Knowledge, chapter 1
Billie Joe sat in his son's darkened room, barefoot and bored out of his mind. Jakob refused to go to sleep unless Billie was right there in the room with him. It had something to do with some shit Joey had told him about ghosts. Billie had attempted to escape the room many times, but each time Jakob woke up just as Billie stood up from his chair, or just when he opened the door. Jakob would start crying for his mom, Billie had almost given up any hope of ever getting out of the room without waking Jakob.
So he sat and waited for Jakob to fall asleep enough so that he, Billie, could leave without waking him. As he sat in silence, his knees pulled up to his chest, he looked around him. Stuffed animals littered the ground, as well as picture books. A tiny guitar lay forgotten in the corner, a string missing and permanent marker covering the exterior. Billie studied the guitar, and smirked to himself. Here he was; a world-famous rock star. Living the so-called 'high life'. Yeah right.
His patience ran out and he once again attempted to leave the room without waking Jakob. Every noise he made seemed magnified about ten times. The swish of his pants, the noise his bare feet made on the wood floor, even the sound of his breathing. He made it to the door, but as he swung it slowly open, he heard a noise from the bed.
"I can't sleep. Where's Mommy?"
Billie sighed. Back to square one. "Mommy isn't around right now. She'll be coming home soon, though. Why don't you go back to sleep?"
"I can't sleep. I really can't. I want Mom."
"You were just asleep. You can go back to sleep."
Jakob looked at his father, doubting what Billie was saying.
Billie sighed again. "Alright. Look, I'm right here. Right in this chair. I'm not going anywhere."
Billie reluctantly went back over to the chair that he had been sitting in. Jakob seemed satisfied, and his head disappeared behind the mountain of blankets again.
"I want Mom." The words echoed in Billie's head. Adie had gone to a meeting at Jakob's school, leaving Billie to babysit. He knew why Jakob didn't trust him. He had been away too long on tour. And now he felt like a stranger in his own house. Looking back at the beat-up guitar, he remembered his first time coming back to his family after tour.
So he sat and waited for Jakob to fall asleep enough so that he, Billie, could leave without waking him. As he sat in silence, his knees pulled up to his chest, he looked around him. Stuffed animals littered the ground, as well as picture books. A tiny guitar lay forgotten in the corner, a string missing and permanent marker covering the exterior. Billie studied the guitar, and smirked to himself. Here he was; a world-famous rock star. Living the so-called 'high life'. Yeah right.
His patience ran out and he once again attempted to leave the room without waking Jakob. Every noise he made seemed magnified about ten times. The swish of his pants, the noise his bare feet made on the wood floor, even the sound of his breathing. He made it to the door, but as he swung it slowly open, he heard a noise from the bed.
"I can't sleep. Where's Mommy?"
Billie sighed. Back to square one. "Mommy isn't around right now. She'll be coming home soon, though. Why don't you go back to sleep?"
"I can't sleep. I really can't. I want Mom."
"You were just asleep. You can go back to sleep."
Jakob looked at his father, doubting what Billie was saying.
Billie sighed again. "Alright. Look, I'm right here. Right in this chair. I'm not going anywhere."
Billie reluctantly went back over to the chair that he had been sitting in. Jakob seemed satisfied, and his head disappeared behind the mountain of blankets again.
"I want Mom." The words echoed in Billie's head. Adie had gone to a meeting at Jakob's school, leaving Billie to babysit. He knew why Jakob didn't trust him. He had been away too long on tour. And now he felt like a stranger in his own house. Looking back at the beat-up guitar, he remembered his first time coming back to his family after tour.
