And there he was, on a shady side street right off Turtle Avenue. This isn’t a real avenue, Lee thought. Days before, driving Peanut home from the Southway Lounge, he had tried to explain this to her.
You know, this isn’t a real avenue. Lee had had both hands on the steering wheel.
What you mean?
Like I said. It’s not a real avenue.
Can’t you spell? The signs say it. Turtle Avenue. A-v-e—
I know. But it’s still not a real avenue. A real avenue is made like a horse shoe.
What are you talkin about?
I’m tryin to explain.
God. Sometimes you talk about the most boringness stuff.
It isn’t boring. Lee didn’t mean to let his anger slip out.
Oh yeah?
Why don’t you let me explain?
I don’t want to hear about no avenue.
Okay. The hot feeling still moved over his skin.
Another night on the avenue, they discussed Boo’s father.
His father always be tryin to come by and see Boo and whatnot.
Why don’t you let him?
Lee could feel her eyes on him. Boy, you is really dense.
Lee laughed.
I told you. I don’t believe in messin wit no butt hole.
Lee didn’t know if she was calling him that or Boo’s father. I see.
He buy Boo clothes and toys and whatnot. Give me money. Bring some food by sometimes.
Well … Lee watched his words, careful not to say the wrong thing. That’s good.
Yeah, but that’s all I let him do. I make Boo go in the bathroom when that butt hole come by.
I see.
A week ago, Lee had first learned of Boo. He had taken Peanut to his office. He leased the fiftieth floor of the Garden Tower, one of the most distinguished office buildings in the city. The Black Widow Exterminating Company at one end of the hall, and Archer Realty, his other company, at the opposite end. His office was the size of a four-room apartment. A glass-and-steel box that projected out from the side of the building. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Marble floors. His desk centered on a single rug. As long as a dining table. With an ivory inkstand with a pen, and a telephone on its top. (Lee never used the phone or the pen. Rarely came to the office. A group of lawyers and executives ran the company. For years, Lee had spent most of his time searching for Loretta.)
Wow, Peanut said. Her voice echoed.
You like it?
This place bigger than my apartment.
Stupid, Lee thought. Of course it was bigger than her apartment. She lived in a studio. Yes, he said.
What kind of rug is that? She moved forward to get a closer look. Her footsteps drum taps on the marble.
It’s from Afghanistan.
You been there?
No. Lee had no interest in traveling. It’s completely handwoven. Every thread.
God. It musta took somebody a long time to finish.
Another stupid thing to say. Lee played along with it. I guess so.
Boo would like this place. She looked around.
Boo?
My son.
Oh.
His real name is Goodwin Junior.
Lee nodded.
After his father and whatnot.
How old is he?
He seven.
I didn’t know that you had a son.
Now you do.
Lee didn’t like being insulted in his own office.
Why do you call him Boo?
Cause he scare me.
He scares you?
Yeah. His love be so strong.
I don’t follow.
Boy, is you dense.
Lee didn’t say anything.
I can’t deal wit no dense folks.
I just don’t understand what you mean.
She rolled her eyes. Look, Boo love so strong for me that it scare me.
Oh. I see.
Finally.
Lee didn’t say anything.
Anyway. Don’t you want to meet him?
Only if he don’t scare me.
Peanut just looked at him. That joke sure was corny and whatnot.
Lee felt delighted. His heart glowed inside. She’d missed his sarcasm.
Boo won’t scare you.
Good.
I want him to see yo office.
Sure. When are we going to bring him by? Next Sunday? That was Peanut’s day off.
Bet. A week from today.
Okay. Sunday, then.
Bet.
Lee was tugged by two feelings. On the one hand, he didn’t like kids. On the other, Boo’s existence offered him the chance to start a real family. Boo wasn’t his own child, but Lee was certain that he could learn to love the boy. He told Peanut that he made sure only singles or married couples without kids rented in his buildings. Children were simply destructive. Lee believed that a group of children might literally tear a building to the ground or, at the least, wreak irreparable damage.
Why don’t you move into one of my buildings? My best building. I have an apartment for you.
Now, you know I can’t afford to live in one of your buildings.
Rent free, of course.
Well, I thought you don’t low no kids in your buildings.
Of course, I’ll make an exception for you and Boo.
Ain’t you sweet. She kissed Lee on the cheek.
How soon can you move?
Real soon. She laughed.
Lee laughed too.
But I don’t want to live around no Section Eight tenants and whatnot. She was serious. Boo needs a wholesome environment.
Lee laughed. Hey, I don’t deal with welfare cases.
Well, all right, then.
Why don’t you move on the first of the month? That was two weeks away.
Bet.
Lee was determined to be a father to Boo, if for no other reason than to impress Peanut. That was one reason why he had questioned Peanut’s habit of leaving Boo home by himself. (And, it dawned on him, all the nights he and Peanut were at the lounge, Boo was at home alone. And Boo was alone whenever she was working.) So, the previous night, he had suggested that they all go to the zoo.
Boo’s never been to the zoo, she said.
What?
I said, Boo ain’t never been to no zoo.
Well, let’s take him.
Why?
It’s not right that a kid’s never been to the zoo.
What you mean, it not right?
I just mean that the zoo is somewhere every kid should go.
A zoo ain’t got nothin but animals.
But kids like animals.
The zoo boring.
It’s not boring. Kids like animals.
How you know?
Trust me. I know.
Just animals.
We’ll go Sunday.
We sposed to be going to yo office Sunday.
We’ll go to the zoo, then we’ll go to the office.
Boo might not like the zoo.
He’ll like it.
He better.
Lee bit his tongue. Tasted fire. Hey, we’ll all go have dinner afterward.
That sound good.
I know a nice restaurant.
Sound real good. What next?
Well … let’s go back to my place. Watch some movies. Play some games.
Yeah. Then we gon put Boo to bed. We gon talk.
Talk?
Yeah, talk.
Yes, we can talk.
You know, talk. Boy, you dense.
In his car, parked in a sleeve of shade, Lee sat remembering the previous night’s conversation. Thinking, Yes, we will talk. Something fine was going to happen to him today. He’d had enough of the past. Time to forget the dead. Time to start dealing with live people. Lee started the car.