testament for the Bible , Manuel. The things you say are so profound.”
“I— I couldn’t do that, I’m just giving my thoughts and opinions and stuff I’ve read.”
She says, “You don’t need to be so modest.”
Sydney says, “The New New Testament ?”
I laugh.
The bell rings.
I say, “Okay, time for last period.”
Erwin says, as we’re all standing up, “This is our real school. I learn more from you than I ever do in class.”
We go inside. Faye heads to the left and Erwin and Sydney walk on either side of me down the right.
Erwin says, “That was really interesting, Manuel.”
I say, “Thanks Erwin, that means a lot.”
Erwin laughs, “No, thank you, Manuel. See you guys,” and he heads into a classroom.
I stop at my locker and enter my combination. Sydney leans against the locker next to me.
I click open the lock and pull my locker open and say, “What do you have now?”
He says, “Spanish.”
I take out my History book. “Oh, how’s that going?”
“It’s difficult right now, but I’m working at it.”
I close my locker and look at him, “You know you don’t have to act differently for my sake, right?”
“I know that.”
He walks me to my class in silence.
Chapter 25
Mom says, “Where is Manuel?”
I walk out from the study. She’s looking around at the maybe fifteen kids in the house and she looks angry.
I approach and say, “Hello, Mother.”
She says, “What’s going on here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. Who are all these kids?”
“They’re my friends.”
“Who told you you could do this?”
“You did.”
“No I didn’t. When?”
“You said I could have friends over.”
“This isn’t a few friends, this is a party! No, it’s a cult!”
Everyone is staring at us. I say, “Maybe we should go somewhere more private.”
We go upstairs to her bedroom and I close the door behind us.
I say, “You said I could have friends over.”
“So all these kids, they come over every weekend, because I have to go into the office Sundays, and you took advantage of that, and they worship you?”
“They don’t worship me.”
“I saw what was going on.”
“You didn’t see anything.”
“But they all think you’re the messiah, don’t they?”
“No, not all of them.”
“But you want them to.”
“I want everyone to think that.”
“God damn it, Manuel!” She takes a deep breath and lets it out. “How long have you been doing this?”
“What do you mean? You know I’ve been having friends over, you said it was okay.”
“How long have you been having twenty kids over?”
I shrug. “It expanded.”
She says, “You thought you could get away with this because I work late Sundays!”
“We weren’t making messes, so what’s the harm?”
“This isn’t about you making a mess in the house!”
“It’s not? What’s it about?”
“You tell me, what is this about?”
I say, “This is about what it’s about. What life is about.”
“Life is about starting a cult in my house?”
“Our house.”
“I pay for it!”
“It’s not a cult.”
“We’re sending all these kids home and then we’ll talk.”
“Mom!”
“Get rid of them!”
I have a lump in my throat as I gather everyone and tell them that they need to go.
Everyone’s understanding and they leave and I shut the door behind Erwin, the last.
I find Mom in the kitchen, making a sandwich. I sit at the counter.
“Do you want one?” she says.
“No.”
She finishes making it, puts it on a plate, and comes and sits next to me. “This is my fault,” she says.
“No it’s not. What’s your fault?”
“You know I wish you could have had a dad.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is. You always used to ask about him, don’t you want to know what happened?”
“I already figured it out.”
“Figured what out? You found the file?”
“What file? I mean my name. Immanuel. From the Bible , ‘Behold, a
“I— I couldn’t do that, I’m just giving my thoughts and opinions and stuff I’ve read.”
She says, “You don’t need to be so modest.”
Sydney says, “The New New Testament ?”
I laugh.
The bell rings.
I say, “Okay, time for last period.”
Erwin says, as we’re all standing up, “This is our real school. I learn more from you than I ever do in class.”
We go inside. Faye heads to the left and Erwin and Sydney walk on either side of me down the right.
Erwin says, “That was really interesting, Manuel.”
I say, “Thanks Erwin, that means a lot.”
Erwin laughs, “No, thank you, Manuel. See you guys,” and he heads into a classroom.
I stop at my locker and enter my combination. Sydney leans against the locker next to me.
I click open the lock and pull my locker open and say, “What do you have now?”
He says, “Spanish.”
I take out my History book. “Oh, how’s that going?”
“It’s difficult right now, but I’m working at it.”
I close my locker and look at him, “You know you don’t have to act differently for my sake, right?”
“I know that.”
He walks me to my class in silence.
Chapter 25
Mom says, “Where is Manuel?”
I walk out from the study. She’s looking around at the maybe fifteen kids in the house and she looks angry.
I approach and say, “Hello, Mother.”
She says, “What’s going on here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. Who are all these kids?”
“They’re my friends.”
“Who told you you could do this?”
“You did.”
“No I didn’t. When?”
“You said I could have friends over.”
“This isn’t a few friends, this is a party! No, it’s a cult!”
Everyone is staring at us. I say, “Maybe we should go somewhere more private.”
We go upstairs to her bedroom and I close the door behind us.
I say, “You said I could have friends over.”
“So all these kids, they come over every weekend, because I have to go into the office Sundays, and you took advantage of that, and they worship you?”
“They don’t worship me.”
“I saw what was going on.”
“You didn’t see anything.”
“But they all think you’re the messiah, don’t they?”
“No, not all of them.”
“But you want them to.”
“I want everyone to think that.”
“God damn it, Manuel!” She takes a deep breath and lets it out. “How long have you been doing this?”
“What do you mean? You know I’ve been having friends over, you said it was okay.”
“How long have you been having twenty kids over?”
I shrug. “It expanded.”
She says, “You thought you could get away with this because I work late Sundays!”
“We weren’t making messes, so what’s the harm?”
“This isn’t about you making a mess in the house!”
“It’s not? What’s it about?”
“You tell me, what is this about?”
I say, “This is about what it’s about. What life is about.”
“Life is about starting a cult in my house?”
“Our house.”
“I pay for it!”
“It’s not a cult.”
“We’re sending all these kids home and then we’ll talk.”
“Mom!”
“Get rid of them!”
I have a lump in my throat as I gather everyone and tell them that they need to go.
Everyone’s understanding and they leave and I shut the door behind Erwin, the last.
I find Mom in the kitchen, making a sandwich. I sit at the counter.
“Do you want one?” she says.
“No.”
She finishes making it, puts it on a plate, and comes and sits next to me. “This is my fault,” she says.
“No it’s not. What’s your fault?”
“You know I wish you could have had a dad.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is. You always used to ask about him, don’t you want to know what happened?”
“I already figured it out.”
“Figured what out? You found the file?”
“What file? I mean my name. Immanuel. From the Bible , ‘Behold, a
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