Mockingbird

CHAPTER 32 DAD-OH

WHAT IS A DAD-OH? I ASK DAD.

DAY-doe, he says, and it’s a groove in a piece of wood. But his lip curls up on one side.

He is starting to smile. I know what that means. Closure must be coming!

So I Work At It. I like DAD-OH better.

His lips curl up again on the left side.

I say Dad-oh four more times.

Here is the screwdriver Dad-oh.

Would you like a glass of water Dad-oh?

What do we do next Dad-oh?

Can I help you Dad-oh?

And his lips curl up on the left side every time.

And when I say it one more time, Good night Dad-oh, both sides of his lips curl up. So do mine. Because Closure is a very good thing to see.

After Dad-oh goes to bed and I’m sure he’s asleep I sneak into Devon’s room and borrow his Boy Scout knife and camping flashlight and go to the living room. Then I slide my head under the chest and turn on the flashlight so it lights up just the bottom of the chest. That way the room stays dark and Dad won’t know what I’m doing. I look for the perfect spot on the underside of the chest and I carve in big letters on his chest just like Devon did for me: SCOUT.