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shoes weren’t cheap,” says the kid.
    “So he turned it around on you,” says Marty. “Very clever. The little shit. But listen, those shoes weren’t cheap. I paid good money for those shoes.”
    “Okay,” says the kid, and throws the ball into the woods.
    “Nice throw,” says Marty. “Very powerful.”
    “Kind of crooked though,” says the kid, and runs off into the woods to get the ball.
    “My kid,” Marty says to me. “Home on break from school. We got him in boarding school. Only the best for my kid! Until they close us down, that is. You heard anything? Anything bad? I heard they might be axing Sheep May Safely Graze. So that’s like fifteen shepherds. Which would kill me. I get a lot of biz off those shepherds. Needless to say, I am shitting bricks. Because if they close me, what do you think happens to that kid out there in the woods right now? Boarding school? You think boarding school happens? In a pig’s ass. Boarding school does nothappen, the opposite of boarding school happens, and he will be very freaking upset.”
    The kid comes jogging out of the woods with the ball in his hand.
    “What are you talking about?” he says.
    “About you,” Marty says, and puts the kid in a head-lock. “About how great you are. How lovable you are.”
    “Oh that,” the kid says, and smiles big.
    18.
    That night around nine I hear a sort of shriek from Janet’s Separate Area.
    A shriek, and then what sounds like maybe sobbing.
    Then some louder sobbing and maybe something breaking, possibly her fax?
    I go to her door and ask is she okay and she tells me go away.
    I can’t get back to sleep. So I fax Louise.
    Everything okay? I write.
    In about ten minutes a fax comes back.
    Did Dr. Evans ever say anything about complete loss of mobility? it says. I mean complete. Today I took the kids to the park and let Ace off the leash and he saw a cat and ran off. When I came back from getting Ace, Nelson was like stuck inside this crawling tube. Like he couldn’t stand up? Had no power in his legs. I mean none. That fucking Ace. If you could’ve seen Nelson’s face. God. When I picked him up he said he thought I’d gone home without him. The poor thing. Plus he had to pee. And so he’d sort of peed himself. Not much, just a little. Other than that all is well, please don’t worry. Well worry a little. We are at the end of our rope or however you say it, I’m already deep into the overdraft account and it’s only the 5th. Plus I’m so tired at night I can’t get to the hills and last time I paid late fees on both Visas and the MasterCard, thirty bucks a pop, those bastards, am thinking about just sawing off my arm and mailing it in. Ha ha, not really, I need that arm to sign checks .
    Love, Me .
    From Janet’s Separate Area come additional sobbing and some angry shouting.
    I fax back:
    Did you take him to Dr. Evans? I say.
    Duh , she faxes back. Have appt for Weds, will let you know. Don’t worry, just do your job and also Nelson says hi and you’re the best dad ever .
    Tell him hi and he’s the best kid , I fax back.
    What about the other kids? she faxes back.
    Tell them they’re also the best kids , I fax back.
    From Janet’s Separate Area comes the sound of Janet pounding on something repeatedly, probably her desk, presumably with her fist.
    19.
    Next morning in the Big Slot is no goat. Just a note.
    From Janet:
    Not coming in , it says. Bradley lied about the tooters and bought some you-know-what. Big suprise right? Is in jail. Stupid dumbass. Got a fax last night. Plus my Ma’s worse. Before she couldnt get up or her lungs filled with blood? Well now they fill with blood unless she switchs from side to side and who’s there to switch her? Before Mrs Finn was but now Mrs Finn got a day-job so no more. So now I have to find someone and pay someone. Ha ha very funny, like I can aford that. Plus Bradley’s bail which beleve me I have defnitely considered not paying. With all this going on no way am