“Thank you,” I told her, and there was a lot of feeling in it.
She turned her eyes to me and her face was gentle.
“Child, you got nothin’ to thank me for. You get a chance to do a good deed, you do it. That way, when you need a good deed done, it’l come back to you. Karma.” I wasn’t certain I wanted to have a discussion about karma at that particular moment and luckily Shirleen didn’t wait for my comment, she stepped aside.
I walked into another dark, smoky, sweat-smel y room.
Dad was alone, sitting at the table, looking dirtier and far more worn down than he had a week ago.
“Dad,” I cal ed.
He looked up, his eyes grew bright and my heart clutched.
Then he caught sight of my careful y closed face, the brightness died and he stood up.
“Princess Jet,” he said, then his gaze went beyond me and his eyes grew bright again, “Lottie!” He looked like he was going to go for her but her body language didn’t invite approach.
I spoke. “You gotta get out of town, Dad. This has got to stop. Mom’s in a safe house and I’m staying with Eddie because it’s too dangerous to be at home. Eddie’s sorting things out but the more trouble you cause, the harder that’s going to be for him. You have to go.”
I sounded calm, cool and col ected.
Inside, I was anything but. I wanted to start bawling. I wanted to stuff him in a car and go on the run with him. I wanted to get him to a Gambler’s Anonymous meeting. I wanted to put my arms around him and have him dance me around, singing Paul McCartney songs. I wanted to ask him why he left Mom, Lottie and me. I wanted to know why he was a bum.
Instead, I stood and stared at him.
“I’m gonna sort it out, Princess Jet. I’m workin’ on it.”
“You aren’t going to sort it out gambling and stealing.
Someone shot at me and someone else wants to rape me.” His lips pressed together.
“That’s not gonna happen, Jet, I’ve got my eye out for Fratel i.”
“Yeah, right,” Lottie mumbled.
I looked over my shoulder at her. She was standing, one foot out, arms crossed on her chest, face angry. The rest of the posse stood behind Lottie, their eyes not on Dad, but on me. Tod gave me an encouraging smile and winked.
I looked back to Dad and saw him try his smooth-it-over smile.
“You girls gotta give me some time. I’l hit it big and I’l take you to the French Riviera.”
Without hesitation, Lottie said, “We’ve heard that before.”
She was right, we had. We’d heard it a lot. I’d just never known what he thought he was going to hit big.
Dad’s face got tight and he threw Lottie an angry look.
“Dad… ” I started.
“Give me time!” he yel ed and both of us jumped.
Dad was a good ole boy, he didn’t yel . Ever.
“I’l sort it out,” he went on, his face getting red. “You don’t know, you don’t f**kin’ get it. I’m gonna come back, but only when I hit it big. Only when you girls and Nancy can be proud of me, when we can live large, like you deserve.” His words hit me like he was pelting me with rocks.
I mean real y, was he crazy? What kind of f**king nonsense was he on about?
I put both hands on my h*ps and leaned forward.