A Short Story

I've had enough of the Brophy drama. Changing gears, I'll steer us back to my writing. This is a short story I wrote about a week ago. Enjoy.

Melissa

I sit here with my food and stare at the wall cuz I don’t know how to spend the last hour of my life. I asked for steak, potatoes and a beer. It tastes pretty good. I guess I should reflect. I miss my mama.

I have thirty minutes. I been thinkin a lot about Melissa lately. Melissa was my one chance to turn this all around. She was the only one who ever believed in me. We used to go walkin in the park back in Philly. It would be chilly and I never could afford good heatin at my place, so I took Melissa out for walks. Melissa would make me laugh. I figure I coulda married that girl. No matter how cold it was, I always felt warm around her.

The guard just came by doin his rounds. He gave me a nod. Everyone here knows what I’m in here for. Guards usually treat me well. I don’t give em no guff and they don’t give me no guff neither. I guess I’m down to twenty minutes. I wonder if Melissa knows what’s gonna happen to me. I think she does.

Melissa met me one day at old McGinty’s bar. I usually went there with the construction guys after work. She walked in and the whole bar stopped for just that one moment. That one moment that I can’t get out of my mind.

In prison she never came to see me. Every Thursday I died a little inside when she didn’t come. I guess that’s why today isn’t so bad. My daddy used to say that girls can drive a man crazy. I think my dad knew what he was talkin about. But he loved mama. That’s how I woulda loved Melissa.

Some of the guys in that bar used to say how much they wanted to sleep with Melissa. But they never understood. There’s two types of girls in this world. There are the ones that want you and there’s the one you want. I guess I’m kinda lucky I knew who that was. Maybe some guys go their whole lives stuck with a buncha girls who mean nuthin. Melissa meant something to me.

Ten minutes. I guess maybe I should pray. I don’t know what to say. I pray one day Melissa knows how much I loved her. I hope someone out there misses me. I guess everyone wishes they could go back to one moment in their life.

Melissa one time asked me if I loved her. I dunno what came over me. I couldn’t say nothing. Melissa quickly started talking again after a moment. She musta taken that as a no. God how I wish I could go back and hold her hand and tell her how I felt about her. My hands is startin to shake. Maybe I am a bit scared.

The guard come by again. It’s his last round. Next time is for me. I finished my steak, but I can’t feel anything anymore, it’s like chewing paper. If Melissa was here she’d tell me it’s all gonna be alright. But she ain’t here. I miss my mama. She’d tell me it’d be alright. It’s gonna be alright. Here he come. I love you Melissa.

The New Times and Brophy

This article http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/2005-02-03/news/feature_1.html, regarding Jarrett Maupin should be read by every Brophy student and alumni. In response I sent a letter to the author Jimmy Magahern. It is as follows:

Mr. Magahern,

You apparently have not done your homework. As someone who went to school with Jarrett, perhaps it would have behooved you to mention to your readers he was a Young Republican at Brophy. Even the most amateur reporter would have to think twice about this sudden change of heart.

Or perhaps including facts would have been appropriate in your article instead of broad unfounded generalizations. When mentioning Brophy's "not so zero hate crime tolerance policy" a simple interview with the African-American students who left Brophy for St. Mary's would have brought up a very pertinent case- Drew Foster.

Drew, a white student, was thrown out of Brophy in an altercation involving an African American student, where both sides used racial terms. The African American student received no punishment. But then, broad generalizations are easier aren't they?

Even some cursory research by you could have verified that indeed the student who wrote the "niggler" grafitti was EXPELLED by Mr. KOPAS (when slandering do try and spell people's names correctly). He was readmitted, but only after completing a substantial amount of community service. Also, Jarrett's story of being called a "nigger" by Xavier personnel was never verified and he could never point out who exactly did the name-calling. But that couldn't have been relevant?

Among my minority friends, the number of which I would estimate to be in the 20s, I never heard of racial intolerance at Brophy. If it did occur, those involved were swiftly punished. At at Jesuit high school, which you so ignorantly labeled "elitist," (tell that to the huge population of students on work-study, who work summers mowing lawns to pay for Brophy or the Hispanic community where Brophy students contribute thousands of hours each year in community service or to those with Cystic Fibrosis where Brophy consistently leads Arizona in donations), there is no room for racism.

However at the New Times reporters like you are rewarded for sensationalism. Congratulations on a piece sure to draw attention to a candidate who will be to sure follow in his mentor's footsteps and capitalize on falsehoods. As a former editor of our school's magazine, I am insulted you couldn't uphold a basic tenet of journalism.

Telling the truth.

Sincerely,

Greg Dunaway
Class of 2004

Update: His response is now in the comments section of this post.