chair, trying to listen, trying not to doze. He looked comfortable, a big old working man in a terry cloth robe three sizes too big. He rubbed the corners of his eyes. “Should have taken these contacts out hours ago,” he said.
“I’m gonna let you go to bed, bro-in-law,” André told him. “Lionel and me will head downstairs.”
“Good idea,” Mr. Washington said. “I’ll just sit here a few more minutes before going up to bed myself. G’night, boys.”
Lionel found himself falling asleep next to his uncle in the basement even though Andréwas still telling some story. Lionel was half listening for his father’s footsteps above them, which would let Lionel know he had gone off to bed.
But he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He fell asleep listening to his uncle’s whispering, whiny laugh and only hoped André wouldn’t be insulted when he realized Lionel was asleep.
Ryan Daley had very nearly been allowed to stay at his best friend’s house that night. His mother had to take the next morning off so she could pick up Ryan’s dad at O’Hare Airport. Ryan was to walk to school with Raymie Steele just before his mother was to leave. Both boys thought it might be a good idea if he just stayed overnight with Raymie.
But Mrs. Steele apologized for not being able to have a guest that night. Ryan’s mother told him that Mrs. Steele had said that her husband had a flight and that she preferred they do this some other night. “In fact, she suggested this weekend and asked if it was all right if you went to church with them. I told Mrs. Steele that that would be fine.”
“Oh, Mom!”
“It won’t be so bad, honey. I went to church a few times when I was a kid, and it didn’t hurt me any. Just act nice, and they’ll be nice to you.”
Ryan dreaded even the thought of that, and he wished he could have stayed at Raymie’s that night. But he would see Raymie in the morning, and they would have fun this weekend—even if he did have to go to church.
With his dad away on business, Ryan knew his mother would stay up watching television longer than normal. He let her see him in bed and turn off his light, then waited until he was sure she was settled in downstairs. He shut his door all the way and stayed up reading and listening to music.
Ryan was getting drowsy when he thought he heard something. He lifted one earphone, listening for his mother. If she was coming up to bed, she would be able to see the light streaming under his door. He rolled over and flicked off his light, but he heard no footsteps on the stairs. What he heard was a siren, maybe more than one.
He tiptoed to the window and peered out. On the horizon he saw the pink glow of a fire in the distance. Way to his left was another. Then he heard closer sirens. Thiswas a crazy night for some reason. He wanted to see if there was anything on the news, and he wondered if he could convince his mother the sirens had woken him when he padded downstairs.
Ryan carefully opened the door and went down the carpeted steps. He peeked into the television room, where his mother’s movie was ending. She was sound asleep. He waited until the credits had rolled and the commercials came on, hoping there might be some news. But as soon as the last commercial played, the national anthem came on, signaling the end of the broadcast day.
He thought about changing the channel, but he knew that would awaken his mother. When the station signed off the air, the static roused his mother, and Ryan hurried back upstairs before she noticed him. He climbed under the covers in the dark and pretended to be asleep when she peeked in on him, as usual.
He was going to put his headphones back on and try to tune in some radio news. But now he was really tired. The sirens seemed farther away, so he just closed his eyes.
SIX
Judd Returns Home
J UDD was so keyed up, so excited, and yet so worried about what his parents were going to do when they discovered he had
“I’m gonna let you go to bed, bro-in-law,” André told him. “Lionel and me will head downstairs.”
“Good idea,” Mr. Washington said. “I’ll just sit here a few more minutes before going up to bed myself. G’night, boys.”
Lionel found himself falling asleep next to his uncle in the basement even though Andréwas still telling some story. Lionel was half listening for his father’s footsteps above them, which would let Lionel know he had gone off to bed.
But he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. He fell asleep listening to his uncle’s whispering, whiny laugh and only hoped André wouldn’t be insulted when he realized Lionel was asleep.
Ryan Daley had very nearly been allowed to stay at his best friend’s house that night. His mother had to take the next morning off so she could pick up Ryan’s dad at O’Hare Airport. Ryan was to walk to school with Raymie Steele just before his mother was to leave. Both boys thought it might be a good idea if he just stayed overnight with Raymie.
But Mrs. Steele apologized for not being able to have a guest that night. Ryan’s mother told him that Mrs. Steele had said that her husband had a flight and that she preferred they do this some other night. “In fact, she suggested this weekend and asked if it was all right if you went to church with them. I told Mrs. Steele that that would be fine.”
“Oh, Mom!”
“It won’t be so bad, honey. I went to church a few times when I was a kid, and it didn’t hurt me any. Just act nice, and they’ll be nice to you.”
Ryan dreaded even the thought of that, and he wished he could have stayed at Raymie’s that night. But he would see Raymie in the morning, and they would have fun this weekend—even if he did have to go to church.
With his dad away on business, Ryan knew his mother would stay up watching television longer than normal. He let her see him in bed and turn off his light, then waited until he was sure she was settled in downstairs. He shut his door all the way and stayed up reading and listening to music.
Ryan was getting drowsy when he thought he heard something. He lifted one earphone, listening for his mother. If she was coming up to bed, she would be able to see the light streaming under his door. He rolled over and flicked off his light, but he heard no footsteps on the stairs. What he heard was a siren, maybe more than one.
He tiptoed to the window and peered out. On the horizon he saw the pink glow of a fire in the distance. Way to his left was another. Then he heard closer sirens. Thiswas a crazy night for some reason. He wanted to see if there was anything on the news, and he wondered if he could convince his mother the sirens had woken him when he padded downstairs.
Ryan carefully opened the door and went down the carpeted steps. He peeked into the television room, where his mother’s movie was ending. She was sound asleep. He waited until the credits had rolled and the commercials came on, hoping there might be some news. But as soon as the last commercial played, the national anthem came on, signaling the end of the broadcast day.
He thought about changing the channel, but he knew that would awaken his mother. When the station signed off the air, the static roused his mother, and Ryan hurried back upstairs before she noticed him. He climbed under the covers in the dark and pretended to be asleep when she peeked in on him, as usual.
He was going to put his headphones back on and try to tune in some radio news. But now he was really tired. The sirens seemed farther away, so he just closed his eyes.
SIX
Judd Returns Home
J UDD was so keyed up, so excited, and yet so worried about what his parents were going to do when they discovered he had
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