Rebel's Tag by K. L. Denman Page B

alad; such is my hope.
    â€œThere’s a mistake,” I say.
    One of the workers pauses, looks at the stone, shakes his head.
    â€œNo mistake,” Henry says softly.
    â€œBut a lad is two words.” I point at the stone. “They didn’t leave a space.”
    â€œYou must recall,” Henry murmurs, “your grandfather studied the Sumerians.”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œI believe your grandfather sent you one more message. He told me about this word,
alad
. He found it amazing. In English, it suggests a boy. True?”
    I nod.
    â€œBut in Sumerian, the word means a male protective spirit.”
    â€œAhhh!” My mom breathes. And her eyes fill with tears.
    Then Indi starts to cry.
    â€œToo cool,” says Eli.
    â€œThe man was solid,” says Joe.
    In a soft voice, my mom says, “I’d like to say something.” She pauses, and her gaze settles on a small bird perched in a tree. She nods. “The peace prayer of St. Francis.
    â€œMake me a channel of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
    â€œO Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
    â€œFor it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
    We’re quiet again. I feel like saying something too, but can’t find the right words. I nudge my mom and whisper, “Thanks.”
    She smiles and hooks her arm through mine. “Ready?”
    I nod, and we turn away. The others follow us back to the parking lot and raise hands in farewell. Then Joe calls out, “Listen, I’d sure like it if you all came down to the café sometime.”
    He’s looking at me.
    Henry stops and looks at me too. “In case you’re still wondering, I do like them.”
    â€œUm. What?” I ask.
    He busts into the craziest laugh I’ve ever heard. “Turtles! Come and see. Slowis not always wrong.” He’s still cackling when he drives away.
    Mom stares after him. “Sam?” she asks.
    â€œIt’s okay, Mom. I think he’s just saying he liked Grandpa Max.”
    The sun does not give up easily. It leaves a ruby red glow on the horizon. The ruby deepens to purple. The sky darkens to indigo and then black. The stars wink on. Some planets are showing up too. I check my pocket watch and can barely read the numbers, but it tells me the time is right.
    Even though it’s a warm summer evening, Norman and Mary are huddled under a blanket. We’re on the flat roof over their garage, and Indi’s there too. So is Eli with his telescope.
    â€œAnytime now,” Eli says. “It’ll be near the constellation Aquarius. Should appear blue-green in color.”
    He’s talking about Uranus. It’s supposed to be visible through a telescope tonight.Even if we don’t find it, we know the free spirit is out there. And here too, with all of us.

K.L. Denman was born under the sign of Taurus, which is ruled by the planet Venus. She very much likes the idea that Venus is the planet of harmony and love while also bestowing the tendencies to be creative and enjoy beauty. However, the notion that Venus can also influence one to be materialistic and lazy concerns her; she intends to guard against those traits.

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