My Name Is Venus Black(15)

Tinker always wanted to be a dad, but for some time now, he’s been secretly worried that his sperm’s no good. None of the girls he ever slept with have gotten pregnant, even though he’s never worn protection and he’s screwed a lot of women over the years. When he has sex, he pictures his sperm like shriveled up little tadpoles with twisted and deformed tails, which bothers him a lot.

By the time his shift is over, Tinker feels like his destiny has become clear to him. If Leo is still at the house across from Jerry, Tinker should rescue him. He and the boy can move to sunny California, and the boy will look up to him like a dad. Besides, Tinker’s never been to California, and his welcome on Jerry’s couch is wearing out, anyway.



It all happens just like he’d hoped, and it’s easy to grab Leo—well, not easy, since the kid doesn’t know his uncle, and you can blame Inez for that. After circling round the alley, he spots the boy playing in a sandbox. He quickly slaps duct tape over his mouth and tapes Leo’s hands together at the wrists—just to be on the safe side.

While Tinker drives, Leo makes moaning sounds, and Tinker feels guilty about the tape—he isn’t an actual kidnapper, after all. And so at the first exit, he pulls off I-5 and takes the tapes off. To see what will happen. In case the kid still goes banshee in the car, he straps him into a rusty seatbelt that’s hard to open or close.

“I want my mom,” Leo wails, crying. “Where’s my mom?”

“Your mom is busy,” Tinker explains.

“I want Venus!”

“Trust me, you don’t want her. She’s dangerous,” he says. “Can you be a good boy and just sit tight in the seatbelt? Later we’ll get some ice cream.” Leo doesn’t say anything, and Tinker takes that as a good sign.

Then he remembers the model car in his pocket he stole from Jerry’s vintage collection—probably worth something. He’d thought of it at the last second and picked out the coolest one. When that is all it takes to make Leo stop screaming for his mother and Venus, Tinker feels like a genius.



* * *



—

LEO WAKES UP in a strange bed with a scratchy cover that is not the right blue. He gets out of bed and looks at his yellow watch. The short line points at the nine. He was supposed to get breakfast when it pointed at the eight. But Venus isn’t here. His mother isn’t here.



He hears the sound of someone in the bathroom. He remembers riding in the car, counting the white stitches, and the man with the orange hair.

When the man comes out of the bathroom, Leo goes in. But after he tinkles, there is not the right soap on the counter. This soap is shaped like a circle. And the sink is not the wrong pink like at home. It’s the right white, though. So he washes his hands.

When he comes out, the man is there. He tries to hand Leo a banana. “Want a banana, kid?” Leo loves bananas. But Venus has to peel it. She cuts it in ten pieces.

When the man keeps trying to hand him the banana, Leo gets angry and makes angry noises. He wants his purple blanket. He wants his mother. He knows she isn’t here, because this is not home. It is different from the wrong place that had the sand.

Everything is wrong.

He goes over to the corner of the room and sits on the floor and begins bumping his head on the wall. When he senses the man coming toward him again, he bumps harder, because he can’t help it. Leo sees the man’s brown shoe right next to him. The man touches his shoulder, and Leo screams, “No touching! No touching!”

“Okay! No touching. I won’t touch you.” The man sets a toy car on the floor. It is the same blue car from yesterday. The man says, “You sure you don’t want the banana, kid? You gotta be hungry.”

Leo ignores the man.

“You’re a real whack job, aren’t you?” says the voice. “Your daddy never told me.”

After a while, the man goes away. Leo reaches for the blue car and spins each wheel, one at a time. Just like at home, he stares into the turning.



* * *



—

AFTER ONE NIGHT in a Motel 6, Tinker is pissed that his brother wasn’t up-front about how bad off his kid was. He can’t quite remember, but last time he visited Ray, didn’t Leo eat food and talk? Plus, he can’t get the kid to stop making these weird noises and rocking and shit.



Talk about conspicuous. Tinker feels proud of himself for knowing that word. Leo is conspicuous, and Tinker is worried about being caught with him. A regular kid would blend in. But what if folks are on the lookout for a baldish kid who is six or seven but acts like he’s two?

And if Leo doesn’t start eating soon, what’s Tinker supposed to do?

Last night, Leo refused to eat any of the snack foods Tinker picked up at a gas station. This morning, he offered Leo a banana, in case he is used to healthy shit. Plus, don’t most kids like bananas?

But Leo wouldn’t even touch it.

On the bright side, Tinker has discovered by testing him that Leo won’t try to run or get away if he’s left in the car. He stays when Tinker says, “Stay.” And he comes when Tinker says, “Come.” On this point, he’s like a well-trained dog, which is a huge relief.

Worst-case scenario—Tinker could always just drop the kid near a hospital or church somewhere. It’s not like Leo could identify him. Or draw a picture of him. Tinker laughs at the thought as he drives down I-5 toward California. He’s never even been to the state, which he would never admit to anyone. He reaches over on the seat to grab the banana. “More for me, kid,” he calls out. He peels it using his teeth while steering with one hand.