Rules of Escape

Chapter 16 - Evan

Evan walks into the bank. He holds his bank card in one hand and a cheque in the other. He sees the line of people and stands at the end of it. He watches the tellers closely and the line of people in front of him. Soon he is at the front of the line.

He watches just the tellers now . He has to wait until one calls him over. He repeats his account number several times in his head. Then he checks his hand to make sure he has it right.

"I can take cash or cheques here," one of the tellers calls.

Evan walks over to the counter.

"I would like to deposit a cheque," he says. He hands the teller his cheque. He tells her his account number. She taps away at her computer screen and then hands Evan a slip of paper to sign. He checks to make sure the deposit amount is correct and signs.

"Thank you and have a good day," Evan says when he is finished.

"You too," the teller replies. Her eyes are back on her computer screen. "I can take cash or cheques," she calls to the line of people not yet served.

Evan walks towards the exit doors. I could do that job, he thinks.

Outside the bank, he walks up to the bank machine. He slides in his bank card. He withdraws the minimum amount, $20 dollars. He chooses to do another transaction and deposits his $20. He checks the second slip. The numbers are correct. He nods and walks back to the car where Peter is waiting for him.

"I did it," Evan says. "It all worked just like you said."

"That's awesome, Evan. It's usually a pretty good system and better than keeping your money in a sock. So now what? Do you want to use your bank card to try and purchase something at a store?"

They drive to a corner store not far away and Evan buys two pops, one for each of them.

No one stops him. No one questions him. The cashier looks at him a little strangely when he stands in front of the counter holding his pops. Buying things in a store wasn't like standing in line at a bank. He didn't need to wait to be called over to the counter.

In two months, he has found a few jobs mowing lawns for people on his street. He has opened his own bank account and learned the basics of banking. He still doesn't have a driver's license because Jesse said that Evan should save up some money first.  He has started reading the free newspaper too. He asked his staff to explain words that he didn't understand until Peter had downloaded a dictionary onto Evan's Ipad. Now he can look up words for himself.

Evan had gone to two meetings where people had asked him about his plans and asked him how things were going. He wanted to tell Ana about what he had learned. How was she doing? What she had learned?

"Do you want to buy something for your mom? It's tomorrow that she said she would like to drop by and see you, "Peter asks.

Evan was trying to forget. "No, I'm good."

"Maybe some flowers? Or maybe if she wants to go out, you could buy her a coffee."

"No I'm good."

Once they were home, Peter starts cleaning the house in preparation for Evan's mom coming.

"I want to call Jesse," Evan says.  The call to Jesse is short. Jesse does not have time to visit Evan all day just because their mom said she might visit.

After talking to Jesse, Evan reads some of the newspaper. He had already read it that morning, but he wants to make sure he still remembers all the words. He keeps his Ipad close to him just in case, but it turns out he remembers all the words he had looked up earlier.

"Hey Evan," Peter says. "Why don't you help with the cleaning? Don't you want to impress your mom when she comes?"

"No. I'm good."

"Why do you keep saying that? Don't you want to see your mom?"

"No."

"Ok well, I guess it's been a long time. You're probably nervous right?"

"No. Not nervous, Peter."

"Then why don't you want to see her?"

"She doesn't like me. ... She has a new life.  Maybe she thinks I'm rich because I work."

"I don't think she thinks that. Not to insult you, but mowing lawns won't make you rich."

"Then I don't know why she's coming here."

"To see you, bud. That's it. She just wants to see you."

What Peter says, doesn't make sense. His mother had been so happy when she was getting his things ready for him to go into care. She had packed her own bags as well. She kept checking on her new boyfriend who was waiting in the living room. Did he want something to drink? Was he hungry? Did he mind waiting? "And now life really begins," she had said. As if it hadn't before. All Evan felt was that life was ending. He didn't want to leave his home. Or grow up. Or meet new people. He was happy where he was. But his mom wanted him to move out so that she could leave. So her life could begin.

First his dad died. Then five years later, Jesse left home. And a few months after that, Evan had to leave.It had taken Evan a long time to feel happy in his new home. His mom had sent post cards at first. And a birthday and Christmas present the first year. But nothing after that.

Evan is fine with this. He has learned how to be happy. In fact, the new home is better than living with his mom in a lot of ways. He likes the routine. He always has good food to eat and clean clothes to wear. The last few years, the last few days especially, have been his happiest yet.

"She can see me tomorrow if she wants," Evan says. But even as he said this, Evan realizes he can't quite remember what his mother looks like. He can remember some of the clothes she wore, but not her face. What colour were her eyes? Did she have a nice smile? Was she chubby or skinny? He can't remember. 

 All he can remember are her words - what she said to him when she left. Now my life can begin. And he remembers how she smelled. She smelled like cinnamon and grass.