Sticky Note Mystery Chapter One

Chapter One

        ‘Pick a penny up. All day long, you’ll have good luck,’ Banjo thought of the adage as he spotted a penny on the ground and put it in his pocket. Banjo hoped the luck part was genuine. There was one crucial thing he thought about. At least he was about to go home after six months. ‘No more medical center, no more being called a cripple,’ he thought. His mother was definitely late. She should have been there by now, as he glanced at his watch.

Banjo twisted his torso around to get his book out of his backpack. His hand tingled when he put it into his pocket until the penny was gone. He opened his favorite book, which he carried everywhere he went. It was the Melody Carlson Samantha series. He opened his book, and a sticky note was on the cover. ‘I need the penny more than you. I’ll meet you at Grandma Amelia’s farm.’ Banjo wondered how anyone knew about his Grandma Amelia.

It was an excellent, breezy afternoon. A powerful gust of wind blew against Banjo’s face as he sat outside Maple Valley Rehab Center with Nurse Anderson. It wasn’t a pleasant time, which was for sure—six months had passed since the accident happened. Banjo hadn’t seen his father since he ended up in rehab. He felt his father blamed him for ruining his baby, the Triumph 73 classic.

    He turned around and growled at Nurse Anderson, “Let go of my chair. I want to move around. My mother will be here soon.” He growled at her,” He went back to reading his book.

  When the engine of a vehicle didn’t start, he looked up from his book. It was a silver Kia Carnival. A tall man with short blonde hair and green eyes in a Chief of Police uniform stepped out of the driver’s seat. “Hello, son,” it was Banjo’s father. Banjo wasn’t expecting his father to come to get him. This was something unexpected.

“Dad! Where is Mom?” Banjo was amazed to see him there. “Why are you here? Why did you get me?” Banjo knew he was getting a long lecture on the way home. “This is due to me wrecking your car, correct?” Banjo knew that was it.

“This has nothing to do with the car. I’m not mad at you. I forgave you.” Archer told his son as he wheeled him into the Kia Ramp and strapped Banjo into the back of the minivan. “We’ve got a long drive to your Grandma Amelia’s farm. So much has happened since you have been in here.” Archer explained. He buckled himself in, and they were soon on the interstate.

“You want me to trust whatever you say. Not going to happen.” I crashed your Triumph 73, and you are now taking me to Grandma Amelia’s farm. What is wrong? I’m being exiled?” Banjo knew the family was getting rid of him for the wrecked car. Wasn’t it bad enough that he was now in a wheelchair?

“You’re not getting exiled or anything like that. Your grandma needs our help on the farm. We’ve moved to the farm to help her out.” Archer explained everything to his son, who wasn’t willing to listen. “If you’re exiled, the whole family is exiled, too.” Archer chuckled.

“You can’t be serious?” Banjo blasted as he held his stomach. Banjo felt he should have a better relationship with his father. “Dad, how will I get around at the farm?” He had to know what he was going to do at the farm.

“At first, you’ll only be restricted to the farmhouse. We will put down paths allowing you to get around the farm and into the woods.” Archer told his son. “You’ll be able to look after the animals like Jett,” Archer told his son.

“That doesn’t sound as though I’m in exile. I think once the paths are down, I’d want to be able to look after the animals. When I was little, we could mess around with the animals.” Banjo admitted the farm was his favorite place to be and to have fun.

A light breeze whispered through the trees as Archer drove up the long, winding driveway to the farmhouse with a tree on either side. The driveway seemed to have changed from what he remembered. It was littered with trees and shrubs on either side of the long driveway. Banjo knew it had changed from what he remembered from his last visit. Now, everything was different.

“Dad, are you sure this is the right place? These trees are dead. No shrubs or flowers are littering the driveway.” Banjo inquired as he glanced out the window. He knew it was not the farmyard he remembered.

“Yes, this is the right place. I know it’s rundown and needs some tender loving care. It’s for what we’re here.” Archer told his son.

“I’m ready to let Grandma Amelia. I’m ready to help mend her farm the way I remember it. There is much work to get it back to how it was.” Banjo mumbled as his dad opened the minivan doors to see Luna jumping from one leg to another. Banjo was not shocked to see his sister in the van.

“Daddy, get my Banjo out of the minivan. I got plans for my brother now that he is home.” Luna bounced on her feet.

“Hey Luna, I’m glad to see you too. You missed me, huh?” Banjo had creases around his eyes.

