FAMILY TIES
      By Spense
 

Chapter Seven

Jonny felt as though he were living in a dimension apart from
normal.  Almost as though he were a disembodied spirit watching his
family without participating.  The only thing reminding him that this
was reality was the small pager weighing down his pocket.

Dinner was surreal.  He felt as though he were miles away, watching
through glass.  Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice.  Benton and Race
had spent the afternoon tangling with the government regarding the
application of one of Benton's newest discoveries.  Will was busy
with Rae, as usual, and Jessie appeared to have decided that playing
dolls with a living baby was the most fun thing she could possibly
do.  Hadji, usually more tuned into Jonny, had spent the afternoon on
the phone with his newly discovered mother and was full of news from
Bangelore.

For once, Jonny wasn't sorry when his father sent him to his room to
do homework.  Jessie was going to help Will with Rae, then was
instructed to do her homework as well.  This meant he didn't even
have to think of a legitimate excuse to get off by himself tonight.

Jonny half-heartedly concentrated on his schoolwork, staring at the
laptop screen on his desk.  The tiny pager felt heavy in his pocket,
far out of proportion to its actual weight.  He found it hard to
believe what his mother had said about his dad.  It seemed so
opposite from everything that he knew about him.

Benton had always stressed honesty to him.  Above absolutely
everything else.  He'd harped on it to the point of making Jonny
sick!  Then there was the fact that his Dad and Race had always told
him that he could tell them anything.  But his father lied to him
about his mother?  And hidden the fact that she was alive from him?
It seemed impossible to believe . . .  Yet he had seen her, in the
flesh, and had the pager in his pocket to prove it.  It was a
tangible link.  She was `real'.   Therefore, it followed that she was
telling the truth.

His Dad had said to always approach every problem with logic.  Well,
logic said this time, his mother was right, and his father was lying
to him.  And Benton `had' gone on some trips without him during that
time period in question.  Jonny remembered clearly, because he had
whined and cajoled to no avail.  All Benton had stated was school
reasons.  But Jonny had gone on trips before, even with lousy grades.

Jonny rolled this over and over in his head.  `Honesty', with a
capital `H' was always being stressed.  But he had physical proof
that his father was lying.  It all came back to that.  Logic dictated
one answer, and one alone.  His father had been lying to him for
years.

"Hey, Hotshot!"  Jonny whirled around in his chair, startled, to see
Jessie was standing in the doorway, looking annoyed.

"Don't you ever knock?"  He grumbled sullenly.  Jonny had too much on
his mind to want to be interrupted.

"I did knock.  Which you ignored.  After I sent three e-mails.  Which
you also ignored."

"Whatever," Jonny mumbled, turning back to his screen.

"What is `wrong' with you?"  Jessie demanded.  "All I wanted to know
is if you wanted to take a break and play Hadji's new game!  Well?"

"No," Jonny retorted rudely, beginning to work on his essay.

"FINE!"  Jessie yelled, affronted.  "I don't know why I bother with
you anyway."  She stalked out, slamming his door loudly as she went,
sparking a reaction from the adults downstairs.

Jonny could hear Jessie's voice in response and sighed.  Tattling
again.  Pretty soon his father or Will or Race would be up to `talk'
to him.  Make sure he was all right, lecture him about manners.
About being polite.  About being `good'.  Same old, same old.

They were fine to talk.  Now he knew that at least his father was
lying about something important.

Jonny half-heartedly finished his homework.  Still no one came.
Jonny wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.  Good, because he got
out of a scolding, or bad, because he wasn't important enough to
worry about.  Jonny had been wondering about that since Will, and now
Rae, had entered the household.  He'd been getting a feeling like his
place with his father had changed somehow, and he wasn't sure it was
to the good.  He decided to hold that thought.  He had enough on his
mind without adding that to the mix!

Jonny took himself to bed at his usual bedtime, still thinking hard
about his mother.  Lying awake, events still chased one another in
his mind, and he sure hadn't reached any conclusions.

He didn't realize it had gotten so late until he heard his father's
footsteps on the stairs, and the soft murmur of his voice.  Jonny
wondered about that as he'd heard Will go to bed earlier.  She still
tired easily, even though she was pretty much recovered from Rae's
birth.

Jonny hastened to snuggle under the covers, out of sight from the
door, knowing that Benton would check on him.  But to his surprise,
the footsteps went past, and Jonny realized that his father was
talking softly to Rae.  He could hear the baby gurgle in return.  He
heard the door to the nursery open, then close again a few moments
later.  Jonny quickly feigned sleep again, only to open his eyes in
shock as the door to his father's suite close, a sound filled with
finality.  Jonny was stunned.  His dad always looked in on him.  But
as time pressed forward, and Benton did not put in an appearance, it
became obvious that he wouldn't be tonight.

Jonny felt discouragement press in on him.  Everything was changing.
He wondered if anybody was really what he or she seemed at all any
more.

This depressing thought was interrupted by the soft chirp of the
pager under his pillow.  Interested, he pulled it out and looked at
the display.

<<Goodnight honey.  I love you.  Mom>>

Jonny smiled happily at the tiny glowing screen and said quietly, "I
love you too, Mom."  He was gratified to see the message appear in
letters on the screen.  He pressed the send button.  After a moment,
another soft chirp, and another message appeared.

<<XOXOXO>>

Jonny grinned and felt better beyond belief as he replaced the pager
under his pillow.  He had his mom back!  Who would ever believe him?