Prison Boy

by Sharon McKay

  “Help us, Bell.”

  He spoke as if his thoughts could be carried up to her spirit, as if she were still there, watching over them, protecting them as she always had. She had said that every bad day has an ending and every good day a beginning. But what if that wasn’t true? What if a bad day followed a bad day? What if it was a step down, then another step down, then another and another? What if there was no way back? How could he turn around on the steps and go back up?

  “Pax, tell me a story,” whispered Kai.

  “Not now, someone might hear.” Outside a baby cried, dogs barked, peddlers cried out, and in the far distance traffic droned. The sounds of horns and sirens were muted.

  No one noticed or cared about two boys hiding in a shed.

  “Please,” Kai begged.

  Pax took a deep breath. “Once there was a king and queen and they had a baby named Kai.” Pax paused. He thought of Bell and of the facility she had chosen for Kai.

  “Why are you stopping?” Kai whispered.

  “I am thinking.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “I am thinking that I have another story to tell you,” said Pax.

  “Is it about me?” Kai asked.

  “Of course. Let me think.”

  The two were quiet for a few moments.

  “I am ready,” said Pax. “Once there was a boy named Kai. He was made of dust and air and yet he was strong. He was handsome and smart, the smartest boy around.” Pax wiped his face with his hand.

  “Was he the smartest boy in the kingdom?” asked Kai.

  “Yes, but he did not live in a kingdom,” said Pax.

  “Was he a prince?” Kai sat up.

  “He was just like a prince. His beauty was prince-like but he had no princely clothes, no castle, no white horse with flaring nostrils or a golden saddle to carry him to great dinners and grand balls. He did not have parents called King and Queen. He had no parents at all.”

  The descriptions came easily. The more effort Pax put into the story, the better he felt. His heart stopped beating so fast and thoughts came quickly.

  “Then how could he be a prince?” asked Kai.

  “Because in his heart . . . hush!” Footsteps thumped down the path mere inches from their hiding place. The two froze in place. Breath caught in their throats.

  “Pax?” Kai whispered.

  Pax shook his head. Wait. He mouthed the word. The sounds outside the shed receded and so Pax continued. “The boy was so smart that everyone decided that he would be a prince.”

  “Who is everyone?”

  “All the people who lived in the kingdom.”

  “But you said—”

  “Do you want me to tell the story?”

  “Yes.” Kai clamped his mouth shut.

  Pax continued. “This boy lived in the slums and grew like a tree among the open sewers, the dirt, and the garbage. One day a man came along and said to the boy, ‘If you are to grow up and be a real prince, you must leave all the people you know and come with me to a special school.’”

  “What was the man’s name?” asked Kai.

  “Peter,” said Pax.

  “We know a Peter.”

  “Don’t interrupt. The young boy did not want to leave his . . . people . . .”

  “What people?”

  “Never mind.”

  “What was the name of the prince-school?” asked Kai.

  Pax did not hesitate. “Oxford. That’s where they teach boys how to be prince-like.”

  “Is it a princess-school too?”

  “No. Yes. Maybe, I don’t know. Stop interrupting. The boy did not want to go with Peter, but then he realized that if he was going to fulfill his destiny—”

  “I know what destiny is,” Kai stated.

  “What is it?”

  “Fate. Bell said so.”

  “When did she say that?” asked Pax.

  “A long time ago. I remember.” Kai was pleased with himself.

  “You remember everything,” said Pax. He looked down at Kai. He could feel a tickle at the back of his throat and a sting behind his eyes. He should have listened to Bell. They could not live on the streets. Sooner or later one of them would get sick, attacked, or hurt. Kai should be in school, a real school. He had been wrong to take Kai away from that life, wrong to think he could protect him.

  “Pax, if it is a princess-school too, then maybe the prince could meet a princess and they could live happily ever after,” said Kai.

  Pax let out a muffled sob.

  “Pax, are you crying?” Kai reached up and touched Pax’s face.

