Waterways by Kyell Gold

was nearly invisible, and a small, light chair, higher than the others. Against the right wall, an oak sideboard with drawers held a vase of small white flowers and two silver candlesticks shaped like graceful foxes, a male and female nude with arms stretched overhead. The smells of cooking fish, some vegetables, and a spicy sauce wafted through the dining room from the far end, making Kory’s stomach rumble.
    Samaki pulled out the dark captain’s chair. “This is Dad’s, but he won’t be home for dinner. You can sit there.”
    “I’ll help too,” Kory said.
    “You don’t have to,” Samaki said.
    “I want to.” Kory felt a little flutter at the bright smile he got from the fox. That white-on-black crescent, the small upward curve of his lips, and the matching sparkle in his eyes that told Kory he was happy made Kory happy too.
    Never got that with Sal, did you?
    Oh, shut up, he told his inner voice. Just leave me alone for this evening, okay?
    He followed Samaki down a curved set of stairs, toward the source of the mouth-watering smells. “Does your Dad make it home for many dinners?”
    “Thursday nights, Saturday and Sunday,” Samaki said. “Saturday is Family Night. I don’t get to see him much. I work Saturdays, and Sunday mornings. He works two jobs Monday through Friday.” He paused. “I wanted to work evenings too, but they wouldn’t let me. Said I need to be able to get my homework done.”
    Kory pushed aside his recurring guilt over not having to work as he followed the black fox into the kitchen.
    Heat and the aromas of food washed over him. On the island in the middle of the kitchen, two dishes full of vegetables and potatoes steamed, the spicy sauce aroma emanating from one of them. Mrs. Roden was just taking a large whitefish out of the oven, in between two large old refrigerators. A huge pantry as homemade as the loft in Samaki’s room spanned the opposite wall. At the far end, another door stood slightly ajar, nothing but darkness visible beyond it. Mrs. Roden set the fish on the small kitchen island and looked up brightly at them.
    “Samaki, get Ajani to help set the table. Kory, dear, just have a seat.”
    “No, I’ll help Samaki,” he said, and when Mrs. Roden turned around, he saw a little of where Samaki had gotten his smile from.
    “You’re a dear. Go on then,” she said. “Then Samaki, come help me bring the food up.”
    Samaki and Kory set the table with silverware from the sideboard, and then Samaki asked Kory to get the cubs from upstairs while he helped bring the food up. The job was an easy one; alerted by the bell, Kasim and Mariatu were on their way down the stairs when Kory started up. He found Ajani still swinging from the ceiling chair in the bedroom.
    “Dinner’s ready, Ajani,” he said.
    “Kay.” The cub tossed the comic book on his desk and slid off the chair, landing on the floor perfectly in a crouch. He grinned at Kory as he stood.
    “Very nice!” Kory applauded, and let the cub scamper downstairs ahead of him, a satisfied smile on his muzzle and a proud arch to his tail.
    Samaki and Mrs. Roden were putting the food out as they all drew up chairs around the table. “I don’t know if you like halibut, Kory, but Samaki said you mostly eat fish.”
    “Anything’s fine,” he said. “Halibut’s great. Everything smells terrific.”
    The mixed vegetables were cooked broccoli and green beans, with a light red pepper sauce. Kory wasn’t used to spiced food, but he ate as much as he could, until his tongue felt like it was on fire even when he wasn’t eating the veggies. “Is it too hot for you, Kory?” Mrs. Roden asked anxiously.
    “No, no,” he said, “it’s fine.” He found that if he interspersed bites of the vegetables with bites of the other food, that cut the heat down. The potatoes were wonderful, creamy and cheesy, and the fish was firm, well-seasoned, and just as delicious. The red pepper added a nice tang to the whole meal, and while