for a loud action movie that I can run at full volume. I’m flicking through the channels with the remote control when Dave walks in from work.
He sits down next to me. Doesn’t even ask me to turn the volume down. Rosenbaum must have got him onto the next phase – “try and be understanding”.
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” says Dave.
How can I trust him? He seems to think I should just forget that he
lied
to me – pretend it never happened, forgive him for “protecting me” from my
own
mother. What a load of bull! She might have been a bit crazy back then, but she’s probably fine now, and I’m old enough to look after myself. Some kids leave home at fifteen.
I turn the television off and fling the remote control onto the couch. “How will I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You’re going to have to start trusting me again some time.”
Unlikely.
Dave gets up and goes to the kitchen.
I turn the television back on and keep flicking between programs until Dave yells, “Tea’s ready.” Just as the doorbell rings.
Dave opens the door.
A blast of garlic bursts into the house followed by PC Huggins, who shakes his finger at me like I’m about ten. “I’m not going to take things so lightly this time, Matt Hudson.”
I sit at the table and start winding noodles around my fork.
“You’ve been at the water tank again haven’t you, young vandal?”
“Steady on,” says Dave. “You don’t know it was him.”
The PC folds his arms across his large chest. “You going to deny it?”
“No.”
“Yeah, well last time you got away with it, but not this time.”
Dave moves in front of me as if he’s trying to be my shield. “Ease up, Clem, he’s just a kid.”
The PC laughs. It’s a cranky staccato sound, like a camel with hiccups. “Just a kid? He’s bigger than you, Dave, and old enough to know better.”
“He’s having his tea, Clem. Can you give it a rest?”
The PC scowls at me. “He’s going to be charged.”
Dave takes a deep breath. The muscle twitches under his left eye, but his voice is calm. “At least let me talk to Matt first. Get to the bottom of it.”
The PC looks at his watch, then pats his stomach.
Dave gently guides him to the front door. “You go home and eat. I’ll bring Matt down to the station after work tomorrow. Is that okay? We’ll sort it out then.”
I don’t think the PC is all that happy, but everyone in town likes “Honest Dave”, so he lets us get away with it – for the time being.
His parting words are: “It’s vandalism, Dave! Charges will be laid.”
Dave nods as he shuts the front door. “Yeah, rightio, Clem. Like I said, we’ll sort this out tomorrow.”
After the PC leaves, Dave sits next to me and has his tea, as if nothing happened. I can’t believe he’s so calm. He has definitely been consulting Rosenbaum. I wonder if there’s a chapter in
Sons and the Single Parent
on how to help your son deal with the fact that you’ve lied to him for the last ten years.
While we wash the dishes, Dave says, “We’ll talk about the water tank tomorrow. After we’ve both had a good night’s sleep.”
I shrug. “Whatever.”
Dear Leonardo
,
Painting huge is such an adrenaline rush, isn’t it?
Did you find it hard to go back to the small stuff?
Maybe that’s why you went on to your inventing – and sculpture?
I’m not sorry I did the water tank. Just hope Troy doesn’t cop it
.
If you have talent, why hide it?
Matt
10
I’m totally blown away to see a photo of my painting on the front page of the local paper with the headline:
Welcome Facelift for Old Water Tank
. Unreal!
Welcome facelift
? Someone actually likes my art. Down at the bottom of the page there’s a phone poll so you can ring in and say what you think of it.
On page three, there’s a photo of the mayor standing next to Troy’s pic. According to the paper, the mayor wants to know who the artists were and he says he “can’t
He sits down next to me. Doesn’t even ask me to turn the volume down. Rosenbaum must have got him onto the next phase – “try and be understanding”.
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” says Dave.
How can I trust him? He seems to think I should just forget that he
lied
to me – pretend it never happened, forgive him for “protecting me” from my
own
mother. What a load of bull! She might have been a bit crazy back then, but she’s probably fine now, and I’m old enough to look after myself. Some kids leave home at fifteen.
I turn the television off and fling the remote control onto the couch. “How will I know you’re telling me the truth?”
“You’re going to have to start trusting me again some time.”
Unlikely.
Dave gets up and goes to the kitchen.
I turn the television back on and keep flicking between programs until Dave yells, “Tea’s ready.” Just as the doorbell rings.
Dave opens the door.
A blast of garlic bursts into the house followed by PC Huggins, who shakes his finger at me like I’m about ten. “I’m not going to take things so lightly this time, Matt Hudson.”
I sit at the table and start winding noodles around my fork.
“You’ve been at the water tank again haven’t you, young vandal?”
“Steady on,” says Dave. “You don’t know it was him.”
The PC folds his arms across his large chest. “You going to deny it?”
“No.”
“Yeah, well last time you got away with it, but not this time.”
Dave moves in front of me as if he’s trying to be my shield. “Ease up, Clem, he’s just a kid.”
The PC laughs. It’s a cranky staccato sound, like a camel with hiccups. “Just a kid? He’s bigger than you, Dave, and old enough to know better.”
“He’s having his tea, Clem. Can you give it a rest?”
The PC scowls at me. “He’s going to be charged.”
Dave takes a deep breath. The muscle twitches under his left eye, but his voice is calm. “At least let me talk to Matt first. Get to the bottom of it.”
The PC looks at his watch, then pats his stomach.
Dave gently guides him to the front door. “You go home and eat. I’ll bring Matt down to the station after work tomorrow. Is that okay? We’ll sort it out then.”
I don’t think the PC is all that happy, but everyone in town likes “Honest Dave”, so he lets us get away with it – for the time being.
His parting words are: “It’s vandalism, Dave! Charges will be laid.”
Dave nods as he shuts the front door. “Yeah, rightio, Clem. Like I said, we’ll sort this out tomorrow.”
After the PC leaves, Dave sits next to me and has his tea, as if nothing happened. I can’t believe he’s so calm. He has definitely been consulting Rosenbaum. I wonder if there’s a chapter in
Sons and the Single Parent
on how to help your son deal with the fact that you’ve lied to him for the last ten years.
While we wash the dishes, Dave says, “We’ll talk about the water tank tomorrow. After we’ve both had a good night’s sleep.”
I shrug. “Whatever.”
Dear Leonardo
,
Painting huge is such an adrenaline rush, isn’t it?
Did you find it hard to go back to the small stuff?
Maybe that’s why you went on to your inventing – and sculpture?
I’m not sorry I did the water tank. Just hope Troy doesn’t cop it
.
If you have talent, why hide it?
Matt
10
I’m totally blown away to see a photo of my painting on the front page of the local paper with the headline:
Welcome Facelift for Old Water Tank
. Unreal!
Welcome facelift
? Someone actually likes my art. Down at the bottom of the page there’s a phone poll so you can ring in and say what you think of it.
On page three, there’s a photo of the mayor standing next to Troy’s pic. According to the paper, the mayor wants to know who the artists were and he says he “can’t
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