close? How did she treat him? What had she told him about Daddy? I probably had as many questions for him as he had for me.
When I turned to start back to the house, I saw him out on the patio watching me.
"I've got to get fresh air as soon as my tutor leaves." he explained when I approached. "I actually tried spraying some of my mother's old perfume around the room before she comes, but it doesn't seem powerful enough to overcome the stink."
I laughed.
"Why don't you just tell her?"
"So she goes complaining about me to my aunt Charlotte? No thanks. I'm tired of hearing how ungrateful I can be. I see you were looking at my tree. It was planted just about the time I was born."
"Then those are definitely your initials?"
"And my mother's. She used to bring me out there for a picnic. She'd set out a blanket and play the radio or her CDs and we'd look at the clouds and describe what they suggested to us. Often, we both fell asleep. Aunt Charlotte said we brought ants back into the house in our clothing or in the blanket."
"What would your mother say to that?"
"Nothing really. She had a way of just looking at her and smiling a smile that said, 'Don't be silly. Charlotte.' It was enough to shut her up."
"I imagine you miss her a great deal."
He stared at me a moment, his eyes glassing over.
"As much as you miss our daddy, if not more," he finally said. "Did you bring the magic box?'
"Yes,'" I replied, smiling.
"Good. Put this in it for me," he said and held out his hand with a slip of paper between his thumb and forefinger. I took it.
"What is it?'
"A disappointment," he replied.
"Can I look?"
"You probably would anyway."
"I would not. It's your personal disappointment. I'm not the sort of person who..."
"Okay, okay. Look already and spare me the speeches." I unfolded it and read the word. Arlene. "Arlene? That's your disappointment?" He shrugged.
"She was my cyber girlfriend until late yesterday, when she decided to break up and go into a private chat room with someone else."
I shook my head, a confused smile on my face.
"It's how I go out on a date," he explained. "We talk to each other in a private chat room. She and I got along really well and had some good times. I guess I wasn't sexy enough."
"Sexy enough? How can you be sexy on the computer?"
He smiled.
"You'll see. One of these days."
"Lunch," Nancy Sue announced from the doorway.
"Good. Now that I drove Mrs. Skulnik out of my nose. I'm hungry," he said and started to wheel himself into the house.
I hurried to catch up, wondering what he , was talking about when he talked about cyber dates.
He asked me so many questions at lunch. I was barely able to chew my food and swallow. Mostly, he wanted to know what my school experiences were like. When I began in a new school, did I always gravitate toward a certain clique of friends? What kind of people did I like?
And what about my classes? Was there a great deal of flirting always going on behind the teacher's back? How many school dances had I attended? Did I have a boyfriend I regretted losing so much that I was actually in physical pain? Was I ever on a team or a cheerleader or in a play and what was that like? On and on it went, making me feel he was truly like someone who had just arrived from another planet.
"I can't imagine really learning in such a setting," he finally said after hearing some of my school experiences. "'There's so much to draw away your attention. Did you ever go to an all girls' school?" he asked quickly. "Without members of the opposite sex present, it might be easier. Well?"
He was so impatient for my responses, he couldn't wait for me to start to talk.
"No, Evan."
"I can't imagine not being related to you and being in a class with you," he suddenly said, but he said it like a scientist evaluating data. "I'd be looking at you all the time and never concentrating."'
I smiled, even though he had made it sound like cold analysis.
"You're going to give me a big head. Evan. There were always prettier
When I turned to start back to the house, I saw him out on the patio watching me.
"I've got to get fresh air as soon as my tutor leaves." he explained when I approached. "I actually tried spraying some of my mother's old perfume around the room before she comes, but it doesn't seem powerful enough to overcome the stink."
I laughed.
"Why don't you just tell her?"
"So she goes complaining about me to my aunt Charlotte? No thanks. I'm tired of hearing how ungrateful I can be. I see you were looking at my tree. It was planted just about the time I was born."
"Then those are definitely your initials?"
"And my mother's. She used to bring me out there for a picnic. She'd set out a blanket and play the radio or her CDs and we'd look at the clouds and describe what they suggested to us. Often, we both fell asleep. Aunt Charlotte said we brought ants back into the house in our clothing or in the blanket."
"What would your mother say to that?"
"Nothing really. She had a way of just looking at her and smiling a smile that said, 'Don't be silly. Charlotte.' It was enough to shut her up."
"I imagine you miss her a great deal."
He stared at me a moment, his eyes glassing over.
"As much as you miss our daddy, if not more," he finally said. "Did you bring the magic box?'
"Yes,'" I replied, smiling.
"Good. Put this in it for me," he said and held out his hand with a slip of paper between his thumb and forefinger. I took it.
"What is it?'
"A disappointment," he replied.
"Can I look?"
"You probably would anyway."
"I would not. It's your personal disappointment. I'm not the sort of person who..."
"Okay, okay. Look already and spare me the speeches." I unfolded it and read the word. Arlene. "Arlene? That's your disappointment?" He shrugged.
"She was my cyber girlfriend until late yesterday, when she decided to break up and go into a private chat room with someone else."
I shook my head, a confused smile on my face.
"It's how I go out on a date," he explained. "We talk to each other in a private chat room. She and I got along really well and had some good times. I guess I wasn't sexy enough."
"Sexy enough? How can you be sexy on the computer?"
He smiled.
"You'll see. One of these days."
"Lunch," Nancy Sue announced from the doorway.
"Good. Now that I drove Mrs. Skulnik out of my nose. I'm hungry," he said and started to wheel himself into the house.
I hurried to catch up, wondering what he , was talking about when he talked about cyber dates.
He asked me so many questions at lunch. I was barely able to chew my food and swallow. Mostly, he wanted to know what my school experiences were like. When I began in a new school, did I always gravitate toward a certain clique of friends? What kind of people did I like?
And what about my classes? Was there a great deal of flirting always going on behind the teacher's back? How many school dances had I attended? Did I have a boyfriend I regretted losing so much that I was actually in physical pain? Was I ever on a team or a cheerleader or in a play and what was that like? On and on it went, making me feel he was truly like someone who had just arrived from another planet.
"I can't imagine really learning in such a setting," he finally said after hearing some of my school experiences. "'There's so much to draw away your attention. Did you ever go to an all girls' school?" he asked quickly. "Without members of the opposite sex present, it might be easier. Well?"
He was so impatient for my responses, he couldn't wait for me to start to talk.
"No, Evan."
"I can't imagine not being related to you and being in a class with you," he suddenly said, but he said it like a scientist evaluating data. "I'd be looking at you all the time and never concentrating."'
I smiled, even though he had made it sound like cold analysis.
"You're going to give me a big head. Evan. There were always prettier
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