Dovetail(16)

“Or it could be a big mistake.”

His father kept on arguing its merits as if Joe hadn’t even spoken. By the end of the conversation, they each knew the other wasn’t going to yield. There was no compromise between allowing an electric current to pass through his brain and leaving his brain just as it was. He did manage to say, “Thanks for telling me your thoughts, Dad. Give Mom and Linda my love.”

“I will. Let me know what you decide to do. I’m open to helping if you change your mind, and if you’re smart, you will.”

He sounded so smug that Joe knew his father was counting on him to have no other options. He’d wait for Joe to call back, asking for forgiveness and saying he’d try the electroconvulsive therapy. What he didn’t know was that Joe would sleep in a ditch before going back to Trendale. It was never going to happen. No way, no how. There had to be a better answer. If it took the rest of his life, he’d find it.

He called Wayne next, catching him right before he was out the door to work. He’d written Wayne a letter shortly after being checked in at Trendale, but that was where they’d last left off. Now he explained everything that had happened since then, including being rescued by the grandmother he’d thought was dead. Wayne listened, fascinated. When Joe asked if there was any way he could get his old job back, Wayne laughed. “You gotta be kidding me, Joe. Do you know how pissed off the boss was when you just didn’t show up? He couldn’t believe you bailed on him after he took a chance hiring you with no experience.”

“Did you explain what happened?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t help. He said he didn’t want some psycho working for him anyway.”

Joe chewed on this for a bit. Being labeled a mental case did not fit with being a good employee. People usually covered up that kind of information. Certainly no one would reveal it to a boss or prospective employer. The part he wanted to explain was that being pulled off to a psychiatric facility was not his idea. Leaving on short notice was not the way he’d have done things. He’d gotten swept up by his father’s insistence and his mom’s worry. He exhaled.

“Okay, so I’ll have to get another job.” Unspoken was that he couldn’t use his old one as a reference, because who knew what they’d say about him? It would be hard to explain the gap in his employment history.

“You’ll find something,” Wayne said. “I’ll ask around. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.” Joe knew he would. Wayne was a great guy and a good friend.

“In the meantime, can I crash on your couch? Just until I get a job? I’ve got some money saved. I can pay you rent.” First, he’d have to get home and make a withdrawal from his bank. But he was good for it. He wouldn’t expect Wayne to let him stay for free.

Wayne cleared his throat. “Stay with me? On the couch. For how long?”

“Just until I get a job, and then I’ll get my own place. Maybe a month?”

“A month.”

“Or maybe less. It’s hard to say. You know I’m a hard worker. I’ll take anything at this point.”

He heard a long pause on Wayne’s end. “See, I don’t think that’s going to work out. I just moved in with Debbie, and our place is tiny, like, really small. And we have her two cats, and the landlord wouldn’t like us having another person here.” His voice trailed off, getting quieter. “And we only have parking for two cars. It’s not that I don’t want to help you out . . .”

Joe got the impression Debbie was lurking in the background, probably frantically shaking her head. He said, “It’s okay. I get it. I just thought I’d ask.”

Wayne wrapped up the conversation quickly. He was sorry, but he had to leave for work. Joe understood.

Then Joe called a few other friends. All of them were glad to hear from him, but none could let him live with them, however temporarily. Ruefully, he realized that he’d spent a small fortune on long-distance calls, all for nothing. He’d have to pay his grandmother back. She would have a coronary when the bill came if he didn’t warn her in advance. Long distance was expensive.

When Pearl arrived, she went straight to the kitchen. She still used the walker but moved a little more quickly today, even setting it aside as she brewed some coffee, then gestured for him to join her at the kitchen table. Sipping from a mug, she made small talk, asking how he’d slept.

“I slept well, thanks,” he said, then got straight to what was on his mind. “I want to hear about this summer job you were talking about last night. What does it involve?”





CHAPTER NINE





1983


This had been her hope all along, but until that moment, she wasn’t sure if he’d go for it. A smile tugged at her lips, but Pearl didn’t let it get too far. She thought about the expression the kids used. Playing it cool. That’s what they called it. Outwardly, she tried to appear cool as a cucumber. Inside, though, she was jumping for joy. Joe was staying for the summer, or at least entertaining the idea.

Pearl said, “Why do you ask? Do you know someone who might be interested?”

“I might be.”

She didn’t let it go at that, instead feigning innocence and asking why the change of heart. “Last night you seemed so certain you’d be going home today.” When he told her of his father’s insistence on electroshock therapy, she was irate on his behalf.