Up High in the Trees (25 page)

Get in, Katya says to me. She's holding the wagon handle.

Go ahead, says Cass.

I get in the wagon. Cass tucks the blanket under me and wraps it around me tight. Then Katya pulls me down the driveway. The wagon bumps over gravel and that makes the inside of my head buzz. I turn around and look at Cass. She waves.

Don't stay out too long, she says.

Then I hold up my hand that's not in the fake cast and I stick up my middle finger at Cass. I've never stuck up my middle finger at anyone before, but I know what it means and I mean it.

On the way to the white house, Cass and Leo take turns driving. I fall asleep across the backseat and then we're there.

Dad's music is playing too loud. Inside, I have to cover my ears and listen through my hands. The Beatles are singing about a hard day's night.

Leo and Cass follow me upstairs to where Dad's lying on the floor next to his speakers.

Cass turns down the music. What are you doing? Cass asks and Dad sits up.

I'm having a Beatles party, he says.

What? Leo asks.

A Beatles party, says Dad. I'm playing all the songs in order. Some songs I have to listen to more than once, he says, because they're too good.

In order of the American release or the UK release? Leo asks. He wipes his nose with the back of his hand.

American, Dad says.

Oh, Leo says and walks away.

It's Thanksgiving, Cass tells Dad.

I know, says Dad. He lies back down on the floor and folds his arms across his chest.

Shouldn't we make a turkey? Cass asks.

I'm not very hungry, Dad says, whatever you want.

Cass turns the music back up then. The Beatles are singing about how they should've known better.

Come on, says Cass. She grabs my wrist and pulls me downstairs to the kitchen. Leo's already sitting there at the table.

Do you want to have Thanksgiving or not? she asks Leo.

I don't care, he says.

Cass pulls me so that I'm standing in front of her.

Do you care? she asks me.

I shrug.

Let's just go then, Cass says. What's the point?

No, I say, and I run through the house, out the back door. I hide in the shed with the gasoline smell and nothing moving. I hold very still and wait.

We don't have to leave! Leo's voice shouts. Sebby where are you?

In here! I yell.

Leo finds me. Come on, he says, it's freezing.

In the morning, Dad's still having a Beatles party. I lie down on the floor next to him and listen to the song. It's about a girl who comes in through the bathroom window. I know all the words.

The volume is turned down low. Cass made him keep it that way for the night so we could sleep. I reach out and twist the knob. I like to make the music get louder and then softer again, because it sounds like the music is coming closer and then going away. Dad covers his ears. He hates when I do this.

Not now, Sebby, Dad says.

I stop playing with the volume.

What time is it? he asks.

I don't know what time it is now, but when I woke up, the clock in the kitchen said 6:37.

After six-thirty-seven, I tell Dad.

He rolls over onto his side and looks at me.

I've been listening for almost sixteen hours, says Dad. His breath smells bad.

I ask him where the cat is.

Probably under the bed, he says.

Cass is mad at you, I tell him.

Dad puts his heavy arm across my chest. He whispers to me, The party's almost over.

We listen to the song about going back home.

Cass is making soup and I'm helping. We found a red stool under the sink for me to stand on so I can chop the carrots.

Is he ever planning to come downstairs? asks Cass.

He's asleep, I tell her.

I'll wake him up for lunch, Leo says.

Leo's sitting at the kitchen table playing a card game by himself. Last night, he taught me how to play gin rummy and we waited a long time for Cass to come back from the grocery store. She drove all over looking for a turkey, but there weren't any left.

I have to use one of the regular knives to cut the carrots since Cass won't let me use the big knife. It's hard to cut with and I have to keep resting my hand.

We're making birthday soup, like Mother used to make on everyone's birthday, except we don't know what the secret ingredient is. Mother wouldn't tell us until we grew up and had our own kids. Today isn't anyone's birthday, but Cass said that doesn't matter.

What's your favorite Christmas song? Leo asks.

