Lion's Head Revisited by Jeffrey Round

Author:Jeffrey Round
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dundurn
Published: 2020-01-31T16:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

Things That Go Bump in the Night

DAN KEPT SIGHT of Janice’s car in his rear-view mirror until they reached the 401. After that, he lost them. Eli was silent till they were out of the city. His buzz seemed to be wearing off. His words came slowly, ruminatively.

“You have a kid, right?” he asked, looking over at Dan.

“Yes,” Dan said. “A teenage son. He’s in university now.”

“Did you ever think he wouldn’t get there? Or maybe that you wouldn’t live long enough to see it?”

“Sure,” Dan said. “That sort of thing passes through every parent’s mind, I think. It’s not rational, but you stop and consider it once in a while. Then you move on and trust that it will happen.”

“I think about it all the time.”

“You’ll get there,” Dan said. “And you’ll get Jeremy back.”

“He still won’t go to university. His prognosis isn’t good.” He trailed off and looked out the window. “It’s expensive to treat autism. The government programs are useless. We had to put him in a special school. It costs. A lot.”

“It can’t be easy,” Dan said.

“You know what I think?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s just …” His voice trailed off. After a while he said, “This ransom. We have to do it, right? You’re helpless when a kid needs you. It’s the ultimate love. I was completely selfish before Jeremy, but now it’s as if nothing else matters. Is that how you feel about your son? I mean, still?”

“Still,” Dan said. “No matter what else is happening in my life, I always think of Kedrick.”

“Jeremy’s a beautiful boy. Smart and funny. Once you get to know him, you see that. He responds to you. He really does. And your heart goes out to him. I’d do anything for him.” He paused. “I think sometimes I love him more for his troubles. It breaks my heart to think he’ll never have a normal life.”

“I can understand that.”

“You just want so much for them. You want everything for them.” He took a deep breath. “And Janice too. I sometimes think it’s my fault Jeremy has ASD. Genes, you know? They say there are between two hundred and four hundred genes responsible for the disorder.”

“Chances are only half of them are yours. Does Janice blame you?”

“No, thank god. It’s just my way to take the blame for things. Not smart, I know.” He laughed lightly. “Even back when we were kids, Janice was always a hell-raiser. I used to take the blame for her. She got me in far more trouble than I can remember.”

Silence took over, broken only by the humming of the car.

“What are you going to do about Elroy?” Dan finally asked. “To pay him off?”

Eli sighed. “Jesus — he threatened me with a knife. He said he would cut off my balls and I’d never have another kid. Not that I want to. One’s enough. But I’ve got a plan.” He trailed off again.

Dan looked over to see him slumped against the side of the car, eyes closed.

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