Read Online Back by Norah McClintock - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Norah McClintock
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see that as a challenge, and then, before they can even think of backing away, theyâll be in a fight they canât win.
For a couple of days, everyone holds their breath. For the same couple of days, Jojo doesnât make a move. Then, I guess, Ardell decides he canât wait any longer.
Chapter Three
Ardell is following in his brotherâs footsteps. In the fall, he will become the first person in his family to go to college. He was supposed to be away this summer, working at the same camp for kids that he worked at last summer. But the camp burned down, and now Ardell doesnât have a job. Heâs been looking for one, but itâs tough this year. Most of the summer jobs have already been taken. So mostly Ardell sits around on his porch and hangs out with his friends who donât have jobs or who are between shifts.
Ardell is a good guy, like his brother. Everyone says so. But the look in Ardellâs eyes the first couple of days that Jojo is home is not the look you usually see in a good guyâs eyes.
For the first couple of days, Jojo stays mostly in his motherâs house. The people on my street tense up the second day when some of Jojoâs old friends show up. But they stay in the house with Jojo. They donât go out onto the street. And after they leave, they donât come back again. Nobody knows why.
Finally, three days after Jojo gets back, his front door opens. Itâs the middle of July. Itâs hot. A lot of people are out on their porches. Other people are down on the sidewalk, talking, while they water their postage-stamp-sized front yards and the plants and flowers in their flowerbeds or in baskets hanging from their porch railings.
Ardell is out on his porch. Heâs just sitting there on a chair, watching Jojoâs motherâs house. When Jojo comes outside, Ardell stands up. When Jojo goes down his front walk to the sidewalk, Ardell crosses to hisporch steps. When Jojo walks past Ardellâs house, heading for the stores on the corner, Ardell comes down his walk. People all up and down the street turn to watch as Ardell swings onto the sidewalk and falls into step behind Jojo. You can practically hear people suck in their breath, like theyâre afraid of whatâs going to happen next.
But nothing happens.
Jojo is wearing sneakers that make no noise when he walks. Ardell is wearing boots, even in the summer heat. He sounds like the entire Russian army marching in step behind Jojo. But Jojo doesnât even turn around. He walks straight to the ice-cream store and goes inside.
Ardell waits outside. Heâs standing a couple of feet from the door, still waiting, when Jojo comes out carrying a plastic bag. Ardell looks right at Jojo, but Jojo doesnât look at Ardell. He walks past him and goes back up the street to his motherâs house.
Ardell and his Russian army boots clomp back up the street behind Jojo and stop on the sidewalk outside Jojoâs motherâs house.Jojo goes directly inside. Ardell stands on the sidewalk. People watch from their porches and their steps and their lawns until it becomes clear that nothing is going to happen. Then they go back about their business.
I go inside. Through the kitchen window, I see Jojo come out the sliding doors and onto the deck at the back of his motherâs house. His mother is out there on a recliner. She looks smaller than she used to before Jojo went away.
Jojo puts the plastic bag from the ice-cream store onto a table that has an umbrella over it. He sets down a bowl and a spoon. He takes a container of ice cream out of the bag. He opens it and scoops some ice cream into the bowl, which he hands to his mother. She smiles at him when he gives her the bowl and the spoon. Her hand moves slowly from the bowl to her mouth. She seems to be putting a lot of effort into it, as if she is handling a shovel full of gravel instead of a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. But she gets it there.
For a couple of days, everyone holds their breath. For the same couple of days, Jojo doesnât make a move. Then, I guess, Ardell decides he canât wait any longer.
Chapter Three
Ardell is following in his brotherâs footsteps. In the fall, he will become the first person in his family to go to college. He was supposed to be away this summer, working at the same camp for kids that he worked at last summer. But the camp burned down, and now Ardell doesnât have a job. Heâs been looking for one, but itâs tough this year. Most of the summer jobs have already been taken. So mostly Ardell sits around on his porch and hangs out with his friends who donât have jobs or who are between shifts.
Ardell is a good guy, like his brother. Everyone says so. But the look in Ardellâs eyes the first couple of days that Jojo is home is not the look you usually see in a good guyâs eyes.
For the first couple of days, Jojo stays mostly in his motherâs house. The people on my street tense up the second day when some of Jojoâs old friends show up. But they stay in the house with Jojo. They donât go out onto the street. And after they leave, they donât come back again. Nobody knows why.
Finally, three days after Jojo gets back, his front door opens. Itâs the middle of July. Itâs hot. A lot of people are out on their porches. Other people are down on the sidewalk, talking, while they water their postage-stamp-sized front yards and the plants and flowers in their flowerbeds or in baskets hanging from their porch railings.
Ardell is out on his porch. Heâs just sitting there on a chair, watching Jojoâs motherâs house. When Jojo comes outside, Ardell stands up. When Jojo goes down his front walk to the sidewalk, Ardell crosses to hisporch steps. When Jojo walks past Ardellâs house, heading for the stores on the corner, Ardell comes down his walk. People all up and down the street turn to watch as Ardell swings onto the sidewalk and falls into step behind Jojo. You can practically hear people suck in their breath, like theyâre afraid of whatâs going to happen next.
But nothing happens.
Jojo is wearing sneakers that make no noise when he walks. Ardell is wearing boots, even in the summer heat. He sounds like the entire Russian army marching in step behind Jojo. But Jojo doesnât even turn around. He walks straight to the ice-cream store and goes inside.
Ardell waits outside. Heâs standing a couple of feet from the door, still waiting, when Jojo comes out carrying a plastic bag. Ardell looks right at Jojo, but Jojo doesnât look at Ardell. He walks past him and goes back up the street to his motherâs house.
Ardell and his Russian army boots clomp back up the street behind Jojo and stop on the sidewalk outside Jojoâs motherâs house.Jojo goes directly inside. Ardell stands on the sidewalk. People watch from their porches and their steps and their lawns until it becomes clear that nothing is going to happen. Then they go back about their business.
I go inside. Through the kitchen window, I see Jojo come out the sliding doors and onto the deck at the back of his motherâs house. His mother is out there on a recliner. She looks smaller than she used to before Jojo went away.
Jojo puts the plastic bag from the ice-cream store onto a table that has an umbrella over it. He sets down a bowl and a spoon. He takes a container of ice cream out of the bag. He opens it and scoops some ice cream into the bowl, which he hands to his mother. She smiles at him when he gives her the bowl and the spoon. Her hand moves slowly from the bowl to her mouth. She seems to be putting a lot of effort into it, as if she is handling a shovel full of gravel instead of a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. But she gets it there.
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