The Lost Boy

wrong? Am I in trouble?”
    “No, no, ” she said in a calm voice. “Now stop that. Why do you always say that whenever someone asks you a simple question?”
    I shook my head. I understood what she said, but I did not know why I always felt on edge whenever someone asked me a question. “I dunno.”
    Lilian nodded. “Hey, let’s say we have some lunch. I’ll kick Larry Junior out, and it will just be the two of us, all right?”
    My face lit up. “Sure!” I liked it whenever Mrs Catanze and I were alone. I felt special.
    Lilian made a couple of bologna sandwiches as I grabbed a bag of chips. She first warned, then ordered me to slow down my eating and to use better table manners. I obeyed her by not seizing everything in sight or shoving food into my mouth. I smiled at her, proving to her that I could indeed chew with my mouth closed.
    Mrs Catanze seemed to take her time as she delicately ate her sandwich. I almost asked her why she chewed so slow, when I heard a loud banging on the door. Without thinking, I blurted, “I’ll get it!” Still chomping on my food I bolted down the stairs and opened the door. A split second later I nearly coughed up my food. My brain locked up. I couldn’t break away from looking at
her.
    “Well, aren’t you going to invite us in?” Mother asked in a kind voice.
    From behind me, I could hear Lilian rush down the staircase. “Hello … I’m Lilian Catanze. We spoke on the phone today. We were just finishing lunch.”
    “You did say 1:00 p.m., didn’t you?” Mother asked in a demanding tone.
    “Uhh … yes, I did. Please come in, ” Lilian said.
    Mother marched in, followed by the boys. Stan came in last, with a grin on his face as he pushed in my bike, which Grandmother had purchased for me last Christmas. I remembered that day when Mother had allowed me to ride the bike, twice. I had never ridden before, and I fell several times before I got the hang of it. And at the end of the day I ran over a nail, and the front tire went flat. Now as Stan shoved the bike into Lilian’s house, I could immediately see that both tires were flat and parts were missing from the bike.
    But I didn’t care. The yellow and candy-apple-red Murray bicycle with its metallic-red banana seat was my prized possession. I was shocked that Mother decided to give it to me.
    Mother and the boys only visited for a few minutes, but Lilian made it a point to stay by my side. Even though Mother’s attitude seemed more relaxed – not cold and demeaning, as when she had come to see me at Aunt Mary’s – she still wouldn’t talk to me. I had so much to tell her. I wanted to show her my room, my new clothes and the artwork that I did in school. Above all, I wanted so badly to prove to Mother that I was indeed worthy of her acceptance.
    “Well, ” Mother said as she got up from the couch, “I just wanted to drop by. Remember, David, I
will
be checking in on you from time to time, so …
you be good, “
Mother stated in a sly voice.
    Lilian raised her hand, stopping me before I could say anything. “Thank you for stopping by, Mrs Pelzer. And remember, do call
if
you drop by again, ” Lilian replied, as Mother stepped through the door.
    I raced up the stairs. I stopped in front of a tall window and remained perched behind the glass as I watched Mother and the boys pile into her faded gray station wagon. As she drove off, I waved frantically, but no one saw me. In my heart I knew my effort was in vain. I wished that just once – just once – someone would smile and wave back.
    Lilian let out a deep sigh, then placed her hands on my shoulders. “So, that’s your mother? Are you all right?”
    I nodded my head yes. I looked up at Lilian. Tears rolled down my face. “She doesn’t love me, does she? I mean … I just don’t understand. Why? Why won’t she even talk to me? Am I that bad? Why didn’t you tell me she was coming over? Why?
    “I’m tired of her treating me like … like I’m nothing. I’m tired of her, my brothers, that creep Larry …” I pointed my finger at the window. “She didn’t even talk to me. She never talks to me. Never!” I spun around to Lilian. “Am I that bad? I try to be nice. I try to be good. I didn’t tell her to come over, did I?” I began to rant and rave, throwing my hands into the air as I paced the living room. “Did I tell her to beat me … to … to not feed me for days or … or have me live and sleep in the garage like … like …
an