by Laura Dragon
Hollis gave him a look of surprise.
“She might still be mad at me,” Jonas explained.
Hollis grinned and opened the door.
Gee held out her arms, and all four children disappeared into a mass hug.
“Oh, Gee,” Leta said in a muffled voice. “We were so scared. When those policemen came and you didn’t wake up, we thought—we thought—”
Gee hushed her, pulling her into a tighter embrace. “I don’t remember nothin’ past Tuesday. It’s all a blank until I woke up here. Tell me! Where on Earth have y’all been?”
Before anyone could answer, the door opened and a nurse entered with a tray. “Hi, Gee, we wondered if you wanted something to eat. Your doctor said you could have some soup.”
Gee flopped her hand. “I’m not hungry now.”
Algie hopped up from a chair. “W-what kind is it?” he asked.
“Algie hasn’t been eating,” Hollis said to Gee. “For a long time.”
The nurse smiled at Algie. “Chicken noodle.”
Hollis watched a grin take over Algie’s face.
“Can he have it?” Hollis asked.
The nurse told Algie to sit, and then she placed the food on a rolling table and slid it in front of the little boy. Algie picked up the spoon and dug in.
“Now,” Gee said, after the nurse had left the room, “who goes first?”
Leta told the story of what happened to the three youngest members of the family after Gee had left in the boat. Both Gee and Jonas exclaimed aloud when they heard about the house falling out from under the children’s feet.
As Leta completed her story, Gee’s voice lashed out, “Algie! Did you really not eat?”
“Y-yup!” Algie said through a mouthful of crackers.
Gee shook her head. “Stubborn! So Hollis, how’d you like bein’ in charge?”
Hollis snorted. “It sucked.”
“Thought it would.” Gee said, smiling. “Okay, Jonas. Let’s hear it.”
Jonas’s head dropped. “Sorry, Gee.”
Gee nodded. “Should be. Go on.”
Taking a deep breath, Jonas launched into his story. Hollis watched Gee’s eyes soften as Jonas described the people he helped. For once, he was not jealous of Gee being proud of Jonas.
At the end of his tale, Jonas asked, “So where we gonna live, Gee? We goin’ back to New Orleans?”
“One disaster at a time, Jonas,” Gee said. “Thank God we all survived and are back together at last.”
“Erm,” Hollis said.
Everyone turned to him.
“We aren’t all back together,” he began, but he was interrupted by the door opening.
Harry Hathaway stuck his head into the room. “Mind if we come in and film a bit of the reunion?”
All four children started talking at once, trying to tell Gee about Harry Hathaway. Gee held up her hand and glared at the silver-haired man.
“You ain’t one of them weather idiots, are ya?”
Harry Hathaway shook Gee’s hand. “Thanks, ma’am. We appreciate the story.”
“After what my grandson put you through, it was the least I could do.” She sent an exasperated glance toward Algie, who hugged Gnomie and grinned.
Harry Hathaway herded his crew out of the room.
“Hollis,” Gee said. “Tell me. What did you mean, ‘we aren’t all back together’?”
Hollis took a deep breath. “I meant Dad.”
Jonas groaned. “Blues, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“I have, too. I know he might be dead or in jail. I know he might be a drug addict or a thief. But I don’t think he left because of you or Mama. I know he only cares about himself. I just wanna see if he’s alive so I can meet him. I’m—I’m curious.”
“So you’re sayin’,” Gee said, “you’ll be okay even if he’s still the no-good, low-down piece of scum he was when he left your mama?”
Hollis grinned, and Gee eyed him in astonishment. “He probably is. And I can handle that, too. You know, Gee, you can’t kick someone out of your family just because they’re a jerk.”
Gee snorted. “Very good, Hollis. As for me, I personally think you can, but I’d like to hear from the rest of you. Jonas?”
Hollis scrunched up his eyes.
“Don’t worry, Blues. Been thinkin’. Wanna find him. I wanna tell him all about himself, but I’ll wait to meet him first. Guess I’m curious, too.”
Leta raised her hand. “I vote ‘yes.’ I want to know if he’s alive.”
Gee nodded at Algie, who had fallen asleep against Gnomie. “What about him?”
“Algie,” Leta said, shaking him. “Wake up.”
Algie sat up, blinking at everyone. “W-what?”
“Do you want to find Dad?” Leta asked.
Algie shrugged. “Is he l-lost?”
Hollis nodded. “He’s lost from us.”
“I just w-wanted to find Gee,” Algie said. “But I g-guess we can find him, too.” He settled back down in the chair, rested his cheek on Gnomie’s belly, and went back to sleep.
“He didn’t sleep well at the shelter, either,” Leta told Gee. “Nightmares.”
Gee nodded, rubbing the hairs on her chin. “He’ll be okay. He’s eatin’ and sleepin’ again already.” She sighed. “Well children, I recently realized I may not live forever. I agree we need to find out if your jerk of a father is still alive. Easy to start. Call his mother in Baton Rouge.” Her eyes flew to Hollis. “You really think you can deal with whatever he comes with?”
Hollis grinned. “After this? I think I can deal with anything.”
Gee choked on a laugh. “Let’s get to it, then.”
She told him the number. His hands shook as he punched it in. After two rings, someone picked up.
“Hello?”
“Grammy Williams?” he asked. “It’s Hollis.”
“Oh, Hollis—I just saw you all on CNN. Algie hittin’ that man like that on national TV. I hope Gee’s able to teach him better manners. Anyway, I’m relieved y’all are all right. Tell Gee thank you for calling so soon. This whole thing must have upset her terribly. It’s not like her to be so thoughtful.”
Hollis ignored the insult. “Grammy Williams, where is Dad?”
“Who?” Suspicion entered her voice. “Hollis? Does Gee even know you’re on the phone?”
“Yes, Grammy. She’s right here.”
“Is she . . . all there? Nothin’s happened to her brain or anythin’, has it?”
“She’s fine. Here.” He handed Gee the phone.
“Hello, Sally. Nice talkin’ to you, too.” Gee rolled her eyes. “No, I’m fine. No, no head injuries. The children are worried. Do you know where he is?” As she listened, a doubtful expression began in her eyes, then spread all over her face. Hollis held his breath.
If he’s dead, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Gee took the receiver from her ear. “He’s there. Sally’s gone to get him. Who wants to talk first?”
All eyes turned to Hollis, who glanced around hopefully. “Me?”
Even Gee laughed at that one. “Who else?” Jonas asked.
Hollis held the phone up to his ear, waiting.
A deep voice sounded. “Hello?”
Hollis took a deep breath. “Dad?”
