The Brighton Bullet

By D. Allen “Eb”

Follow the story of John Doman, a gifted young man who will earn the nickname the Brighton Bullet.

Separated from his young mother when he is only four weeks old, the legacy of a modern-day superstar begins, of all places, in an orphanage. Experience the journey of a larger-than-life servant's heart that opens a world of opportunities for him and impacts the lives of those around him.

A duo of challenges will confront the young Doman--one in the form of a street gang leader, the other, a government agent who has no interest in trying to help him. Buoyed by his faith and the hope of someday being reunited with the love of his life, John battles loneliness while forced into a life of seclusion. Of all things, John longs for the day that he can return to an orphanage and reconnect to the only family he has ever known.

John prays continuously for the happiness of those he is closest to, and a miracle. Can he have them both?

In his darkest hour, a close friend will implore him, "Do not lean on your own understanding."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798885408165

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Brighton Bullet

D. Allen aEURoeEbaEUR

ISBN 979-8-88540-815-8 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-816-5 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by D. Allen Eb

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

About the Author

Chapter 1

The North Central Railroad, NCR, was built by the NC Mining Company in 1881 when owned by the Walden family. It served the upper Midwest as a freight and passenger line during the early years hauling lumber, iron ore and transporting workers throughout the region. Capitol City served as the rail line's main hub.

In the late 1880s, heavy snowfall and early spring rain combined to damage sections of the main line. The North Central was forced to close its operations for several days at a time, putting a strain on regional timber and mining operators. Businesses that depended on the NCR began to press their claims, and the Walden family opted to sell their interest in the railroad.

Paul Brighton was a close friend of Fredrick Walden and a successful businessman. He owned a large lumber and stone quarry operation near Capitol City. His holdings would allow his company to complete repairs to the NCR at a fraction of the cost. The two friends agreed on a fair price, and within weeks, the NCR was running again. Both families benefitted from the deal.

The NCR line flourished as Capitol City and other cities in the Midwest grew. By 1920, Paul Brighton was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the Midwest. In addition to the quarry, Brighton started Capitol Can and Bottling Company and used his expanding wealth to acquire large tracts of land west of Capitol City that would one day be the site of thousands of single family homes, commercial centers, and public schools.

Paul Brighton married late in life. Sylvia was ten years younger than Paul when they married in 1909. She came from a prominent family in Kentucky. Sylvia had two passions in her life: children and, thanks largely to her upbringing, thoroughbred racehorses.

Unable to have a family of their own, Paul and Sylvia adopted nine children over the years. Their only challenge for an ever-growing family was providing each child with ample space to grow. In 1922, Paul purchased an eight-hundred-acre tract of land ten miles west of Capitol City. Within months, Sylvia would oversee the construction of a country manor-style home that would accommodate not only the current needs of their household but the needs of a large growing family for years to come. The children ranged in ages from four to seventeen. The new home had to have ample room for their brood now and in the future.

The manor would be enlarged three times in the ensuing decades, but it started at first with twelve thousand square feet and twelve sleeping quarters. The second floor had two rows of five bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. These rooms were flanked on each end by two large suites intended for use by the children, their spouses, and grandchildren. The home had a huge kitchen, a large dining room, a family room, and a great hall for entertaining. The hall had two baby grand pianos in opposite corners. In addition to being loved and well fed, there were only a few requirements to remain in good standing in the Brighton household: each child was expected to go to church on Sunday, do their best in school, and to take piano lessons.

Once the manor at Brighton Hall was completed, Sylvia wasted no time pursuing her other passions. A team of architects was hired to begin drafting plans for a campus-style orphanage. Within five years of completing the manor, Sylvia oversaw the completion of Brighton Hall Children's Home north of the manor. The campus included the development of Academy Hall, a fourteen-room school building complete with a cafetorium. A gymnasium was constructed behind the school, flanked by two dormitories, one for the boys and one for the girls. Over the next fifty years, a baseball field and a multipurpose field would be completed just north of the dorms. Sylvia oversaw the completion of the landscaping for not only the manor but for the campus as well. The manor and the campus facility were showplaces.

