The house is silent except for the steady sound of Charlie's breathing. His eyes keep glancing up at the staircase. He's expecting her to come down those stairs any minute. But there are no footsteps echoing through the floorboards, no dishes clanging, no words coming from the microphone. The silence is almost deafening.
Bosco has called the police. They hemmed and they hawed over his claim that he knew where Charlie Yokas was. "You had already informed us, Mister Boscorelli (emphasis on the Mister) that you had no idea of the whereabouts of this child."
Despite their misgivings, they are coming to save my son. The emergency services unit, armed with long guns and staffed with highly trained men. The unit that my partner could have been part of. He still dreams of being one of those men, rushing into a tense situation and saving the day.
But Bosco doesn't need to be part of any superficial unit to save the day. He can do that just by being himself. Just by closing his eyes and listening carefully.
A thud echoes upstairs and Charlie holds his breath. He thinks that it's that woman, come back to hurt him. Another thud thunders and the sound of splintering wood and breaking glass filters down the stairs.
Charlie's eyes widen as his brain attempts to process these noises. Heavy footsteps - not those of a woman wearing shoes, but of men wearing boots - pound on the floor and a voice calls out, "Down here! In the basement!"
The door swings open and light pours into the basement. Charlie shields his eyes with a hand and looks up. There are figures, shrouded with light and they are coming down the steps.
"He's over here!" calls the man leading the pack. The man shoulders his gun and reaches down to touch Charlie. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"
Charlie looks up at him, his eyes filled with wonderment and admiration. "Do you work with my mom?" he asks and clutches his teddy bear.
The man nods and picks up Charlie; teddy bear and all. "I knew her." he replies. I look at the man, not recognizing his face. Maybe he knew me, maybe he didn't. That doesn't matter now. He helped save my son.
________________
"They found the woman," Bosco says and tilts his head. "The crazy, old bitch lost her son about a decade ago. Guess she figured that Charlie would make a good replacement."
To anyone merely passing by, Bosco would appear to holding a conversation with himself. He nodded his head, smiled and spoke volumes of words. His features were animated - the pain of the past few months seemingly erased.
"Faith? Did you hear me? I said they found the woman."
I heard you, I was just thinking.
"About what?"
I was thinking about you. He shifts in his bed and closes his eyes.
Bosco's face breaks out into a small grin. The corners of his closed eyes crinkle slightly. "If I close my eyes," he murmurs. "I can see you. Were you really there Faith? When I crashed the car? Were you really sitting beside me?"
I was.
"Wish you hadn't had to see that," Bosco whispers and opens his eyes. "But things will be better now. I promise."
A small knock sounds on the door and it opens a crack, permitting Bosco a glimpse of a small, anxious face. One that I'm sure he never expected to see again.
"Hi Bosco, can I come in?"
Wearily, Bosco nods. Emily steps inside the room and quietly closes the door again. She crosses her arms and hovers over Bosco's bed. "I hope you didn't come here alone." Bosco says. "I don't need to lose you too."
Emily shakes her head. "No, Dad's downstairs. He didn't want to see you but he said he'd drive me over."
"Why are you here Em?"
"I guess, I guess I just wanted to thank you for saving Charlie. The police said that you knew where he was." Emily says and then frowns. "But they didn't say how you knew."
Bosco raises one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me." Emily says and straightens her posture. She's challenging Bosco. Challenging him with all her fourteen year old might.
"Your mom told me."
Emily's face remains impassive for a second before she shakes her head. "You sure must have hit your head hard when you crashed your car."
"Maybe I did." Bosco replies with a smile.
Emily returns his smile and then nods in the direction of the door. "I've gotta get going. Dad said not to be too long. We're all going out for dinner tonight."
"Have fun." Bosco says. Emily nods and hurries out of the room as though Bosco will reach out and grab her. Forbid her to leave.
"You going with them Faith?" he asks, once Emily is safely away.
I had thought of going with them. Being there while they all talk, as Charlie tells of the horrors he endured and Emily complains that her food it too spicy.
But no, they don't need me there. They're going to do fine on their own.
"Stay here with me then?" Bosco asks.
And listen to you complain about the mush they feed you here? Maybe I'll take my chances with my family.
"Just for a little while." Bosco says. "I promise that I'll be good."
Bosco lays down and pulls the covers up to his chin. His head sinks down into the fluffy pillow. Just his face is visible, peeking out over the covers.
"I miss you." Bosco whispers.
I miss you too but that's why I have to leave.
"Don't go Faith."
It's for the best Bos. You don't need me here anymore than I need you here with me. Remember that Bosco.
