His father barked an order to Eugene, and then looked down at Jake with a dull, even gaze and lumbered out of the kitchen. Eugene hurried over and whispered, Why’d you do that? Why’d you push him? But Jake had only said, You didn’t help me.
As he listened to his brother asleep on the steps, he checked the bandages on his face. His cheek stung. Eugene’s breathing slowed and deepened. Jake felt a release, a freedom he didn’t understand. He wasn’t afraid.
Soon, their father stopped mumbling upstairs. The house became quiet, the stillness punctuated by a creak in the floor, a doorway settling, the wind outside. Jake was wide awake, unused to the silence. He stared out into the darkness, warmed by the furnace. He listened to everyone breathe, and was lulled by the cadence of sighs. The furnace clicked off. He rose up, used the screwdriver to pick open the basement door, then wandered silently through the house, heading to his bedroom, broken lamps and overturned furniture strewn along the floor. He stopped and stared at his sleeping father. He thought of all the things he could do right now. He could get the knife if he wanted to. He felt stronger. He was stronger. He studied his father, then turned away. For a moment he saw the ghostly image of his mother in the corner, watching him. She clapped her hands lightly, applauding. He rubbed his eyes. She disappeared. He focused, and soon saw clearly through the night, and glided down the hallways in the peaceful aftermath.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leonard Chang was born in New York City and studied philosophy at Dartmouth College and Harvard University. He received his M.F.A. from the University of California at Irvine, and is the author of seven previous novels. His books have been translated into Japanese, French and Korean, and are taught at universities around the world. His short stories have been published in literary journals such as Prairie Schooner and The Literary Review. He lives in Los Angeles. For more information, visit his web site at www.LeonardChang.com.
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