Until They Bring The Streetcars Back

At Sid’s store, Cal steals more alcohol and hears Sid speaking to a “rich-looking” person about kickbacks and buses. He thinks that perhaps Horace is right: The bus business is corrupt.

Horace later mentions a kid who tried to jump on the fender of a streetcar, implying he knows something about Cal’s activities the night he stole the body of Little Jacob and ran from Otto. Going “bananas,” Cal tries to talk to his dad, but his dad harps on the importance of college and staying out of trouble before turning on Cedric Adams.

Meanwhile, Gretchen’s dad is acting strange. She can tell that something significant occurred on Thursday night. When she talks to Cal, he tells her what happened when he took the body and Otto appeared. Gretchen worries Otto will tell the police she killed Little Jacob and the authorities will “hang” her.

Spring arrives. At school, Otto appears in Whalmen’s study hall, and Cal slouches in his seat and acts like he’s sleeping in case Otto recognizes him. Sweating profusely, Cal sees Gretchen follow Otto out the door.

In Central’s first district tournament game, the seniors play terribly, so the coach plays the juniors. During a timeout, Cal thinks he sees Otto in the stands. After the game, Cal uses Steve and Jerry as “bodyguards.” Later, while in a movie theater with Lola, Cal thinks Otto is there. At Lola’s house, Cal and Lola make out when her mom leaves the room and “untangle” when she checks on them. After leaving Lola’s house, Cal stops by Gretchen’s house before running home.

Cal steals more whiskey from Sid, bringing his total to six cases. Cal asks Gretchen why Otto was in study hall. She explains that Otto was sick and left work early, and he didn’t want to leave the house again to pick up Gretchen. Gretchen doesn’t think Otto was at the basketball game. He still goes on nightly walks, but now he sometimes goes out the front door.

Lurine knows Cal wants his dad at his games, but she thinks Horace is jealous. Horace went to Central and was a “natural athlete,” but he had to work after school, so he couldn’t play sports.

Cal and his friends knock on the Runner’s door, and a small woman appears. She says that the Runner can’t chase them anymore and that the man, who is named Scott, apologizes for not being able to. This reveals that Scott had been playfully participating all along.  

Heading home after a hayride with his friends, Cal is attacked by Otto. Peggy, out to take care of the rabbit, makes a declaration about the police and scares Otto away. Cal coughs blood, but thanks to his sister and the rabbit, he’s alive.

Cal’s birthday is Sunday, and, per tradition, his family celebrates it at breakfast. Horace is proud that Cal will graduate soon, and Peggy can’t believe Cal is 18. Cal blows out the candles on the cake, but he keeps his wish to himself.

Cal keeps giving Gretchen Nut Goodies, but her eyes remain hollow and her “light” is gone. Cal wants her to hold on a little longer, but she says something about “mothballs,” indicating that she plans to poison herself and die by suicide.

At Sid’s liquor store, Cal decides that if he takes two cases, he’ll have 10—the amount he needs to frame Otto for theft. He steals a case of Walker’s Deluxe, then he goes back for a case of Old Fitzgerald. About to leave, Sid stops him. Sid forgot the order of vodka. Cal knows he should drive away, but he doesn’t, allowing Sid to see the stolen cases of liquor. Sid hits Cal and calls the cops. Cal says he’ll tell the cops about the “streetcar deal,” but Sid isn’t fazed. The cops come and handcuff Cal as if he’s a “dangerous criminal.”

At the city jail, an officer informs Cal that because he’s 18, he’s in the “big time.” Cal’s mom comes to see him and cries. Cal’s dad refuses to see him. Cal doesn’t want his mom to worry, nor does he want a lawyer. He admits he stole the alcohol and thus has no reason to contest the charges.

In his jail cell, Cal remembers being in a canoe with Emil and spotting a distressed bull moose in the water. Emil convinced Cal to ride the bull moose. Cal was scared, but Emil advised him to “ride it out.” After Cal got him to land, the moose looked annoyed, and Cal swam back to the canoe. Cal reflects that jail is like the bull moose: Cal must “ride it out.”

The courtroom is like a “funeral parlor,” and the deathly judge lectures Cal and tells him to look at his parents, who are both there. The judge sentences Cal to 30 days in the workhouse.

The workhouse is supposed to be where people accused of petty crimes work, but after Cal cleans the floors or filthy toilets, he doesn’t have to do much else. In the workhouse with Cal is Spense, who supposedly earned a PhD in philosophy from Northwestern University. Spense believes people need affection and love—they’re “necessities.” If they don’t get love, they’ll replace it with drugs, alcohol, violence, or something else.

On Easter, Steve visits Cal. He doesn’t believe Cal stole the liquor for no good reason, and he jokes about breaking Cal out of the workhouse. Cal is glad Steve didn’t jump off the bridge, and so is Steve. Lola’s mom won’t let her visit Cal, nor will she let her see him once he gets out. Lurine visits Cal, and she doesn’t understand why Cal stole the alcohol.

Worrying about Cal, Horace drives his streetcar too close to a motorcar, leading to a traffic jam that receives negative attention in the newspaper.

While Cal cleans the toilets, Spense tells him life is full of surprises, and everyone is brave for living without love and not giving up the search for love. Spense believes the type of love people need most is self-love.

Lurine visits, acting happy and as if Cal will learn a “great lesson” because of his sentence. Sandy visits and promises to give Gretchen a Nut Goodie for Cal. Scott and Jerry have an awkward visit, and then Pastor Ostrum visits to tell Cal that his dad has died.

Cal learns that due to the streetcar fiasco, the company fired Horace. The next week, on April 18, Horace ate a bowl of ice cream and listened to Cedric Adams before dying from a heart attack. Cal thinks he killed his dad by going to jail. Cal is able to leave to attend the funeral and spend time with his family. At the funeral, he wants to scream and cry, but following his dad’s teachings, he feigns strength.

The family doctor gives Lurine pills to help her sleep, and Cal cuddles with Peggy. He compares taking the liquor to taking carrots to the rabbit. She tells him to “spit on it.” After Peggy falls asleep, Cal gets a wire, screwdriver, and work gloves from the basement. He finds Otto’s car and hot wires it. He’s scared, but he must “ride it out.”