In 1928, the Brighton Children's Home officially opened. The Brighton's eldest daughter, Elizabeth, became its first administrator and just in time. In 1929, the stock market crashed, and within a few years, children's homes all over the country filled to capacity. Within a decade of its completion, the Brightons transferred title of the children's home to a governing board of trustees affiliated with the Regional Ministerial Conference.

While the children's home was being constructed, Sylvia was able to devote some time to pursing her other passion. On the south side of the property below the viewshed of the manor, Sylvia was able to fulfill her dream of constructing a training facility and track for racehorses. She oversaw the completion of a 5/8-mile track just north of Route 17, the main thoroughfare east and west of the city. Three twenty-stall horse barns were then built just north of the track, with sleeping quarters for a dozen staff. A small cafeteria was built just along Route 17, where the training staff would eat meals each day. Paul insisted on its location just south of the track. He was a visionary and knew the cafeteria could be something much larger one day.

The Brightons would maintain strong ties with the campus over the years. Paul established the Brighton Foundation, which was responsible for managing a large endowment for the home. In addition to the endowment, the school's ties to hundreds of churches across the country would keep its mission viable. While most institutional facilities had closed over the years as child fostering programs emerged and provided the bulk of orphan care in the country, Brighton Hall remained viable. There was something more than just a large endowment and extended connections with churches across the Midwest. Brighton Hall was just special. Their staff over the years made the difference.

Dr. Ann Simpson, a retired Lutheran bishop, became chief administrator in the 1990s and for ten years, ran the facility with a steady hand and savvy business acumen. During her tenure, enrollment at Brighton fluctuated little. Dr. Ann didn't pursue the position at Brighton for the money. She simply loved children. By the time Dr. Ann began serving at Brighton Hall, the facility seldom took infants. There were some exceptions.

One day her phone rang, and it was a friend of hers from the state's mental health hospital in Capitol City. The unknown future of one of their patients would hamper adoption and fostering options for an infant boy. They weren't sure whether a placement would be for a few weeks, months, or even years. Brighton was believed to be the best option. Four hours later, a nurse from the state hospital and an officer from the state's child welfare bureau met at Brighton Hall with Dr. Ann. A trustee for the home was there to join Dr. Ann in signing documents. The child's mother was not able to give the little boy a name. That job would fall to Dr. Ann.

The baby was asleep during the document signing. It wasn't until Ann was alone with the child that he woke. She would recall years later that she couldn't believe how beautiful the child was. The mother of three and grandmother of seven would describe the baby boy as the most beautiful child she had ever seen. She remembered how difficult it was to give him up to an attendant that day. She would later say that he had the most piercing eyes. They weren't the eyes of a child four weeks old looking back at me. They were the eyes of something or someone who couldn't be of this earth.

She would recall vividly that the little boy reached his hand up and just wanted to keep touching her face.

I couldn't give him up that day. I just couldn't. It was his face and those eyes—remarkable, simply remarkable.

As the boy touched her face, she touched his forehead and prayed a blessing over him. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May his face always shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

As I blessed him, it was as though he was blessing me right back.

With only the name John Doe penciled in on the application certificate, Dr. Ann Simpson had all the start she needed. John Doe became John Doman.

Chapter 2

There is just something about John that separates him from the other boys, particularly those his age. John has green eyes and light brown hair, and is handsome. As a young child, he distinguishes himself with two noticeable features—he is a head taller than most of the kids his age, and he never cries.

During a sudden rainstorm, John is the only child tall enough in the room to help close one of the classroom windows. After getting the window to move in the jamb, it quickly let loose and came crashing down on his finger. John only winces. Once he steps on a nail hidden in a charred board near the edge of the campus fire circle. The most painful of experiences for children at the home would be Sunday afternoons on visitation day. Occasionally, young couples will stroll through campus meeting with mostly the younger children. No couple ever shows an interest in John. Always a head taller, John will think it is because they might think he'll eat too much. Being passed over is painful for many of the younger children, and it was not uncommon to see tears. John will reflect later in life that he got used to rejection and that sometimes he wanted to cry too but didn't. I wanted to be strong for other kids, he'll say. They needed me.

