and all was light. ” Crash chuckled. “That Pope.”
Kip didn’t get it. “Which Pope?”
“Samuel Pope.” Crash explained. “He said that. About Newton.”
“Ah.”
Crash seemed fascinated by his cookies so Kip took pity on him. “Like this, see? You break them apart by twisting, then lick.”
“Sweet,” Crash observed when he did the same.
“My mom says they’re nothing but sugar and pig fat.”
Crash’s eyes widened as he nearly gagged. “Pig fat?”
“Not really, though. You’re probably a vegan huh, or eat macrobiotic food? Kenji Sarukowa in my class eats macrobiotic.”
“Sometimes it seems to me that you aren’t speaking English.”
“That’s probably because you don’t get out much.”
Crash laughed at that. “Do you have anything in there that might be useful?
“I carry my books in my backpack. Papers, pencils. Crayons.”
“Pretty soon it’s going to be dark.”
“I know that, I have my cell phone, and it has a little light that we can see by.”
Crash snorted. “And how will that help you when it gets cold? Surely you can’t expect it to keep you warm? Its glow gives off no heat at all.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kip looked at Crash again, peering at him through the shadows. “Probably not, huh?”
“No.”
Kip reached for his phone and opened it, sliding the keyboard out so the screen lit up and he got his first really good look at the boy he’d named Crash. His first conclusion — that the strange boy had to be Amish or something — seemed to be corroborated by his weird perfection. It almost hurt to look at him. Kip stared at Crash in awe. “ Dude .”
“ Dude , again. What do you mean when you say that?”
“I can see why it might be hard for you in public school. You’re learning English as a second language plus you’re as pretty as a girl. If you went to my school Sean Velasquez would run you up the flagpole in your underwear.”
Crash stared at him with wide gray eyes.
Kip’s voice rose. “Crash. When you fell, did you hit your head ?”
Crash growled, “I’m right here. I can hear you fine. I just wish I could understand you.”
Kip stopped what he was doing when understanding dawned. “You’re scared, aren’t you, Crash?”
“No.”
“‘Cause it’s okay if you’re frightened. I mean — it’s a dark and kind of scary place. How long have you been down here?”
“A while,” Crash seemed reluctant to talk about it. “But I’m really not frightened.”
“All right.” Kip dismissed his denial. If Crash didn’t want to admit he was scared, it was no big deal. If he didn’t have to keep up a brave front for Crash he’d probably be scared too. “I didn’t even know this place was here. I come home this way every day.”
“I know.” Crash told him. “I watch you. I could see that one day you’d simply step on the wrong board and fall through.”
“ Jeez ! If you could see that, then why didn’t you say something?”
Crash shrugged his shoulders.
“Is that one of those immigrant things? Were you afraid to talk? First thing we’re going to do is work on your language skills.”
“My—”
“Hold on, Crash, I got this.” Kip turned his back, holding his phone out to squint at it. “Cool. We’ve got three bars.” He could feel Crash’s fathomless gray eyes boring into his back.
“Three bars? Does that mean we won something?”
Kip ignored him. “Hello? Mom, you won’t believe this…”
How shall I describe it? Once I stared into the void. Once I gazed upon the very spark of creation. Even then the idea of you was in my imagination.
Yet as easily as if you found a shiny pebble — as effortlessly as plucking a stone off the ground and placing it your pocket — you pulled me into the immensity that is your human heart and made me whole. That day, when I gave up everything to break your fall, you caught me .
Even years later, even after I’d made my home securely in your heart, I had no
Kip didn’t get it. “Which Pope?”
“Samuel Pope.” Crash explained. “He said that. About Newton.”
“Ah.”
Crash seemed fascinated by his cookies so Kip took pity on him. “Like this, see? You break them apart by twisting, then lick.”
“Sweet,” Crash observed when he did the same.
“My mom says they’re nothing but sugar and pig fat.”
Crash’s eyes widened as he nearly gagged. “Pig fat?”
“Not really, though. You’re probably a vegan huh, or eat macrobiotic food? Kenji Sarukowa in my class eats macrobiotic.”
“Sometimes it seems to me that you aren’t speaking English.”
“That’s probably because you don’t get out much.”
Crash laughed at that. “Do you have anything in there that might be useful?
“I carry my books in my backpack. Papers, pencils. Crayons.”
“Pretty soon it’s going to be dark.”
“I know that, I have my cell phone, and it has a little light that we can see by.”
Crash snorted. “And how will that help you when it gets cold? Surely you can’t expect it to keep you warm? Its glow gives off no heat at all.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kip looked at Crash again, peering at him through the shadows. “Probably not, huh?”
“No.”
Kip reached for his phone and opened it, sliding the keyboard out so the screen lit up and he got his first really good look at the boy he’d named Crash. His first conclusion — that the strange boy had to be Amish or something — seemed to be corroborated by his weird perfection. It almost hurt to look at him. Kip stared at Crash in awe. “ Dude .”
“ Dude , again. What do you mean when you say that?”
“I can see why it might be hard for you in public school. You’re learning English as a second language plus you’re as pretty as a girl. If you went to my school Sean Velasquez would run you up the flagpole in your underwear.”
Crash stared at him with wide gray eyes.
Kip’s voice rose. “Crash. When you fell, did you hit your head ?”
Crash growled, “I’m right here. I can hear you fine. I just wish I could understand you.”
Kip stopped what he was doing when understanding dawned. “You’re scared, aren’t you, Crash?”
“No.”
“‘Cause it’s okay if you’re frightened. I mean — it’s a dark and kind of scary place. How long have you been down here?”
“A while,” Crash seemed reluctant to talk about it. “But I’m really not frightened.”
“All right.” Kip dismissed his denial. If Crash didn’t want to admit he was scared, it was no big deal. If he didn’t have to keep up a brave front for Crash he’d probably be scared too. “I didn’t even know this place was here. I come home this way every day.”
“I know.” Crash told him. “I watch you. I could see that one day you’d simply step on the wrong board and fall through.”
“ Jeez ! If you could see that, then why didn’t you say something?”
Crash shrugged his shoulders.
“Is that one of those immigrant things? Were you afraid to talk? First thing we’re going to do is work on your language skills.”
“My—”
“Hold on, Crash, I got this.” Kip turned his back, holding his phone out to squint at it. “Cool. We’ve got three bars.” He could feel Crash’s fathomless gray eyes boring into his back.
“Three bars? Does that mean we won something?”
Kip ignored him. “Hello? Mom, you won’t believe this…”
How shall I describe it? Once I stared into the void. Once I gazed upon the very spark of creation. Even then the idea of you was in my imagination.
Yet as easily as if you found a shiny pebble — as effortlessly as plucking a stone off the ground and placing it your pocket — you pulled me into the immensity that is your human heart and made me whole. That day, when I gave up everything to break your fall, you caught me .
Even years later, even after I’d made my home securely in your heart, I had no
Similar Books
