House Arrest Read Online Free PDF Page A

I don’t know.
Fourteen weeks, Timothy.
How are you holding up? I look over at him.
His face more scruff than beard.
His dark eyes, staring.
His hair blowing in the breeze.
Too young to be Dad’s age.
Too old to be cool.
I shrug.
Aren’t we past shrugging? He doesn’t smile
but his face isn’t hard, either.
Not like it used to be.
We’re sitting outside
in the hospital courtyard.
It’s sunny today,
almost warm.
You want some lunch?
I have an extra half. He pulls a sandwich from his bag.
It’s cut into thirds.
An extra hal f ? Really?
James, I think you are worse at math than me.

    Still in ICU.
Still watching machines breathe for Levi.
It was just a cold.
Just a cold.

    She seems really nice.
Her hand pushes the hair from Levi’s forehead
and she makes sure Baby Signing Adventure plays in the background
even though he’s pretty out of it.
This morning, though,
when Mom was down the hall in the shower,
this nurse,
this nice lady with tired eyes
and painted eyebrows,
she said, Supposably, the doctor will be here soon.
Supposably is not a word.
Can you keep a baby alive
if you are kind
and you have tired eyes
but you don’t know that supposably isn’t a real word?
José would call me a jerk
for being picky and weird
but I’m just saying . . .
How do you know?
If someone can keep a baby alive?
How do you ever know?

    José’s mom was not having it.
You listen to me, Annie.
That boy is just a boy.
He needs rest. Food.
He needs to be a boy.
I’m taking him with me.
The judge, the court, they can take it up with me. Her mouth was in a tight line
but then it softened.
Just for tonight, Annie.
Just for tonight. The last part she said like she was soothing
a hurt animal.
Her face crinkled into a quiet smile.
I stayed peeking behind the hospital room’s
bathroom door.
José’s mom put her hand on Mom’s shoulder.
She leaned down and whispered:
You need a break, Mami . Her hand squeezed.
How about I take you both tomorrow night? Mom laid her cheek on José’s mom’s hand.
Mom closed her eyes.
Swallowed hard.
Not crying.
Almost crying.
A machine alarmed and the nurse came in.
I put my bag over my shoulder.
Walked out of the bathroom.
José’s mom put her other hand on my shoulder.
We all looked at Levi as the nurse checked the alarm.
Let’s go, mijo . She steered me to the door.
I stopped to look at Mom.
Should I leave her?
It’s against the rules of house arrest.
And what about Levi? What if something happens?
Levi is in safe hands , José’s mom whispered.She turned to Mom and smiled her soft smile again.
Don’t worry, Mami .
Timothy is in safe hands, too.

    You know how when you shake a snow globe
everything swirls around?
José’s house is like that.
On the outside it looks like a plain, regular house.
On the inside everything is moving, swirling,
talking, laughing.
Theresa flies through the room,
soccer cleats over her shoulder
yelling about being late to practice.
Sofia drops a glass and it shatters on the tile,
she swears and starts to clean up the mess
never taking off her headphones
never not dancing.
Alé is upstairs
oomPAH oomPAH oomPAH
playing the tuba
and making the whole thing seem like a TV show.
Isa swings her backpack to the floor,
thud. Her hair falls around her face
a black curtain.
And when she smiles it’s like the curtain opens.
And the light shines bright
so bright
it kind of hurts my eyes.
It may be very possible
the only thing in this crazy snow globe
that’s not moving right now
is me.

    Isa is at the table with us,
four books open
one in her lap
her glasses on her head, holding her hair back.
She looks up.
What are you writing, Timothy?
Nothing. My face is suddenly five hundred degrees.
She smiles,
then frowns.
Have you seen my glasses? Her hands pass over the table,
she looks on the floor.
On your head, gordita , José says with a snort.
Now Isa’s face turns red.
I punch José