Dr. Susan Streyheim becomes the Home administrator after Dr. Ann retires. It is hard for the younger students to pronounce her last name, so she asks that the children just call her Ms. Susan. After she gets to know John, she will describe him as the most handsome young man she has ever seen in her life, and yet, the most humble. Some of John's teachers will describe him as bashful, while Coach Hill will call him a tad bit backward. To all the faculty and staff and the custodian, Dan Pepper, there is no variance in assessment. John is the most wonderful kid to be around. He is the extra set of hands needed for every job. He is patient with the younger children, and they all grow to depend on him. He helps them fold their laundry and brush their teeth. He is extemely bright and helps everyone with their homework. One of the young female hall monitors will teach John how to braid hair, and in time, he gets good at that too.

During one visitation day, little William cries uncontrollably to Ms. Susan. Ms. Susan, don't let anyone take John away today. I promise I'll be good. John's teaching me to tie my shoes, and he promised to help me with my spelling words next year.

William isn't alone. Christian is fitted with glasses when he is just six months old. John is the only one who knows how to clean them and make them fit just right. Sally Winslow is only three. She tells Ms. Susan that if John ever leaves the home, she will need to go with him. She is going to marry him someday when she gets bigger.

Two years after John arrives at Brighton, the home accepts a young girl whose parents were killed in Africa while on a missions trip. Her name is Amy, and she is just eighteen months old when she enters the Home. Amy is also described as special by the Brighton staff. The daughter of a mixed-race couple, her placement options in Africa would be limited. Because she is beautiful, Amy could have been adopted dozens of times in her early childhood, but she doesn't want to leave Brighton Hall. She has special friends at Brighton, and she is treated like a princess. She foils adoption attempts by acting out in front of a prospective couple. On one occasion it is a fake seizure. Another time it is a tissue hanging from her nose or a pair of pull-up diapers fitted over top of her jeans. Her most successful tactic is to try and bite the hand of anyone she is being introduced to. Amy is motivated. She simply loves her life at Brighton Hall, and at a very early age, she falls in love with a boy.

Amy is also tall for her age. As she gets older, her days will be busy as well. With the needs of so many children pressing together, leaders have to step forward. Amy doesn't mind. If John is described as handsome, Ms. Susan describes Amy's appearance as striking. Unlike John, Amy has a mature confidence about her that carries her in and out of any room. While John is quiet, rarely speaking to anyone unless spoken to, Amy can talk a mile a minute, and she does so with great proficiency. In the coming years, Amy is a lock to become the captain of the school's debate team. Ms. Susan believes that Amy, from an early age, will make a great lawyer someday.

In the fifth grade, John hears an older male student say that he thinks Amy is pretty. John hears no other comment. Quietly, John also believes she is pretty, and in fact, he steals a glance at her whenever he can. John will one day tell friends that at that moment, he knew nothing about love, but there was something about that little girl. He felt compelled to do something, or to at least know more about her. John will one day tell the world that he first noticed Amy in kindergarten while she was in pre-K. He never dared say anything to anyone at that time, as his contemporaries held to the long-standing belief that girls are yucky.

John didn't know Amy's name at that time. He recalls embarrassing himself by asking a classmate what her name is.

What girl you talking about, John? came the question.

He would say, The girl with the curly brown hair and blue eyes. You know, the one with the really pretty blue eyes.

Uh-oh, now he had done it. That was way too much information. Right on cue, the classmate rats him out and runs to whisper in Amy's ear. John tries to look away and focus on the kickball game, hoping the moment will end. He feels flush all over with a queasy feeling in his stomach. He hears a stir behind him and a full chorus of oohs and aahs. He turns, and there standing just three feet away is a set of blue eyes and a really pretty smile that he has thought about often.

