The Kid

Always feel like I am three days behind. Behind what? Schedule? I do not work, so there is no schedule, just floating, waiting, waiting for what, I do not know. My weeks start on Tuesdays because that is when libraries are open. Also, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights are when John is at his worst. I think those are his off nights from work, thus home pounding, thumping, slamming stuff around his apartment all day long, and then there is the music.

Monday is recovery day. If he gives me peace Monday night, I start feeling normal on Tuesday. If.

In-my-head schedule says: go downtown on Tuesday. Weeks go by and finally I go downtown on some day of the week. Had a list of books I wanted to check out of Main library. Put one back after "The Kid" by Sapphire caught my eye. I was looking at the new "black" fiction (or is that now called Urban fiction?) book rack/shelf, to see if Walter Mosley had any new books.

Next day, Walter Mosley posts a link to a book review on his Facebook page. New book in his new McGill series. Anyway...

I forgot until I started typing that "Kid" was a high school nickname bestowed upon me by Nancy Hall. Perhaps why the book caught my eye. Heavy, thick book, was reason I put the other heavy book back on the shelf from whence it came. I was heading to Walmart after library, maybe buying a something-to-cook with heavy-something. Rice cooker? Electric fry pan? Toaster oven? Checked out selection, did not buy anything.

Have stopped recording about homeless mentions in books. There are several in The Kid. (10:16PM, loud bang startles me; John in kitchen, what is he does that makes that sound)

"Or I'll be fucking homeless."

Gist of story: boy's mother dies when he is 9-years-old. He is put in the system, which puts him in a foster home. Gets beat up and abused by another foster child in the home. Gets put in hospital. Gets head drained of fluid that built up due to the beating; gets somewhat well; put in Catholic orphanage. Gets sexually abused. Gets kicked out of orphanage when he is accused of sexually abusing a younger boy. Taken to live with a great-grandmother he never knew he had.

And so on.

His great-grandmother's apartment is filthy, overrun by roaches. He has some psychotic episodes; self-injury the psych docs would call it. He wants to leave, but he is only 13. Considering his options, might end up homeless.

Years pass; the kid sees someone he knew from orphanage. "He looks like a old homeless."

There are other mentions. The story takes place in NYC, so of course there are. Especially for a young boy without family, considering his options; teenage run-aways doing tricks in the parks and such as that; homeless asleep on benches; panhandlers, Vietnam veterans.

Not finished reading The Kid. Story got boring.