Reluctantly, I went to a pay phone near the theater and called Brenda.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked the moment she heard my voice.
"What I want to do. what I need to do," I replied. "What did you tell Uncle Palaver?"
"The truth."
She was quiet a moment. Then I heard her sigh deeply. "Celia left," she revealed.
"For good?"
"Probably. Look, April, you should come home and finish your school year. Over the summer..."
"It's not my home. Brenda. I hate it. I don't have a home, and maybe I never will. It's better to be like Uncle Palaver, be on the road, not attached to anyone or anyplace ever."
"Daddy used to call him a wandering gypsy, a hobo on wheels."
"Uncle Palaver's happy, and when I compare him to us or to the way we were. I'd say he was the lucky one."
"April, this is so crazy. You're not eighteen yet. Does Uncle Palaver realize he has to become your legal guardian?"
"Yes, he does. I'm going to help him in his act. and I'm going to go for my high school equivalency. I know what I'm doing."
"What are you doing in his act?"
I didn't want to talk about Destiny. It was better she knew nothing of that. I thought.
"It has to do with his illusions and such. It's too hard to explain. and besides. Uncle Palaver never talks about his tricks, and I can't. either."
"Yeah, right." she said. "Well. I'm not coming after you. April. You're going to be on your own. Let me know where to send you money, and do that. All the paperwork has been set up for your trust, and the house was sold." she continued.
I didn't want to hear any of it. I felt like slapping my hands over my ears. Our house, our home. Mama. Daddy, all of it was gone.
"Good," I said. "I don't care about it anymore."
"I'm sorry about what happened with Celia. I know it wasn't your fault. April," Brenda said in a most un-characteristically soft and tender way.
"It wasn't. I was... surprised, too."
"That boy called here," she also revealed. "Peter Smoke?"
"Yes. He sounded very disappointed that you weren't here. I had to tell him I didn't know where you were or when you'd be back. He left you a message."
&
nbsp; "What was it?"
"I'm sorry,'" he said. 'Tell her I'm sorry."
"He did? Was that all he said?"
"No. He also said something peculiar. He said I should tell you to follow the wheel, whatever that means."
"I know what it means. If he ever calls again, you can tell him I am."
"Was he the one who told you to run away?"
"No. Mr. Panda did." I said.