Hi, John Doman, my name is Amy Brown. Do you mind if I watch you and your friends play? I won't get in the way.

John can't answer her. He is paralyzed with fear and overwhelmed with embarrassment. He just drops his head and tries to recite the Lord's Prayer to himself.

That's okay, says Amy, I'll just stand over here out of the way and watch you and the others play.

John tries hard to focus on the game. The wave of embarrassment is beginning to pass. He starts feeling warm in a different way. That pretty little girl that he always looks for on the playground knows his name when he didn't know hers.

Three years go by, and after countless glances on the playground, John needs to know something else about Amy. It takes him a week and twenty sheets of coloring paper to get it down just right. It was a note, the longest communication he would have with anyone to this point in his life. It goes something like this:

Amy, this is John Doman in the sixth grade. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me asking you if you have a boyfriend?

That's it. That is all John can handle at the moment. If he were to ever have something with this girl beyond a glance or a smile, he has to know whether or not he has competition. There is no interscholastic mail service at Brighton to rely on. John needs a runner. He calls in a favor. AJ has a little sister who sits near Amy in class. He will get AJ to carry the note, give it to his sister, who, in turn, will give it to Amy.

Not much has changed over the years between boys and girls passing notes in school. Teachers don't like it. John has never written a letter to anyone in his life, one with postage or otherwise. He has no idea that he is breaking a rule.

AJ does his job. He gives John a quick thumbs-up after the lunch recess the following day. It is now John's job to sit back, wait, and become a nervous wreck. The letter isn't that long, and he should get a quick answer. Boys and girls in John and Amy's age group share the same rec hall, and later in the evening after study hour, he will get his answer. Seven o'clock, at the earliest—that is when he will hear.

Maybe at eight thirty, though, he thinks to himself.

He tries hard not to appear nervous. He has no idea whether the act is working or not. He waits and then waits some more. He has to be the last person in the rec hall that night. He has to make an entrance. He has to know that she knows he isn't nervous. Our Father who art in heaven… Within fifteen minutes, his nervousness is gone. He is now just scared to death.

The game boards and puzzles have been distributed. He sees a safe place out of the way next to a table full of pre-K students. They are playing with crayons, and he is able to lean up against the wall. He is having a hard time catching his breath. He looks up, and out of nowhere, Amy appears. She smiles, grabs a crayon off the table, and returns to her seat next to AJ's sister. Perhaps she needs the crayon to send him a letter, he thinks. The next few minutes seem like hours. John has finally caught his breath only to discover that he now can't swallow.

Move, just keep moving, he says to himself. He decides to walk across the room to sign the wait list for ping-pong. He puts his name on the very last line, hoping he won't have to play. Dropping the pencil on the ledge, he then turns and sees Amy take a wide berth around the room to return the crayon. This can't be good, he thinks to himself.

The next few minutes seem like hours. On the bright side, he does manage to regain his ability to swallow. John is looking for something, anything to feel positive about. After all, all he really wanted was to know if Amy has a boyfriend or not. He never noticed her talking to a boy. So why did he even bother asking? What was he going to do if the answer was yes or no?

Ms. Susan enters the room and announces, Cleanup. It is the two-minute warning for the end of rec time.

Ms. Susan, I was the first at my table to put my game back and clean my space. Isn't that good?

Yes, that is very good. You are such a good helper, Grace. You too, Katie.

It is harder for the younger students. They need extra help. Although not the oldest in the group, it is Johnny on the spot. He fills in wherever and whenever he is needed. For John, it is instinctual. K-8 students feel more comfortable in the Green Room. For the senior high school students, it is the Blue Room. There are computers in that room, and they get extra time. Green Room, Blue Room, John isn't thinking about colors. Does Amy have a boyfriend or not?

John is a bit slower this night than usual. And so is Amy. Perhaps he will have to wait another day or so.

Thinking that it will happen on another day, John walks out of Green Room and toward the stairs. Out of the shadow, someone appears. It is Amy. It is the first time he will ever say more than two words to Amy. Geez, you scared me, he says, shaking.

