A Million Little Pieces - James Frey [177]
I walk to the phone step into the Booth pick up the receiver.
Hello.
Hi, James.
My Mother and Father both say hello. The connection is distant. There is a slight echo and a slight delay.
Hi.
My Mother speaks.
We wanted to apologize, James.
For what?
For having to leave early. We feel terrible about it.
Don’t.
Are you sure?
Yeah. I appreciated you coming at all.
My Father speaks.
Thank you, James.
Sure.
Any news?
I heard from Randall.
My Mother speaks.
What’d he say?
Three to six months in County Jail in Ohio. Three years probation. If I stay out of trouble, my Record gets cleared.
My Father speaks.
That’s great news. How’d it happen?
I chuckle.
I’m not sure.
My Mother speaks.
Why are you laughing?
I’m just happy. This is a big load off my shoulders.
My Father speaks.
When do you go?
Sometime in the next ten days.
When are you leaving there?
I don’t know, but soon.
There is silence. I can feel my Parents thinking about me, their youngest Son, sitting in a Jail cell. The silence is dense, and it is punctuated by deep breaths and footsteps. I hear my Mother start to cry and the echo doubles, my Father is standing with her. He asks if he can call me back and I tell him yes and he tells me he loves me and I tell him I love him and we hang up.
I open the door of the Phone Booth and I step back into the Unit. The banquet tables have been set up and they are covered with white tableclothes, white plates, forks and knives and glasses. I don’t see the Caterers, but I know they are nearby because of the smell, which is of rich, strong, hot food. The smell makes me instantly hungry instantly ravenous. I want it right now. Ten heaping plates of it right fucking now.
I walk up to the Upper Level. I stand with Matty and Ted. I ask them if they know what’s going on. Matty says no, but he’s hungry and if he don’t get some gosh darn food soon he’s going to go fricking crazy. Ted just shrugs and says he has no idea.
Lincoln walks into the Unit, looks around and speaks.
Everyone here?
The men look at each other. A voice I don’t know replies.
Miles isn’t here.
Another Voice.
And Leonard isn’t here.
Lincoln speaks.
Anyone know where Miles is?
I speak.
In our Room. I don’t think he wants to be disturbed.
He nods, speaks.
Anyone seen Leonard?
The men look at each other.
Anyone?
They shake their heads.
Anyone?
Lincoln smiles, raises his voice.
Leonard.
He does it again, but louder.
Leonard.
He yells.
LEONARD.
Down one of the Halls, music starts playing. It is the theme song from a famous boxing movie about an unknown Palooka from Philadelphia who almost wins the Heavyweight Championship. All of the men smile, a few laugh. The music comes closer, gets louder, and everyone turns toward a doorway through which Leonard, in a bright white suit, comes bursting out. He has a small boom box in one of his hands, the other is raised in a fist above his head.
There is cheering, laughing, a few men throw candy wrappers or pieces of paper at him. He stands next to Lincoln, turns off the boom box, motions for silence. When it comes, he speaks.
We have cause for celebration, my friends.
There is more cheering. Leonard waits for it to stop and he speaks again.
Early yesterday, I was told by our friend Lincoln that tomorrow, I will be set free. In honor of that, and in honor of all of you, and in honor of this place, tonight we feast.
More cheering. Leonard and Lincoln smile. When the cheering stops, Leonard speaks.
I’ve had steaks and lobsters brought in from Minneapolis, we’ll have apple pie and ice cream for dessert, and in between, we will watch the World Heavyweight Championship.
The men go wild, cheering and yelling and clapping. They start rushing down to thank Leonard and Lincoln and shake their hands. As they do, the sliding-glass doors open and the Caterers start bringing in large plates of porterhouse steaks, boiled lobsters, baked potatoes and huge bowls of Caesar salad. They set them on the banquet tables and lines form immediately.
I stand on the Upper Level and I watch the madness.