  “No.”

  “Your face is wet.”

  “Close your eyes. Rest,” said Pax.

  “I didn’t like that story. I only like the last part.”

  “Close your eyes.”

  They hid in the shed for the entire day. The sun was setting when they emerged. They were stiff and walked like two crippled old men. They went to a public water tap at the edge of the road. The government had put it in, but the water that came out of the spout was brown and it made people who drank it sick. Still, they washed away layers of dust and flakes of dried blood.

  “Come, we have a long walk ahead of us,” said Pax.

  “Where are we going?” Kai asked.

  “To the city,” said Pax.

  “We live in the city.”

  “We are going to where the big buildings are.”

  “But it’s dark.” Kai looked up at the night sky.

  “No one will see us. We will be there by the time the sun is up.”

  Chapter 16

  They walked. They hung off the back of a truck for a while, then walked again. The road underfoot was smooth. People dressed differently in this part of the city. There were many cars. They begged along the way.

  Rich people were not very generous, but after several hours of begging, they had enough money to buy a mango from a fruit-seller. It was old and bruised. Pax split it open. They ate the juicy flesh. Kai sucked on the pit. Pax used the mango skin to cool the sores on Kai’s back. It was sticky.

  The glass buildings were no longer gleaming castles in the distance. They were now close enough to touch.

  “Smell,” said Pax.

  Kai sniffed. The air smelled different—fresher. The ground was clean and there were no ditches. There were cemented spaces everywhere and spots of green, too, like rugs. They knew this was grass, but not once had they ever stepped on such a thing. There were fewer donkeys and carts, fewer bike-taxis and scooters.

  “Does the queen live here?” asked Kai.

  “No.” Pax shook his head.

  “Where are we going?” asked Kai for the hundredth time.

  “To a facility,” said Pax.

  Kai stopped asking questions. He was out of breath.

  The roads were bigger, the traffic faster. They did what others did: stopped at lights, crossed when the light turned green. There were statues in store windows.

  Kai pointed up. “What does it say?”

  “Gucci,” said Pax, although he pronounced it Goose-seee. Tall trees were growing out of giant concrete containers. The walkways were broad, big enough for cars.

  Kai looked into a tall barrel. “Look!” He pulled out a half-eaten sandwich. He was about to bite into it when a woman grabbed it from him, tossed it back into the bin, and handed him money.

  “That’s garbage. Go buy yourself lunch,” she said.

  Kai reached out to touch her, to say thank you. Horrified, the woman pulled back and spun away. Kai handed Pax the money.

  The two looked up and down the street. There were no street vendors, no kebab-sellers hovering over coals. Where would someone buy food if there were no carts selling food? Kai peered back into the garbage bin. His sandwich was now way at the bottom.

  “Look!” Kai pointed to pictures of hamburgers and kebabs on a sign. Under the sign was the word “Delicious.” The two pressed their noses against a window. There were peo
ple eating inside. “Do we have enough money?” asked Kai.

  Pax nodded, but he wasn’t too sure. He opened the glass door.

  A man in a brown-and-white uniform came running over. His nose crinkled up. “You can’t come in here.” He pushed them back out on the street.

  “But we have money.” Pax held up the bills.

  “You have to have a bath before you come in here. You stink.” The man plucked the bills out of Pax’s hand. “Tell me what you want and I will bring it out to you.” They did not know what to say.

  The man returned with a bottle of water and two meat sandwiches and long potatoes. “Hamburgers and fries,” said the man. He did not give back change.

  Pax and Kai squatted on their haunches, ate, then licked the paper the hamburgers came in. There were no gritty bits in the water they drank, nothing that stuck in the teeth. It went straight down the throat and made their insides feel clean.

  “It’s . . .” Kai hunted around for a word to describe the taste of water.

  “It’s deeee-licious,” said Pax. They both laughed, but despite a full belly Pax felt empty inside, hollow. Soon they would find Peter.

