October 17, 1970

Dear Mr Keon

Yesterday after school mother said she was going to work late so after dinner I walked on College street past the police station. I kept going and went past Queens park past Bay street past Yonge street to Maple Leaf Gardens. I thought you might be back from beating St Louis 7-3 so I waited to see if you would come out from practice. When I got bored of waiting I walked around the building to look in the garbage bin in case anybody on the team threw out broken hockey sticks. Then I went to Eatons. I liked going all the way up and down the escalator. There was a crowd of people around the tvs so I investigated. Everybody was quiet then someone said bloody FLQ. The tv showed lots and lots of people cheering in french. Somebody cut up the Canada flag. The man on tv said poplar support for them was rising and that their goal was to separate from Canada.

A man beside the tv with a long rubbee coat made me think of detective Columbo said that they are going to win because they have more boys ready to shoot members of parliament than there are policemen.

Then we saw soldiers marching and guarding in Montreal. Then a man beside me who looked like Kernel Klink said it won’t be long before they are stationed in Ottawa and probably Toronto.

Someone else said the frogs wont dare to revolt with the army out.

Then the tv showed a skinny man with glasses like Meany Mings argue that the government was using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut because this was not a state intersection. .

I wanted to see if there would be tanks and aircraft carriers but then Kernel Klink asked wear my mother was.

I looked at him and pretended that I did not understand then bowed and walked away. I went up to my favorite floor on the top. It had all the sofas and beds. I like the chairs that have wide arms and spin around like Captain Kirks chair. I started to get tired and went into the sofa section for a rest. I fell asleep and had a dream about the FLQ taking over Canada and father sending me on a special mission to rescue hostages from them. Then I dreamed that some bad men controlled the FLQ which means Frogs Living in Quebec and sended in thousands of frogs who brought me to there leader. The leader of the frogs said wake up kid wears your mother wake up.

Then I did wake up and a man with a french voice asked me wear mother was.

I was going to answer then thought if I tell them mother is working then Barbra will find out and someone will make me talk and someone will take me away. I had to buy some time so I told him in chinese how to boil noodles.

The man said a bad word and said he was going to make a call. I wanted to run but some one else came to watch me and he gave me a whole bar of Kit Kat. He raised his voice like I could not hear and said it is no egg roll or chop suey but its good eh. I think he was trying to be nice and funny but it was not.

I ate the Kit Kat really fast because I was hungry and it was so good.

Soon a woman police officer came. She was the tallest woman I ever saw in person even taller than the warfare woman Barbra. She bended down to me and smiled. She asked where was my mother. I said home but I did not really know. She asked if I knew where she could drop me off. I said 54 Henry Street.

Then the man with the french voice came back and said but you must call da child welfare, da CAS no? This child has been asleep for 40 minutes. He started drooling on one of the new velvet sofas. Maybe he peed in it too. This is unacceptable. He is abandoned or a run away. He must be put in a proper home.

I did not pee in my pants but after he said that I wish I did all over his velvet sofa. Plus I did not know what CAS was but thought of Barbra and what he meant by proper home but I guessed it did not mean with mother. I wanted to cry but holded it in and the police woman saw.

She said no sane mother would on purpose leave there son in a department store alone. Hes a wanderer. The woman police officer stood up and moved her hat. She looked down at the man and said this boy is well fed properly clothed has no apparent injuries and is not in any distress. I’ll bet he has a mother who loves him. Come a long son. She gave me her hand. I smiled and grabbed it. I got to ride in a police car for the second time but this time with a police woman. She talked to me like a friend like she cared. She told me her family came over in a boat from Eyeareland Ireland. I wanted to ask if there were frogs there and if they ever had a revolution. But I did not. When the police car turned onto Henry street I saw Barry Arble riding his bicycle right near us. My mother ran out of the house towards the police car. Barry stopped and watched the police woman and me walk to my house. The police woman told mother everything was okay and not to worry. Then she asked about Mr Wong.

No mister Wong. Only me mother said.

I wanted to chop Barry in the head and charge him because he was listening and was going to spread lies again and tell everybody that I was caught stealing and murdering again. But then I remembered that you got the sportsman award for playing fair and not fighting. So I did not either. What should I do instead Mr Keon?

Your friend,

Johnny Wong

p.s. That night I woke up from a dream and heard someone in Catwomans yard. She came out to call her cats in and the light from her house showed someone who jumped over her fence and ran into the lane way. I thought it was Rollie except there was no moustache and I am not sure if it was a dream or for real.