House Arrest

Timothy finds the football he used to toss with his father on the coffee table. While Marisol watches Levi, Timothy and Annie go to the mall, and they see James and Mrs. Bainbridge on a date, holding hands and sharing an ice cream cone. Annie tells Timothy they are going to have to sell their house and move into an apartment complex.

Timothy meets with the guidance counselor about the Carnival of Giving. She tells him he is brave, but he believes she is “mistaking bravery/for flat-out/desperation” (209). Timothy’s mother fixes a hole in the wall, and Timothy compares the patched area to himself: It’s not perfect but gives the illusion of it.

At 18 months old, Levi stands on his own. Annie and Timothy are excited, even though Levi’s development is delayed. Timothy gives Levi his favorite vanilla yogurt as a prize.

Mr. Jimenez and José finish repairing the car, and they paint it green in honor of Timothy’s nickname for it: the turtle car. While José and Timothy kill aliens in a video game, José acknowledges that Timothy likes Isa, asks him not to “be gross about it,” then kills Timothy’s video game character (211). They both laugh “weird laughs” and start the game again (212).

Timothy overhears his mother berating his father on the phone, calling what he did “unforgivable” and implying that Timothy does not want to see him and might never forgive him (212). “[H]eart pounding” and “stomach twisting,” Timothy returns to his room (212).At school, Timothy hears an announcement about the Carnival of Giving that encourages everyone to assist “a family at Honeycutt Middle/who is in need of a little help” (213). Timothy is embarrassed but also excited at the possibility of being able to get Levi to Cincinnati. 

When James asks Timothy if he is doing his homework, Timothy says of course and James should know this by now. Mrs. Bainbridge wants Timothy to talk about his father. He says if she tries to make him, he will pretend he has a shouting disorder but then feels guilty for making light of others’ problems. He would not want someone doing that with Levi’s condition.

The guidance counselor asks Timothy if he would like to make a speech at the Carnival of Giving, which he categorically does not want to do. Timothy tries without success to teach Levi to sign “brother.”

Timothy has eight weeks of house arrest left, if the judge agrees. He asks James if he thinks Timothy has learned his lesson, adding that he has learned too many lessons to count. Mrs. Bainbridge encourages Timothy to speak at the Carnival of Giving because he has “a way with words” (218).

A classmate asks Timothy if his brother is retarded, and Timothy punches him. He is given in-school suspension (preferable to regular suspension) but wishes he had received a medal and a parade. He wishes it were acceptable to punch someone “for being an idiot” (220). Later, he overhears another conversation between his mother and father.

James yells at Timothy for punching his classmates, and Timothy reminds him that it is too late to change what happened. The judge will see that Timothy hit a wall and a classmate. He is trying. He wishes he had more self-control. Mrs. Bainbridge asks Timothy what he would say to his father if he could talk to him again. Timothy says that he will never speak to him again barring extraordinary circumstances. In that case, he would ask him why he did not say goodbye, what is wrong with him, whether he thought he was helping, whether he hates them.

He writes another email to Dr. Sawyer, thanking him for “zero help,” berating him for being rude by not answering his emails, and asserting that his family will come to Cincinnati after the Carnival of Giving (222).

Mr. Jimenez shows off his car, gunning the engine that is “almost as loud as the suction machine” (223). José overhears PTA members complaining about Timothy’s “outburst,” but the Carnival of Giving is still moving forward (223). Timothy is grateful that he did not “ruin everything/this time/I hope” (224).

Timothy is dismayed to discover that James lives is the apartment complex his family is moving to. Mrs. Bainbridge is thrilled Annie has a job interview. Timothy feels so anxious at the prospect of giving a speech at the Carnival of Giving that he is tempted to cancel, but he knows they cannot. He hopes his mother will make the speech instead.

As she helps him pack, Isa is upset that Timothy is moving. Timothy says has something “very important” to tell her (227). She looks at him expectantly. He tells her that the apartment complex is just down the street and she is a terrible packer (227). She hits his head with a shoe.

Timothy overhears his mother telling his father to sign the papers. This time, she calls him by his name, “Tim,” and Timothy knows for sure that it is his dad (228).

James helps the family move into their apartment. Annie gets a new job. Mr. Jimenez takes Timothy and José for a ride in the turtle car. Timothy watches how his feet maneuver the clutch, gas, and brake pedals, until the engine catches fire.

Watching Baby Signing Adventure with Levi in his lap, Timothy wonders about the woman who hosts the show and what motivated her to do it. He hates “to think she’s just an actress” (232). His father has not called since the family moved.

