Bridegroom Page #8

all the drawers.

She tried to take the computers

that were shane and tom's.

It was just like

shane didn't exist anymore.

- Shane was more than willing

to work with her,

Give her anything she wanted

of tom's,

But it started

to invade his privacy,

And he wouldn't say anything.

Martha would make a comment

about something,

And shane would just stuff

the emotions away,

Like back

when kids would call him names.

- I couldn't

say anything, anyway.

I had no legal right

to stop her.

So, tom's mom was waiting,

along with us,

For the coroner to release

his body.

Due to the circumstances

of the accident,

They had to do an autopsy.

- We started talking

about the funeral.

And she said that,

no, we're all invited.

We could stay at their house.

You know, "come as a family.

We'll just do all this

together. "

- She was very, you know,

"I'm taking my baby home.

You guys are all coming with.

I want you to be there. "

- And then, as the days go on,

She pretty much

quit talking about the funeral

And about us all going

And sharing tom

with everybody back east.

- Tom's mom was in the other room

or even sometimes

Right next to me

making the funeral arrangements

And planning it all out,

and I was not a part of it.

It was like I wasn't there.

It was like I was a ghost.

- She was a mother

who'd just lost her son...

Her 20-something-year-old son...

So there were no expectations

other than grief.

But I didn't think

that she was gonna hurt shane.

I thought that she loved shane.

- The feeling I got was something

was awry,

But nobody could put their

finger on it.

- And then,

that Thursday morning,

Martha was like, "I got to go. "

And shane's like,

"I'll drive you to the airport. "

She's like,

"no, I'll get a taxi. "

- I told her, "I'm not gonna

let you take a taxi. "

I kind of had a feeling

That she knew something

that I didn't know,

That she knew that his body was

gonna be released any moment.

- She was packing

All tom's clothes up that

she was gonna bury him in,

And the jacket

that she wanted to put him in

Was not fitting in the suitcase.

And shane's like,

"it's okay, martha.

I'll just bring it. "

and she was like, "no.

Absolutely not. "

So, maybe looking back now,

It could have been foreshadowing

what could have happened,

That she knew then

That she wasn't gonna let shane

come to the funeral.

- And I dropped her off,

and we hugged.

And I asked her

to please keep me updated

So I know what's happening,

And she promised me

that she would.

But I never

heard from her again.

- She was so grateful

and so loving towards us

For everything that we did

for her son.

She just was crying and

hugging us and holding on to us

And, "I want to be a part

of your life.

I want to come visit. "

It was like

we were bonded with her.

And then,

the next day, she was gone.

- I talked to tom's mom

the day after he died.

And she said, "I'll let you know

As soon as I know

when the funeral is gonna be

So that you can be there. "

Then, it was pretty much

radio silence.

They never called me back

to tell me when it was,

And I was very hurt.

I see the notice

in the newspaper...

Wake is this day.

Funeral is the next day.

I called tom's house to verify,

And, you know, the relative

who answered just said,

"if that's what the paper says,

Then I would probably

go by that. "

- And I personally called back

To different mortuaries

in his hometown

To try to get information,

And nobody would give us

any information.

- So, although I never heard

from martha,

My mom and alex and I,

we all booked our plane tickets.

During our layover,

I received a phone call

from one of tom's relatives.

And she wanted to let me know

That I wasn't welcome

to attend his funeral,

Because, if I do show up,

His uncle and his father

had planned an attack.

And she wanted me to know

That it's for my own safety

that I don't go.

- All I could think of...

"are they gonna shoot him?

Are they gonna kill my son?"

When we got into indiana,

One of tom's best friends

picked us up.

And alex was hysterical.

And the closer we got to knox,

the more hysterical she got.

And she was saying, "I lost tom.

I don't want to lose you, also. "

- I was terrified

That they were gonna come

and pull out a gun on shane.

- I remember him saying

more than once,

"you know,

they're in a lot of pain.

It's not just me

that's going through this,"

And almost arguing for them,

which was maddening.

I mean, I'd be angry...

"you're not gonna do this

to me. "

Nope.

He didn't respond that way.

- We had a secret location

to come up with a plan about,

You know, just kind of staying

out of their way.

And even though I couldn't

be in the church,

Like, I still wanted to be

as close as I could to tom.

You know, just being near

was somehow comforting.

- Once I realized

That shane had been banned

from attending the funeral,

I realized that's why

They weren't telling anybody

when things were.

They basically were keeping

all the information close-hold

So that shane

couldn't get there.

- # in the blink of an eye

# everything has changed

- There were probably

800 people there.

Half of them were there

to support tom,

And the other half

were there to support martha.

- # if I could have

one more day #

# I'd spend it all with you

- The casket was in the middle.

And it was draped

with a culver blanket

And all of his culver

accomplishments,

And his mom was wearing

his culver ring.

I think it was very reflective

of the family

And how they viewed tom,

and not the tom that I knew.

When I got up to martha,

All I could think

in my head was,

"I have to kiss the casket

for shane. "

And I made my way over

to the casket, and I kissed it,

And I whispered, you know,

"shane loves you. "

- The funeral depicted tom

Up until the point where he left

for california, basically.

And the speakers

were all from tom's childhood.

You know, it was his piano teacher

And people from culver.

- I took the flowers

From the bouquet

that the class of 2000 sent,

And I dried them so I could

give those to shane.

And I saved him a program

Because, you know,

he is the love of tom's life.

He at least deserves that.

Unfortunately,

he wasn't mentioned in it.

Families, for literally 30 years,

Can sweep that secret under

the rug until someone dies,

And then you have to really face

the music.

And I think that's what happened

to tom's parents.

They had this great child.

He was smart and talented...

lots of positive things.

But the one positive thing

That they didn't want to brag to

their friends about

Is that tom had

an amazing partner,

'cause they were ashamed.

And so what they did

Is they literally erased it

from the history books

By shutting down

his facebook page,

By disinviting shane

to the funeral,

To not even

mentioning him there,

Which is the most insulting

thing

Anyone could ever do

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes