Chapter 80

the sound: John Lee Hooker – Roadhouse Blues, John Lee Hooker – One Burbon, John Lee Hooker – Bad Like Jessie James, John Lee Hooker – Boom Boom, John Lee Hooker – Rain, John Lee Hooker - Healer

We ate in Robert’s bedroom…he toyed with his food and shoved the plate away saying he wasn’t hungry.

I found myself staring at the darkened closet door. I tried to stop myself, but I did it so often that eventually both Robert and Rosie caught me.

Robert gave me the briefest of head shakes as if to tell me to stop or the cat would be out of the bag…Rosie…never one to let her mother on to anything she felt was untoward tried to ignore both of us.

Eventually Mrs. K ran out of things to say, and as I sat there rubbing my arm and glancing furtively at the walk in closet door she asked what was wrong with me.

“Girl? You don’t like the Chinese?”

“no it’s fine” I replied “I just can’t eat anything with peppers in it” I replied as I pushed rice and bean sprouts around on my plate.

“Whatever do you mean?” she looked up in time to catch my awkward glance at the closet…”and what is it that you are looking for? Is there someone in the closet?”

I held my breath as Mrs. K started to rise to her feet, but Rosie jumped up just in time to beat her to the punch…”I’ll look Mama…she’s probably thinking about getting Robert into something clean”

Rosie bustled into the closet, turning the light on as she went…I heard the distinctive sound of drawers opening and closeing and then the slight sound of breaking glass as she stepped on the syringe, grinding it into the carpet.

Rosie came out of the closet with a rather smug look on her face, her eyes met the question in mine and she nodded.

I sighed…and turned to Robert who looked for all intents and purposes like he’d like to yell at his sister but not in front of his mother...

“can I help you to the shower?” I asked

“no…you can get the hell out” he growled

“Roibhilín!” Mrs K admonished…”that’s no way to speak to your intended”