Читать книгу Angela 2 - David A. Bedford - Страница 6

Angela walked into the studio warily and sat on the floor next to Jo, who smiled.

“Hi, Angela,” she said. “Have a good summer?”

“Yeah, thanks. How about you?”

“Pretty good.”

This must be one of Jo’s good days, thought Angela. She’s trying to be friendly.

Sonya walked in and sat near Angela and Jo, crossing her legs and putting her hands on her knees. She smiled and the girls introduced themselves.

“Angela and Jo!” said Sonya. “I’ve heard about both of you. They say you are very good. I’m … how to say it? … looking up to dancing with you.”

“Looking forward,” corrected Jo.

“Looking forward,” repeated Sonya with another smile.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sonya,” put in Angela, who was feeling more like herself again, “you’ll like it here.”

“Thanks.”

Angela put on a happy expression. Sonya seemed to be comfortable with herself and her manner genuine. Maybe she’ll be an interesting person to have in dance, thought Angela. She glanced around to her other side. Jo was surveying Sonya with a calculating look.

The dance teacher, Ms. Amberg, entered and took roll.

“Let’s give a warm welcome to the new people,” she said after closing the grade book. “We’re happy to have Sonya Aleksandroff” – Sonya smiled in greeting and there was scattered applause – “and we have three new boys, which brings the total to four!” – raucous applause from the girls – “The schools in Corpus will be jealous.” The girls giggled.

“This year,” Ms. Amberg went on, “we will have two full programs, one in the fall and one in the spring, and they will be needing dancers for the musical in February.”

Angela looked to Jo and smiled, happy with the possibilities. Jo smiled back and stretched her arms forward, clasping her hands together. Angela then turned to Sonya, who was staring at Ms. Amberg intently, as though she was working hard not to miss anything. She supposed that the new girl probably had the same unstable blend of confidence and concern that she herself did. She also felt a tinge of shame for becoming jealous and vulnerable so easily.

Soon the exercises on the floor and at the barre began to drive everything else out of Angela’s mind. Then came the music and the dance steps and she was transported to the familiar and soothing realm of motion and beauty. When the hour ended she took her leave of Jo and Sonya. Happy and relaxed, she went to the library to study for a while as she waited for her mom to pick her up after work.

***

“How was the first day of school?” asked Susan as Angela closed the car door and adjusted her seat belt. All the way home Angela bubbled on about her friends, dance, and the good classes. They both laughed as she described Logan’s fumbling and how Benjie ignored Newsom with supremely theatrical unconcern.

When Angela entered the kitchen through the garage, Thelonius the cat rubbed against her legs, purring loudly. Then Amy came running to her, saying,

“Angela! Guess what? I broke a glass and cut my toe on a broke piece. See?”

She held up her left foot. The big toe was bandaged. Angela felt a pang of sympathetic emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

“Poor girl!” she said, hugging Amy tightly. “How does it feel now?”

Amy wiggled her toe and shrugged her shoulders. “It’ll be ok, I think.”

Angela hugged her again and then went to her room to unload her school books.

“Hey, kid!” came a deep voice at the door.

“Andrew!” she exclaimed, dropping her things on the bed. She ran to the door to hug her brother.

“Well, sis, how was the first day of school?”

She looked at him, smiled, and nodded. “Pretty good, really. When do you leave for San Antonio?”

“Friday, I guess. Maybe Thursday.”

Andrew had remained in their hometown for college after their parents divorced, so he had not made the move to Sargasso Beach with his mother and sisters and he felt no attachment there. Angela gave him a semi-sweet, semi-sad smile.

“It was nice to have you here this summer,” she said. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“If I stayed, I would only do it to be near you. You’re a great kid.”

Angela felt chill bumps and almost cried. Andrew had been so preoccupied, even surly, after the divorce, that this display of affection took her by surprise. She studied his face. There was still hurt in his eyes and his smile was tempered by care.

“I’ll miss you,” she said.

“I guess I will, too,” Andrew answered, resuming his tough-guy, slightly sarcastic persona. He turned and walked away before Angela could say any more that was on her mind. One step at a time, she thought. She sat on her bed, unsure of what to do next. Thelonius trotted into the room and jumped into her lap. She swung her legs onto the bed and stroked the cat’s fur along his back. Thelonius purred loudly and closed his eyes. Angela could feel herself relaxing as she continued to pet the lustrous black fur. She looked down and the cat was asleep. Angela smiled, took a deep breath, and fell promptly asleep as well.

***

“I guess teenagers and cats were born to nap!”

Angela woke up suddenly on hearing her mom’s voice and sat up. Miffed, Thelonius stood, arced his back, stretched his front legs and then, turning his offended back to Angela, jumped off the bed and made a grand and studiously dignified exit. Angela checked her clock. She had been sleeping thirty minutes and she felt refreshed.

“Come on, sleepyhead,” urged Susan with an amused air. “I could use some help preparing dinner.

