Authors: Judy Young
Promise (12 page)
“Can't. We're not really supposed to be up here. Emmett's a good friend of the sheriff's and he said it was okay if I didn't tell anyone. Besides, telling would only make things worse. Everyone knows the reason the stairs were removed.”
Kaden said nothing more. He just continued petting Kubla, who had settled comfortably in his lap. Yo-Yo waited but when Kaden didn't explain, he finally said, “I don't.”
Kaden poked the straw into his second juice box and slurped on it until the sides of the box collapsed inward. He tossed the empty box into a corner. The movement caught
Kubla's attention and he hopped over to inspect it.
“When they caught Dad stealing in Chapston City, they searched the cabins, too. They found stuff there but they also found a bunch of his stolen goods stashed up here. And that was the end of the bottom stairs.”
“When they searched the cabins was it like on TV?” Yo-Yo asked excitedly. “Did they have those forensic guys and stuff?” He tossed his second empty juice box into a different corner. Kubla marched over to investigate it, too.
“I don't know. At the time, I didn't know about any of it, not about Dad stealing, getting caught, going to prison, none of that,” Kaden said. “I was just three.”
“So when did you find out?”
“In first grade. Luke told me. I used to play with him at school. Then he had this birthday party. That's when he told me.”
“Figures it'd be Luke,” Yo-Yo said, “but I can't believe he invited you to his party.”
“He didn't. I found out about my dad when Luke told me I wasn't invited because his dad said my dad was a thief.”
“So what did you do?”
“I didn't believe him. But I was upset I wasn't invited to the party and when I told Gram why, she was madder than a hornet. But she also told me it was true. She said my dad
was in prison for stealing but it had nothing to do with me or anybody else. And that's about all she's ever said. All the rest I've picked up along the way. People talk a lot in Promise and they must think I'm deaf.”
“What does Emmett say?”
“He's never told me much either. It's like this big secret.”
“Well, I've noticed Luke isn't into secrets,” Yo-Yo said.
“Yeah, he brings it up whenever he gets a chance. You want a cookie?” Kaden said, changing the subject.
Yo-Yo pointed to Kubla. “I don't think it's possible, not with that thief over there.” The word “thief” had popped out without any thought and Yo-Yo instantly regretted it. But it didn't upset Kaden.
“He is a thief and a tricky one, too.” Kaden laughed. “You just have to be trickier.” Kaden pulled a straw from one of the empty juice boxes, waved it around to catch the bird's attention, and tossed it out the window. Kubla followed the straw and Kaden quickly opened the chest.
“And you gotta be quick,” he said, cramming a whole cookie in his mouth.
Yo-Yo followed Kaden's example and while watching Kubla play fetch, the two boys finished off Emmett's cookies.
“Have you ever been in an airplane?” Kaden asked.
“Yeah. Why?”
“I guess it looks like this, doesn't it?”
“Only when you first take off. Soon the trees are just like a lumpy green blanket. Cars and trucks look like little toys and you can't see people at all. Not like this. From up here, people would look small but you could still see them pretty good, even without binoculars.”
Kaden agreed. From here he was close enough to recognize someone walking up from the barricade.
Unless you're trying to recognize someone from a memory formed eight years ago when you were only three
, Kaden thought. He closed his eyes and tried to recall just a glimpse or a shadow from the past. But all he could picture was a stranger in jeans, work boots, a gray T-shirt, and a cowboy hat.
“There's one more secret,” Kaden said hesitantly. “Something nobody in town knows yet. Just Gram, Emmett, and me.” And he told Yo-Yo about the letter, the man with the white pickup truck, and his worries about the backpack.
As usual, Doris pulled into Emmett's drive in the morning. Unlike usual, Emmett was not in the kitchen. Instead, as Doris and Kaden stepped off the bus, he stuck his head out of the shop door at the end of the driveway.
“There are some blueberry muffins keeping warm in the oven,” he called out. “And I already made coffee. Make yourselves at home.”
