Chapter 8: The Phone Call Phil Didn't Expect
Phil called me that evening.
"Gary just rang me," he said.
He sounded like a man trying to decide if he was dreaming.
"Offered to pay for the fence panel.
Said he should have handled it at the time."
"What did you say?"
"I said yes before he finished the sentence." A pause.
"Mark, what did you do?"
"My son did most of it."
There was a silence on the line.
"How old is Jake?"
"Twelve."
Phil laughed.
It was the kind of laugh that had relief underneath it.
"Tell him thank you from me."
Bev called an hour later.
Gary had left her a voicemail.
He'd offered to cover her deductible and the difference her insurance hadn't paid.
She'd already called him back and accepted.
I told Jake at breakfast the next morning.
He poured his cereal and didn't say anything for a moment.
"Do you think he actually feels bad?" Jake asked.
"Or is he just trying to make it stop?"
"Honestly?
Probably both."
"Is that enough?"
I thought about it.
"I think it's what we've got.
Real change is slow.
But he's not going to do it again to Phil or Bev.
And I don't think he'll try anything with us."
Jake ate a spoonful of cereal.
"Because of the recording."
"Because of you," I said.
"The recording was just a tool.
You were the one who thought to make it.
You were the one who stayed calm when he threatened you.
You were the one who knew the law."
Jake looked at me.
"I looked everything up on my phone."
"I know."
"It wasn't that hard."
"Jake." I waited until he met my eyes.
"It was hard.
You just made it look easy."
He went back to his cereal.
But he was almost smiling.
Donna came by that afternoon with more cookies.
She'd heard from Bev.
"You know," she said, standing in the doorway, "I've lived on this street for twenty-two years.
Gary has been here for nine of them.
In nine years, nobody made him accountable for a single thing."
"Jake did," I said.
She looked past me to where Jake was sitting at the kitchen table doing homework.
"Jake," she called.
He looked up.
"When you're old enough to run for city council, you let me know.
I'll be your first volunteer."
He stared at her.
"I'm twelve."
"I'm aware," she said.
"I'm a patient woman."
She handed me the cookies and left.
Jake watched the door close.
Then he looked at me.
"She's serious, isn't she."
"I think so, yeah."
May you like
He turned back to his homework.
But this time he was definitely smiling.
