Another Day, Another Hotel
Goodbye for Now
We're about an hour away from San Francisco and you can feel it in our little section of the bus. Jakob hasn't left my lap and even though he's gotten about eleven hours of sleep over the past two days, Joey refuses to go to sleep.
"I don't wanna miss out on any time with you," he says. He's so tired, he doesn't even look at me when he says it. Just stares into space wide-eyed. Adrienne, who's sitting, or I guess you could say leaning on me tries to pull him into her so he'll fall asleep, but he shakes her off and continues to stare at nothing. She looks up at me sideways and flashes me a smile, but I'm not really sure what about.
***
For some reason, it's unusually quiet on the bus as we round into the Bay Area.
Suddenly I see Mike's hair poking up form the edge of the bunk.
"Hey lame-o," he says and I slide Jakob off my lap into Adie's and jump off to see what his problem is.
"Is he okay?" Mike says, pointing to Joey, who's still completely zoned out.
"He's spacing," I say. "So what's up?"
"Jeff says we'll have time to go straight to Oakland a drop off the kids, if you want."
I look at him quizzically for a moment, before saying, "Jeff?"
He looks at me before saying,
"The bus driver..."
"Oh, yeah." I say shaking my head. I guess I'm a little tired too.
"No, wait," I say as Mike turns to go relay the news. "Uh, ask if he can zip to Rodeo. We can drop them off at my mom's. They're not going home."
"Oh, right," he says and heads up front. I watch him say something to the driver, then he looks at me and nods. I hop back up on the bunk. By now, Joey's will power is weakening and his eyelids are flickering. Adie's watching him and chuckling to herself.
"Hey," I say. "Uh, the bus driver is gonna go ahead and drop by Rodeo, so I think I need to call Anna." She hands me her phone, before trying to pull Joey into her arms again. This time he gives up and leans into her shoulder, still staring ahead.
***
"Shit," I say as we're pulling into my mom's neighborhood. Adie looks at me to see what the problem is. I motion out the window towards the driveway. My mother's husband's car is parked there. Adie looks at me sympathetically and pulls my head down to her shoulder.
"I was hoping he wouldn't be here," I say into her shoulder.
"I know," she says. The bus lurches to a stop in front of my mom's house and as I gather up the boys' stuff and a zonked-out Jakob, I brace myself for dealing with him.
"We'll only be a minute," I say to Jeff as we pile off the bus. My mom must have heard the buss pull up, because she opens the door before we get to it. She's happy to see us, but I can see her husband lurking in the background. I sigh and lead my brood inside. Joey plops on the couch and I set Jakob next to him. In a couple minutes, he's passed out. Mom makes a big fuss over everyone, takes the boys' bags, tells me I need to get a haircut. She goes out of the room, leaving me and Adie alone with him. Adie gives him a quick wave and says,
"I'll go give your mom a hand," and takes off.
We stare at each other before I turn to pick up Jakob and carry him into the bedroom.
"How long do we have to keep them for?" he asks. I just roll my eyes and tell him to fuck off. When I get into the room, Adie's there waiting out the uncomfortableness.
"Did you just tell him to fuck off?" she whispers, taking Jakob from me.
"Yeah," I chuckle quietly. She smiles back.
"Your mom didn't hear?"
"Don't care," I smile. "It's a common-known disclaimer I gave years ago- my actions and words around and/or to him are not my responsibility." As I leave to get Joey, I hear her giggle. Damn, do I love my kids to death, and then some, but I'll be glad to get her alone.
"I don't wanna miss out on any time with you," he says. He's so tired, he doesn't even look at me when he says it. Just stares into space wide-eyed. Adrienne, who's sitting, or I guess you could say leaning on me tries to pull him into her so he'll fall asleep, but he shakes her off and continues to stare at nothing. She looks up at me sideways and flashes me a smile, but I'm not really sure what about.
***
For some reason, it's unusually quiet on the bus as we round into the Bay Area.
Suddenly I see Mike's hair poking up form the edge of the bunk.
"Hey lame-o," he says and I slide Jakob off my lap into Adie's and jump off to see what his problem is.
"Is he okay?" Mike says, pointing to Joey, who's still completely zoned out.
"He's spacing," I say. "So what's up?"
"Jeff says we'll have time to go straight to Oakland a drop off the kids, if you want."
I look at him quizzically for a moment, before saying, "Jeff?"
He looks at me before saying,
"The bus driver..."
"Oh, yeah." I say shaking my head. I guess I'm a little tired too.
"No, wait," I say as Mike turns to go relay the news. "Uh, ask if he can zip to Rodeo. We can drop them off at my mom's. They're not going home."
"Oh, right," he says and heads up front. I watch him say something to the driver, then he looks at me and nods. I hop back up on the bunk. By now, Joey's will power is weakening and his eyelids are flickering. Adie's watching him and chuckling to herself.
"Hey," I say. "Uh, the bus driver is gonna go ahead and drop by Rodeo, so I think I need to call Anna." She hands me her phone, before trying to pull Joey into her arms again. This time he gives up and leans into her shoulder, still staring ahead.
***
"Shit," I say as we're pulling into my mom's neighborhood. Adie looks at me to see what the problem is. I motion out the window towards the driveway. My mother's husband's car is parked there. Adie looks at me sympathetically and pulls my head down to her shoulder.
"I was hoping he wouldn't be here," I say into her shoulder.
"I know," she says. The bus lurches to a stop in front of my mom's house and as I gather up the boys' stuff and a zonked-out Jakob, I brace myself for dealing with him.
"We'll only be a minute," I say to Jeff as we pile off the bus. My mom must have heard the buss pull up, because she opens the door before we get to it. She's happy to see us, but I can see her husband lurking in the background. I sigh and lead my brood inside. Joey plops on the couch and I set Jakob next to him. In a couple minutes, he's passed out. Mom makes a big fuss over everyone, takes the boys' bags, tells me I need to get a haircut. She goes out of the room, leaving me and Adie alone with him. Adie gives him a quick wave and says,
"I'll go give your mom a hand," and takes off.
We stare at each other before I turn to pick up Jakob and carry him into the bedroom.
"How long do we have to keep them for?" he asks. I just roll my eyes and tell him to fuck off. When I get into the room, Adie's there waiting out the uncomfortableness.
"Did you just tell him to fuck off?" she whispers, taking Jakob from me.
"Yeah," I chuckle quietly. She smiles back.
"Your mom didn't hear?"
"Don't care," I smile. "It's a common-known disclaimer I gave years ago- my actions and words around and/or to him are not my responsibility." As I leave to get Joey, I hear her giggle. Damn, do I love my kids to death, and then some, but I'll be glad to get her alone.