What We Remember by Michael Thomas Ford

Author:Michael Thomas Ford
Language: en-us
Format: mobi

CHAPTER 31

1983

James watched as Billy tore out of the room, yelling his head off. Why can’t he just shut up? he thought. He and Celeste were sitting on the couch looking at their mother, who had just informed them that their father was dead. James, ignoring the fact that his little brother had just run from the room in hysterics, began questioning Ada.

“How do you know the letter isn’t a joke?” he asked. “I don’t,” his mother admitted. “And I hope as much as you do that your father comes through that door any minute.” She hesitated. “But I don’t think he will.”

“Why not?” James said.

His mother turned and looked out the window. “I feel it,” she said. When she looked back to him he could see that she was trying not to cry. “It’s just something a wife knows, the same way I would know if one of you was hurt.”

James said nothing, but to himself he thought, Sure you do. And the horoscope is always right, He loved his mother, but sometimes she seemed, well, a little bit dumb. No, not dumb exactly. Naive. That was the word. She believed almost anything you told her. That was why Celeste got away with so much bullshit. It was also why his mother didn’t seem to realize that there was something not right about Billy.

Beside him Celeste had started to cry. Her shoulders hitched as she tried to keep her sobs inside, but she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She opened her mouth and let out a long wail that ended in a series of hiccups. James, embarrassed, moved away from her. His mother came and sat between him and his sister. She put one arm around Celeste and reached out to him with the other, attempting to draw him into her embrace. He stood up, stepping away from the couch and going to stand beside Mr. Derry, who occupied his father’s chair beside the fireplace.

“Have you gone to the police yet?” he asked, speaking to A.J. directly.

“Yes,” the older man said. “They’re handling things from here on out.”

James nodded, as if that satisfied all of his concerns. In reality he had no idea how he felt about the news he’d just received. He didn’t believe it, which made it difficult for him to form any real opinion. He was sure, despite his mother’s confidence in her intuition, that the whole thing was a poorly played joke. Why anyone would do such a thing he didn’t know, but it made more sense than the suggestion that his father had killed himself. That was simply not something he could ever accept. His father was too strong a man to show such cowardice.

“James, you should go after Billy.”

James regarded his mother with confusion. “Why? He can take care of himself.”

“You know how he is,” said his mother. “I don’t want him out there all alone.”

James started to rebut, then felt A.J. Derry’s hand on his arm. “Go on, son,” he said. “Your father would want you to.

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