I go into Joy’s cabin right after Justin and Suzy.
Joy is asleep in her cot and Justin sits on the floor and softly wakes her up by caressing her cheek.
“Joy. Joy, sweetie, wake up.”
Joy opens her eyes, and immediately sits up straight. “Dad! Dad, what happened?”
“Shh, it’s okay. Come here,” he leans against the cot and invites her to sit on one of his legs.
Joy sits down. She no doubt senses that he’s somber and not excited.
He puts his hand on her back, and explains, “I woke up. I forgot everything, as usual.” She nods. “I got dressed, went to work. And then, when I was heading for the subway, my phone rang.”
“Charlie!” Joy’s excited.
Justin nods. “Yah. I answered the phone. And it’s the voice of a kid that I don’t recognize.
“ ‘Justin,” he asked. ‘Justin Shelley?’ “ Joy nods excitedly.
“ ‘Yeah,’ I said.
“ ‘My name is Charlie Blacksnake.’ He was, like, perfect.
“ ‘Do I know you?’
“ ‘You told me to call you. You gave me your phone number. You asked me to remind you of something. Can you hear me? Is this okay?’
“I told him it was okay. I said something like, ‘Kid, what’s happening? Who are you?’ And he said, ‘I need to remind you that you have a daughter called Joy Shelley. She’s really cool, and she lives in your dream.’
“And that’s where I kind of lost it. I shouted at him if it was a prank, I said it wasn’t funny.”
“It didn’t help you remember?” Joy asks sadly.
“No, I’m sorry. He said it wasn’t a prank. He was so calm and clear! But I didn’t recognize him! I thought he was trying to blackmail me, saying I had a daughter I didn’t know about.”
“Oh, wow,” Suzy says. “He must be so upset.”
Joy looks down, also upset.
“He tried to talk to me about Red and Madelyn and Amahle, but I didn’t remember anything and then I just hung up on him.”
Joy puts her head on Justin’s chest and cries.
“I’m sorry, Joy. I’m so sorry. I don’t think there’s anything he could have said to make me remember.”
Joy cries. Justin keeps hugging her and rubbing her back. I have never seen her so sad, and I have never seen Justin this fatherly in all my life.
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt