all.”
Weep sat up, closing his eyes, and blew out of his mouth, more snot coming out of his nose as he did so.
“OK, keep breathing like that Weep. Dozer, come stand here; don’t do anything. This will be good for you, too.” Dozer nodded and surprisingly did as he was told as he looked into Cego’s gleaming eyes.
“Now, Weep, I want you to think about it like this. You aren’t picking up Dozer. You aren’t picking anyone up. You’re getting under him and then standing up.”
Weep was confused; he shook his head. “But I am trying to pick him up. There’s no way I can carry Dozer; he’s way bigger than I am. And I’m not strong. I couldn’t even pick you up, Cego.”
“Watch me,” Cego said.
Cego moved toward Dozer. The bulky boy outweighed him by at least seventy pounds. He bent his knees, crouching directly under Dozer, with one arm circling through his legs, grasping his back. He kept his posture straight. Cego then lifted from his knees, causing the front half of Dozer’s body to fall forward onto his shoulder. He wrapped Dozer’s arm around his neck and stood up effortlessly. He took a few casual steps around the yard with the huge boy on his back before letting him down.
He looked at Weep. “See how easy it is? You can do this.”
Weep nodded his head, wiping his nose and standing up.
“Just remember, you aren’t trying to lift Dozer. Don’t use your back or your arms. You are standing up under him.”
Cego showed Weep where to crouch and place his arms again.
“Now give it a try.” Cego clasped Weep’s shoulder. “It’s just standing up, like you do every morning.”
Everyone in the yard stopped to view the spectacle, even Tasker Ozark.
Weep mimicked Cego’s movements. He crouched under Dozer, his knees bent. He tried to stand up.
Cego held his breath as Weep’s knees buckled for a moment, but suddenly, the large boy was on top of the tiny boy’s shoulders. It was a very unnatural sight, as if a mouse were lifting an ox. Weep appeared the most surprised of everyone in the yard, his eyes bulging. He took a cautious step forward, as if to prove his own feet were moving underneath him.
Weep steadily walked around the yard with Dozer awkwardly draped on top of his shoulders. Knees stamped his feet in the dirt and laughed, watching the strange sight. “The tiny one be all jacked up!”
The rest of the boys in the yard hooted as Weep slowly made it back to the starting point before collapsing to the ground.
Ozark narrowed his eyes and glared at Cego, as if he’d somehow cheated.
Cego knew he’d pay for his intervention, but it was worth it. A smile crept across his face as he returned Ozark’s glare. The gaunt Tasker screamed, “All right, that’s enough of this! Shut it and let’s get on to the next task!”
*
After that day in the yard, the other boys began to act differently around Cego.
Dozer was the first to break the standoff. It was the middle of the night when Cego awoke to the large boy standing over him. Cego stared at him for a moment with bleary eyes before Dozer extended his hand. Cego grasped it and was promptly yanked into the air, dangling like a newborn kitten. The large boy deposited him on the floor and put his finger to his lips. The other boys were still sleeping.
He followed Dozer across the room to the wall next to his bunk, where the bulky boy knelt on the floor and shifted a small piece of concrete. He reached his arm about halfway into the opening, grasping and pulling out about a dozen cans of greens. Some were half eaten, and there were even a few unopened ones.
Dozer smiled at him, nodding and passing him one of the unopened cans. He whispered, “Sometimes, I get hungry.” Cego returned the smile and padded back to his bed with his early breakfast.
Knees didn’t protest anymore when getting partnered with Cego in the yard. Cego actually caught the scar-faced Venturian carefully watching him explain another technique to Weep. Later,
Weep sat up, closing his eyes, and blew out of his mouth, more snot coming out of his nose as he did so.
“OK, keep breathing like that Weep. Dozer, come stand here; don’t do anything. This will be good for you, too.” Dozer nodded and surprisingly did as he was told as he looked into Cego’s gleaming eyes.
“Now, Weep, I want you to think about it like this. You aren’t picking up Dozer. You aren’t picking anyone up. You’re getting under him and then standing up.”
Weep was confused; he shook his head. “But I am trying to pick him up. There’s no way I can carry Dozer; he’s way bigger than I am. And I’m not strong. I couldn’t even pick you up, Cego.”
“Watch me,” Cego said.
Cego moved toward Dozer. The bulky boy outweighed him by at least seventy pounds. He bent his knees, crouching directly under Dozer, with one arm circling through his legs, grasping his back. He kept his posture straight. Cego then lifted from his knees, causing the front half of Dozer’s body to fall forward onto his shoulder. He wrapped Dozer’s arm around his neck and stood up effortlessly. He took a few casual steps around the yard with the huge boy on his back before letting him down.
He looked at Weep. “See how easy it is? You can do this.”
Weep nodded his head, wiping his nose and standing up.
“Just remember, you aren’t trying to lift Dozer. Don’t use your back or your arms. You are standing up under him.”
Cego showed Weep where to crouch and place his arms again.
“Now give it a try.” Cego clasped Weep’s shoulder. “It’s just standing up, like you do every morning.”
Everyone in the yard stopped to view the spectacle, even Tasker Ozark.
Weep mimicked Cego’s movements. He crouched under Dozer, his knees bent. He tried to stand up.
Cego held his breath as Weep’s knees buckled for a moment, but suddenly, the large boy was on top of the tiny boy’s shoulders. It was a very unnatural sight, as if a mouse were lifting an ox. Weep appeared the most surprised of everyone in the yard, his eyes bulging. He took a cautious step forward, as if to prove his own feet were moving underneath him.
Weep steadily walked around the yard with Dozer awkwardly draped on top of his shoulders. Knees stamped his feet in the dirt and laughed, watching the strange sight. “The tiny one be all jacked up!”
The rest of the boys in the yard hooted as Weep slowly made it back to the starting point before collapsing to the ground.
Ozark narrowed his eyes and glared at Cego, as if he’d somehow cheated.
Cego knew he’d pay for his intervention, but it was worth it. A smile crept across his face as he returned Ozark’s glare. The gaunt Tasker screamed, “All right, that’s enough of this! Shut it and let’s get on to the next task!”
*
After that day in the yard, the other boys began to act differently around Cego.
Dozer was the first to break the standoff. It was the middle of the night when Cego awoke to the large boy standing over him. Cego stared at him for a moment with bleary eyes before Dozer extended his hand. Cego grasped it and was promptly yanked into the air, dangling like a newborn kitten. The large boy deposited him on the floor and put his finger to his lips. The other boys were still sleeping.
He followed Dozer across the room to the wall next to his bunk, where the bulky boy knelt on the floor and shifted a small piece of concrete. He reached his arm about halfway into the opening, grasping and pulling out about a dozen cans of greens. Some were half eaten, and there were even a few unopened ones.
Dozer smiled at him, nodding and passing him one of the unopened cans. He whispered, “Sometimes, I get hungry.” Cego returned the smile and padded back to his bed with his early breakfast.
Knees didn’t protest anymore when getting partnered with Cego in the yard. Cego actually caught the scar-faced Venturian carefully watching him explain another technique to Weep. Later,
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