Devova
Jack lived a sheltered life with no adventure. Bowie lived a free-spirited life with too much adventure. Yet, here they were together. They spoke to each other with total honestly and without judgment. Despite Bowie’s hardships, he was optimistic and fearless. On the opposite side of the coin, Jack was more cynical and timid. They were such polar opposites in appearance, temperament and personality, naturally they hit it off.
Though Bowie had survived quite well on his own, Jack felt compelled to help his new friend in any way he could. If the authorities found out about Bowie, they would surely ship him back to Scotland. Jack didn’t know the whole story behind his leaving, but running away like he did implied Bowie had nowhere to go. At best, he’d end up living with some distant relative or in a foster home. Bowie was too independent for that to work. Jack saw their friendship as a fresh start for both of them.
Bowie wasn’t used to accepting help from anyone but he liked and trusted Jack and was moved by his sincerity. He had achieved his goal of reaching Sunvale. Frankly, he didn’t know what else to do.
Jack didn’t really know what to do himself once they got home. He should probably call his mom to see— Call? “Oh, shoot!” It wasn’t like Jack to forget checking in. His mom would be freaking out!
“What’s wrong?” asked Bowie.
Jack riffled through his backpack and found his cell phone. His mom had left three messages and as many texts. He called her right away. “Hi Mom, I just got your messages.”
Bowie couldn’t hear what Jack’s mom was saying but he could tell she was giving him the third degree.
“Mom, hold on, don’t get upset, There was a bad connection because of the storm. I stayed at the school library to finish up my homework.”
Bowie was impressed how Jack fabricated such a convincing impromptu lie. “Not bad,” said Bowie.
Jack shushed him and returned his attention to his mother. “Are you leaving for work soon? In a little while? Okay, I’ll be home in about thirty minutes. Oh, I have a friend with me, bye.” He disconnected the call before his mother could protest.
Jack was nervous as he approached the front door of his home with Bowie beside him. He noticed Bowie’s backpack, which looked like it belonged to a homeless person—which it basically did. “We’d better hide that outside,” Jack pointed to the well-worn pack. “It looks suspicious.”
“Right,” said Bowie and placed it under a shrub by the walkway.
The front door was partially open. Jack heard his mother yelling at someone.
“You have no business being here! I don’t want you within a mile of my son!” said Emily. Jack walked in with Bowie in tow.
His mother and an elderly woman whom Jack had never met turned to face the two boys. Emily sat on the couch holding a glass of vodka. The other woman sat in a chair opposite her. When the elderly woman saw Jack, her expression shifted from angst to soft joy. She was elegant in appearance though her tanned face and penetrating brown eyes conveyed a rugged gravitas.
There was an awkward moment of silence which Bowie shattered. “Hello! I’m Bowie,” he said to Emily assuming she was Jack’s mom. “I’m a friend of Jack’s from school.” Emily shook his extended hand, albeit curtly. Bowie looked at the drink in her other hand and grimaced. It brought back bad memories of his father.
“Jack’s never mentioned you before,” said Emily.
Jack chimed in, “He’s new to the school, an exchange student from Scotland. His host family lives just a few blocks away.”
Bowie extended his hand to the other woman. “And you are?”
“I’m Devova, Jack’s grandmother.” Jack’s jaw dropped. Bowie and Devova shook hands. She couldn’t place it but Bowie reminded her of someone.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “Can I call you ‘Gram Devova?’ You’re Jack’s grandmother after all. It feels less formal.” Bowie was brazen in his request. Jack was awed by it. Gram Devova delighted in it. Emily hated it.
“’Gram Devova’ it is,” she said. She turned to Jack and opened her arms to hug him. ‘It’s so good to finally—”
“I said stay away from him!” asserted Emily. Devova reluctantly honored her daughter’s wishes. “You’ll ruin his life just like you did mine and I won’t have that!” She took a gulp of her vodka.
Watching Emily drink pushed an old button in Bowie. “It’s a little early for that, don’t you think?” he said.
Emily’s shock turned to anger. “Who the hell do you think you are telling me what to do in my house!”
Bowie didn’t apologize but swallowed his harsher sentiments. “I meant no offense.”
Devova addressed Emily. “I know you hate me for what I believe in and—”
“What you believe in is nonsense! What’s worse is you had me believing it for so many years!” Emily teared up. “It’s why Dad left us and it’s also why Robert walked out on me the week before I found out I was pregnant!”
“Honey, what I told you was all true! In a month, the truth will come to light, I promise you!”
Bowie couldn’t help but get involved in the conversation even though he had no clue what they were talking about. “What happens in a month?” he asked anyone who would answer.
“My birthday, for one thing,” said Jack as if nudged by an invisible force.
“That’s right!” Devova went to pick something out of a large canvas bag she had lying next to the chair. “I need to give you—”
Emily stood up and got between Devova and Jack, “You are not going to give him anything! Get out now or I’ll call the police!” Devova peered into her daughter’s calloused eyes, trying to find a glimpse of the love Emily once had for her. There was none to be seen. Taking the bag with her, she exited the house without saying another word.
Emily reached for her drink but saw Bowie eyeballing her and changed her mind. She rubbed her head as if trying to ward off a migraine then noticed the time. “Damn it, I’m going to be late. I have to go.”
She grabbed her purse and coat. “I need to speak to my son alone for a moment,” she directed at Bowie.
“I’ll wait outside.” Bowie exited the house.
Emily waited until Bowie was out of earshot. “I don’t trust that boy and he is not to set foot in this house again!”
“But Mom, he’s my friend! You can trust him!” pleaded Jack.
“Don’t backtalk me, young man! He’s no good. I can tell,” said Emily.
“You don’t know him!” Jack held his ground. “He’s staying if I say he’s staying!” Emily slapped her son hard across the face. She had never struck him until that moment and they were both stunned by it. Jack’s eyes filled with tears.
“We’ll talk about this later,” remarked Emily. She turned away from her son, wiped a tear away from the corner of her eye and left the house. Jack followed her to the door and watched her drive off.
He stepped outside to look for Bowie but didn’t see him. Maybe he had taken off. Who could blame him? Then he remembered the backpack. He went to the shrub where it was hidden. He pulled it out just as Bowie came around the corner.
“Are you going to do my laundry for me?” asked Bowie.
“I was actually going to burn the whole backpack.” Jack took a whiff of it. “It smells like spoiled cheese!”
“I like spoiled cheese!” retorted Bowie. “I guess your mom and I really hit it off, eh? What did she say to you when I left?”
Jack winced a bit. “Something to the effect of you’re not welcome in our house.”
“I see,” said Bowie. He noticed the red welt on Jack’s face. “Did she hit you?”
“It’s nothing.” Jack was embarrassed.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble––”
“You’re not and don’t worry about it. Her shift goes to 1 am. My home is your home and I won’t hear anything different. At night, you can sleep in the attic. She never goes up there and there’s an entrance from my closet. She’s usually passed out in the mornings so it shouldn’t be too hard to sneak you out. She’s off on Sundays and Mondays. We’ll figure out something for then.”
Bowie was immensely appreciative. “I owe you big time.”
“You don’t owe me anything. And I’ll help you do your laundry but I’m not touching your underwear!” emphasized Jack.
“I don’t blame you! I swear, one pair almost got up last week and walked away on its own!” said Bowie half seriously.
The two boys had already been through a lot together in just a short period of time. Their bond was solid and everything to follow would only serve to make it stronger.