Archer wheeled Banjo out slowly and carefully down the ramp of the minivan. He had Luna not be by the ramp. “Luna, careful not to be by the ramp.”

“Can I help Daddy?” Luna asked, eager to help her brother. Banjo was her hero. “I’m older now. I can be his nurse now.” Luna was able to help, as she had a birthday since he was in rehab.

“Luna, you can help a lot. You can help by going to get Mom. She needs to know we’re home.” Archer told his daughter. “Please, sweetheart.

Luna sighed as she rushed into the house to find her mom. Archer knew, as he took a slight break from his only daughter to give Banjo a rest, and got his son a rest, and settled into the farm.

“Dad, how am I going to get upstairs to the bedrooms?” Banjo turned his torso around to greet his mom.

“Well, hello, sport.” Willow was glad her son was home. “We’re glad you’re home. I have a surprise for you inside the farmhouse. Want to come inside?” Banjo saw the ramp into the farmhouse. He knew they had made some changes for him.

“Need help to get inside?” Archer asked his son. Banjo shook his head. He was going inside on his own. Banjo was in rehab long enough to get into the farmhouse under his own steam.

Banjo wheeled his chair under his own steam. Getting from the minivan to the door took him a considerable amount of time. It was inside the front door where he noticed a yellow sticky note. Banjo wanted to call his brother Jett to notify him. Banjo shook his head as he moved forward to where his mother stood. “Where are we going?” Banjo asked his mother when he saw the door to the den closed. It was unusual.

“This leads to your new bedroom. Open it, son.” Willow moved out of the way so that Banjo could open the door himself.

It had been a while since he opened the door; he was in the chair. He wheeled himself slowly and steadily to the door. Banjo twisted the handle while he pulled on it. “This will not work for a wimp like me.” Banjo knew he’d never be able to pull the door open.

“Want some muscle, brother?” Jett asked as he walked to stand beside his brother.

“Yes, please help me, Jett. I knew you’d spring to my aid.” Banjo grins as wide as a Cheshire cat.

Jett placed his hand over Banjo’s as they worked together and dragged the door. “We did it together.” Jett wheeled his brother into his new bedroom.

“This is my room. It’s a cool room. A little big for one person.” Banjo had to admit it had a few things around the bed to help him get in and out of it. “Thank you, everyone. You all helped in getting me here today.” Banjo was pleased.

“How can I help Banjo, Mommy?”

“You can help me make my bed by getting my clean sheets. Not forgetting me up of a morning out for school.” Banjo told his sister Luna. He knew she couldn’t do much for him.

“Really! I can get you up every morning and out for breakfast.” Luna felt good about the job her brother had given her for every school day.

Luna ran out to the kitchen to tell their Grandma Amelia. “Banjo, thank you for making Luna feel wanted,” Willow told her son. She felt proud of him at that moment.

“She is wanted in my eyes. I won’t be able to reach the sheets or pillowcases in the closets. What she is doing is important to me.” Willow never thought that what Banjo had asked Luna to do was essential to him. Luna could help Banjo with many vital duties, but he could no longer do them since he was in a wheelchair. She never thought of what he couldn’t do anymore.

The accident had taken a lot from her son. He was an active lad at school and around the home. He participated in several sports at school and in the community. Since the accident, his life has undergone significant changes. Was Banjo going to manage life with the change?

It was five in the morning, and Banjo wrestled with his emotions. He hadn’t slept a wink. Above, he heard sounds of movement overhead. Why had he allowed the bullies to ignore his father’s advice about them? His father had told him many times to ignore the bullies. It was hard to ignore them. He ignored bullies ten times your size and when there were more than one or two. Banjo learned taekwondo. He was in a brown belt, and one of the Dragon gangs attended his taekwondo classes. The Dragon Gang is what everyone at school refers to as bullies. The head of the gang was Hunter Foster.

Banjo used his taekwondo on Owen Moore once he got his brown belt. Owen was only a yellow belt. Owen was petrified of Banjo, so he used his taekwondo on him to warn the gang to stop the bullying. It didn’t work at all. The gang bullying got worse after Banjo used his taekwondo on Owen Moore.

