack because injecting them made the high last longer.
“Cindy showed me how to do it,” Adam said. “We do it for each other. I shoot her up, and she shoots me up.” It had “bonded” them, Adam explained.
When Jeff shared this new development with Heath, Heath decided that Cindy Gravis was not just a loser but “pure evil” as well.
Two weeks after the drug test, Adam returned to the farmhouse. He was repentant and wanted to come home. “It will never happen again, Mama,” he said to Janice. He promised he’d stopped the drugs—he knew they’d been a mistake. That meantsomething to his parents, because as far as they knew, Adam had never broken a promise. They forgave him, but continued to keep a wary eye out for signs of drug usage.
Unbeknownst to Janice and Larry, Adam proceeded to break his promise. He supported his addiction by cleverly stealing from his family, using the All Service Electric account at local supply shops and hardware stores to buy tools and other items he then sold for cash. Soon he was taking credit card checks from Janice’s purse or Larry’s desk, making them out to himself and forging his parents’ signatures for cash or goods that he could sell. Over a month passed before they figured out what he was doing. When they confronted him, he disappeared.
He suddenly reappeared, then disappeared, reappeared, again and again, always weaseling his way back into Janice and Larry’s home and hearts. They allowed it because they were relieved he was alive and because they remembered the pure, sweet boy they’d raised to always do the right thing. They believed that the Adam they knew would eventually decide to kick his addiction in the butt.
This cycle continued well into 1995.
During one of his disappearances, Janice and Larry recruited Shawn and Manda, and together they combed the streets of Hot Springs until they found him—and Cindy—strung out in a “borrowed” All Service Electric truck parked beside a convenience store. Noticing his family, Adam and Cindy got out and walked over.
“Adam, you need to come home,” Janice pleaded through her open window. “You two don’t need to be together. You’re not ever going to get well this way.”
Adam looked at Cindy, put his arm around her, looked at his folks, and said, “Nope.” Staring at the Browns, Janice in particular, Cindy snickered.
“Adam,” Janice said, “you are going nowhere good with her. You come home. Now!”
Cindy pulled away from Adam and leaned in the window. “You don’t hear so well, do you? He said no. He’s staying with me!”
Janice was furious. Never had she spit in someone’s face, but—shaking with anger over what this drug addict had done to her baby—that’s exactly what she did. Jerking away, Cindy wiped at her face and cursed while Adam glared at his mom, a look she hadn’t thought he was even capable of.
Angry and disheartened, the Browns
Similar Books
