Читать книгу Secret Lives - Berthe Amoss - Страница 11

Chapter V

Addie! Addie! Is Pumpkin with you?”

“No,” I said, desperately trying to remember exactly what I’d done when I left the shed before school. I was sure I’d closed the gate we keep across the door—wasn’t I? “I’m positive I closed the gate,” I said, not positive.

“No use what you did, child.” Nini had come out on the porch. “Tom, your Uncle Malvern done let Pumpkin out first thing this morning. Came in this yard with a handkerchief tied round his face like a thief mask! ‘Nina!’ he say. Can’t never get my name straight. ‘Gotta borrow this here dog for a few years!’ He laughed like he’s making a big joke. ‘Mr. Malvern,’ I say, ‘I wouldn’t mess with Pumpkin if I was you.’ ‘But you ain’t me,’ he say, ‘and you ain’t allergic to dog hair.’ So he goes in the shed and next thing I know, he’s running out, yelling he been bit and he can’t breathe, and Pumpkin is a-chasing him and I ain’t seen Pumpkin since.”

Tom didn’t say a word. He turned and ran to his house. I ran after him. I caught up outside Uncle Malvern’s door. Uncle Malvern was standing there saying, “Shore sorry, boy. Didn’t mean for her to get away. Thought I’d take her to a place I know in the country for a day or so. Country air, ya know. A dog needs country air.”

Tom’s fist was clenched and I’m not sure what he would have done. We heard a bark. There was no mistake. It was Pumpkin. Tom took the back steps, using the handrail to swing himself down in two leaps, and I found him hugging Pumpkin, who was licking him and wagging the whole back half of herself. She knew she was Tom’s dog even though she lived at my house. I watched and thought, Pumpkin has a nice face and her ribs don’t show anymore, but, well, the truth is, she’ll never be pretty. “Too bad she’s so ugly!” I said, not thinking.

Tom turned on me. “The trouble with you is, you don’t care about anything! Nothing that counts. It’s not how she looks that counts! And you’re the same with people. They’re nice to you and you’re not nice to them. You just don’t care!”

I just stood there with my mouth open. I started to be mad, but the truth of what he’d said sunk in. I knew what he meant. I really didn’t care. Not about Pumpkin or Aunt Eveline or anyone. Except—myself. I burst into tears.

“Aw, Addie, come on, now. Don’t cry! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry!” Tom pushed a crumpled, only half-dirty handkerchief in my face. I cried all the more. First, because he had turned nice and I couldn’t help it; then, because I realized I was having a good time.

“I’m sorry, Tom. I shouldn’t have said that about Pumpkin. Maybe she will be beautiful someday. I’m so sorry, Tom!” A flood of tears.

“Addie, I know you are! Don’t cry! Look, look, here’s something for you.” Tom was handing me a piece of bubble gum. He grinned when he saw I’d stopped crying long enough to see what he had. “Chew it,” he said. “You can’t chew and cry at the same time!” Tom has a nice smile. It reminded me just a very little bit of Edmond. I smiled back. He put his arm around me and pulled me to him. I sighed and put my head on his shoulder. He held me tight and put his mouth close to my ear and whispered, “Addie?”

“What?” I asked, breathless.

“It makes me feel good to know—to know Pumpkin came back to me.”

Pumpkin wiggled herself between us and kissed me. Oh, Edmond, my darling! Forgive me for being unfaithful!