My Friend Leonard by James Frey Read Free Book Online Page A

the dime in my pocket. I cursed the potato chip bag. I cursed Lilly. I cursed Lilly how could she have done this to herself. I cursed and I cried. How could she have done this to herself.
    It is early morning and I am waiting. The bottle of rose is sitting on the seat next to me and it is still full. I am going to keep it. I am going to keep it so that if I decide to use it, it will be within reach. I made it through last night, but that does not mean I will make it through today or tomorrow.
    I am waiting. I am waiting for the sun to move above me. I am waiting to hear the bells ring ten. I am waiting to call my friend Leonard. He told me that if I ever needed help he would give it to me I need help now. I have no money and no job and nowhere to live. I am waiting to call Leonard. I need help now.
    I start the truck. I pull out of my parking space and start driving back toward the house. If I get hold of Leonard and he helps me, I will need to be near the house. The people there will know where Lilly is and who hastaken her. I want to see her again before she is gone. I want to see her again.
    I find my way back I see the house. I pull over and I park. I get out of the truck look around me. I see the flower store. I see the steeple that holds the bells. I see a park, the park is empty. I see a bank and a shoe store and a diner. I start walking toward the diner.
    I open the door, step inside. It is warm and loud. It smells like bacon and eggs. There are people at every table eating, drinking coffee, talking. There is a short hall in the back of the diner I can see two bathrooms and a phone. I walk toward the phone, reach into my back pocket. I take out my wallet and I take a card from my wallet. The card has five names on it, five numbers. They all belong to Leonard.
    I pick up the phone and I dial zero. I speak to an operator. I give her my name and the first number. I tell her I need to make a collect call. She puts it through, no one answers. We try the second number. No answer. We try the third, the call is denied. We try the fourth I hear Leonard answer.
    Collect call from James?
    Fuck yeah.
    Thank you.
    The operator hangs up.
    My son.
    What’s up, Leonard?
    You’re out of jail and you’re in Chicago. That’s what’s up.
    Yeah, I’m here.
    How is it?
    Not good.
    What happened?
    I start to break.
    I don’t want to talk about it.
    What’s wrong?
    I need your help, Leonard.
    What happened?
    I need help.
    What do you need?
    I need thirty thousand dollars.
    What?
    I need thirty thousand dollars, Leonard.
    What the fuck is going on there?
    You told me to call you if I ever needed help. I need fucking help. I need thirty grand.
    Are you drinking?
    No.
    Getting high?
    No.
    What the fuck is wrong?
    I start to break.
    I need money.
    He does not speak.
    Please, Leonard.
    He does not speak.
    Please.
    I hear him take a deep breath.
    Where are you?
    In a diner.
    How do you want me to get it to you?
    Thank you, Leonard.
    You’re my son. I’m going to take care of you.
    Thank you, Leonard.
    Now tell me how you want me to get you the money.
    I give him the address of the house. He tells me that it will be there in an hour. I thank him, thank you, Leonard. He asks me if I want him to come to Chicago and I tell him no. He asks again if I’m drunk or high he wants to make sure and I tell him no. He says that though he does not need to know right now, at some point he’ll want to know why I need so much money. I say fine. I thank him again and he says don’t worry about it and I say thank you again and we hang up. Thank you, Leonard. Thank you. I walk out of the diner and I walk back toward my truck, toward the house. As I get closer, my heart starts beating faster. I think about what happened in the house, the images in my mind are clear. Hanging hanging hanging. I try to push the images away, but they remain, hanging hanging hanging. Every step is harder, every step is heavier. I start up