Bishop's Road (30 page)

Joe Snake is making no progress in his bid to free his wife. She has never complained to the warden about Crazy Rachel's behavior. And no one thinks she looks sick enough that they need to do anything about her situation. Her shot at parole is still a long time coming and if she doesn't like it she never should have pulled the trigger and killed poor Mr. Miflin in the first place. Granted, she's not all there, but guilty nonetheless. Joe Snake is sent on to the next person and the next, in a chain of command that seems ridiculously long to be dealing with one thin woman.

Before Joanie's mother has even hugged her daughter she
searches out the bedroom closet. Grabs the pitiful wardrobe -hangers and all - and runs downstairs. Dumps the works on the living room sofa and stands over the sad shirts and the suit, two pairs of pants. Says quietly, “You bastard. You bastard. Look what you've done to my girl.” And when John opens his mouth as though to speak she whirls around to stare at him. Raises her hands, palms inches from his face, fingers spread and claw-like. Says, “Don't. Don't make a sound.”

John appeals to his father-in-law silently, expecting under-standing. But David Scott smiles and turns away. “He's all yours Caroline. Do with him as you will.” Puts his arm around Joanie and walks her upstairs to the children.

Caroline speaks clearly and low. Almost whispers but there's a roar at the back of her throat. “When Joanie introduced you to us, my skin crawled. Your mouth has slime written all over it, John. Your hair is too neat and you spend too much time sucking up to anyone who has more money than you do. I had hoped you would grow out of it. I had hoped that foanie would be strong enough and good enough to help you become human. I have never interfered with my children's decisions - no matter how disastrous they appear. But when they call for assistance, God help the poor bastard who has wronged them. I want you to leave this house. Find somewhere else to stay. Pack a bag and let us know where you will be and I will forward the rest of your belongings. This is no longer your home. Tell Michael and Beth you have to take a business trip and get out. There is nothing you can say right now that can make any difference other than in helping me to decide whether the rest of the world should know how my daughter has been clothed while she raises your children. Get out. Now.”

Patricia Hartman ignored the invitation to Ginny Mustard's wedding. Home from her visit she managed to put her sister's face away at the back of her mind, where it stays for the most part. When her father showed up out of the blue, having read of his ex-wife's death, she spent a day and a half with him before thinking to mention that he has another daughter. Her mother had done a great job of hiding her second pregnancy, running off before she was five months gone and showing. The man was shocked to learn the news, but only until he remembered other details of his former life and then it all made sense somehow.

Dr. Kamau is very tall and good looking. Sophisticated. Walks like some kind of king. As though the planet belongs to him. He has spent so much of his life poking around in its cultures that perhaps it does. He certainly knows what it has been up to all these years. People stare when he passes and he often smiles at them. A slow smile. Mostly with his eyes and they get the feeling that he likes them. Patricia thought the smile was just for her until they went out together and she saw that he treats everyone the same. It annoys her that she's nothing special. And just when she was thinking of switching her surname back to Kamau, too. Now he wants to visit that other one. Patricia becomes irritated and testy when he asks Virginia's whereabouts. If her father notices that she is very much her mother's daughter, he doesn't say.

His telephone call to the house on Bishop's Road proves fruitless. Mrs. Miflin's number is no longer in service. Patricia won't recall the names of the other women who lived there but Dr. Kamau decides to go visiting anyway.

“Surely you won't show up unannounced, Father. Virginia is not stable and your sudden arrival could cause considerable damage.” She doesn't bother to mention that her sister calls herself
Ginny Mustard. Let him figure that one out on his own.

Dr. Kamau is happy to go alone. He considers asking Patricia if she cares to accompany him on the trek but she has begun to look so much like her mother that the thought of spending any more time with her right now is unbearable. He will drive. Days it will take and the ferry crossing is long but he's on sabbatical with no particular place to be so no matter.

