A cigarette dangled precariously from Mildred’s lips A thick coat of rose lipstick clung to the filter Her right eye was clenched shut to avoid the upward flood of smoke rising from the bright cherry tip Mildred told Jack smoking was a disgusting habit but it was her one vice and overall one vice wasn’t too bad A ribbon of smoke curled in the air Jack pictured the Nile River and the way the water flowed northward not south like most rivers the muddy silt-filled river gushing upward against the sag and pull of the heavy earth trying to drag everything down He rested his head against the back of the seat and glanced over at Mildred her hair a football helmet of white curls Every once in a while she would leave a pink sponge roller in her hair way in the back where she couldn’t see it and he would have to fish it out while she screeched Get it out Get it out before someone sees Jack didn’t know what the big deal was It was just a hair roller it wasn’t like her fly was open but she was old fashioned always wearing dresses When he thought about it he was just thankful she didn’t have a fly She glanced over and motioned to his seat belt He dutifully put it on Well mister you’re lucky the principal owes me a favor This is your second suspension in two weeks One more and you get kicked out for good Mildred clicked her tongue and shook her head What were you thinking hitting your gym teacher in the fanny with a dodgeball That could seriously hurt a man He’s lucky he turned around when he did Jack said rolling down the window to let in some cool air Because I wasn’t aiming for his fanny
Young man You can’t solve your problems with violence Did you try taking deep breaths and counting to ten like I told you Mildred put her cigarette in the ashtray and gripped the steering wheel in both hands She probably wanted to strangle him No but I didn’t throw the ball that hard Jack squirmed in his seat Plus he deserved it He makes me do extra push-ups and run the track three more times when the other kids get a water break He says it’s character building But that’s not fair I know it’s not fair but we talked about that You certainly got shortchanged in the fair department but you have to get over it Life isn’t fair Mildred said reaching over and brushing the hair out of his face If you get suspended again I don’t know what I’ll do Sorry I’ll try harder next time Jack glanced out the window avoiding her gaze Well when you apologize at least try and sound like you mean it Sorry Jack said in a sappy voice then burst out laughing Mildred had him so figured out Hey at least you got to leave your office to come pick me up Actually the timing was perfect She pressed her lips together and smiled widely too widely That smile was a sign Jack had grown accustomed to and it was the sign of oncoming lightning-strike change She continued I was going to wait and tell you after school today but since I’m here I have some good news for you She beamed Emotionally Mildred could turn on a dime disappointed one minute and happy the next I found a new foster home for you
Are you serious His stomach jumped He knew she was because Mildred rarely sugarcoated the truth life-altering as it might be You could have warned me She stopped at a red light and glanced over at Jack ignoring his comments You won’t be spending another night in the group home I know that will make you happy Mildred said patting his knee Jack shrugged He didn’t mind the group home that much He thought of it like the pound just for kids Everyone wanted the puppies and he was an old dog I packed all your stuff for you Mildred twisted up her mouth in disapproval of Jack’s hobby We’re going to your new home right away She paused picked up her cigarette took a drag and exhaled slowly I know it took a while to find you a place this time but this one will be different I promise She nodded confidently Yeah I guess Jack tried to smile As tough as Mildred was he knew she went easy on him and he was grateful I’ll give this foster home six months Jack said reaching for the pack of cigarettes that poked out of Mildred’s purse She slapped his hand and stuffed the pack deep into the chasm of her handbag I thought I told you never to go inside a lady’s purse They were hanging out the side Jack grinned On the first day they met Mildred warned him that she had an alligator in her purse and if he ever went inside it would take his arm off He believed her Six months You’re optimistic I’ll go with four Mildred said playing along
Four months is good I meant four weeks Mildred’s laugh was gravelly and a long stream of ash fell from the tip of her cigarette and scattered across the burgundy seat She and Jack had been together for five years now Five years of strange homes strange people and their strange ways He sighed trying to relax He could only imagine what kind of place he was about to walk into Mildred eased the Buick up to the curb in front of the latest foster home and boy was it a doozy It’s the Victorian one right up there she said She’d scraped the tires against the curb and Jack rolled his eyes because she always did that Before getting out of the car Mildred flicked her cigarette butt through the open window leaned her head back and exhaled a lungful of gray smoke Ready baby she said Jack pulled his duffel bag out of the trunk and slammed it closed Do you have your book Mildred asked the way she always did Jack’s book had been given to him by his first foster parents an old priest and his lilac-smelling wife many years ago It was a good-bye gift In Jack’s opinion reading was pointless unless it was for school and then it was simply pointless with consequences if he didn’t do it But this book was different The man on the front cover had on old-fashioned bathing trunks and his muscles bulged like a wrestler’s He was wrapped in chains with thick padlocks dangling from his arms and legs The chains forced him to bend over from the weight as if an invisible ceiling pressed down on him and he couldn’t straighten up The book was about magic Not real magic though but trick-of-the-eye magic The man in chains was not a prisoner or a slave but a magician And his name was Harry Houdini Yes I’ve got my book Jack said the way he always did
