Eleven

The Man in the White Shirt finds his bus in the commuter lot but hesitates, wanting to call home first. The impatient bus driver urges him to decide, so the man does not get on. However, as the vehicle pulls away, an injured woman hobbles toward it, so the unnamed man stops the bus and assists her up the aisle. Before he can get off, the bus pulls away.

The sun sets as Alex, who is carrying both his backpack and Nunu, approaches his house. Radar trots beside him. When they arrive, Alex realizes that neither of his parents are there. Although hesitant to enter at first, Radar, once inside, begins sniffing everything. When Nunu settles on the couch to watch television, Alex insists that she complete her chores before dinner. As Nunu takes the trash outside, Alex begins cooking and checks the news. Disheartened by the same reports, he flicks it off. Moments later, he hears voices and discovers that Radar has accidentally stepped on the remote while settling into his dad’s armchair. The phone rings, and Alex talks to Doug, who apologizes for ditching him earlier. They laugh when Alex tells his friend how Radar scared off the bullies. Both acknowledge the news, but when Doug reveals that his parents are home, there is an awkward silence when Alex notes that his are not.

Alex serves dinner to Nunu and Radar, and he cleans while his sister gets ready for bed. In their room, Nunu is mad that their parents forgot Alex’s birthday. Alex asks her not to be angry. Nunu explodes into tears because she wants their father. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Alex realizes that his sister, like him, wants things to get back to normal. Remembering how his dad puts Nunu to bed, Alex strokes her hair and sings “You Are My Sunshine.” Miraculously, Nunu falls asleep.

Meanwhile, Mac awaits his son’s return. He brews more coffee and remembers that morning when he and Bobby drank coffee together in companionable silence. Mac looks out the window, hoping to catch sight of his son. Mac’s thoughts are interrupted by his wife asking about Bobby. Mac gently leads her back to bed, reassuring her that their son is almost home.

The Man in the White Shirt gets off an empty bus and is struck by the eerie silence. Businesses are closed while folks wait for loved ones at home. Mac sits on his porch, holding a mug of cold coffee. When he hears footsteps approach, he leans forward but realizes it is his neighbor. He waves to mask his sorrow. Later, he paces the living room and clicks through different news reports.

Alex, too, is waiting. Radar whines and sniffs at his dad’s armchair, a piece of furniture the animal will not leave alone. Suddenly, the dog rushes to the door, scratching relentlessly. Thinking Radar needs to go out, Alex opens the door. Radar bolts, and Alex is unable to catch him. Distraught, Alex knows that he cannot leave a sleeping Nunu alone in the house. He shouts for the dog but is met with silence.

Meanwhile, the Man in the White Shirt takes a shortcut through a park. Once there, he is scared by the eerie stillness. When he hears rustling in the bushes, he is relieved to see it is just a dog with a bandaged ear and no collar. It is Radar. The man continues walking home, pausing briefly to look back at Manhattan.

At home, Alex busies himself with cleaning. He spots his birthday cake and has an idea. Using the birthday decorations, he creates a banner for the living room. As he hangs it, his mom returns home. When she sees the banner and the news on the television, she cries and gives Alex a big hug. After checking on Nunu, she confesses that she incorrectly thought Alex could not handle the news.

Switching quickly between the three different storylines, the narration pivots to the Man in the White Shirt, who is close to home, and then to Mac who calls his son again, and back to the unnamed man who starts running. As Alex and his mom sit on the couch and Mac waits for his son, the man sprints to his house and knocks on the front door. When Mac opens his front door, no one is there.

Alex whips the door open and jumps into his father’s arms while his mother hugs them both from behind. When his dad sees the welcome banner, he is speechless, and his mother lists all the things Alex took care of that night. Just then, Nunu runs out. Noticing his dad’s appearance for the first time, Alex asks if his dad is okay and apologizes for his mean words. His father smiles and tells the boy he loves him.

As his father eats, he recounts how he got home and tells them about the dog he saw in the park. Just then, they hear a bark and Alex opens the door to Radar, who happily greets him. Alex’s father marvels that it is the same dog, suggesting that it followed him home. Alex disagrees, saying that Radar was looking out for his dad. Then, Alex launches into their exploits that day. Alex’s mom examines Radar’s bandage, and when he licks her hand and aggressively wags his tail, she laughs.

Meanwhile, Mac sits on his porch until it is too cold to stay outside. He goes inside to make more coffee. He waits through the night and the entire next day, but Bobby does not come back. The next morning, with everyone home, Alex asks to visit Mac. When they arrive, Alex’s dad thanks Mac for taking care of the kids. Alex goes into the kitchen to help Mac make coffee and gives the man a piece of his birthday cake, lighting two candles on top and reminding Mac that it is “better to light a candle” (193).