you.”
When they finish eating, Ma washes the dishes while I dry. She tells me Bird’s not fit to live on his own, but he won’t go to a facility. She tried to take him once and he spit on the nurses and broke a television set. “I asked around and heard about these two living here with an older brother. Bird gets a disability cheque every month, so I told the man we could pay a little rent and I’d help out with the cleaning and meals. Bird moved in the next week and the brother said he was going on a fishing trip. That’s the last we seen of him.” Ma dabs the cloth on some soup spills. “I stayed here for a little while, but then I had to move to the trailer after Poppy took off. Now I go back and forth all the damn day trying to keep everyone fed.”
I hear a loud noise and poke my head in the other room. Winnie-the-Pooh has a hold of Bird’s wheelchair handles, trying to dump him out onto the floor. I tell Ma and she takes her time finishing the dishes before going to break it up. She comes back in with a Game Boy device in her hand.
“I’m taking this away from them for good. It’s a fight in a can.” She shows me the video screen. “See these bars falling down? You got to move them around real fast to make them fit together before the next ones come.” She keeps demonstrating until I ask if it’s time to leave.
When we’re finally outside, I take a big breath of air and walk away as fast as I can.
“Why didn’t you warn me, Ma?” I yell. “What the hell happened to him?”
“He got jumped. Lost the use of his legs and half his brain. Some days I think he’s better off. The way he was going, someone would’ve killed him by now.”
“Who jumped him?”
“It started right after we moved here, some pissing contest. There was probably a woman involved, ‘cause you know there always is. Bird was getting even with somebody every other month. Now he’s fine most of the time, except for when the cards come out. He gets a temper when he can’t keep the rules straight. I just feel bad about his little girls. Their mother took them away out west after he got out of the hospital. Every once in a while he’ll ask where they are, but mostly he forgets about them, which is best for everybody.”
“How is that best for
any
body?”
She doesn’t have an answer. “It’s a hard life, Tabby. I always blamed your father for everything, but it’s been just as bad with him gone.”
“Should I even ask about Jackie?”
“Jackie’s around. He’s hell-bent on finding out who did this to Bird. But he’s doing all right, works construction, don’t even smoke no more. His girlfriend says he watches fishing shows and goes to bed early most nights.”
“Can I call him?”
“Of course.”
“He doesn’t speak through a voice box or have a glass eye or anything?”
“Well.”
“What?”
“He’s about to become a father.”
“Jesus. You scared me.”
“You don’t think that’s scary?”
B EFORE I SETTLE IN ON THE SOFA FOR THE NIGHT, I GIVE West a call from the telephone in the kitchen.
“I’m going to go see my other brother, Jackie, tomorrow night,” I whisper. “If you don’t need your truck right away.”
“I guess not.”
I fiddle with the mustard-coloured phone cord. “I lied. I never drove a Mustang.”
“Mustangs aren’t that great.”
“I have a five-year-old niece, Janis. She likes your name.”
“Oh yeah?”
I try to think of what to say next. “Your voice sounds good on the phone. Just like angel food cake.”
“Angel food cake does sound good. Maybe that’s for dessert after my roast.”
3
I T’S TEN MILES TO J ACKIE’S. H E’S THROWING A PARTY TO welcome me. When I pull up, all his friends turn and wave. I get out of the truck and Jackie leaps down from the deck. He takes his cap off like we’re in church or something. The black hair plastered to his forehead is still thick and shiny as ever. Ma used to say Jackie stole all the good genes,
When they finish eating, Ma washes the dishes while I dry. She tells me Bird’s not fit to live on his own, but he won’t go to a facility. She tried to take him once and he spit on the nurses and broke a television set. “I asked around and heard about these two living here with an older brother. Bird gets a disability cheque every month, so I told the man we could pay a little rent and I’d help out with the cleaning and meals. Bird moved in the next week and the brother said he was going on a fishing trip. That’s the last we seen of him.” Ma dabs the cloth on some soup spills. “I stayed here for a little while, but then I had to move to the trailer after Poppy took off. Now I go back and forth all the damn day trying to keep everyone fed.”
I hear a loud noise and poke my head in the other room. Winnie-the-Pooh has a hold of Bird’s wheelchair handles, trying to dump him out onto the floor. I tell Ma and she takes her time finishing the dishes before going to break it up. She comes back in with a Game Boy device in her hand.
“I’m taking this away from them for good. It’s a fight in a can.” She shows me the video screen. “See these bars falling down? You got to move them around real fast to make them fit together before the next ones come.” She keeps demonstrating until I ask if it’s time to leave.
When we’re finally outside, I take a big breath of air and walk away as fast as I can.
“Why didn’t you warn me, Ma?” I yell. “What the hell happened to him?”
“He got jumped. Lost the use of his legs and half his brain. Some days I think he’s better off. The way he was going, someone would’ve killed him by now.”
“Who jumped him?”
“It started right after we moved here, some pissing contest. There was probably a woman involved, ‘cause you know there always is. Bird was getting even with somebody every other month. Now he’s fine most of the time, except for when the cards come out. He gets a temper when he can’t keep the rules straight. I just feel bad about his little girls. Their mother took them away out west after he got out of the hospital. Every once in a while he’ll ask where they are, but mostly he forgets about them, which is best for everybody.”
“How is that best for
any
body?”
She doesn’t have an answer. “It’s a hard life, Tabby. I always blamed your father for everything, but it’s been just as bad with him gone.”
“Should I even ask about Jackie?”
“Jackie’s around. He’s hell-bent on finding out who did this to Bird. But he’s doing all right, works construction, don’t even smoke no more. His girlfriend says he watches fishing shows and goes to bed early most nights.”
“Can I call him?”
“Of course.”
“He doesn’t speak through a voice box or have a glass eye or anything?”
“Well.”
“What?”
“He’s about to become a father.”
“Jesus. You scared me.”
“You don’t think that’s scary?”
B EFORE I SETTLE IN ON THE SOFA FOR THE NIGHT, I GIVE West a call from the telephone in the kitchen.
“I’m going to go see my other brother, Jackie, tomorrow night,” I whisper. “If you don’t need your truck right away.”
“I guess not.”
I fiddle with the mustard-coloured phone cord. “I lied. I never drove a Mustang.”
“Mustangs aren’t that great.”
“I have a five-year-old niece, Janis. She likes your name.”
“Oh yeah?”
I try to think of what to say next. “Your voice sounds good on the phone. Just like angel food cake.”
“Angel food cake does sound good. Maybe that’s for dessert after my roast.”
3
I T’S TEN MILES TO J ACKIE’S. H E’S THROWING A PARTY TO welcome me. When I pull up, all his friends turn and wave. I get out of the truck and Jackie leaps down from the deck. He takes his cap off like we’re in church or something. The black hair plastered to his forehead is still thick and shiny as ever. Ma used to say Jackie stole all the good genes,
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