按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
the yard and how bad I felt； but she ditched me out the
other door； and after that anytime I got anywhere near her； she'd find some way to skate
around me。
So there she was； watering the yard； making me feel like a jerk； and I'd had enough of it。 I
went up to her and said； “It's looking real good； Juli。
Nice job。”
“Thanks；” she said without smiling。 “Chet did most of it。”
Chet？ I thought。 Chet？ What was she doing； calling my grandfather by his first name？ “Look；
Juli；” I said； trying to get on with why I was there。 “I'm
sorry for what I did。”
She looked at me for a second； then went back to watching the water spray across the dirt。
Finally she said； “I still don't get it； Bryce。 Why didn't
you just tell me？”
“I…I don't know。 It was dumb。 I should have。 And I shouldn't have said anything about the
yard； either。 It was； you know； out of line。”
I was already feeling better。 A lot better。 Then Juli says； “Well； maybe it's all for the better；”
and starts bouncing up and down on the balls of her
feet； acting more like her old self。 “Doesn't it look great？ I learned so much from Chet it's
amazing。 You are so lucky。 I don't even have grandparents
anymore。”
“Oh；” I said； not knowing what to say。
“I do feel sorry for him； though。 He sure misses your grandmother。” Then she laughs and
shakes her head； saying； “Can you believe it？ He says I
remind him of her。”
“What？” “Yeah；” she laughs again。 “That's what I said。 But he meant it in a nice way。”
I looked at Juli and tried to picture my grandmother as an eighth grader。 It was hopeless。 I
mean； Juli's got long； fluffy brown hair and a nose full of
freckles； where my grandmother had always been some variety of blond。 And my
grandmother had used powder。 Puffy white powder。 She'd put it
on her face and in her hair； in her slippers and on her chest…。 That woman powdered
everything。
I could not see Juli coated in powder。 Okay； maybe gun powder； but the white perfumy stuff？
Forget it。
……… Page 40………
I guess I was staring； because Juli says； “Look； I didn't say it； he did。 I just thought it was nice；
that's all。”
“Yeah； whatever。 Well； good luck with the grass。 I'm sure it'll e up great。” Then I totally
surprised myself by saying； “Knowing you； you'll get 'em
all to hatch。” I didn't say it mean or anything； I really meant it。 I laughed； and then she
laughed； and that's how I left her—sprinkling her soon…to…be
sod； smiling。
I hadn't been in such a good mood in weeks。 The eggs were finally behind me。 I was
absolved。 Relieved。 Happy。
It took me a few minutes at the dinner table to realize that I was the only one who was。
Lyta had on her usual pout； so that wasn't it。 But my
father's idea of saying hello was to lay into me about the lawn。
“No sweat；” I told him。 “I'll do it tomorrow。”
All that got me was a scowl。
Then Mom says to my granddad； “You tired tonight； Dad？”
I hadn't even noticed him sitting there like a stone。
“Yeah；” my father tosses down the table at him。 “That girl working you too hard？”
My grandfather straightens his fork on his napkin and says； “‘That girl’ is named Juli； and no；
she isn't ‘working me too hard；’ as you so callously
put it。”
“Callous？ Me？” My dad laughs and says； “Developed quite a soft spot for that girl； haven't
you？”
Even Lyta let her pout go for a minute。 These were fighting words and everyone knew it。
Mom nudged Dad with her foot； but that only made
things worse。 “No； Patsy！ I want to know why your father has the energy and inclination to
befriend a plete stranger when he's never done so
much as toss a baseball around with his own grandson！”
Well； yeah！ I thought。 But then I remembered — I owed my grandfather。 Owed him big…time。
Without thinking； I said； “Take it easy； Dad。 Juli just
reminds him of Grandma。”
Everyone clammed up and stared at me。 So I looked at my grandfather and said； “Uh … isn't
that right； Granddad？”
He nodded and rearranged his fork some more。
“Of Renée？” My father looked at my mother and then at Granddad。 “She can't possibly！”
My granddad closed his eyes and said； “It's her spirit that reminds me of Renée。”
“Her spirit；” my father says。 Like he's talking to a lying kindergartner。
“Yes； her spirit。” My grandfather's quiet for a minute； then asks； “Do you know why the