Amy just smiles and looks at John for a few moments. Noticing the watchful eye of Ms. Susan, she smiles again and then just says, No.

John nods, drops his head, and acknowledges Ms. Susan with a quick glance and Amy as well. Okay then, he says, and moves quickly to the stairwell.

Amy follows a few steps behind. John pushes the panic bar to open the door and skips down the steps. John turns left to B Dorm, and Amy swings right for G. John makes it about twenty feet before he turns around. He wants to see Amy one more time before lights out. He can see her standing at the bottom of the steps looking at him as well.

Ms. Susan spends a few minutes at the top of the steps, appearing to be checking to see if the door has locked behind her. At the bottom of the steps, she finds Amy turning from her view of the B Dorm entrance. Ms. Susan slips her keys into her purse and pauses as Amy begins to speak.

Ms. Susan, do you have a minute? I need to tell you something.

Of course, dear. What is it?

Amy pauses. Folding her hands, she takes a deep breath and begins. Ms. Susan, do you mind if I share something with you? It's kind of a secret, and I hope you don't think I'm being silly, but I have to tell you…I mean, I have to tell someone, because I can't keep it a secret anymore.

Of course, sweetheart, I'm flattered that you would trust me with your secret. Do you want to share this with me tonight, or if you would like to think about it some and perhaps you can tell me tomorrow?

Oh no, Ms. Susan, I have to tell you tonight. I need to tell you now…Ms. Susan, oh, Ms. Susan…you know John Doman in the sixth grade?

The same John Doman you spoke with outside the rec hall? replies Ms. Susan.

Yes, Amy replies.

Ms. Susan, before I tell you, I need to know if it's okay. I mean, is it against the rules if I like a boy?

I suppose not, she says.

Oh, thank you, Ms. Susan, for letting me talk with you, and I'm ready to tell you my secret now, Ms. Susan, if that's okay. I want to tell you right this minute. Amy gathers herself, swallows, and takes a deep breath. Ms. Susan, I know that I am young. I have my whole life ahead of me, but I need to tell you instead of someone else who may not understand or may not be able to keep it a secret, because I don't know if I'm allowed to feel this way or not, Ms. Susan.

Dr. Susan Streyheim became an ordained pastor after years of extensive biblical study and countless hours of counseling training. She spent twenty-five years in three different churches and ten years in the missions field overseas. She's met with hundreds of families who grieved the loss of a loved one, counseled dozens of young couples who were getting married and an even larger number who were getting divorced. On this night, Ms. Susan is patient. She knows exactly what she is dealing with in Amy Brown.

Ms. Susan, I'm in love with John Doman. Ms. Susan, I've been in love with him since the first time I ever saw him. Okay, oh my word…Ms. Susan, that's it. That's my secret, and thank you, Ms. Susan. Thank you so much for having this conversation with me.

Good night, Amy. Sweet dreams.

Ms. Susan waits until Amy is safely inside G Dorm. She takes a deep breath and holds it in for a moment. She looks around campus and dwells on her exchange with Amy, one more reminder of why she loves her job so.

John is perfectly content knowing that Amy doesn't have a boyfriend. He has gotten the answer he had hoped for. He will now be able to think about Amy anytime he wants to, and he doesn't have to worry. He has no competition. For him, it is okay to share extended glances on the playground and in the cafeteria. He is perfectly content with the awkward dawdling after rec time so he can be close to her walking down the stairs and out the door. None of this is true for Amy. Her secret is out. She is now exposed and is in a very different place emotionally and needs more.

