13 Chapter 13

One last week to go, then the party on Saturday and home for two weeks—well, those who had homes to go to and were welcome at them would go home for two weeks. I called the next day, after limping my way to class and taking one of my last few exams.

My father picked up the phone. “Well, son,” he said with just a touch of sidedness, “we’ll be away for the next several weeks—we’re going on a cruise. You know your mother and how she’s always wanted to go, so I said sure, why not. It’s the perfect time to go. The house will be all locked up and watched by the neighborhood watch, and I know you’ll have a safe place to stay there at the college with your little friends.” It sounded like he was performing an act, practicing for a role in an upcoming theatrical with no loudspeaker system.

In fact, he was so loud that Jerome, who was all the way across the room, heard every word. He came over, took the phone away from me, and said into it, “Fuck you,” and then hung up.