“Sure, Mom.” Angela followed Susan, stretching. “I guess Thelonius’ calling in life is to help people forget their worries. I got too relaxed.”

Angela enjoyed talking to her Mom while preparing meals. That evening, even Andrew joined in, peeling potatoes.

“How many do I do, Mom?” he inquired.

“Keep peeling for as long as you can stand it, then stop. There are never too many potatoes.”

Dinner was noisy and entertaining, the girls telling about the first day of school and laughing, and Andrew teasing his sisters, especially Amy.

“You’re not in second grade,” he provoked.

“I am, too! I’m big now.”

“You’re a punk and you’re just telling me that to confute me.”

“I’m not ’futing you. You’re a punk. Mom, what’s ’futing?”

“Andrew, go easy on her.”

“Punk squared,” insisted Andrew.

“Punk googleplex!”

“Punk infinity!”

“You’re the biggest punk in the multi-burst!” ended Amy triumphantly.

“Well, you’re the smallest punk, so there!”

“Mom!” protested Amy, threatening tears.

“Andrew, that’s enough.”

“Ok, Mom. Sorry, Amy.”

“Hmm!” Amy crossed her arms and pouted.

Angela had been watching the exchange with a mixture of amusement and empathy for them both. She leaned over and hugged Amy. “He does that because he loves you. And I you love you, too!”

“You don’t tease me,” said Amy, looking unsure whether she should be mollified just yet.

“Well, that’s just boys. They’re slower, you know. We have to cut ’em some slack.”

Amy smiled at Angela. “Yeah, they’re slower.” She looked at Andrew, grinned impishly and jutted out her chin. “Ok, Andrew,” she challenged. “I’ll cut your slacks. I love you anyway, so there!”

Andrew reached out his arm and mussed her hair affectionately. “Thanks for cutting my slacks, Amy.”

Angela smiled at him, fighting back laughter and feeling that he gave her joy and frustration all rolled into one. The rest of the evening was pleasant and she went happily to bed to rest up for day two of eleventh grade.

***

The day began sunny, hot, and humid. Angela was sweating uncomfortably just from walking between the car and the school entrance. Thinking longingly of the beach and the water, she stopped as soon as she went through the door to soak in the air conditioning. Fiona and Benjie joined her and they followed the crowds into the auditorium. Today they were starting with an assembly, followed by an abbreviated schedule in the morning.

Breaking with their classroom custom, the three found seats toward the back on the left side. They supposed that, if they were front and center where she could see them easily, the principal, Mara Petty, would take it as a deliberate offense. The students all stood and recited the Pledge cacophonously, then ebbed to a mumble (Benjie was saying “…ommmm, ommmm, ommmm…”) for the pledge to the Texas flag, which a rare common consent had afforded the status of inferior and pointless.

“Good morning, students,” Petty boomed into the sound system. She paused. The reverberations echoed to silence and all was quiet. If she had expected the students to answer, she showed no signs of it.

“Welcome back, everyone, and to the new students I say thank you for choosing our high school! Our growing enrolment is a tribute to the quality of our programs.” She smiled.

“It’s the only high school in the district!” whispered Benjie. Fiona shushed him automatically.

“This year our emphasis will be citizenship,” the principal went on. “Citizenship means good behavior, obeying the school rules, consideration, and support for authority.” The three friends looked at each other. “I have reassigned the school newspaper to Mr. Newsom. We will not tolerate the kind of disrespect some people displayed last year.” Angela, Fiona, and Benjie were sure she looked in their direction. “You will not challenge those who have been elected and selected to serve over you. Learning this lesson will serve you well in your future careers and in life. Work hard, mind your own business, and enjoy your years at Sam Houston High!”

As they walked to class after assembly, Fiona was fuming.

“Serve over us!? What kind of illogical drivel is that?”

“Calm down, Fiona,” urged Benjie, switching their usual roles. “We all understood clearly what she meant.”

Angela said, “She is such a sad woman.”

“I think she’s plenty happy making us miserable whenever she can,” countered Benjie.

“Mmmh!” replied Angela and sighed.

***

It was a good week overall. English, history, and dance classes, plus the anticipation of the planned cookout on the beach on Saturday, more than made up for Newsom and Logan. There had been no run-ins with the principal and the KittyKats were quiet for reasons only they knew.

On Saturday morning, Angela, Susan, and Amy had an early breakfast. Andrew had returned to San Antonio on Thursday, saying good-bye to Angela before she went to school. He seemed in better spirits than he had been during the summer. Angela wondered what he was doing and how he was feeling as she helped Susan make the final preparations for the cookout.

Just before one o’clock they drove to the recreational part of the preserve on the west side of Oso Bay and set up their things at a table next to a grill. Sonya, who had come with them at Angela’s invitation, was looking everything over, her eyes shining with excitement. She pointed to a large bag that Susan had placed against the grill pedestal.

