the stairs with Beth. After a few minutes, Blonde shouted down, âSend the first one up.â About every five minutes, one boy went up and one came down. I calculated that since there were 147 of us, if she called for us all it would take more than twelve hours. After the fourteenth boy returned, Plain Brunette called out, âBingo.â I took a quick look into Bethâs Valley of Hope and went upstairs.
Chapter 17
.
The Interview
Upstairs, Mrs. Steele and Father Matthew were in the large eating room. Blonde announced, from the door, âThis is Bingo,â and I went in. The three long empty wooden tables stretched away from me. They had been cleaned with the same green liquid as we had been. The windows were open and let in the noise from the street. The room was hot. The scars on my face itched.
Mrs. Steele sat next to the priest at the far end of the middle table. âHello, Bingo,â Mrs. Steele said as I approached her. Her lips were crimson, and there was sweat between her breasts.
Father Matthew said, âBingo, Mrs. Steele is a famous art dealer from America. It is truly a miracle that she has come to St. Michaelâs. It is Godâs will.â
I thought of Thomas Hunsa. âIâz an art deala, too,â I said.
Mrs. Steele, our miracle, laughed.
Father Matthew told me to sit. I sat opposite him and Mrs. Steele. The only thing on the table between us was her small black purse and a plastic bottle of water. I hoped no one had spit in her water. Father Matthew shuffled next to her and his eyesshot worried glances at her handbag. He looked afraid that it might run away.
I said, âMrs. Steele, maâam, youâz very beautiful.â I read her dark green eyes; she liked that.
She said, âWhy thank you, Bingo, and you are very handsome.â
âOh, Fadda,â I said to Father Matthew. âDis fell out of ya pockit as ya walk up tha stairs.â I reached across the table and gave Father Matthew a small folded piece of paper.
Mrs. Steele said, âNow tell me, Bingo, how did you come to be at St. Michaelâs?â The interview had started, and I was ready.
I began my performance. âMrs. Steele, Iâz jusâ a chilâ from tha country, ya. Mize Fatha waz a poor farma in tha East. He worked hard to buy his own land. I waz with him when he battered tha stakes into tha ground when he bought tha land. Fatha, he farm every day. We was poor but Mudda, she took care of everyting.â
Father Matthew stared at me. The sheet he held read âDivinity Classâ at the top. I had torn it from his small yellow notebook; it was the page on which Boss Jonni had been crossed out and Wolfâs name written in. Father Matthew looked at me in a new way, as if I was not just a speck of dust.
âYa,â I said, and paused. âMudda took care of everytingâme, mize four bruddas anâ three sistas. That was until tha day it all happen, ya.â I wiped my nose and looked at the floor.
âWhat happened?â Mrs. Steele asked.
I waited a bit.
âFatha was in tha field one day and while he waz workinââmindinâ hiz own biznessâhe saw tha gang boys drive up to Mista Defrio, in tha field next ta hiz. They came to get tha monay for tha drugs from Mista Defrio, but Mista Defrio have no monay; so they shot âim â¦Â
bang!
Jusâ like that.â
Mrs. Steele and Father Matthew jumped.
I went on. âMy fatha run to help âim. But then Mista Defrio dead; he waz back in tha mud. My fatha can naâ help âim no more so he laid in tha ground anâ hide until tha gang boys go away. Then Fatha runned back to our house, anâ to Mama anâ my bruddas and sistas. Fatha waz almosâ cryinâ anâ Fatha neva cry. He shouted at Mudda,
âI saw dem shoot âimâtha gang boyz shot Mista Defrio!
I hide in tha field.â Mudda grab Fatha and shouted,