Apart from the room where we are talking theres an empty room like an office and that is all. I gess there is a bathroom but I never see it. The main room is crowded with the 3 of us in it so you can imagine what happens when 1 2 3 6 10 more people show up. I dont know how many it is actually but it is a lot and they all show up together. In a minit the place is jammed like an ants nest. People shout Happy Holidays Brady and Alex and pat the officers on the back. I dont know who is who but they are both popular.
There are bottles and glasses and snacks and a music player. It is a party. The woman officer trys to stop it but she cant. Nobody listens when she says go home. Nobody cares.
Its deadest time of the year! shouts one guy. Nothing is going to happen tonite!
He is beanpole thin. I am not fat but I am 2wice as big as him. He is thin and stands strait with brite red hair. He looks like a match. Its party time! he shouts.
Somebody standing near the woman officer gives her a drink. The guy officer already has a drink. The bean pole beside me gives me a drink. I say thank you. He pats me on the back.
I’m Kenton he says. His breath smells like peaches. Im Bunny I say and he laffs like I have made a joke. When he asks how I am doing I say Not fine. I am not polite any more.
Kenton laffs again and asks how I know Brady and Alex. We all went to school together he says. Perivale Tech—down hi way 37 there. Brady and Alex are so strait now he says. Cops would you beleeve it? They were crazy back in school he says. Theyd go to Canada and start fites. One nite they both ended up in jail.
I think they want to put me in jail now I say.
He laffs. Everything I say he laffs at.
Your funny! he says. He pats me some more. This is a funny guy! he tells the room.
My drink smells like peaches. I cant tell if it is bad or good but I have another sip. Yeah it is pretty bad.
Kenton tells me to drink up. The party goes on. The music is a song every body knows and they start singing and dancing. I can not help dancing along. I do not know the song but the trailer is rocking and I have to move to stay on my feet.
Kenton notices.
Hey you have skates on! Your a riot! he says.
I came on my skates I say.
The world is tilted at a funny angle. I take off my coat and hang on to it. I dont want any more peach stuff.
Kenton nods like Aha. You skated over—thats why you are in trouble he says.
The guy officer comes over. Brady or Alex. He takes a drink from his glass.
Who are you? he says to me.
He takes another drink.
Ive seen you befor he says. But I cant think where.
He shakes his head and finishes his glass. He wanted to arrest me and now he doesnt remember who I am. I start to laff. Kenton is all ready laffing.
This guy is the funniest! he says. Say something Bunny—say something funny.
Funny Bunny says the customs officer. Funny Bunny—yeah thats pretty good.
And I didnt even say anything.
Are you Brady? I ask him. Or Alex?
He doesnt know who I am and I dont know who he is. We all laff.
See! Kenton puts his arm around my sholders. Bunny is a riot! he says.
The air is starting to swim. The music is loud and we are jumping up and down to dance. The floor is moving like an earth quake. Alex or Brady staggers. I cant tell if I am dancing or not. I am sort of jumping. My arms and legs move on there own.
Alex or Brady moves off to find another drink. The trailer shifts and sinks to one side. At least I think it does. The pole with the flag on it falls over. The song ends.
Where are you skating to Bunny? says Kenton.
Canada.
I know a secret way to Canada he says. No customs or anything.
What way? I ask. Where?
We used to—Kenton starts but the music comes up and everyone goes back to jumping and I cant hear the rest.
What? I say.
When we were in school says Kenton. We did it all the time. Theres a way down from up here he says. There are yellow stickers on the trees to mark the path.
I dont know what he is talking about.
What path? I say.
He looks past my sholder. I feel a hand grab my upper arm. It is the other officer, the woman—Brady or Alex.
Ive been keeping an eye on you she says. What are you talking about?
Ive been telling Bunny about the path down to the river.
No Kenton! she says. He cant go to Canada. Hes a criminal. He broke out of jail. He has to stay here.
What? says Kenton. Is this true?
Sort of.
You are joking—rite?
No joke says Brady or Alex. She drags me away. The music is on and people are drinking and bouncing.
I still dont trust you she says. And I dont want Kenton helping you. Come here.
I have to go with her. She is so big she is like a troll. Her hand is a hook. She pulls me to the other room of the trailer and locks me in.
The good news is I am not with Vi and the other kid nappers. But I am still locked up in an empty room with no window or telephone or chairs. It is not as cold as the basement in the Newman house but it is pretty cold. I zip up my coat and slump until I am sitting on the plastic carpet. The music gets louder and the floor bounces under me when everybody starts dancing. I sit with my legs strait out. My skates are done up.