James bring Timothy to the apartment complex’s gym, though he is under 16, so that he can use the punching bag until his arms go “limp and wiggly/like giant worms” (232).

Timothy invites James and Mrs. Bainbridge to the Carnival of Giving because it would not be happening without them. He considers making notes in case he has to give a speech, though he insists he will not get onstage.

At the carnival, Levi’s reaction to being “in public for the first time” moves Timothy to “take the microphone” (234). He speaks about how strong and fearless Levi is. Watching Levi’s world open up makes Timothy think about his “four walls”—James, Mrs. Bainbridge, Annie, and the Jimenezes—who help him open up, rather than enclosing him. Giving the speech is not as scary as he had anticipated. His feelings come out of their own accord and are positive rather than destructive. He has fun being out with Levi, his mother, the Jimenez family, Mrs. Bainbridge, James, and Marisol.

On a rainy night, Mrs. Bainbridge turns up at their door. She received a response from Dr. Sawyer and could not wait to bring it to Timothy. The doctor had been away touring hospitals and attempting to recruit more doctors. He tells Timothy that he has given his family’s contact information to the people who run a fund to provide expenses for families in need. Levi will have to take tests to determine that he is physically strong enough to survive the surgery, but if Timothy’s determination and spirit run in the family, Dr. Sawyer believes Levi has “a fine chance of passing” and “getting his trachea fixed” (239). Dr. Sawyer says he looks forward to meeting Levi and Timothy.

Timothy tells James that in only a few weeks, “[t]his all will be over” and they will not be seeing each other as probation officer-offender anymore. James hugs him.

A PTA representative brings Annie a check for $15,248.72. With tears of happiness in her eyes, Annie tells Timothy, “Look at what you’ve done,” and this time, it is for a good reason (241). Timothy thinks about the “crumpled flyer” that sat on his desk for months, when he feared it was a crazy, impossible idea (242). He wants to frame the flyer and “dedicate it to the dwarves in my head” who would not give up (242). He thanks them “for not screwing this up” (242).

Levi gets sick. Mrs. Jimenez, José, and Isa come to the apartment to cook dinner. It is strange to have them “in our new world,” but Timothy is glad they are there (243). When Annie returns home from work, she calls the doctor. Timothy has Levi’s medical supplies ready if they are needed.

Annie cannot miss work during her first month, and Marisol is not able to come, so Timothy stays home from school with Levi. Annie promises to return in “a couple of hours” with her computer and work from home for the rest of the week (246). Alone with Levi, Timothy is worried by his coloring. He calls an ambulance, but it does not come. Levi will not wake up.

Timothy holds Levi, who is turning blue, in his arms and runs out to the sidewalk hoping to meet the ambulance. When it is not there, he thinks of José’s house and the turtle car, whose keys “are always under the visor” (247). He steals the car to bring Levi to the hospital. James later tells Timothy that he hit five cars.

Waiting to see the judge, Timothy reads what he is being charged with. He notes they have left out that he saved Levi’s life, “[w]hich counts for everything/don’t you think?” (248). Mrs. Bainbridge comes to see him and calls him “my sweet Timothy” (249). Timothy is taken to juvenile detention. He realizes that he probably does not need to write in his journal anymore, but he likes it. Mrs. Bainbridge made them let him keep it.

José’s father refuses to press charges. Timothy worries that he will get in trouble for saying he let Timothy borrow the car despite his being underage.

Annie brings Levi to see Timothy. She tells him he did everything “regarding Levi” right (251). Levi had a blockage that required an overnight procedure to clear. The doctors say Timothy saved Levi’s life. Levi covers his tracheotomy hole and says the first syllable of the word “brother” (251). Timothy feels his heart almost explode.

He does not know how long he will be in juvenile detention. He has to stay “until they think [he is] fine” (251). It could be as long as six months or a year. Next week, Annie will fly out to Cincinnati with Levi to see Dr. Sawyer. She shows Timothy the paperwork. Everything he worked for has happened. He asks his mother to thank Dr. Sawyer for him.

Timothy reflects on the events of the past year that have ended with him in juvenile detention, comparing them to a machine that sets off a chain reaction. Mrs. Bainbridge and James visit him. Timothy is surprised to discover that he misses them. His dorm room walls are yellow, the same color as “Mrs. B’s hair,” “Marisol’s scrubs,” and “the stars on Isa’s fingernails,” among other things (254). He receives a call from his father and accepts it.