But why should he hide from Mookie Kid, Moorland Kinear? He wasn't afraid. Nobody could tell him what to say or who to talk to. He could talk to Mookie on the phone if he wanted to. His parole had been up for four years. No one could tell him what to do.
Socrates decided that when he got home he'd call Mookie and say hey. But then, on the bus, on the way home he reconsidered. Why did Mookie Kid want to call him anyway? How did he even get his number? How did he know that Socrates was in L.A? The more he thought about it the more suspicious he became. Better to stay away from someone who was so sneaky as to come up on somebody when he wasn't expecting it. And why didn't he say anything when Socrates answered the phone the first time?
The phone was ringing when Socrates got to his door. He took his time again but the phone kept ringing. The green screen again read MOORLAND KINEAR. Socrates' heart was thumping, even his fingers were sweating. Here he was a man who could face death feeling little more than surprise, even at this late age, and a ringing phone terrorized his soul.
Fury replaced fear and Socrates grabbed the phone. He intended to throw it but then there it was in his hand. A tiny voice said, ?Hello??
Socrates put the phone to his ear.
?Hello?? the voice asked again.
?Mookie, is that you??
?You remember my voice after all these years?? the first-floor man asked. ?And over the phone too??
?Man, why you callin' me? Where'd you get my number??
?I looked it up in the phone book,? the voice said. ?Really, I called information an' they give it to me. Lionel Heath said that he saw you somewheres down Watts a few years ago ??
?Lionel?? Socrates said. He remembered seeing a man, an old man, who reminded him of someone. The man said something but Socrates was collecting bottles back then and had few words for anyone. It could have been Lionel Heath, or maybe his father.
?Yeah. You know that drug life caught up with him somethin' bad. He said you didn't even recognize him.?
?I'idn't ask the phone company to list my name,? Socrates said.
?They do it automatic,? Mookie said. ?You got to pay to be unlisted.?
?Shit.?
The expletive led into a span of silence. Socrates for his part was trying to deal with all the new information he had just received. Lionel Heath's reconnaissance, the phone company's deceit.
?When did you talk to Lionel?? Socrates wanted to know.
?I don't remember, man. He been dead three years. I didn't see him for a while before that. You know they had me in jail up north for eighteen months.?
?He died?? Socrates felt a momentary sense of loss. Lionel Heath knew how to tell a joke. He would have been a comedian if it wasn't for heroin.
?Yeah,? Mookie said. ?It was Slim, you know, AIDS. He took it in with the drug an' it ate him alive.?
Socrates pulled up a chair and sat down heavily.
?Damn,? Socrates said. ?So what you want, Mookie??
?I don't want nuthin', Socco. I remembered the other day that Lionel seen you an' I thought I might try you on the phone. So I did. You know. You was straight up in the joint, man. I thought maybe we could grab a drink or sumpin'. You know.?
?I'm pretty busy,? Socrates said. ?I been workin'.?
?Where you work at??
?Post office.?
?Mail carrier??
