going to need a lot of leaves? See, if you're going to be stripping the branches bare, it might not be good for the tree."
Agent Song on the alert! "We wouldn't want to hurt your tree," I said. I looked at Patrick. "I bet they eat a lot, those worms."
Patrick shook his head and shrugged at the same time. "I haven't done enough research yet to know," he said, looking embarrassed.
My mom cleared her throat. "They won't be needing that many, Mr. Dixon," she said. Still her perfect voice. "I helped raise silkworms when I was a girl. I used to pick the leaves from the lower branches, without bothering the rest of the tree."
Dang itâwhy'd she have to say that?
Mr. Dixon nodded again. "Sounds like it wouldn't do any harm," he said.
"The only thing is..." My mom paused and pressed her lips together for a second before she went on. "The worms will need very fresh leaves, and they'll need them twice a day. Which means the children would have to come over here quite often. For around three weeks or so. That might be an inconvenience for you."
"We wouldn't want to inconvenience you," I said. Very polite of me.
Patrick looked at me like I was nuts.
"Well, to be honest, ma'am, that's part of the reason I wanted to meet Julia and her friend," Mr. Dixon said. "Kids these days, you can't be too careful."
Now it was my mom's turn to nod. "I can understand that," she said.
"But I don't see any problem here," Mr. Dixon said. "They look like good kids to me. They can just come right through the back gate and get their leavesâshouldn't be any bother."
"Thanks, Mr. Dixon!" Patrick almost shouted.
"Yes, thank you, sir," I said. What else could I say?
For now I just had to go along with things. Withdraw and regroup, Agent Song. Come up with another plan later....
Mr. Dixon walked over to the tree and examined the leaves on one of the branches. "They're mighty small right now," he said.
"Oh, we don't need any today, sir," Patrick said. "We have to order the eggs first. It'll be a while before we're ready for any leaves."
"Why don't I take your number, Mr. Dixon," my mom said, getting a pen out of her purse. "Julia can call you before she and Patrick come over for the first time."
That reminded me of something.
"Mr. Dixon?" I said.
"Yes, Miss Julia?"
I felt my face get a little hot, but there was something I really did want to know. "Miss Mona saidâshe told us you didn't write down my number. At the gas station. How come you called â I mean, how'd you get the number?"
Mr. Dixon chuckled. "Oh, that. Just a little game I play. I saw your sign, and I memorized the number instead of writing it down. I use little tricks. Like with yours, the last four numbers are 2139. Two plus one equals three, and three times three is nineâthat's how I remembered it."
"Cool!" Patrick said.
Mr. Dixon tipped his head toward Patrick. "Sometimes I make a picture in my headâwhatever the numbers make me think of. Helps keep my mind sharp, young man. At my age I need all the help I can get with that."
We left a few minutes later, Mr. Dixon's phone number safe in my pocket. In the car, Patrick asked to see it. He looked at the paper for a few seconds, handed it back to me, and then stared out the window.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to memorize it.
***
As soon as we got back to my house, Patrick went straight to the computer and started typing out a letter.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Ordering the silkworm eggs," he answered. "Now that we've found the leaves, we can get started."
Patrick used my address on the letter and had us both sign it. "Okay," he said, "all we need now is the money." Suddenly, he was very busy folding the letter so he didn't have to look at me.
Patrick hardly ever had any money. His parents didn't give their kids any allowance until high school. He earned a little by mowing lawns (summer), raking leaves (fall), and shoveling snow (winter), and sometimes he got money for his birthday
Agent Song on the alert! "We wouldn't want to hurt your tree," I said. I looked at Patrick. "I bet they eat a lot, those worms."
Patrick shook his head and shrugged at the same time. "I haven't done enough research yet to know," he said, looking embarrassed.
My mom cleared her throat. "They won't be needing that many, Mr. Dixon," she said. Still her perfect voice. "I helped raise silkworms when I was a girl. I used to pick the leaves from the lower branches, without bothering the rest of the tree."
Dang itâwhy'd she have to say that?
Mr. Dixon nodded again. "Sounds like it wouldn't do any harm," he said.
"The only thing is..." My mom paused and pressed her lips together for a second before she went on. "The worms will need very fresh leaves, and they'll need them twice a day. Which means the children would have to come over here quite often. For around three weeks or so. That might be an inconvenience for you."
"We wouldn't want to inconvenience you," I said. Very polite of me.
Patrick looked at me like I was nuts.
"Well, to be honest, ma'am, that's part of the reason I wanted to meet Julia and her friend," Mr. Dixon said. "Kids these days, you can't be too careful."
Now it was my mom's turn to nod. "I can understand that," she said.
"But I don't see any problem here," Mr. Dixon said. "They look like good kids to me. They can just come right through the back gate and get their leavesâshouldn't be any bother."
"Thanks, Mr. Dixon!" Patrick almost shouted.
"Yes, thank you, sir," I said. What else could I say?
For now I just had to go along with things. Withdraw and regroup, Agent Song. Come up with another plan later....
Mr. Dixon walked over to the tree and examined the leaves on one of the branches. "They're mighty small right now," he said.
"Oh, we don't need any today, sir," Patrick said. "We have to order the eggs first. It'll be a while before we're ready for any leaves."
"Why don't I take your number, Mr. Dixon," my mom said, getting a pen out of her purse. "Julia can call you before she and Patrick come over for the first time."
That reminded me of something.
"Mr. Dixon?" I said.
"Yes, Miss Julia?"
I felt my face get a little hot, but there was something I really did want to know. "Miss Mona saidâshe told us you didn't write down my number. At the gas station. How come you called â I mean, how'd you get the number?"
Mr. Dixon chuckled. "Oh, that. Just a little game I play. I saw your sign, and I memorized the number instead of writing it down. I use little tricks. Like with yours, the last four numbers are 2139. Two plus one equals three, and three times three is nineâthat's how I remembered it."
"Cool!" Patrick said.
Mr. Dixon tipped his head toward Patrick. "Sometimes I make a picture in my headâwhatever the numbers make me think of. Helps keep my mind sharp, young man. At my age I need all the help I can get with that."
We left a few minutes later, Mr. Dixon's phone number safe in my pocket. In the car, Patrick asked to see it. He looked at the paper for a few seconds, handed it back to me, and then stared out the window.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to memorize it.
***
As soon as we got back to my house, Patrick went straight to the computer and started typing out a letter.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Ordering the silkworm eggs," he answered. "Now that we've found the leaves, we can get started."
Patrick used my address on the letter and had us both sign it. "Okay," he said, "all we need now is the money." Suddenly, he was very busy folding the letter so he didn't have to look at me.
Patrick hardly ever had any money. His parents didn't give their kids any allowance until high school. He earned a little by mowing lawns (summer), raking leaves (fall), and shoveling snow (winter), and sometimes he got money for his birthday
Similar Books