It's too early for Christmas songs, Cass says. She's stirring the soup with one hand and adding salt with the other.

It's just a question, says Leo.

“Little Drummer Boy,” says Cass. You?

“O Holy Night,” Leo says, just for the fall-on-your-knees part.

Yeah, you would like that one, Cass says.

Leo laughs.

I like the song that's about parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, I say.

That's not a Christmas song, says Leo.

I stop chopping the carrots.

But I like listening to it for Christmas, I tell him, it sounds right.

I agree, Cass says and smiles at me.

Dad comes into the kitchen then.

Birthday soup, he says, smells good.

Cass is staying here with us, I tell him.

Sebby, she says, you can't keep your mouth shut for five damn minutes.

Cass pushes on my shoulder and I have to step down off the stool so I don't fall.

Who's going to be with Leo? Dad asks. He sits down at the table.

Leo's shuffling his cards. Jesus, he says, I'm a big boy—I can take care of myself.

I get back up on the stool and keep cutting the carrots.

Want to play rummy? Leo asks.

Sure, says Dad.

It wouldn't even be a problem if we all stayed at home like normal people, Cass says. She takes the carrots from me and dumps them in the soup even though some of the pieces are too big.

I go over to the table and watch Dad and Leo playing cards.

We can deal you into the next round, Leo says.

I don't want to play, I say.

Dad lets me sit on his lap.

Do you know the secret ingredient? I ask him.

The secret ingredient is for growing and being happy and strong.

She never told me either, says Dad.

Leo wakes me up early to say good-bye. I follow him downstairs.

Dad's awake, standing by the door. You're sure you don't want to go out for breakfast first? Dad asks.

I have to get going, says Leo.

Dad and I watch him put on his coat and boots.

Well, Leo says.

I'll walk you out, says Dad.

Me too, I say.

Not dressed like that, Dad tells me.

So I put on my coat and new gray shoes. I can slip my feet in without even untying them.

Then I run out and Leo's sitting in the green car with it already running and the door open. Dad's using the scraper to get the ice off all the windows.

I wish you'd stay with Mrs. Franklin, Dad says.

I'll be fine, says Leo. He gets up and hugs Dad first, then me.

Be good, Leo tells me.

We watch until the green car is gone. I'm holding Dad's cold hand.

Leo gave me his
Guinness Book
, I say.

That was nice of him, says Dad.

We're walking back to the house and he's looking over his shoulder at the driveway where the green car was. I don't know what he's seeing.

You know, I say, there's a parrot named Prudle who knows a thousand words. That's the most words of any bird, I tell him.

He doesn't say anything.

Dad, I say, do you want to go out for breakfast?

I'm sitting by the fireplace, making a list. Yesterday Cass found a Polaroid camera in the closet, and my list is of all the things I want to take a picture of: 1) the cat, 2) the yellow bike, 3) the broken pier, 4) Dad's face.

The doorbell rings and I have to get it because Dad's in the shower and Cass is still sleeping on the cot we set up for her next to my bed.

I open the door just a little bit and see Jackson.

I'm making a list, I tell him.

Jackson's playing with the zipper on his coat, pulling it up and down.

Let me in, he says.

I open the door for him and then go back to the fireplace where my list is. Jackson comes and sits next to me. He takes off his coat and drops it on the floor by our feet.

My mom said to ask if you and your dad will come over for dinner, Jackson says.

I nod yes.

You have to tell your dad, says Jackson. He looks into the fire. We could burn something, he says. What's that? He points at my list.

My list, I tell him. I'm getting a camera.

You don't need it, he says. He grabs my list and throws it in the fire.

We watch the paper crumple up and burn into black.

I can remember the list in my head: 1) the cat, 2) the yellow bike, 3) the broken pier, 4) Dad's face.

Where's your dad? Jackson asks.

I tell him that Dad's in the shower. I listen then and the sound of running water is gone.