Kaden told Doris about the fishing trip while they ate but Emmett never came in the house.
“I wonder what he's doing out there,” Doris said. “I thought for sure he'd be coming in to join us.” She looked at her watch. “We need to get going.”
“I'll go see what he's up to. I have to get something anyway,” Kaden said. “I'll meet you at the bus.”
When Kaden rushed out to the shop he was surprised the shop door was locked. Emmett never locked his doors. Kaden could hear the table saw going and he pounded on the door until he heard the saw stop. Emmett stuck his head out an open window.
“I'm working on the school sign,” he said. “You can't come in. Nobody gets to see it until it's up.”
“I need my trumpet,” Kaden said.
“Oh yeah. Wait right there.” A few seconds later the door opened again, just wide enough for Emmett to hand Kaden the black case.
Kaden sat alone in the middle of Ms. Ales's classroom, his backpack on his desk, the black trumpet case beside his chair. It wasn't long before Yo-Yo came in.
“Sweet! You're going to get to be in band after all,” Yo-Yo said, nodding at the black case.
“Yeah, I forgot to tell you. Emmett got it for me. Gram doesn't know anything about it, so don't say a word to her.”
Yo-Yo just smiled and slapped his hand over his mouth.
First bell rang and students started entering the room. Elana noticed the trumpet case right away.
“How did you get that already?” she asked. “I didn't think anyone got their instruments until band today.”
“I didn't order it through Mrs. Strokowski,” Kaden told Elana. “I got it in Chapston City.”
“He probably burglarized the music store,” Luke sneered.
Elana ignored Luke's comment. “I'm going to play the clarinet. What are you playing, Yo-Yo?”
“Sax,” Yo-Yo answered.
“How about you, Luke?” Elana asked.
“I didn't sign up for band. Only losers would wear one of those dumb band uniforms.” As he said it, he gave the trumpet case a big kick. It skidded down the aisle just as Ms. Ales walked in.
“Whose is it?” she asked.
“Mine,” Kaden answered.
“Rules are you're to take instruments to the music room when you arrive at school, not bring them into the classroom. You should have read that in the middle-school handbook. So go take it there now, please.”
“Don't blame him, Ms. Ales. It's not his fault,” Luke said. “Breaking the rules is a family trait, isn't it, Kaden? He's just following in his daddy's footsteps.”
Ms. Ales ignored Luke, and Kaden said nothing. But as he walked to the music room he thought to himself,
I'm glad people in band are losers. Every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a whole hour I won't have to be around Luke
.
When Kaden got home from school, Gram was waiting on the front porch.
“What's this?” Gram said, holding up a piece of paper.
“It's my class schedule,” Kaden said, puzzled by Gram's angry tone.
“I know that,” Gram said. “What I want to know is what
this
is.” Gram pointed to fifth period, the class right after lunch. Kaden thought she had figured out he had signed up for band against her wishes.
“Study hall,” he answered.
“I can read,” Gram said. “What I asked is what it
is
. What do you do in study hall?”
“Nothing really. It's in the cafeteria after lunch every day. You can get your homework done if you have any. Otherwise, you're supposed to read a book or something. But most of the kids just talk. It's kind of like recess in elementary; you just don't go outside. Middle school
doesn't have recess. Study hall is our only break.”
The minute he said “break,” Kaden knew what would come next.
“What do you need another break for? You just had lunch. That's why they call it lunch break. And when did they forget homework means work at home? Has everyone totally forgotten the meaning of the English language?”
Kaden took a deep breath. When Gram got on a roll, there was no stopping her.
“I don't know, Gram. I don't make the rules. That's just the way it is.”
“And you go to study hall every day?”
“You do if you're not in band. If you're in band, you only go to study hall on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Band is after lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Gram stared at the schedule a while longer, then handed it to Kaden. All evening Gram sat muttering on the porch glider but said nothing more about it until Kaden was in his cabin for the night.