The Last Election by Kevin Carrigan

Matthias a mug of coffee, which he politely accepted. Clay could not take his eyes off Matthias. He had never known that he had any relatives on his mother’s side. She had never talked about her family. After thanking Mrs. Parks for the coffee, Matthias told a story that held Clay spellbound.
    Matthias Grant was the older brother of Clay’s mother. Matthias and Miriam had been born and raised in Jackson, Michigan, only 45 miles away. They were raised in a loving family by wonderful parents. Matthias described Miriam as a girl who was always full of life. Matthias and Miriam were very close and Matthias watched over her in a very protective way. Miriam knew in her heart that as long as Matthias was around, things would be all right, and Matthias always made sure his little sister was kept safe from the lowlife that never stopped trying to get at her.     
    Matthias took a big swig of his coffee and then paused for a moment. He wanted to remain upbeat as he continued to tell Miriam’s story, but her life had its share of problems as well.
    Miriam had been born prematurely and she had suffered from mild intellectual disabilities all her life. She was easily confused and had attention deficit problems.   She struggled in school year after year, but managed to pass each grade due to the love and support of her teachers and the school system’s special education director. Her decision-making abilities were often hindered by her disability, and she frequently had difficulties interacting with others.  
    Matthias realized that it would do no good to mention Miriam’s mental ailments at this point, so he continued on with his story.
    Matthias left home and joined the US Marine Corps when Miriam was only 16, and was just completing boot camp at Parris Island when he received a frantic call from his father. Miriam had run away. Miriam had left a note saying she had been very depressed since Matthias had gone off to join the Marines. She felt alone and scared, and no longer felt safe in her neighborhood and school. She concluded her note by saying that she loved her parents dearly, but she could no longer stay in Jackson.
    Miriam vanished without a trace. Police searched for weeks but came up empty. Since there was no sign of foul play, they eventually stopped the search. Miriam became nothing more than a sad statistic, another teenage runaway. Her parents were devastated, and Matthias was never able to stop blaming himself for what had happened.
    Matthias then told Mr. Parks and Clay about his service in the Marine Corps, and how he had embarked on a career in law enforcement. It was then that he learned of his sister’s fate. The murder of Miriam Jackson had been splashed across the headlines of every major paper in Southeastern Michigan. When Matthias saw the name Miriam he feared the worst, and with a little help from his friends in the law enforcement community, he sadly discovered that the murdered Miriam Jackson was indeed his long lost sister. Matthias also learned of Miriam’s orphaned son, and without hesitation set out to bring Clay into his family. Matthias’s wife and children gave him their total support.
    Matthias looked at Clay and said, “Clay, you are part of my family and I’ve come to take you home.”
    Mr. Parks and Matthias made arrangements so that Clay could have one more day at the Park residence to gather his belongings, and Matthias would pick him up the following afternoon. “See you tomorrow, Clay,” said Matthias as he walked to the door.
    “See you tomorrow,” Clay replied. After a few seconds he added, “Uncle Matthias.” Matthias smiled and shook his head up and down, knowing that he had made a connection with his nephew.
    At first Clay was nervous about leaving the Parks’ home to live with Matthias, but he soon became very excited about the move. He could feel his mother’s love in Uncle Matthias. He admired his uncle and was eager to meet the rest of the Grant family, especially