  Pax stared up at the buildings that surrounded them. Which one was a facility for children? There were no children anywhere. They put the hamburger wrappings in the bin and walked up the steps of the first building. They stood in front of the revolving doors.

  “What do we do?” asked Kai.

  “Watch.”

  People approached the revolving doors with one hand stretched out. They walked inside and came out the other side, which was actually now inside. But if they didn’t jump inside, then they would end up outside and have to start all over again.

  “Ready?” asked Pax. Kai nodded. “One, two three . . .” They leapt.

  Kai screamed. His foot was caught in the revolving door.

  “STOP! STOP!” Pax banged on the glass. “HELP!”

  A security guard came running. All sorts of people gathered around. Two men stopped the door from revolving. Pax, stuck behind glass, could only watch. Kai was pulled away from the revolving door. Pax spun around not once but twice before he could escape. Breathing hard, he bent down beside Kai. “Are you okay?” Sobbing, Kai nodded.

  “What are you two doing here? What do you want?” the guard yelled.

  “I don’t think that shouting at them will help the situation.” A man in a suit spoke to the guard.

  Pax looked up. The man had a soft, dark face, lined like wrinkled cloth. His eyes were watery and brown.

  “What is it you want, boys?” He leaned down and spoke gently.

  “We are trying to find the facility, the place for children to go to school,” said Pax, bravely.

  “You are in the business area. I think you want the government buildings. Come. Can you stand?” he asked Kai. Blinking back tears, Kai stood. The man felt Kai’s ankle. “Nothing broken. I expect you have had a shock. Go down this road for two blocks and turn to your left. Do you know your left?”

  Kai raised his left hand, proudly. Pax scowled. Of course they knew their left hand from their right hand.

  “Excellent. You will see a white building. That is Children’s Services. Go inside and you will see a big desk with a man or woman sitting behind it. Ask for help there.” The man smiled. The guard grumbled.

  “Thank you,” said Pax.

  “See that sign over there? It is a washroom. You can go and wash up if you want,” said the man.

  The guard stepped forward. “Sir . . . I don’t think . . .”

  The man reached into his pocket and handed the guard some bills. “Pass this along to the cleaners.” The man gave the guard a hard look.

  “Yes Mr. Golzar.” The guard tipped his hat.

  Pax and Kai pushed open the washroom door. “What is this place?” Pax whispered.

  The lighting was dim. A long silver trough reached from one end of the room to the other. A giant mirror was above it. Pax reached out and waved his hand. Water spouted out of a long pipe! He leapt back as Kai let out a tiny yelp.

  “What is it?” Kai asked.

  Pax shook his head. It was like a long, sideways shower. “Do people lie in it?” Above the long, silver sink-like thing were little silver buttons.

  “Push the button,” said Kai.

  Pax took a deep breath and pushed. Out came white syrup. He sniffed. “Soap!” It wasn’t like Bell’s soap; it wasn’t yellow and hard, it was white and foamy. “Climb up,” he told Kai.

  Kai peeled off his brown shorts and yellow T-shirt and lay down in the trough. His hands were pressed to his sides. He might have been in a very, very narrow coffin. Pax pushed the buttons, all of them. Kai giggled. The water was warm. They took turns washing themselves in the trough.

  Naked and wet, the two stood beside the long sink. How to get dry?

  “What are those?” Kai pointed to silver boxes on the walls. Pax pushed the button on one box. Out came blasts of warm air. Kai squealed with delight.

  “Put your head under,” said Pax.

  In the end, their hair stood straight up in clumps. They looked in the mirror and laughed themselves silly. They had eaten. They were clean. Almost clean. Their clothes were still dirty.

  “Look, Pax.” Both boys looked at the mess they had created. Water was everywhere. Bell would have been furious.

  Kai pointed to a stack of white paper. The paper was better than either had ever seen before. To use it like rags seemed wrong, but what choice did they have? Within minutes the place was shining, and not a speck of water was on the counter or floor.

