The Freedom Writers Diary - Erin Gruwell [79]
When we got home, I walked in the house wondering why there was a lot more cars parked on the street. Everybody was at my house—from my closest relatives to people that I’ve only talked to once or twice. This was the first time since my sister got married that everybody was here. Were they here to see me? When I walked in, everybody started congratulating me! I felt really happy, as though nothing in the world would ever put me down. I wish I had taken pictures for them to see, but they were so excited just listening to me. And all their eyes were looking at me!
I sat in the middle of the living room telling them about my trip. I told them about how amazing the Capitol building was. I mean, I have never seen such beautiful paintings and magnificent sculptures. I described how the Lincoln Memorial was the biggest statue that I’d ever seen. I also told them about the cruise we took up the Potomac River. There was so much food that I ate until I could no longer get up. While I was outside on the deck, waving hello to everyone, it started to rain. But that didn’t stop anybody from having fun! Everybody went inside the boat and started dancing and singing. I also told them how I was hoping that we would get a tour of the White House. But at least I got to see the White House in person, even though it was from behind the front gate.
As I was describing Washington, they had the look of envy in their eyes. Tonight, for the first time in my life, I was the main attraction in my house. Everybody was congratulating me and congratulating my parents for having such a “good,” “smart,” and “fascinating” son. They said I am a role model for the family and hopefully for the world.
Diary 93
Dear Diary,
As I entered the school this morning, still tired from our trip, I noticed that everyone was acting weird, like something crazy happened. There were media vans in front of the school and the first thing I thought to myself was they were there to welcome the Freedom Writers back and to write an article about us. But they weren’t. So, I asked one of my friends, “What the hell happened?” He replied, “You know Jeremy Strohmeyer?” I said, “Yeah, Jeremy ‘Strombocker,’” which is the name we used to call him when we joked around with him. Then my friend said, “Well, Jeremy was arrested.”
Apparently Jeremy had brutally raped and murdered a seven-year-old girl in a Nevada casino. He had taken a Memorial Day weekend trip with a friend, another student at our school, and the friend’s father to Las Vegas. On the way, the father stopped at a casino in Prim, Nevada. While the father gambled, Jeremy and his friend hung out in the arcade. Jeremy began playing tag with the little girl, followed her into the women’s rest-room, where he raped and murdered her in a bathroom stall. The friend with Jeremy was also in the restroom at the time, but he left and did nothing to stop this crime.
At first I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I considered Jeremy an acquaintance because we had been on the same soccer team and we’d see each other around school. How could he possibly do such a thing? The more I heard, the more confused I felt.
Jeremy had a dark side to his personality. He had child pornography on his computer, and he was abusing drugs. This is a lethal combination. Although not an excuse, such things can make a person with such a dark and disturbed side commit acts they may never have if not under their influence.
I saw the media bombarding our campus with questions. We realized pretty quickly that they were not after our story. The Freedom Writers might as well have been on Mars for all the attention we got. It’s ironic that while the Freedom Writers were taking a symbolic stand against violence in our candlelight vigil at the Washington Monument, a murder was being carried out.