Machine Dreams

Florida. She got into some trouble. She got arrested for possession.”
    “Possession of what? What are you talking about?”
    “Possession of marijuana. Danner got busted.”
    His father looked at him, incredulous. Behind him Aunt Bess touched the back of his chair.
    “You mean drugs,” Mitch said. “Is Danner in jail?”
    “Yes. Mom went down to the bank this morning to borrow the money for bail. She had to borrow two thousand dollars.”
    “Jesus Christ.” His father bowed his head and leaned his elbows on the table. He turned his head to one side and touched his forehead, then covered his eyes with his hand. For a strange moment Billy thought he was praying.
    Aunt Bess still stood, gripping the back of Mitch’s chair as though holding it in place. “But Danner is all right, she’s not hurt.”
    “No, no, she’s okay. She should be out of the jail by tonight.”Billy stepped closer to the table but kept his hands in his pockets. His father sat silently, with no movement in his body. He moved his hand now to support his forehead and tears fell on the checked tablecloth. Billy felt very warm, as though he were going to be dizzy. Snow was falling past the kitchen windows in big wet flakes; the yard and bushes on the other side of the glass were a smooth, unbroken white. The kitchen was lit with snow light, indirect and off-white. The warmth of the room was inconsistent with the light and the consciousness of snow; Bess was baking bread, that was it—Billy hadn’t smelled it till now.
    He looked at his great aunt and she faced him from behind his father, unblinkingly. She seemed to be looking straight through Billy, through the walls of the house as well, sadly and evenly. She was very thin and held her rounded shoulders high, of some long habit; her stance lent the front of her body a concave aspect from chest to knees. Now she moved to give Mitch her white handkerchief, taking the small square from the pocket of her sweater, unfolding it, placing it near him. Her gesture was deliberate and unobtrusive. She sat down, very straight, on the tall stool beside the hoosier.
    Mitch refolded the handkerchief, his eyes wet. “I hope your mother is satisfied now,” he said.
    “It’s not her fault,” Billy said.
    Mitch continued as though Billy hadn’t spoken. “This would never have happened.”
    They were all quiet. Snow was falling and a car moved through the alley, its motor muffled and sputtering. There was the sound of chains on ice as tires spun for traction. New snow would be flying up all around the wheels.
    “You never know what can happen,” Bess said.
    Her words were so heavy in the room that Billy found himself saying more than he’d intended. “Dad, they only had a couple of grams between the four of them.”
    “Grams? What the hell do you mean? What do you know about grams?”
    “I mean they only had a small amount.”
    His father made no response.
    “I think she has to stay in the state about a week,” Billy said,“until the arraignment. The father of one of the boys flew down last night. I guess he’s arranging things. They already have a lawyer, and rooms in a motel.”
    “What motel?”
    “A place called the Sea View. In Naples.” Billy dropped his voice, uncertain how much Danner would want Mitch to know. “They were camping out on a beach in Naples.”
    Mitch stood, scowling. “You get me the phone number of that motel. I want to talk to Danner.”
    Billy nodded. “Mom has it. I’d better get back, she’s pretty upset.”
    His father didn’t answer. Billy gestured at Bess apologetically. “I’ll call or come down as soon as I hear anything.”
    “Yes,” Bess said, “of course you will.”
    He turned and let himself quietly out the house, pulling the door tight behind him and closing the screen door so it latched. The look of the old woman’s face stayed with him as he walked through deep snow to his car. He tried to imagine Danner in jail and couldn’t. Bail would be arranged by afternoon. They wouldn’t send four kids up for three grams of marijuana, especially when the nearly empty box of dope was found at the campsite and none of them admitted to possession anyway. Even though it was a felony charge, getting them off would probably be a technicality. And the lawyers’ making some money. But his parents wouldn’t see it that way. They thought Billy was going into the army and Danner was going wrong, all in the same week.
    When he touched her there,