CHAPTER 9
BENJI
“They always cook my eggs too soft,” I said to my Dad. We sat in a corner booth at Jenny’s and as usual, Dad gave me a weary look for complaining.
“You should be thankful you have food to eat, Benji,” he said.
“I know, I know, starving children all over the world,” I replied. “But is it too much to ask to get my eggs right?”
“Jim’s old, cut him some slack. And, besides, they’re very busy today,” Mom said.
“Can’t we send them back?” I asked. I hated to complain, and they were right, of course, I was lucky to have food. I’d seen a National Geographic special on cable just last week about childhood hunger around the world, and I felt the guilt, but that didn’t make me hate runny eggs any less.
“Just eat everything else,” Dad said.
I was about to speak up again when the front door opened and the two biggest men I’d ever seen in real life walked in the door. My eyes widened in shock. They were bigger than Thor, bigger than Batman, bigger than The Rock, even.
I wasn’t the only one looking. Everyone’s eyes turned to take them in and when they sat down at the table with the lady I’d seen at school yesterday, my eyes grew even wider. I’d suspected she was Grace, the lady on the phone, but now that she had these two guys with her, a thrill ran through me.
My hands started shaking, and I shoved them between my legs under the table as I watched the men with curious, wide eyes. I wanted Molly to be safe, but these two looked like they’d rip Molly’s dad’s head right off his shoulders. I didn’t want to get in trouble for getting Molly’s father killed.
“Don’t stare, Benjamin, it’s rude,” Mom whispered, nudging me. But I couldn’t help it. They sucked all the air out of the room and it was impossible to tear my eyes away. I watched them talk and laugh with each other and with Jackie, and I wished we were sitting closer so I could hear their conversation, even though I knew eavesdropping was rude, too.
“Do you know who they are, Will?” Mom asked Dad.
“Never seen them before, although the woman was in here yesterday about this time.”
“They’re not from around here, obviously,” Mom said.
“Probably just passing through,” Dad replied.
“You’re right,” she said, turning back to me. “Benjamin, how’s Molly?”
Another pang of guilt pierced my heart as I heard Molly’s name. I’d already told Mom about her arm being broken, and I’d repeated the story that Molly had told everyone, but I was pretty sure Mom knew it was a lie. All I could do was wonder why it was okay for me to lie about that, but if I lied about anything else, I’d be grounded for a month.
Grown-ups sure are confusing sometimes.
They put so much emphasis on ‘telling the truth’ but as soon as they were faced with a truth they didn’t like, then the rules changed. It didn’t make sense to me, just like it didn’t make sense that nobody was helping Molly.
“She’s okay,” I mumbled, my eyes still focused on the group in the booth by the front window. “I drew a picture on her cast.”
“Poor thing,” Dad said. “How long did Dr. Nelson tell her she has to wear the cast?”
“A few weeks, I guess,” I shrugged. I really didn’t want to talk about it, not if I had to keep up the lie. What was the point? I was grateful when Mom started asking Dad about work, and I tuned them out, stealing glances at the two huge men and the pretty lady when they weren’t looking.
A while later, as we were leaving, we walked by their table and I couldn’t help but flash the lady a huge smile. She smiled back and I wondered if she knew I was the one who called her. I wanted to tell her, but that would mean giving away my own secret.
Mom and Dad would never forgive me for getting involved in the Green’s family business, even if it was to save Molly. Dad was Mr. Green’s accountant and he never uttered a bad word about him.
At least not in public. I’d overheard a few hushed conversations between my parents in the privacy of their bedroom and I knew, as Dad had said, that Mr. Green could be ‘a real selfish jerk’.
For some reason, Dad felt some sort of allegiance to him but I hadn’t figured out why just yet. I think it had to do with something that happened when they were younger, in high school, but Dad wouldn’t talk about it at all the one time I’d gotten up the nerve to ask him. In fact, he said, it was best the past stay ‘buried’, whatever that meant.
I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t want to talk about it and when my Dad didn’t want to talk about something, he didn’t talk about it. All I knew now, was that what was going on with Molly was wrong and I wanted so badly for her to get out of there.
Next time, she might not be so lucky to get out with just a broken arm. Next time, it might be a lot worse, just like the nurse at Dr. Nelson’s office had told Josie it could be.
As we pulled out of our parking spot, I watched the woman in the window intently from the backseat.
She watched me through the window and she smiled, giving me a tiny little wave just as we rounded the corner and disappeared from view.