In John's world, everything is as it should be. He doesn't have to do anything else. After all, he is eleven years old. He desn't know there is a next step. For Amy, it is different. Her days turn into weeks, weeks into months. Although the ball is in John's court, Amy is not content wating. Along the way, she will have practice conversations with John. She will start with the basics—his favorite color, favorite song, food, Bible verse, etc. She will then allow the conversation to go a bit further to include travel, career choices, and kids. If John is going to move this slow, Amy will have to be creative. She is bright and decides that she will find a place in John's life where he can't hide. If there is no visible opportunity for her to seize upon, she will create one. The opening she is looking for comes in the form of a tally judge. Someone will have to keep track of how many push-ups and pull-ups the older boys are doing in the Blue Room. Amy writes the job description so that she is the only one who can do it. Besides, she knows where the staff keeps the extra notepads that will become the official tally sheets.

At Brighton, there is no weight room. David Fisher is a year older than John, and they are close. It is Fish who is responsible for starting the program. Although the older boys call him Fish, the younger kids just called him Tuff. He got the name a few years ago, given his ability to squelch a spat between two or more kids regardless of their size. It is also obvious to every student that he can start and finish a fight whenever he wants to. He is stout and can really hit a baseball.

Hey, Tuff, says one of the pre-K in the room, how can I get arms as big as yours?

Fish drops to the floor and pumps out ten push-ups. He then uses the ledge of the I beam from the ceiling and does ten pull-ups.

Wow…Geez, begins the murmur from the younger kids in the room.

Thus, a tradition is started. John Doman is all in. John is now finishing the eighth grade and is already 6'3", the tallest student at Brighton Hall. All at once, John stops growing up and starts growing out. Within a matter of weeks, Fish has a hard time keeping up with John in their makeshift gym.

Delegating her cleanup assignment to another younger student, Amy is poised to do the boys a favor. Someone needs to keep track of all their efforts. Within two weeks, she has tally sheets made up for nine boys. After a month, both John and Fish need an extra category. After demonstrating they can do 100 push-ups without breaking a sweat, little James and Thomas will be called upon to raise the bar. With John and Fish in the starting position, both of the younger boys will take a seat between the shoulder blades of John and Fish. It is funny at first when the riders fall off their seats. In time, all the boys get better at their balancing acts, and a great time is had by all—especially for Amy. She gets a front-row seat to watch John Doman grow into a man.

During one of his growth spurts, John is a regular in the infirmary. One day, Coach Hill stops by to check on him, and John describes his symptoms. There is no fever or nausea, just some cramping in his stomach area. Coach Hill immediately meets with Ms. Susan, who, in turn, meets with the cafeteria staff. A new portion standard will have to be used for John. He will get two extra milks at each meal, and the staff is instructed to load his plate at meal time. The new treatment works to perfection. John has made his last trip to the infirmary as a patient. Within weeks, John goes from being able to do 125 push-ups to 175, then to 200. He and Fish then start doing push-ups with one arm, and pull-ups become effortless.

If John has grown in Amy's eyes, she has grown in his. One evening John takes a break from the program and instead becomes a coach and cheerleader for the younger participants. That night, he watches others in the room with greater attention, none, however, more than Amy.

God in Heaven, he thinks to himself, she is so pretty. Is that really her sitting there? Is that Amy Brown? She used to just be that pretty girl he thought about all the time, and now it is a whole lot more.

John has not developed his verbal skills much over the years. His English teacher, Mrs. Pratt, would one day say that she had two John Domans in her class—one that struggled to participate and the other, one of the best young writers she had ever taught. She will also add that at times, she would give impromptu writing assignments for nothing more than the joy of reading what John had written.

That night, John does not break with his standard. What he can't speak, he just lays it on with his eyes. He stares at Amy for minutes at a time, only looking away if she begins to feel uncomfortable. Amy notices that she has his undivided attention, and she returns his prolonged stares with a few of her own, followed by a smile. It has taken several years, and it now dawns on John that there needs to be a next step, because summer recess begins tomorrow.

John will not need to be prodded any further. The following morning, a rumor has been spread by some of the students who misinterpret a conversation that wasn't intended for the partially uninformed. It has to do with the thought that some of the students might be placed in a smaller group facility many miles from Brighton Hall. John dismisses the notion at first until he has time to ponder what it might mean for himself and Amy. If he went somewhere, would Amy be part of the group? He tries to control his thoughts, but