“This is cool. What’s it about?”
Erik told him its history, explained each of the charms. When he was finished, James sat back, looking thoughtful. He drew from the neck of his shirt a silver ball chain. From it dangled a set of dog tags and a copper pendant. He drew it over his head and handed it to Erik.
Erik put down his screwdriver and took the necklace carefully, knowing a talisman when he saw one. The dog tags were stamped KORODOWSKI, MARGARET C.
“My sister,” James said.
“Korodowski?”
“My real last name. I use Dow for the stage.”
Erik nodded. He looked closer at the copper pendant. It was a flattened penny.
“We called her Penny,” James said. “My mom had three boys and always wanted a daughter. My father said one would eventually turn up. Like a bad penny. And she did turn up. With me.”
David had come over and was looking at the tags. “You’re twins?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened?” Erik asked quietly.
“She was in the 14th Quartermaster Detachment,” James said. “They were deployed to Saudi Arabia last February. They were only there six days and a scud missile destroyed the barracks.”
“I remember seeing the story on the news,” David said. “I had no idea your sister was… Dude, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry,” Erik said. “That’s horrible.”
James took the chain back from David and put it over his head.
“Is it why you transferred here?” David asked.
James lit another cigarette. “My mom went off the deep end. Penny was her baby. She was everyone’s baby but for Mom she was…” James sighed, exhaling the smoke through his nose. “Mom was always fragile. Meek. Put on earth to serve my father and my brothers. Penny died and something in Mom just turned off. Went out.”
David flicked the lighter, held the flame a moment and then released the tab.
“Exactly,” James said. “And I was fucked up over it. I came home destroyed. Came home thinking people would be sympathetic about me losing my best friend, my twin. I actually thought grief might make us all closer. Fat chance. My dad never knew what to do with me. It was like I was the price he had to pay for a daughter. Now Penny was gone and she was the only thing standing between me and him. And my brothers. It turned into a free-for-all. Whatever grief they had, they took it out on me. And my mother was checked out. She started drinking her pain away. It was a mess. I needed to get the hell out but I felt New York was too far away. So I came here.”
David looked grim. Erik couldn’t think of anything to say.
“It’s funny. Abandonment takes all forms, doesn’t it?” James said. “David’s father died. Fish, your old man took off. Mine was present, but made a campaign of not being there. Which is worse? Having no male influence in your life, or having the wrong male influence? I mean, who was your father figure, Fish? Your go-to guy?”
Erik ran a hand through his hair. “My uncles, I guess. My mom’s brothers. No, actually, not really. They were there but I can’t say they were my substitute father figures. Maybe my basketball coach? He was definitely an influence but pretty much when I had a problem, I went to my mom.”
“Do you still? Is she still your first phone call?”
Erik smiled. “Daisy’s my first phone call.”
David snorted. “Or you just roll over in bed.”
“Well, who do you call, Dave?” James asked.
“These days?” David scratched the back of his neck. “Leo. Or him.” He pointed at Erik.
“Shut up,” Erik said, laughing.
“Yeah, you laugh,” James said. “But I already know if I need a body buried or a secret kept, I’m calling you, Fish.”
Will arrived home then, his hair damp with sweat and his face red with exercise. “What’s up, assholes,” he said. He tossed down his backpack and chugged the last of his pineapple juice. Then gave a hearty belch.