NICKERSON — In the hallways, he blends in with other students.
They joke and talk with him as he walks by their lockers. He jokes back and smiles. By all outward appearances, Burt Smith is another 17-year-old student at Nickerson High School, about 10 miles northwest of Hutchinson.
But Burt's brown, weary eyes tell a different tale.
A tale of someone forced to age overnight. Of someone who lost his father, his sole caretaker. Of someone who works full-time to pay bills that are unsympathetic to tragedy, endless reminders of his father's absence and his newfound responsibilities.
"A lot of responsibility," Burt said, describing his life. "It's hectic. I'm always busy. ... I hate to say it, but there's no more time for playing around. It's time to take on responsibility and to really grow up."
Wishes
He wishes he had started working two jobs earlier. If only he had known, he says.
He recalls Jan. 24, the day his father entered the hospital. He woke up early that Saturday morning to get ready for work. His father, a 66-year-old who suffered from emphysema, wasn't feeling well.
"I told him if he needed anything to call me. I had my cell phone on," Burt said. "I never did hear from him since."
Between his two jobs at Osco Drug and Teleperformance USA, he called home to check on his father. No answer. Around 7 p.m., he received a call from the Intensive Care Unit at Hutchinson Hospital.
| Donations for Burt Smith can be sent to: Nickerson High School, 305 S. Nickerson St., Nickerson 67561-9276; or Peoples Bank and Trust, 76 N. Nickerson St., Nickerson 67561-9086 |
His father, Billy, had pneumonia in one of his lungs and his blood pressure had dropped. They couldn't save him, even with the most powerful drugs.
That cold Sunday night, on Jan. 25, his father died.
And Burt became an adult. No more school activities and days filled with leisure. He had to decide where to live, whom to give legal guardianship to, and when and where to have a funeral.
His father left behind no will and little life insurance. Billy was just two months from obtaining full life-insurance benefits when he died. What little was received, about $450, went to Billy's brother, Sam Smith, the primary beneficiary.
The brother helped pay half the funeral costs, but Burt must pay the rest, he said. He has also assumed his father's house and car payments, so they won't be repossessed. Right now, he says, he owes more than $10,000. That doesn't include monthly gas and electric bills.
In four to six months, once everything passes through the courts, he can sell his father's cars and make some money. But the bills keep coming.
Sudden responsibilities
He's a typical teenager who all of a sudden had the responsibilities of a man thrown on him, said Ann Richardson, who works at Nickerson High School.
She and other school employees set up a fund to help Burt pay bills, Richardson said. They want Burt to finish high school and to attend Hutchinson Community College, where he wants to study welding.
But if he can't pay the bills, she doubts college will be possible. Relatives are unable to provide financial support, and he hasn't heard from his mother in years, he said.
Burt already works 38 hours a week at his two jobs after attending school all day. Tuesdays, his only day off from both jobs, he completes his homework at Nickerson's after-school program.
As a senior, his goal is to graduate.
"It's what I want to do," he said.
The school and his church, Apostolic Faith Tabernacle in Nickerson, have rallied around him.
Administrators, teachers, secretaries and custodians have offered to house him, feed him and even pay some graduation costs. Student groups have donated to his fund.
His pastor is acting as his legal guardian, while he lives with his friend, 32-year-old Orva Beechy from church.
"For a 17-year-old kid, he's made decisions in the past two weeks that most 35- to 40-year-olds haven't made in a lifetime," Beechy said.
He can tell that Billy's death is starting to sink in. Until recently, Burt was so busy making decisions and funeral arrangements, there wasn't much time for grieving. But now, Beechy said, he can see its effects wearing on Burt.
Billy and Burt loved traveling together and would venture off about two to three times a year. They would talk about Billy's childhood and growing up. They were special times, Burt said.
When he turns 18 in April, Burt hopes he can move back into the small, two-bedroom home that he once shared with his dad.
But first, he must pay the bills.
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