Part 8 (2/2)
Every threeinterrupted the telephone conversations: This call originated froinated froned to discourage phone scams, but when it interrupted my conversations with Linda, it was just another ree phone scams, but when it interrupted my conversations with Linda, it was just another reht before Neil started first grade, I called to talk to hi dinner; Maggie was running around the house screa that clearly irritated Linda They had been arguing
I wished I could have been there to help I would have taken the kids into the courtyard to play, or I would have offered to cook dinner to give Linda a break I wanted to cli the kids, and tell Neil his first day of school was going to go just perfectly
Linda handed the phone to Little Neil, and he took it into the closet and shut the door He was crying He didn't cry very often I told him how much I loved him, how proud I was of all that he did, but it was no substitute for a hug If I'd been there, I would have picked him up, put his head on my shoulder, rubbed his back, and rocked with him until he felt better
The best I could do was listen ”Tell , but he couldn't speak ”Tell ht his breath, and then the words came out ”I want you, Daddy”
CHAPTER 28
Initially, I couldn't fathoovernment would decide to put inmates in the same facility as leprosy patients Link and his buddies claiovernment experiment He was certain ould catch the disease, which, of course, was fine with him since he planned to cash in on the situation Link's theory was corroborated by other inee and in nazi Geric behind this experiment was hard to follow Did soood idea Let's put federal convicts in with the leprosy patients!”?
But noas beginning to realize what an insult it was to the leprosy patients Despite how the inmates felt about it, for the patients, it was another slap in the face That the federal govern cri
When Link was finally given a job, he was assigned to the cafeteria, an assignht hiled his tasks He let pots and pans pile up in the wash rooar, and he ran the floor buffer over its own cord and burned up the et near the food
Link wasn't happy about having a job, and his opinion of Carville was changing
”This place is all fucked up!” he said
”It's not so bad”
”It is Ghosts everywhere About a thousand of them leopards died in this motherfuckin' place And the Goddamn Mississippi River flows north!”
I'd heard other men say the river flowed north at Carville, but I found it hard to believe
”Link,” I said, ”I thought this place was like a country club?”
”It is!” Link said ”A fucked-up country club!”
Though he spentin the back of the walk-in cooler, Link was assigned to the patient cafeteria to help pick up trays and dishes after breakfast and lunch Most days, I helped hiuard usually had to rouse hi the menu board, the patients left an unusual mess Link entered the room and saw the pile of trays left by the patients
”Goddamn leopards!” he yelled
I looked up and saw Ella still eating Harry, as leaving, stopped and turned around He looked like someone had just punched him in the stomach Stan and Sarah, the sweet blind couple, reached across the table and held tight to each other's hands
I felt terrible that Link had hurt them They had chosen to stay in Carville, their safe haven, to avoid this kind of pain But with the arrival of the inma of leprosy had slowly crept back into their home
At that moment, I saw in their expressions just how vulnerable they were to the odious label I promised myself I would not view my new friends as ”lepers” And I made a commitment not to use the word that had caused the
I called Link over to the ood in the sensitivity realm
”They hate that word,” I whispered ”Plus, you're saying it wrong”
Link shrugged I led him over to the corner and talked in a low voice ”Link, a leopard is large cat” I looked at hi ”People with leprosy are sometimes called lepers-but they really, really hate it”
”What the fuck?”
”They hate being called that ascalled certain words,” I said, hoping Link would er!” Link yelled ”YouLink would follow my lead, ”that's one of them”
”I say that word all the motherfuckin' time!” Link said
I was about to launch into an explanation about the subtle difference in delivery, source, history, perspective, but instead I just asked Link again not to call them lepers-or leopards
”What the fuck you want me to call them?”
I didn't know But I would find out
Link and I finished with the trays; he went back to the cooler for a nap, and I apologized to Ella for what Link had said
”It don't bother me none,” she said ”That word in the Bible And there ain't no leprosy in heaven”
Ella's attitude was a
”We do our sufferin' down here,” Ella said ”Jesus gonna be waitin' So it don't bother me none” Ella was quiet for a moment Then she said, ”But that word do hurt other peoples”