  “Pax, I need to go pee,” said Kai.

  Pax looked around. There was a wall of silver doors but no toilet. “Wait, we will be outside soon.”

  The two left the washroom. A woman stood outside with a giant bucket on wheels, a mop, and all sorts of bottles and jugs. As the boys walked past her, she gave them a pained look, then she barged into the washroom. A moment later she was back out, standing by the washroom door, her mouth agape. She looked at the guard and mouthed the words, “It’s clean!”

  Pax and Kai walked across the cold marble floor. They stopped at the revolving door.

  “Over here.” The guard held open a side door.

  They ran down the steps, raced around to the side of the building, and peed against the wall.

  “What does it say?” asked Kai. He could read well enough but the gold plaque on the wall was too high.

  “It says Children’s Services.”

  Pax paused. They would take Kai away. He would go to a special school, write tests, and eventually go to university. Oxford University—the school for princes-in-training.

  “Pax, what’s wrong?” asked Kai.

  “Nothing, come on.” They walked into another great building. There was not a child in sight.

  “Please, we would like to see Peter.” Pax spoke to the woman behind a desk.

  “Peter who?” she snapped. She was not very old, but her glasses made her look fierce, like a cat.

  “Dr. Peter Bennett. We are from the Pink House, except it is gone now. It was run by Bell, but she is gone now too. Peter came and tested Kai. This is Kai. Kai is very smart. We are supposed to go into a facility. We would like to go there now, please.” Pax took a deep breath.

  “Mrs. Jacour, would you please come to reception,” the woman said, speaking into a telephone. “Here,” she reached into a drawer and pulled out two candies wrapped in crinkly paper. “Sit over there and wait.” She handed them the candies. “Thank-you,” said Pax and Kai. It was a nice thing to do, but why was she so grumpy?

  There were big chairs by the window, but instead the woman pointed to two stools near the door. They sat. They sat for a very long time. Finally another woman appeared.

  “There.” The woman behind the desk motioned towards Pax and Kai.

  The second woman, much older than the one at the desk, walked over to them. Bell had taught them to stand when a lady came into the room. This
wasn’t exactly a room but they stood anyway.

  “My name is Mrs. Jacour. What do you two want?” she asked. If she was impressed by their good manners, she did not let on.

  “We are from—” Pax was about to start again but the woman put up her hand.

  “If you are going to tell me that you are from the Pink House, I will stop you right there. We have all the children from that ridiculous orphanage in our care.”

  “You don’t have us,” said Kai, in all innocence.

  “I can assure you all the children from that place are accounted for. Now, where do you live?”

  “He needs to go to school.” Pax poked Kai in the back. Reluctantly Kai stepped forward.

  “I need your names,” said the woman. She was starting to sound very cross.

  “Please, can we see Peter?” Pax was beginning to panic.

  “Peter who? There is no Peter here.”

  “Dr. Bennett. Please,” Pax said.

  She frowned. “You two wait right here.” Then she turned and left. Was she going to get a security guard? The police? Her heels click-clacked across a floor made of shiny stone.

  “What do we do now?” Kai looked up at Pax.

  He swallowed hard. “We go back.”

  For the second night in a row, they walked.

  Chapter 17

  Pax returned to washing windows, cleaning trains, pushing wheelbarrows, and polishing shoes at the train station. He made enough money to keep them fed. Finding a place to sleep was the hardest part.

  “Who said you could stand here?” The boy hovering over Pax and Kai was the leader of the pack. He was bigger than the boys who stood behind him. His mouth curled over his teeth and he had black marks on his hands—drawings made with ink.

  Kai moved closer to Pax and leaned against him. Kai’s eyelids slipped down. Dark black circles hung beneath each eye, and his cheeks were hollow. They needed a place to sleep—any place. A piece of sidewalk would do.

  “We’re not doing anything,” said Pax. They had moved three times in the last three days. No matter where they went, there were bands of boys threatening them.