Twisted Roots (DeBeers 3)

"Why did he do that?"

"I don't know. He does lots of stupid things," she said. 'Where's your mother?"

"At work. Where's yours?" she fired back at me.

"Didn't you go to school today. either?" I asked her, ignoring her sarcasm.

"What do you care?"

"I work for the truancy department," I said, marching in and past her.

"Huh?"

"If you're not in school on Monday, we'll send a padded wagon for you." I told her,

She pulled in the corners of her lips.

"Very funny. You're as crazy as he is," she said, nodding toward Heyden's room. "You belong together."

She walked away and I went to Heyden's closed door and knocked gently.

"Heyden? It's Hannah. I missed you at school and came by to see how you were." I added.

I heard nothing and the door remained closed. Suddenly his sister's angry and silly quip concerned me. Why had he locked himself up all day? Mommy once told me that suicidal people don't always appear suicidal, especially teenagers whose self-inflicted deaths surprise their own parents. Depression was a deeply seated and insidious disease that wormed its way into every remaining bright place, putting out the lights and leaving gloom and doom behind as it made its way toward your very heart. Could this be true for Heyden?

I knocked harder.

"Heyden? Are you in there? Please answer me. Tell rue to go away or something, but answer me." I pleaded.

Elisha stepped up behind me. She had a lit cigarette in her hand. and she was smiling.

"Maybe you should have the padded wagon came far him instead of for me," she said. Then she went to her own room, closed the door, and started to play her rap music loudly.

"Heyden?" I knocked again. I was about to give up and go home when I heard the door being unlocked.

He stood there shirtless and barefoot in a pair of jeans.

"Are you sick?" I asked after a few moments of having him simply stand there and stare out at me.

"Yes, sick of life,' he muttered and turned away. He returned to his bed and flopped back to stare up at the ceiling. He put his hands behind his head. I remained in the doorway a moment and then entered. closing the door behind me softly.

"Did your sister do something else terrible?" I asked. He continued staring at the ceiling and not replying.

"I was worried about you when you didn't come to school. Heyden. You didn't say anything about any other problems when you and I spoke last night."

"I didn't know then what I would soon find out after we spoke," he said and sat up.

"What?" I asked. He remained quiet. "I'm not just trying to be nosy, Heyden. I am sincerely concerned."

He took a deep breath and turned to me.

"When my mother returned home from work. I told her what Elisha had done and what I had found. I knew nothing would come of that so I insisted she call my father to tell him. I wanted her to impress him with how out of control Elisha has become and how he should devote some time to her when he comes home. My mother kept ignoring me and when I started to shout at her, she finally turned to me and told me my father wasn't coming home this time, maybe never."

"Never?" I held my breath. "Why?"

"Apparently, he has gone off with someone from his quintet and told my mother he didn't want to remain in their marriage.-

"Oh. I'm sorry."