Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley

Author:Betty Culley
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-12-02T16:00:00+00:00

Jonah

I am watching the few live flies

crawl around in the

ceiling lights

when Jonah is wheeled in

through a door in the front

of the courtroom.

There is instant silence

and all heads, even the judge’s,

turn to look at him.

I see what they see—

a skinny teenage boy with

light-brown hair and pale skin,

his head held to the support behind him

with a Velcro strap across his forehead.

A rubbery chest harness

holding his body in place in the chair.

More Velcro holding his feet in place—

in bright white never-used sneakers.

A dent on the right side

of his head.

Vivian pushes the chair

and Johnny wheels the portable O.

I also see what I always see—

my brother Jonah,

as Elinor told Mom,

caught in the belly of the whale.

Jonah’s eyes are wide open.

This is only the second time

he’s left Maddigan

since he came home

from the hospital.

The first time,

his Food Truck hookup

came out

and when the nurses

couldn’t get it back in,

he went by ambulance

to the hospital and back.

Not much of a field trip.

Suddenly,

Jonah’s whole body stiffens

and stretches,

his head twists against its strap,

and his raspy voice sounds out

in the courthouse,

KUH-LAY KUH-LAY KUH-LAY

KUH-LAY KUH-LAY

Jonah looks straight at Clay

and there’s no mistaking

what word he’s saying.

Almost as if he’s being ejected

from his shuttle

at warp speed,

Clay is at Jonah’s side.

Hey, Jonah, how ya doing?

KUH-LAY KUH-LAY

Yeah, Jonah, good to see you, too.

Jonah looks so astounded

to see Clay,

I wonder if he’s been thinking

that whatever happened to him,

worse had happened

to Clay.

Clay’s father stands up

and starts shouting at Clay.

CLAY, CLAY, what are you doing?

CLAY, get back here right now.

At one point,

both Jonah and Clay’s father

are calling Clay’s name

at the same time.

The security officer

is right there next to Jonah.

Another security officer

speaks to the judge.

Mom’s lawyer looks around at the chaos

and whispers to Mom,

but Mom is not paying attention to him.

Even if the word Jonah said is

Kuh-lay

and not Mom,

it shows her

he is in there.

She is staring at Jonah,

and then she is calling him

by his name

for the first time

since the accident.

JO-NAH, JO-NAH, JO-NAH

NO, STOP IT, PLEASE STOP, PLEASE STOP,

Gwen cries out and covers her eyes.

I can’t tell

who she’s talking to—

Jonah, Clay, Clay’s father, or Mom—

because everyone is yelling at once.

I go over to the right side

and stand in front of Gwen

and clap my hands,

GWEN (clap)

GWEN (clap)

IT’S OKAY. (clap)

I know it’s rude

to clap your hands

in someone’s face,

but my hands

are inspired.

Gwen uncovers her eyes.

All right, all right, thank you, Liv, she says,

and lets out a big breath.

I can feel her reaching out to me

like we are meeting

on the invisible line,

then remembering we’re

in the courtroom.

When I turn away from Gwen,

I see that my handclaps

got everyone’s attention,

because they are all

staring at me and

Gwen.

I push my bangs up

and stare back at them.

Clay has a look

of wonder

on his face.

Clay’s father’s face and neck

are red.

Mom turns her face

away.

Even the judge

is staring.

The judge pounds a wooden gavel

on her table

and announces that

everyone gets twenty minutes for

recess.

I want to see counsel in chambers NOW.

She points a finger at Mom’s lawyer

and Clay’s father’s lawyer.

Vivian and Johnny turn Jonah around

and wheel him back through

the door

he came in.

It may not have lasted long,

and definitely didn’t go

according to plan,

but at least Jonah had

his day in court.

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