Pamucklian for Chocolate

Chapter Thirteen

250 thirteen T he night before Josiah moved into the home of Johnson Davis—his last night in the group home—shortly after dinner , Patrick walked into his and Josiah’s room, inside which Josiah had been sitting alone—Eli Koslowski and Joey Simms, with whom Josiah and Patrick shared the room, having gone, immediately after eating, out to the yard to shoot hoops—and Patrick said to Josiah, “They said you’re leaving tomorrow.” Josiah nodded. “Where are you going?” “With my mother.” “Which mother?” “My other mother.” “Your Earth-mother?” “Yes.” “Where?” “Home. To her home.” “Are you happy about it?” “No.” “Why not?” “I don’t want to go there.” “Don’t go.” “They said I had to.” b.h. james • 251 “What are you gonna do?” “I don’t know.” “You should write a letter,” Patrick said to Josiah. “A letter to your Father. Tell him they are forcing you, against your will, to go back and live with your mother. Say that you really really don’t want to go back, and ask if there is any way, any possibility that you could come and live with him, on Parnuckle. “Say that you really want to see him,” Patrick continued, “and want to develop your relationship, and say that things have been real tough here and you could start your life over, with him. What time do you leave?” “Eleven.” “And ask if he can be here by ten o’clock in the morning to pick you up.” “It won’t work.” “Sure it will. It has to.” “He won’t get it in time.” “Hewill.Youdon’tevenhavetosendit.Youjustwriteitandhe’ll know. It’s like a dormant telepathic link between father and son.” “I don’t know.” “It’ll work. Write it.” “I don’t know.” “Just write it.”    “You must be mistaken,” Johnson Davis said to the man in polo shirt and khakis standing outside his front door. “Josiah has a father . He lives far away.” “Why is she tied up?” the man asked. “Role-playing,” Bree said, repeating Johnson Davis. “Yes, a bit of role-playing,” Johnson Davis said. “Would you mind if I had a look at that letter?” Johnson Davis grabbed at the letter that the man held in his hand. The man pulled the letter out of Johnson Davis’s reach and said, “She seems to be trying to say something. Or to scream.” 252 • parnucklian for chocolate “All part of the role-play,” Johnson Davis said. “Her character is both frightened and indignant.” “I don’t know what’s going on here,” the man said. “I received this letter with this address and I just came to find out what was going on, but now I’m here and I remember her and here’s this kid and I really think I should speak to your wife about this. Could you please untie her?” “Fiancée,” Johnson Davis said. “Excuse me,” the man said. “Fiancée,” Johnson Davis said. “Not wife yet.” “Could you please untie her?” the man repeated. “Again,” Johnson Davis said, “this must be a mistake. I assure you. If you’d allow me to have a look at that letter.” “I’m going to have to insist,” the man said, “that you untie her. I don’t think she should be tied up like that. And I’d like to speak with her.” “Sir,” Johnson Davis said, “if I could just have a look at that letter.” “I think I may need to call the police,” the man said. “The police?” “Yes.” “I’m sure that’s not necessary.” “Look,” the man said, “if this young man is really my son—and, I think, now that I’m here, that he may be—then I have a right to know that, and I have a right to know him. And he has a right to know me. I need to speak to his mother. And she should really be untied. She looks very upset.” “She’s not even his mother,” Bree said to the man. Johnson Davis was about to tell the man that he needed to get off of his property or he—Johnson Davis—would be the one calling the police, and Johnson Davis was also about to tell the man that he had a double-barreled shotgun just inside the door here, when Johnson Davis was interrupted by Josiah, who, as...