Read Online Anybody Shining by Frances O'Roark Dowell - Free Book Online Page A

that bear cub was far more intelligent than either me or Tom. He was King Solomon of the Bible compared to the two of us. I bet if he’d been in our position, he would have run off a long time ago.
    He’d been standing there staring at us for a while, but now the cub turned his head toward the woods. I heard a rustling sound and knowed it was the sound of our doom. I grabbed Tom’s arm.
    â€œMama bear’s coming—let’s get going!”
    Finally Tom listened to sense, and together we backed up step by step until we were again on the path.
    â€œLet’s just get one look at the mother, Arie Mae,” Tom pleaded. “I bet she’s something to see, and we’re safe up here, don’t you think?”
    This time I stood my ground. “I’ll show you a picture of a mama bear in Miss Sary’s encyclopedia, but if you don’t move right now, then you will be the cause of my death.”
    I am pleased to report that the thought of my dying in the jaws of a bear made Tom feel bad enough to hightail it on up the path as fast as he could, which was faster than you might think, shooting a glance backwards every few seconds. Maybe I’m wrong, but I was pretty sure he was hoping that mama bear was hot on our trail.
    That is just a little bit too adventuresome for my tastes.
    We was huffing and puffing by the time we got back to the post office and plopped back down on the bench, holding our sides and breathing hard.
    â€œWe saw a bear, Arie Mae!” Tom exclaimed. “I can’t wait to write Father about it!”
    â€œDon’t forget to mention the part where you almost got both of us killed.”
    Tom waved off my words like he wasswatting a pesky fly. “We were fine! We weren’t in the least bit of danger.”
    I stared at him a long time. “You really are from Baltimore, Maryland, ain’t you?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    I shook my head. “I mean you sure ain’t from around here.”
    That got Tom to laughing, and I started laughing too, and we just couldn’t stop ourselves. We laughed so hard and so long that Miss Ellie come out from the post office to see what was wrong with us.
    â€œYou’uns go on home!” she yelled. “You’re scaring off my customers!”
    Tom got up to go then, but I said I thought I might sit a few more minutes. After Tom had gone, I let out a few more laughs, but the thought of my walk home sobered me up. What if that mama bear was on the path, looking for me?
    Well, I thought, pushing myself up off the bench, at least Tom will be able to explain to Mama and Daddy what happened when allthey find is my bones halfway between here and there.
    And then I ran all the way home.

    Now I suppose I might have come across that bear cub even if Tom hadn’t been with me. Of course, I would have gotten away a lot quicker, having more sense when it comes to bears than Tom does.
    But if Tom hadn’t been there, why, it wouldn’t have been an adventure, would it? It wouldn’t be something I’ll be telling folks about for the rest of my life. And I had that adventure all because I wrote you a letter, Cousin Caroline, and needed to mail it.
    So I suppose I will write you another letter soon, even if you don’t rightly deserve it.
    Not that I am judging, because I don’t judge.
    Signed,
    Your Cousin,
    Arie Mae Sparks

Dear Cousin Caroline,
    Last night I got to thinking about why you ain’t written me back yet, and I have come up with a right good theory. You fear that your mama will be against it. Maybe she has said to you, “Caroline, under no circumstances are you to write a letter to that Arie Mae Sparks up there in Stone Gap, North Carolina! I don’t care how many times she has written to you. If you don’t answer her, maybe she will leave us alone!”
    Well, you can tell that mama of yourn that I will keep writing these letters for the rest of my life