Part 26 (1/2)
The tension has lifted and Isaiah excuses himself, informing Johnny he'll be in the next room.
”Does he stay with you?” I ask. ”Is he your PT or is he a nurse?”
”Both. He's my nurse, but he does therapy with me too.”
”He lives here?”
”No. I think Mom wishes he could though.”
”She could use the help?”
”That. And I think she likes him.”
”That bother you?”
”Nah. I mean, she needs somebody to take out the garbage.” He laughs. Again, Rose isn't getting Johnny's humor. Not that I think he's laughing on the inside though.
”Don't be so quiet, Rose. What's going on?”
”Not much. I hang home most of the time.” She pauses. ”Actually, all of the time.”
”You don't go out.”
”No. To the butcher and back, that's about it.”
”The butcher? You like meat that much?”
This gets her laughing.
”Get this,” I say. ”Her family eats their pets.”
”Oh my G.o.d, we do not. We don't, Johnny, he's just...” She elbows me.
”Do you or do you not own your animals?” I joke.
”Stop.” She laughs.
”Do you or do you not kill these animals and cook them?”
”s.h.i.+t,” Johnny says.
”Johnny, my father's business is raising livestock for the local butchers, restaurants, and markets. It's an organic farm and we don't eat our pets.”
Johnny cracks up. His laugh is accompanied by hacking coughs, but if he could throw his head back in laughter, he would.
The joking continues until finally Johnny says, ”So, Rose, what the h.e.l.l you doin' staying on the farm? Ben says you're a senior. Don't you want to graduate?”
Rose looks at me.
”Hey, we're friends, we talk,” I say, explaining why Rose came up in my conversation with Johnny.
”I don't know,” she tells him.
”You afraid of what people will say?”
She shrugs. ”Maybe.”
”I'm afraid too.”
”You are?”
”But you don't let that hold you back, right, man?” I ask.
”No. I don't let what people think hold me back. I let my own noodle legs do that.”
”That...Hmmm.” Johnny's different. ”I was telling Rose how you're gonna be the next Stephen Hawking. Gonna make millions for your mom, right?”
Johnny's silent for once in his life. Then he starts coughing. When he doesn't stop, I get up and locate the tubes that weren't attached to his chair last time I was here.
”How's this thing work, dude?”
”I don't need the oxygen, Ben.”
”Won't it help your cough?”
”I don't really give a f.u.c.k,” he says between hacks.
”Dude, what's going on? Do you not like Isaiah hanging around?”
”I love Isaiah hanging around. My mother needs him.”
”He's your nurse.”
”But he's a man. Who happens to laugh at all my mother's lame-a.s.s jokes.”
”What's the problem, then?”
”I'm tired. Rose, you got two working legs. You may not have been born with one of them, but they work. Get the f.u.c.k off the farm.”
Rose writhes in her seat and nods.
”Don't give up, dude,” I tell him. ”You sound like you're giving up.”
”Don't worry. I'll still be here next week, next year, a decade from now...if G.o.d doesn't quit this cruel joke of His.”
I look at Rose, uncomfortable now. Bringing her here was a mistake. Maybe Johnny just needed me here today.
”Hey, bud. Why don't I bring Rose home and come back?” I look at Rose, who is nodding in agreement.
”No. No. I'm sorry. It's...” He can't finish this time, because his coughing gets out of hand, so I go grab Isaiah and bring him back.