Welcome to the Dark Side (The Fallen Men 2)

xoxo,

Louise M. Lafayette

P.S. I am worried about you in prison. Do they at least have lollipops there? I love lollipops, especially the cherry kind.

Little Loulou,

Yeah, kid, I got the letter from Bets. You have Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I looked it up in the prison library. The bad news is, it’s gonna suck to fight this and you’re gonna get real tired doing it. Good news? Those docs really know how to treat this shit. There are stages to cancer, kid, four of ’em and you are stage 2. This is really good, yeah? The odds of a kid beatin’ this thing are high and the odds of you beatin’ it? Even higher.

Really like the drawing, Lou. I got a few from my kids in my cell and now I got yours here too. Makes the place a little brighter. And I don’t got any lollipops, but gotta say, I don’t have a hankerin’ for them and straight up, kid? Those things will rot your teeth right out.

Z.

Yeah, before I forget again, cut it out with the Mr. Guardian Monster, yeah? Just call me Zeus.

Dear Mr. Zeus,

My hair is falling out. Betsy told me it was going to happen and a bunch of other kids in the cancer ward don’t have hair but I’m really sad. My hair was really pretty. Do you remember it? I think there was blood in it last time you saw me but mostly it’s gold and thick and long. Nanny used to brush it for me before bed and it felt really nice. Nanny shaved the little bit I had left off so I’m bald. Now, my head is super cold. It doesn’t matter really, I got to stay in the hospital right now and it’s always warm in here. I’m fighting, Mr. Zeus, really I am, but I’m super duper tired and even though you told me I was too strong to cry, I cried last night.

I haven’t seen my parents in three days and Nanny only brings Bea sometimes because she’s too little to see me all sick. I’m really lonely and I know you are in prison but if you could get maybe a Christmas break or something, could you come visit me? It’s really sad in the hospital but I think you could make me smile, maybe.

xoxo,

Little Loulou M. Lafayette

P.S. I’m happy you don’t like lollipops so now I don’t have to share. Betsy told me that in prison you don’t get a lot of stuff. What do you miss most? Maybe I can send it to you!

Little Loulou,

Listen to me now. You don’t need your parents. They ain’t there, good feckin’ riddance, yeah? They’re too busy to sit with a girl like you, sweet and kind even sick as a dog? Gotta say it, Lou, they don’t sound like good parents. Now, on top of everythin’ else you got goin’, that straight up sucks. Good news is, you got Nanny, Bea, and Betsy over there in your corner. You need to cry, you go to one of them and you tell ’em to get you a damn cherry lollipop or you get ’em to give you a hug. And I might be stuck in prison, little warrior, but you still got me, your guardian monster, keepin’ an eye on you from hell on earth. You feel sad, you write me one of your letters or make me a pretty picture, yeah?

Don’t miss nothin’ so much as I miss my kids. I told you before, I got a son who’s just two years older than you and a daughter round about your age. King and Harleigh Rose. They’re stayin’ with their mum and you know how your parents suck? King and H.R.’s mum sucks even worse. She’s not a nice lady and she’s a feckin’ crap parent so I get worried about them. Worried about them, worried about you… a guardian monster can only do so much from prison.

Stay strong, little warrior.

Z.

Betcha look pretty even without all that golden hair. You’re too young to get this, maybe, but sometimes a person’s got a soul so pretty it makes ’em glow prettier than anythin’ else. You got that kid, trust me. About the cold head, I asked Betsy to get you one of those knit cap things from my garage. Wear it inside out, yeah? Don’t need your dad crawlin’ up my butt about writin’ you.

2009-2010

Zeus is 28. Louise is 9.

Dear Mr. Z,

Merry Christmas! I don’t know if Santa comes to prison, so I got Betsy to send you a present. It’s not really big or anything because I don’t have a job yet. When I grow up and become a famous ballerina, I can buy you something even better. Betsy and I looked up what I was allowed to send you in jail and it’s not really a lot…Do you like it? I spent my whole entire allowance on it and Betsy took me IN DISGUISE to the biker shop to get it. It was super fun. I wore the toque you gave me but not inside out, so people could see Hephaestus Auto on it. Betsy gave me sunglasses too! I looked just like a biker girl. One of the ladies in the shop even asked me if my daddy was a biker just like you! Don’t worry, I didn’t tell her that you are my guardian monster, but I did lie and tell her yes. Lying is a sin so I had to go to the hospital chapel and pray for forgiveness, but it was worth it.