anything.
Then I went
outside and called Jin.
"Jack,"
he said, his voice cracking as if my name was his first word of the day.
"You
going to muay thai today?" I asked.
"What day
is it?"
"Friday."
"Yes,"
he said. "You want to come?"
"Yeah,"
I said. “I do.” I desperately needed to get some energy out and the few times
I'd joined him were absolutely exhausting.
"I'll
pick you up on my way."
"I'm
actually at the hospital. Can you swing by here?"
"The
hospital?"
"Yeah."
"Are you
okay?"
"I'm
fine."
"Is it
your Dad?"
I let the
question hang in the air for a second before answering. "Yeah, he had
an accident last night."
"Is he
okay?"
"He's
fine," I said, feeling ashamed that I almost wish he wasn't, that instead
of coming away with nothing but a broken leg he was beat up badly enough that
he might have to take a long hard look at himself. "Unfortunately, my bike
didn't make it out alive so I'm going to need that ride."
"Shit."
"I
know."
"I'm so
sorry, Jack."
"Me too,
Jin," I said. "But would you mind keeping it on the down low for now?
The fewer people that know the better." I looked around. A few nurses were
smoking in front of the hospital doors, but no one was remotely interested in
my conversation.
"Of
course," Jin said. "I understand."
"I'm not
sure yet how much legal trouble he might be in." I ran my hand through my
hair. "Anyway, I'll tell you all about it when you pick me up."
"Okay,"
he said. "See you soon."
I hung up the
phone and looked at it.
If only I’d
called my Mom back before all this happened. Unfortunately, she loved a big
catch up and the two topics she was most interested in were the state of my
Dad's alcoholism and my love life. And it seemed a shame to call her when I had
no good news for her on either front.
But seeing as
how the day was already a disaster, I figured I better let her know what was
going on.
She picked up
on the second ring.
"Hello."
"Hey Mom.
Sorry I didn't call you back sooner."
"Who is
this?"
I rolled my
eyes. "It's Jack, your only son."
"Oh
yeah," she said. "I thought I had a son, but he never called me so I
thought I imagined the whole thing."
I knew that
inspiring guilt was one of her strong suits, but this time she’d be hard pressed
to make me feel any worse than I already did.
"I said I
was sorry, and I'm extra sorry because I can't talk for too long now, but I
just wanted to call so you would know what happened."
"What do
you mean so I would know? Are you okay?"
"I'm
fine," I said. "But Dad's been in an accident."
I could
practically hear her shaking her head on the other end of the phone.
"He's
okay. Just some bruises and a broken leg. He's being looked after in the
hospital.”
"How did
that happe-"
"He
crashed my motorcycle."
"Why was
he riding your mo-"
"Cause he
took it without asking."
"Jesus,
Jack."
"I don't
want you to worry," I said, knowing I was asking the impossible.
"Everything is going to be fine."
"Do you
want me to come out there?"
I smiled for
the first time all morning, grateful for the offer even if she didn't really
mean it. "No," I said. "There's no need. You stay put."
"Are you
sure?" she asked. "I really don't mind."
"I’m sure.
Everything's under control."
"It's
actually better if I kill him, Jack. I've lived a good life, but you're still a
young man. I'd rather they threw me behind bars and-"
"I
appreciate the offer, Mom, but seeing as how he’s just barely managed to avoid
killing himself this time, I'm going to give him one more chance to turn things
around."
"That's
what you always say."
"I
know," I said, Audrey's face flashing through my mind. "But this time
I mean it."
"Are you
sure you don't want me to come out there?" she asked. "Then we could
have a
Then I went
outside and called Jin.
"Jack,"
he said, his voice cracking as if my name was his first word of the day.
"You
going to muay thai today?" I asked.
"What day
is it?"
"Friday."
"Yes,"
he said. "You want to come?"
"Yeah,"
I said. “I do.” I desperately needed to get some energy out and the few times
I'd joined him were absolutely exhausting.
"I'll
pick you up on my way."
"I'm
actually at the hospital. Can you swing by here?"
"The
hospital?"
"Yeah."
"Are you
okay?"
"I'm
fine."
"Is it
your Dad?"
I let the
question hang in the air for a second before answering. "Yeah, he had
an accident last night."
"Is he
okay?"
"He's
fine," I said, feeling ashamed that I almost wish he wasn't, that instead
of coming away with nothing but a broken leg he was beat up badly enough that
he might have to take a long hard look at himself. "Unfortunately, my bike
didn't make it out alive so I'm going to need that ride."
"Shit."
"I
know."
"I'm so
sorry, Jack."
"Me too,
Jin," I said. "But would you mind keeping it on the down low for now?
The fewer people that know the better." I looked around. A few nurses were
smoking in front of the hospital doors, but no one was remotely interested in
my conversation.
"Of
course," Jin said. "I understand."
"I'm not
sure yet how much legal trouble he might be in." I ran my hand through my
hair. "Anyway, I'll tell you all about it when you pick me up."
"Okay,"
he said. "See you soon."
I hung up the
phone and looked at it.
If only I’d
called my Mom back before all this happened. Unfortunately, she loved a big
catch up and the two topics she was most interested in were the state of my
Dad's alcoholism and my love life. And it seemed a shame to call her when I had
no good news for her on either front.
But seeing as
how the day was already a disaster, I figured I better let her know what was
going on.
She picked up
on the second ring.
"Hello."
"Hey Mom.
Sorry I didn't call you back sooner."
"Who is
this?"
I rolled my
eyes. "It's Jack, your only son."
"Oh
yeah," she said. "I thought I had a son, but he never called me so I
thought I imagined the whole thing."
I knew that
inspiring guilt was one of her strong suits, but this time she’d be hard pressed
to make me feel any worse than I already did.
"I said I
was sorry, and I'm extra sorry because I can't talk for too long now, but I
just wanted to call so you would know what happened."
"What do
you mean so I would know? Are you okay?"
"I'm
fine," I said. "But Dad's been in an accident."
I could
practically hear her shaking her head on the other end of the phone.
"He's
okay. Just some bruises and a broken leg. He's being looked after in the
hospital.”
"How did
that happe-"
"He
crashed my motorcycle."
"Why was
he riding your mo-"
"Cause he
took it without asking."
"Jesus,
Jack."
"I don't
want you to worry," I said, knowing I was asking the impossible.
"Everything is going to be fine."
"Do you
want me to come out there?"
I smiled for
the first time all morning, grateful for the offer even if she didn't really
mean it. "No," I said. "There's no need. You stay put."
"Are you
sure?" she asked. "I really don't mind."
"I’m sure.
Everything's under control."
"It's
actually better if I kill him, Jack. I've lived a good life, but you're still a
young man. I'd rather they threw me behind bars and-"
"I
appreciate the offer, Mom, but seeing as how he’s just barely managed to avoid
killing himself this time, I'm going to give him one more chance to turn things
around."
"That's
what you always say."
"I
know," I said, Audrey's face flashing through my mind. "But this time
I mean it."
"Are you
sure you don't want me to come out there?" she asked. "Then we could
have a
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