When Maggie and her father arrive at Ginny Mustard's house there's nobody home. Someone left the apartment door unlocked. Most likely the same someone who recently dyed her hair orange and there are spots all over the tub surround. They make themselves at home and Mr. Eldridge gets started on the newspaper to find a place to live. They thought to take a hotel for a few days but they've both had enough of that. Maggie is hoping that Judy doesn't have another roommate and is willing to let her stay. The few odds and ends she left behind are still in plain view and there's no indication that anyone else has moved in. In fact, other than the mess in the bathroom and Judy's unmade bed, it seems no one has been here in months. There's dust all over the place and milk soured solid in the fridge. The unmistakable sound of Judy's footsteps interrupts Maggie's inspection and she braces herself for the worst, which is no less than what she gets when Judy comes tearing into the apartment.

“What the hell are you doing here? You got some nerve showing up now after taking off and leaving me by myself with no one to talk to! Hello Mr. Eldridge. Did you have a nice trip? Don't you dare talk to me Maggs! I am really pissed! That friggin' teacher went and called Patrick and he's probably on his way over here right now to cart me off to the cop shop on account of I
went missing! I practically begged her not to but - no - she had to go and tell on me! So now I've got to get packing again! I don't know where the fuck I'm going either and it's all your fault! If you didn't run off like that I'd still be in school most likely and doing just fine. I don't know how you could be such a bitch, Maggs. I never did anything to you.”

“What are you talking about? Why haven't you been in school? You didn't need me to get you there, you know. There's nothing keeping you from going on your own.”

“Shut up! I told you not to talk to me! I wasn't in school because I took off. To Vancouver, not that it's any of your friggin' business. But I got a job there and made lots of money too. I was modeling, don't you know. It was pretty good as long as I didn't open my mouth. I don't know what's wrong with those upalongs. You'd swear they never heard anyone talk before the way they were all the time asking me to say stuff. Said I had a quaint accent. I'd like to show them friggin' quaint. Made me feel like some sort of retard. And then that creep put the make on me and I had to hit him. They hardly let you eat anything. Especially meat. I never had bacon and eggs the whole time there. And I had to sleep about twenty hours a day so I wouldn't have circles under my eyes. Like, who the hell cares? I tell you, that crowd wouldn't know fun if it up and bit them. They're friggin' crazy so I came home. Now it looks like I have to take off again. I don't want to, Maggs. I want to stay here and have things the way they were before.” And she's crying just a little and her nose is running.

Maggie finds a tissue in her backpack and hands it over. “Maybe if we talk to Patrick. I'm sure we can figure out a way for you to stay out of trouble permanantly this time. I mean, you were working. That shows some initiative. You're obviously good at something.”

“Geez, thanks Maggs. You're making me feel a whole lot better.”

“I didn't mean it to sound that way, Judy. It's just that you've never done anything for money before that wasn't against one law or another, have you.”

Mr. Eldridge has been listening quietly to the conversation. Smiling. “I can speak to Patrick if you like. Or your probation officer. Or both. It must have been difficult to have Margaret leave just when you had become good friends. That would be rough on anyone. Why don't I see what I can do. I'm sure that with a little time and patience we can work this out.”

“Well okay,” says Judy. “Do you want to go and have a swing in the schoolyard Maggs? I think I miss that more than any-thing. Though you're sounding kind of grand compared to what you used to. I suppose you're too good for that sort of thing now, are you?”

“Not likely,” says Maggie and they're off. Mr. Eldridge settles back with his paper to wait for whatever will be.

Sarah has become inquisitive. She wants to know who Peter's father is. Wants the story of Ruth's life from beginning to now. Ruth is none too pleased.

“I knew bloody well you wouldn't be able to leave it alone. You can forget about it right now. I really don't feel like airing my laundry in front of you, if you don't mind.” Ruth might as well give up. It's not that Sarah nags. She doesn't have the mouth for it. Not enough lines and she can't make it go all tiny and pinched the way a true nag does but damn it, she is persistent. Last week she showed up at work just as Ruth was taking a break. Wrapped her arm through Ruth's and said, “Why don't I take you to lunch and you can tell me all about Peter's father.” And a couple of nights later she popped by with tickets to a jazz concert. “Let's have a drink first and you can tell me all about Peter's father.”
Another time she invited Ruth to drive with her out to Pottle's Cove. “We can watch for whales while you tell me all about Peter's father.”