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Prologue
Wednesday afternoon. I came in, and as I shoved my apartment key back into my backpack pouch, I shouted out, “Mom! I'm Hoooome!”
The house echoed.
“Mom??”
More echoes.
I would not cry.Notcry. Notcry.
I went to Mom's bedroom. Her bed was a mess. Exactly the same mess as this morning. Same as yesterday.
Hungry, I went to the kitchen. Opened all the cupboards. Hoping beyond hope.
Opened the fridge. Pretty sure what I'd see. Same as this morning.
I would not cry.
What could I control? It didn't look like I could control anything!
Why does shedothis?
But I stuffed down my fear. Control what I could.
I could do this: I went to the wall phone. I saw the phone number stuck there. I dialed.
“Sammie?! What's wrong?”
I’d never used his number.
“Mom didn't come home Saturday night.”
“WHAT?! Has she been homeat allsince she left for work on Saturday?”
“No.”
I couldn’t help it. My voice broke. “Not at all.”
Davie yelled, “Shepromised!”
He took a deep breath and asked, “What have you been eating? And I will know if you are fibbing!”
“Couple bowls of cold cereal with water on Saturday and Sunday. Only school lunch since Monday.”
I could hear him take a deep breath, trying to control his emotions, “Okay, okay. It’s okay, Sammie. You stay right there, young lady! Jerry and I are on our way! You hear me? We. Are. Coming.”
It wasn't long until both of them stormed into the apartment. Furious looks on their faces.
Not mad at me. Terrifiedforme.
Jerry dropped the bags in his arms and scooped me into his teddy bear hug. Davie dropped the collapsed boxes he had and picked me up to kiss me on the forehead. I could tell there were tears in his eyes. He hugged me longer than he ever had. Tight.
Iwould notcry. Not crying.
Jerry took me by the hand after grabbing the bags again, “Let's put all of your clothes in these bags. Davie’s boxes are for your treasures.”
In no time flat, every possession I had was in a bag or a box and tucked into the trunk of Jerry's old sedan. Davie had grabbed more useful stuff from here and there around the place, but I’d know that only later.
