Other Voices, Other Rooms- Chapters 9-12

In the start of Chapter 9, we learn that Jesus Fever is sick. Zoo then tells Joel that after Jesus dies, she will be leaving. She says that she will need to leave in case Keg, whom we do not know, ever gets out of prison and comes after her. Jesus then starts talking about the bible, fire, and water. He dies a week later. When going to his burial, Zoo, Amy, and Joel are the only ones there. The casket falls and Jesus is buried face down. Joel has nightmares the night after his burial that keep him awake. After seeing Zoo before she leaves, Joel is gives Jesus’ sword. The next day, Joel and Randolph discuss Zoo’s departure, while making a bird out of cardboard and blue jay feathers. Joel then goes and reads a story to his father; but then abandons him because he hears Idabel outside. He finds her hurt physically after a fight with her sister over their dog Henry. Idabel and Joel then make the bold move to run away together. They head for Cloud Motel, where Little Sunshine lives, and they cross a river. As he is crossing the river, he sees a snake, knocks it in the river, and decides not to cross it. At dinner, Amy states that it is her birthday, but no one remembered. Randolph tells her that it is not her birthday and Amy answers back with that she feels like it is. She receives wine, and is allowed to play a song on the pianola. As we find out that Joel is back inside Skully’s Landing, he is sent out to go get wine. He does not go, says goodbye to his father, and once again runs away with Idabel. They eventually end up In Noon City. Everyone recognizes Idabel, but only Miss Roberta notices Joel. Miss Roberta refuses to serve Idabel, resulting in Joel and her leaving. They head to the fair that is in town, and as it started raining, Joel notices Randolph, runs and hides in an old house, but without Idabel. A girl, Miss Wisteria follows him in, calling him “Little Boy” while she is falling in love with him, which she seems to do often. In the last chapter of the book, we find Joel back in the house in Skully’s Lansing. He is having fever dreams, and wakes up to the sound of a rocking chair. Joe takes medicine, and one day snaps out of it. Randolph is sitting on Joel’s bed, and tells him to go lie back down, after Joel asks if Randolph hates him for running away. Idabel sends him a postcard, asking why he hid and that she lives in Alabama. Joel never answered her. Randolph mentions that Little Sunshine wants to see them, and also mentioned that Zoo came back. Zoo tells Joel that she was gang-raped, and that she was tortured by a group of white men. Randolph and Joel head to the Cloud Hotel, and hike through the woods. It becomes cold and uncomfortable. Once they get there, Little Sunshine and Randolph start drinking. They hear a noise coming up the stairs and realize that it is the mule. It gets scared, goes over the stair railing, and it hangs itself by the beams and its reins in the lobby. Randolph seems in a weird mood, Joel is then on the job of finding their way home. Joel and Randolph arrive home, they see Zoo being told to lift the slave bell by Amy. Amy tells Randolph to not speak a word to her or else she will go to the sherif. Joel asks if anyone was there while he was gone, and Zoo said that there was a women and a deaf child, this must’ve been Joel’s aunt and cousin. He looks at the window and sees the lady, beckoning him to come. He walks in, turns and looks back, without regret.

I like this section, especially chapters 11 and 12 because it shows Joel’s independence that he gains towards the end of the book. Especially in chapter 11, when he runs away with Idabel. This shows that he feels that things are starting to be weird at the Landing. The next thing that is interesting to me is the gap between the end of chapter 11 and the start of 12. The end of chapter 11 is describing Miss Wisteria following Joel into the house, and falling in love with him. But then the start of chapter 12 begins with Joel having fever dreams, and being ill. I find this interesting because it makes me wonder what occurred between the two chapters. In conclusion, I loved this book because of how odd and unpredictable it was with each page.