That was when Banjo felt he had no other choice but to end his life, as he explained to his father what he did. Archer warned his son never to fight bullies. Banjo felt he had no other choice. He took his father’s car and was going to end his life. The only thing was that he never wanted to die. He had so much to live for in his life. When you’re being bullied, listen to teachers and parents. Banjo never did that. He crashed into the car and survived, resulting in him being in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

“WHY ME? WHY DID THEY TAKE MY LEGS!” growled Banjo, hoping it would wake the rest of the family.

Luna, his little sister, was the first into his room. ” Are you sad, brother?” she asked as she burst into his bedroom.

“No, not sad. I feel like I was stupid for crashing the car. Could use a hug if you want to give your big brother one.” Banjo asked with a tear rolling down his cheek.

Luna rushed to his bed, wrapped her arms around his side, and cuddled her big brother. “I love you, Banjo. Bullies are not very smart; you are.” Luna said as she hugged Banjo.

“Banjo thinks that came from a nine-year-old. It would be best if you thought before you act. You did what you thought was right for you; learn from it. Start afresh from here.” Archer told his son, feeling proud of both Banjo and Luna. “I’m proud of you both.”

“Can I get some privacy now? I need to get dressed for breakfast.” Banjo knew his dad was right. Luna was wise beyond her years. He loved her for being her. She was special.

“Luna, I love you. You are special.” Banjo told her as she left his room.

Banjo pulled on the lever above his head to pull himself up. He swung his legs over the bed and positioned himself in his wheelchair. He was at the dresser within a few moments, and his torso was clothed. Now, he needed help to get his pants on. In this part, he needed help. Whom should he call? Luna and his mother were out of the question.

“Jett, need you in here, please. Dude needs help.” Banjo blasted for help. If he had never come, he would have had to resort to his dad. He didn’t want to do that unless he had.

When Grandma Amelia walked into Banjo’s room, he pulled the top cover from his bed over him. “Grandma Amelia, this is a boy’s room. I’m half naked!” Banjo bellowed at her. “Please, can you leave?” Banjo asked politely.

“Lad, you haven’t got nothing I haven’t seen in my lifetime.” She chuckled. “What do you need?” she asked with a chuckle.

It was breathtaking to watch Banjo and Grandma battle. Jett knew he should help his brother out. He enjoyed the battle between his brother and Grandma Amelia. It was as though they were at war with one another. “Grandma, I’ll help him. He is a little shy about being around adults, I believe.” Jett knew Banjo was going through puberty.

“I had two boys I raised along with your mother. I was raised with nine brothers. I’ve seen more than my fair share of what little boys have below. Grandma Amelia explained to both her grandsons.

“You haven’t seen mine, and you’ll never see it!” Banjo growled. Jett covered his mouth with his hands, trying his hardest not to laugh. He wouldn’t let their mother see his privates.

“Grandma, he’ll be dressed in a matter of seconds.” Jett couldn’t help it as he laughed so hard.

For the first time in ages, Banjo was along with Jett. It felt weird since he’d been away at rehab. Now that he was back with his family, could he and his brother get along? He always had a good relationship with Luna, not with Jett. Glancing at Jett as he went through his closet, he wondered what he would get him to wear. Why had his family put a closet in his room, as he had a disability now? He could never reach it now.

“What is taking you so long? I need a pair of jeans. I’m dressed otherwise.” Banjo told his brother. “Why did they put a closet in this room when I’m a cripple now?” he inquired. He wanted to ask.

“You do not have a disability. You’re disabled, bro. Never use that term. Wasn’t it funny about you and Grandma?” Jett implied as he pulled down a pair of jeans and handed them to Banjo.

“I can get dressed.” Banjo thought it wasn’t funny in the least. Grandma Amelia was intruding on his privacy. “You could’ve waited until grandma left before you laughed at me!” grumbled Banjo.

“You need to be creative. Jett told him. Remember, you did this yourself. Nobody else hurt you.”

“You’re right. I put myself in this thing.” Banjo knew he had taken their father’s car and crashed it into a wall to put himself in a wheelchair. The bullying was never his fault. “The bullying was never my fault. It was yours,” Banjo told him.

“How was the bullying my fault?” Jett was curious about the bullying being his fault.

“His teammates bullied him because he was the team captain and always left them out and hogged the ball in basketball. And ignoring the coach.” Banjo told him.

“Dad is our coach. Why did he say nothing?” Jett asked.

“He did. It bothers me that you didn’t listen to me at mealtimes at home. After games, you never listened, they said.” Banjo told his brother. “We should talk about this another time.” Jett left the room.