She scrambled through the kitchen to get two mugs that didn’t match after she put water in a pot to boil for tea. Her hands shook as she did so.
I just sat there in silence.
The minutes moving like hours.
The reality of my home life settling in deeper.
I kept glancing at the back door, wanting out.
I had nowhere to go.
But there was someone I could go look for.
The tea tasted funny.
The old pots and pans gave this metal flavor to everything.
And I was pretty sure the milk had expired.
I casually sipped the tea only twice. Then I just put the mug to my lips and pretended to drink.
Mom all but chugged hers.
From where I sat, I could see the dining room. The white dust from the wall on the floor looked like someone had opened a bag of flour and dumped it.
“It’ll get fixed,” she said. “You know how he is.”
“He’ll sober up and pretend it never happened, Mom.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s okay with you?”
Mom laughed and reached across the table. “Can I tell you a story?”
“Sure.”
“He bought this house because I saw it one time. On our first date.”
“Oh?”
“I swear, Amelia. I swear. There used to be this little Italian restaurant where the laundromat is now. When the owner passed, the restaurant was closed. Anyway, he insisted on taking me there. And we drove by this house. I pointed to it because it was Christmastime and there were lights around the porch and the two upstairs windows. And a plastic Santa next to the chimney. I made a comment about the house. How I wanted a house like that someday. Just a simple house. A simple life. And he remembered that, Amelia. The second this house went up for sale, he bought it. Like… that…” Mom snapped her fingers. She smiled and looked away. “That’s what he did…”
“Years ago, Mom,” I said. “Years ago.”
She nodded. “Yeah. Years ago.”
If he had done what he did to the wall to you, Mom, you wouldn’t be here right now…
My heart ached with the words I wanted to say.
Mom stood up and her chair went flying behind her. “Well, I’m going to bed. You should too. Everything will be okay, Amelia. Fly, baby, fly…”
I nodded. “Always.”
“What’s the new story?”
“Oh, I don’t have-”
“You have to have something. Come on.”
My brain scrambled. “I… uh… well, there’s this one idea. This room with a window, right? But the way out is so steep, this person is trapped. So, she has to find a way out.”
“A person, huh?” Mom asked.
“Well, I don’t know yet.”
“How does she get out?”
Mom was really excited.
I was just making things up as I went along.
“Uh… she just stares down and is afraid. Until she finally just… does it.”
“She climbs down?” she asked.
“Yes. She has the ability and strength to climb down. To freedom.”
“I like that,” she said. “Write it. I want to read it.”
“I will. Goodnight.”
“Fly, baby, fly,” Mom said as she walked away.
I gave her a minute or two to get upstairs.
I wasn’t going to fly.
But I wasn’t going to stay home either.
Chapter 20
Rockin’ It
THEN
(Josh)
“This is for the win, man,” Murph said. “Pick your rock. Make it count.”
Abel stacked up the empty beer bottles on the tree stump.
There was a pile of rocks next to me.
This was how we stayed out of trouble. Which was kind of a lie, because throwing rocks at bottles was just practice for when we needed to throw rocks at windows.
Last week, Nash won.
Tonight he had been eliminated by Murph.
If I broke three of the bottles, I’d win.
And what would I win?
Nothing.
Just the right to brag. And then we’d do it again next week. Get together, drink - because we needed empty bottles to throw rocks at - and have fun.
It sure as hell beat being at home.
And with the nights starting to get comfortable again, I had no reason to go home, ever. I could find my way around, find somewhere to crash or just crash outside. As long as I stayed hidden and the cops didn’t break my balls for being out in public, I was good.
“Take your shot,” Abel called out.
I grabbed the first rock.
Murph liked to go through the rocks.
I eyed the bottles and wound up for my throw.
The rock sailed through the air and hit the bottles so hard, all three broke. They shattered all at once. It was an explosion of glass.
“Damn!” Nash called out. “You did it, man.”
I put my arms up in the air. “Told you I’d win tonight.”