Bosco's eyes close and he nods. Like a child, wrapped in blankets, ready for bed. I touch his face and then I'm gone.
Bosco has called the police. They hemmed and they hawed over his claim that he knew where Charlie Yokas was. "You had already informed us, Mister Boscorelli (emphasis on the Mister) that you had no idea of the whereabouts of this child."
Despite their misgivings, they are coming to save my son. The emergency services unit, armed with long guns and staffed with highly trained men. The unit that my partner could have been part of. He still dreams of being one of those men, rushing into a tense situation and saving the day.
But Bosco doesn't need to be part of any superficial unit to save the day. He can do that just by being himself. Just by closing his eyes and listening carefully.
A thud echoes upstairs and Charlie holds his breath. He thinks that it's that woman, come back to hurt him. Another thud thunders and the sound of splintering wood and breaking glass filters down the stairs.
Charlie's eyes widen as his brain attempts to process these noises. Heavy footsteps - not those of a woman wearing shoes, but of men wearing boots - pound on the floor and a voice calls out, "Down here! In the basement!"
The door swings open and light pours into the basement. Charlie shields his eyes with a hand and looks up. There are figures, shrouded with light and they are coming down the steps.
"He's over here!" calls the man leading the pack. The man shoulders his gun and reaches down to touch Charlie. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"
Charlie looks up at him, his eyes filled with wonderment and admiration. "Do you work with my mom?" he asks and clutches his teddy bear.
The man nods and picks up Charlie; teddy bear and all. "I knew her." he replies. I look at the man, not recognizing his face. Maybe he knew me, maybe he didn't. That doesn't matter now. He helped save my son.
________________
"They found the woman," Bosco says and tilts his head. "The crazy, old bitch lost her son about a decade ago. Guess she figured that Charlie would make a good replacement."
To anyone merely passing by, Bosco would appear to holding a conversation with himself. He nodded his head, smiled and spoke volumes of words. His features were animated - the pain of the past few months seemingly erased.
"Faith? Did you hear me? I said they found the woman."
I heard you, I was just thinking.
"About what?"
I was thinking about you. He shifts in his bed and closes his eyes.
Bosco's face breaks out into a small grin. The corners of his closed eyes crinkle slightly. "If I close my eyes," he murmurs. "I can see you. Were you really there Faith? When I crashed the car? Were you really sitting beside me?"
I was.
"Wish you hadn't had to see that," Bosco whispers and opens his eyes. "But things will be better now. I promise."
A small knock sounds on the door and it opens a crack, permitting Bosco a glimpse of a small, anxious face. One that I'm sure he never expected to see again.
"Hi Bosco, can I come in?"
Wearily, Bosco nods. Emily steps inside the room and quietly closes the door again. She crosses her arms and hovers over Bosco's bed. "I hope you didn't come here alone." Bosco says. "I don't need to lose you too."
Emily shakes her head. "No, Dad's downstairs. He didn't want to see you but he said he'd drive me over."
"Why are you here Em?"
"I guess, I guess I just wanted to thank you for saving Charlie. The police said that you knew where he was." Emily says and then frowns. "But they didn't say how you knew."
Bosco raises one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me." Emily says and straightens her posture. She's challenging Bosco. Challenging him with all her fourteen year old might.
"Your mom told me."
Emily's face remains impassive for a second before she shakes her head. "You sure must have hit your head hard when you crashed your car."
"Maybe I did." Bosco replies with a smile.
Emily returns his smile and then nods in the direction of the door. "I've gotta get going. Dad said not to be too long. We're all going out for dinner tonight."
"Have fun." Bosco says. Emily nods and hurries out of the room as though Bosco will reach out and grab her. Forbid her to leave.
"You going with them Faith?" he asks, once Emily is safely away.
I had thought of going with them. Being there while they all talk, as Charlie tells of the horrors he endured and Emily complains that her food it too spicy.
But no, they don't need me there. They're going to do fine on their own.
"Stay here with me then?" Bosco asks.
And listen to you complain about the mush they feed you here? Maybe I'll take my chances with my family.
"Just for a little while." Bosco says. "I promise that I'll be good."
Bosco lays down and pulls the covers up to his chin. His head sinks down into the fluffy pillow. Just his face is visible, peeking out over the covers.
"I miss you." Bosco whispers.
I miss you too but that's why I have to leave.
"Don't go Faith."
It's for the best Bos. You don't need me here anymore than I need you here with me. Remember that Bosco.
Bosco's eyes close and he nods. Like a child, wrapped in blankets, ready for bed. I touch his face and then I'm gone.