“Is carbon, no?” she asked.

“Charcoal. For the grill,” said Susan.

“Charrr-coal?”

“That’s right. Carbon is the chemical element. Coal is solid carbon that they get from mines. And charcoal is made from wood to use for cooking on the grill.”

“Is complicated! But this place is very beautiful. I like.”

“What’s your full name, Sonya?”

“Is difficult.”

“I’m sure I couldn’t say it right, but I’d love to hear it.”

“Ok, then, is SOHnya SergeYEVna AleKSANdrava. My father’s name Sergei, so my patronymic Sergeyevna. And since I girl, my last name Aleksandrava, I mean is Aleksandrava, but you write ‘Aleksandrova’. My brother is Ivan Sergeyevich Aleksandroff. Different for boys. But immigration could not understand, so we all on documents Aleksandroff.”

“Well, I thought it would be interesting, but wow!” countered Susan. “I’ll try to remember.”

Sonya smiled and Angela offered to show her around. They had begun to bond during the first week of school by helping each other with dance steps. Sonya showed Angela how to do some new, more complicated moves and Angela filled Sonya in on the terms used in the US. As they started walking, they saw Benjie and his family coming toward them on foot and Fiona’s car pulling into the parking area. Fiona, Benjie, Sonya, and Angela helped unload folding chairs, two rather large coolers, packages of various meats to grill, and other cookout necessities. Then the teenagers headed toward the marshy area to watch the heron, ducks, gulls, and many other birds compete with the humans for fish. There seemed to be plenty for all.

“Did you hear about the pipeline?” asked Fiona, as they walked slowly along the edge of the bay.

“What pipeline?” Angela countered.

“A consortium of oil companies has been formed to propose a pipeline from a number of offshore wells, through Oso Bay, and into a refinery that would be built south of town.”

Angela frowned. “I thought the refineries were all supposed to be north of Corpus Christi Bay.”

“In Corpus Christi, yes,” answered Fiona. “But Sargasso Beach hasn’t passed any restrictions like that. The companies are asking for a zoning change from protected area to industrial so they can build there.”

“And the pipeline,” Angela persisted. “Will it go underground under there?” She indicated the bay.

“I don’t know. All the ones I ever heard of rest on the bottom.”

Angela was troubled. She loved the recreational area and feared that having a pipeline near would spoil the beauty and quiet.

Sonya spoke up. “In Siberia they put pipeline to Moscow. It make heat and dommage… how you say?”

“Damage?” offered Benjie.

“Yes, damage permafrost with heat.”

“Well, I doubt that would be a problem here,” said Benjie. His T-shirt was sticking to his back from the sweat.

“It would be ugly, though,” Angela commented.

“We need to research this some,” Fiona suggested. “So we can put in our two cents’ worth if they hold public hearings.”

They agreed vaguely that it would be a good idea and headed back toward where the adults were grilling. The good food, the conversation and laughter, the games and the fishing drove thoughts of the pipeline from Angela’s mind and, it seemed, from everyone else’s too. When the party broke up later in the afternoon, Angela walked alone down to the ferry and crossed to the island. She walked over the dune and found a rock to sit on at the edge of the beach. The wind blew directly into her face, making the mass of curls tremble. Angela knew she was getting caked with salt and sand, but there would be plenty of time for a refreshing shower when she got home. To her right, several seagulls were hovering almost motionless in the air, planing against the sea breeze.

Suddenly she heard a commotion on her other side, down near the water. Two sandpipers were disputing some bit of food. One had it in its beak and seemed to be teasing or daring the other to take it. The second sandpiper protested loudly, hopping, its beak wide open, in circles around the first, who merely kept pivoting in place, keeping the bit of food in plain view, but not giving it up nor eating it, either. Angela was amused and watched for a while. She breathed in the salty air happily and then got up and headed back across the dune to the landing. They would be waiting for her so they could go home.

***

Life at school was pleasant the next week, free from the cattiness of Kitty and her cohort, with only routine abuse from Newsom. Even Logan showed signs of recognizing his charges as young humans, though as yet still rather undifferentiated. Dance was fun and Angela was enjoying herself. She, along with Fiona, Benjie, Sonya, Yves, and Michaela had amusing conversations at lunchtime, with Benjie imitating the teachers and Fiona providing the sarcastic color commentary. Only Sepúlveda, the Spanish teacher, remained as yet an unknown quantity.

On Thursday morning, Angela walked in the front door as usual, heading for home room. As she was approaching the first hallway that opened on the right, the KittyKats came around the corner and filed past her. They acted as if she were not there but, as she watched them, Ashley turned her head toward Angela and looked at her briefly with just a hint of a smirk, and then looked forward again.

Angela joined her friends in home room. After Coach called the roll, he chewed on his gum energetically and then said,

“Furry-near, I have a note here that says you are to report to the principal’s office.”