Don’t Let Me Go(13)

“I think so. He’s the one who doesn’t like Felipe, right?”

“That sounds about right. See, I’m not sure he’s the right person.”

“Why don’t you ask Felipe? Or Billy?” Grace asked cheerfully.

“Billy? Who’s Billy?”

“You know. Billy. Our other neighbor. On the first floor.”

“Across the hall from me? You know him?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Well, nobody knows him. I’ve never even seen him. I’ve lived here for six years, and I’ve never once seen him. I’ve never seen him go out, and I’ve never seen anybody go in. I heard he even has his groceries delivered. How do you know him?”

“I just do. We just talk.”

“Felipe might be a good idea,” Rayleen said. “Yeah. Maybe we should ask Felipe.”

“But who will look after her until you come home?” Mrs. Hinman asked.

Rayleen’s face went soft, like she was sad and scared all at the same time, like she was about to have to beg for something very important.

“I was hoping you would.”

“Oh, well. I don’t know about that.”

And Grace, sensing the importance of the moment, jumped in and said, “Please, Mrs. Hinman, please? I’ll be really good, and I’ll even try to be quiet, and it’s only for a little while anyway, until my mom gets better.”

“I’m sure you would be very good, honey,” Mrs. Hinman said, “but I’m afraid that’s not the point. I’m just not the right person to watch you. I’m too old, and I haven’t got enough energy.”

Just before Rayleen got up from the couch, Mrs. Hinman took her by one sleeve, pulled her closer and whispered something in her ear. But Grace could hear it just fine. Why did people always do that? Did they think she was deaf? Grace had very good ears, but nobody seemed to know that about her.

What Mrs. Hinman said was this: “It’s not your problem. And you’re only going to make it worse. And you’re just postponing the inevitable, anyway.”

Rayleen yanked her arm away, pulling her sleeve out of Mrs. Hinman’s fingers. She never answered. She took Grace’s hand, and left without saying anything more.

Just at the door Grace said, “Now can we order the pizza?”

But it turned out that first they had to talk to Felipe.

There’s always one more thing you have to do, Grace thought, downhearted now, before they let you order the pizza.

? ? ?

The minute he opened up the door, Rayleen said, “Felipe. Are you OK?”

And Felipe said, “Sure. Why?”

“You look terrible. Are you sure you’re OK?”

“You look sad,” Grace added in that big voice of hers.

And then, suddenly, just when Grace said that, it looked as though Felipe was trying to hold back from crying. Grace was pretty sure of what she saw, but at the same time figured she might be wrong, because he was a big grown-up man, and big grown-up men didn’t cry. Well, probably didn’t. Actually, Grace wasn’t sure. She just knew she’d never seen such a thing. Big grown-up ladies did, every now and then, but not so much men; at least, not so far as she knew. But it seemed to be happening that way now, so it was worth thinking some more about it.

Felipe swiped at his eyes with one hand, then squeezed them shut, hard, like they were hurting him, and rubbed them.

“Damn allergies,” he said. “Drives me crazy. Come in, come in. Gotta talk fast, though, because I’m just getting ready for work.”

But Rayleen didn’t go in, and so Grace didn’t, either. Grace thought maybe it was because of what Felipe had said about needing to go to work, or maybe because he was sad, but she wasn’t sure. So she just did the safe thing, which of course was simply to do what the grown-up in charge seemed to be doing.

“We came to ask you a favor,” Grace called out, rather cheerfully.

“We did,” Rayleen said. “So, you don’t work construction in the day any more?”

“No. No, I got a better job. In a restaurant. Actually doesn’t pay as well, but it’s steady. I needed something steady. What’s the favor?”

“I was hoping you’d pick Grace up at school for a few days.”

“Oh. Sure. I could do that.” Then his face changed, as if he had only just thought of something troublesome. “Oh. No. No. I take it back. I couldn’t. I’m sorry. Wish I could. I’d help if I could. But it’s that guy across the hall. He’d make trouble for me. I know he would. Few days ago, I got down on one knee and asked Grace why she wasn’t in school — that’s all I did — and he practically had me on a prison bus to the state pen over it.”

“Shit. Damn it. That guy is such an *,” Rayleen said. Then she looked down at Grace suddenly, as if only just remembering that Grace was standing right there. “Oh. Sorry, Grace.”

“I’ve heard those words before, you know,” Grace said.

After all, it’s not like she was a baby.

“Well, I’m sorry you heard them from me. Listen. Felipe. What if I could smooth things out with Lafferty?”

“Um…”

“Just let me try, OK? If you were really sure he wouldn’t interfere, then you’d do it?”