In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

12 Pregnant Again When I drove away from Cathy's apartment on the evening of February 8, I started a gradual social and psychological withdrawal from Fremont and Northeast and Cara's life. I called Cathy at the end of February and chatted about work and her daughters and grandchildren. Cara and Steele Bill, she said, were sharing a studio apartment Wendy had just vacated. After Wendy had moved out of the Raytown apartment on 350 Highway, she rented a studio apartment on the east end of The Ave, in Independence. Within two months she tired of living alone and moved into an apartment on the northeast side, withJackie, chubby-faced Robert, and a friend of Jackie's from Alcoholics Anonymous. Nearly four months passed, and I hadn't heard from Cara and didn't call her. If she wanted something, she'd call me. I told myself it was time to stop meddling in her affairs. On June 26 at noon, out ofthe blue, Cara called. She didn't say "hiya" but instead launched into a rapid-fire question-and-answer session about domestic abuse. She asked me what I thought might happen to a guy who beat his girlfriend, but not too severely. Steele Bill had whipped Janet, I knew it. I asked Cara if she was talking about him, and she reluctantly said, "Yeah. But she's a bitch and egged him on and came after him with a stick." Janet, if you recall, is tiny; Steele Bill is six-one. I wasn't sure what to tell Cara and Steele Bill. I asked if he was on probation and if he had prior arrests for domestic abuse. Cara said Steele Bill had once hit Janet ("da bitch deserved it"), but he hadn't been arrested for it. I suggested that, if Janet's injuries weren't serious, if he hadn't used a weapon-a board, for instance, such as the one Wayne had used to beat Poodle-and if he appears in court, and if he is respectful and behaves himself until his court date on August 22, he may receive probation or be court-ordered to attend a domestic violence program. I also said that Steele Bill's fate depends on Missouri laws, KC's procedures in such cases, 202 Pregnant Again 203 the mood of the Jackson County state attorney's office, and the judge's opinion about big boys who beat small girls. I cautioned Steele Bill about in-court behavior and appearance. I told him not to disrespect the judge, to wear a suit and tie, and to forget the gold. I warned him not to lose control and tell the judge to "suck my dick," as Wendy had threatened. Steele Bill said, "No, I won' tell 'im to suck my dick. I'll tell 'im to kiss my ass." In reality, I thought to myself, Steele Bill should be duct-taped and thrown into a closet until retirement age. I bit my tongue. After all, I will return to KC's streets, and given my paranoia over the KCPD, I don't need to feel apprehensive about Steele Bill's behavior toward me. Discretion is the best part of valor, so I took a politically correct middle-road. "Thanks, Mark," Cara said abruptly, as if this had been our first conversation over the 1-800-criminal justice advice hotline. "I gotta jump off dis phone now." Cara had never been comfortable talking about herself, happenings on the street, or just gossip in front of Steele Bill. In a sense, she assumed his shyness. On July 16 in the middle of the afternoon, at 3:30, I was proofreading my manuscript for Dead End Kids and was reading the chapter "Miscarriage" when the phone rang. "Hello," I said, expecting to hear the voice of a student. "Hiya." It was Cara. Trouble, I knew it. "Caramel. How are ya? It's been a long time. You OK?" "Guess what, Mark?" I knew what she'd say. "I'm pregnant." "Really. How far along are you?" "A month. The doctor said a month. I just heard today. Yeah and the nurse said she'd 'splain to me about a-negative blood and why I lost that other baby and 'bout vitamins and all that stuff." Her reference to Drez' child, naturally aborted because of an Rhfactor incompatibility, reminded me of a disturbing time in her young life. Had she kept that child and...

Share