Chapter 20

           Intheearlyweeksof1979,thewritervisitedBillyMilliganfrequentlyattheAthensMentalHealthCenter.AstheTeacherspoketohimofthepast,describingwhattheothershadseen,thoughtanddonefromthebeginning,theyall——exceptShawn,whowasdeaf—listenedandlearnedtheirhistories.

           NowansweringtothenameofBilly,theTeacherbecameincreasinglyconfident.Thoughhestillswitchedfromtimetotimewhenhewasn’ttalkingtothewriter,Billyfeltthatthelongerhecouldremainfused,andfreeofthehostilityandfearthatledtothemix-uptimes,thesoonerhewouldbeabletoholdhimselftogetherandstartanewlife.Moneyfromthesaleofhispaintingswouldenablehimtostartanewlifeafterhewascured.

           Billyread,studiedmedicalbooks,exercisedinthegym,joggedaroundthebuildingandpainted.HesketchedArthurandpaintedDanny,Shawn,AdalanaandApril.Heboughtmolecularmodelsattheuniversitybookstoreandstudiedchemistry,physicsandbiologyonhisown.Heboughtacitizens’bandradioandstartedbroadcastingatnightfromhishospitalroom—talkingtootherCBersaboutcombatingchildabuse.

           AfterreadinginthelocalnewspaperthatMySister’sPlace,theAthensorganizationforbatteredwomen,washavingdifficultypayingbillsandmighthavetoclose,hedonatedahundreddollars.Butwhentheydiscoveredwhothemoneywasfrom,theyrefusedhiscontribution.