Bakers haven't fixed up the yard until now？”
“Why？ Sure。 They're trash； that's why。 They've got a beat…up house； two beat…up cars； and a
beat…up yard。”
“They are not trash； Rick。 They are good； honest； hardworking people — ”
“Who have absolutely no pride in how they present themselves to the rest of the world。
We've lived across the street from those people for over
six years； and there is no excuse for the state they're in。”
“No？” My grandfather takes a deep breath and seems to weigh things in his mind for a few
seconds。 Then he says； “Tell me this； Rick。 If you had
a brother or sister or child who had a severe mental or physical handicap； what would you
do？”
It was like my granddad had passed gas in church。 My father's face pinched； his head shook；
and finally he said； “Chet； what does that have to do
with anything？”
My grandfather looks at him for a minute； then quietly says； “Juli's father has a retarded
brother； and—”
My father interrupts him with a laugh。 “Well； that explains a lot； doesn't it！”
“Explains…a lot？” my grandfather asks。 Quietly。 Calmly。
……… Page 41………
“Sure！ It explains why those people are the way they are … ！” He grins around the table at us。
“Must run in the family。”
Everyone looks at him。 Lyta's jaw drops； and for once she's speechless。 My mother says；
“Rick！” but all my father can do is laugh a nervous
kind of laugh and say； “It was just a joke！ I mean； obviously something's wrong with those
people。 Oh； excuse me； Chet。 I forgot。 The girl reminds
you of Renée。”
“Rick！” my mother says again； only this time she's mad。
“Oh； Patsy； please。 Your father's being overly dramatic； trying to make me feel bad for
criticizing our neighbors because there's a retarded
relative someplace。 Other people have family troubles and still manage to mow their lawn。
They should have a little pride in ownership； for cryin' out
loud！”
My grandfather's cheeks are seriously flushed； but his voice is rock…steady as he says； “They
don't own that house； Rick。 The landlord is
supposed to maintain the premises； but he doesn't。 And since Juli's father is responsible for
his brother； all their reserves go to his care； and
obviously it doesn't e cheap。”
Very quietly my mom asks； “Don't they have government facilities for that kind of thing？”
“I don't know the details； Patsy。 Maybe there are no government facilities nearby。 Maybe they
thought a private facility was a better place for him
to be。”
“Still；” my dad says； “there are government facilities available； and if they don't want to go
that route； that's their choice。 It's not our fault their
family had some sort of chromosomal abnormality； and I refuse to feel guilty for wanting — ”
My grandfather slams his hand on the table and half…stands as he says； “It had nothing to do
with chromosomes； Rick！ It was caused by a lack of
oxygen at birth。” He brings his voice down； but it makes his words seem even more forceful。
“Juli's uncle had the umbilical cord wrapped around his
neck。 Twice。 One minute he was a perfect little baby； just like your son； Bryce； and the next
he was irreversibly damaged。”
My mother was suddenly hysterical。 In seconds she was bawling her eyes out； wailing； and
my father was all over her； trying to calm her down。 It
was no use。 She basically dissolved right there on the spot。
Lyta threw her napkin down and muttered； “This family is a joke；” and took off。 Then my
mother bolted out of the room； sobbing into her hands；
and my father raced after her； throwing my grandfather the wickedest look I'd ever seen。
That left Granddad and me and a table full of cold food。 “Wow；” I finally said。 “I had no idea。”
“You still don't；” he told me。
“What do you mean？”
He sat there like granite for a minute； then leaned across the table toward me and said； “Why
do you suppose that upset your mother so much？”
“I…I don't know。” I gave a halfhearted grin and said； “Because she's female？”
He smiled； but just barely。 “No。 She's upset because she knows that she could very well be
standing in Mr。 Baker's shoes right now。”
I thought about it a minute and finally asked； “Did her brother have the cord around his neck
when he was born？”
He shook his head。
“Well； then …”
He leaned forward even farther and whispered； “You did。”