Read Online Deep in the Heart of Me by Diane Munier - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Diane Munier
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ball.
Now Ned will have to bend over for them.
"Ain't you worried your dad will get mad?" Joseph finally speaks up.
She smiles big. "I'm mad. Does anybody care?"
"I do," I say quick.
"What he say?" Tillo asks Utz.
"Clean out your ears!" Sobe yells.
Ned has gone back to the desk and hung the keys. He sits on the desk very worried it seems. "Soon as your father gets here Miss Sobe I am telling him what you've done."
"Ned," Sobe says with a laugh, "he sees his own daughter sitting in a cell he can put the clues together and solve the case."
There is no stopping Miss Sobe.
"What?" she says to me. I guess I'm gawking. I know I am.
"Nothing," I say. Then I smile.
"You look like you've been in a match Tonio," she sighs. "Does it hurt?"
"Nah," I say strong. Just saying that hurts my lips some.
"I got him good, the sissy, and I didn't need a broom," Tillo says.
"Two against one," Sobe says. "You think that's fair? Maybe in Dewberry but regular citizens call that low down!" Sobe says.
"Sobe," I say. I don't think girls are supposed to speak this way. The Smiths are rough people. She doesn't want them thinking she is not a sweet girl like Maman probably was. I know what I mean. When girls get in trouble, they need backup.
But Sobe doesn't have anyone but her father. Well, now she has me. But I can't always…she needs to be careful.
Does she have any fear?
"And Tonio won! He was beating the both of you!" she adds with her fist in the air.
"We got our licks in. He didn't get that eye from a bug bite," Utz says.
"Yes, he did. A Dewberry cockroach," she says back.
I am staring at her. Soon as she says it she looks at me and gives me a smile. "You won Tonio. You're the best."
I look over there, and Utz and Tillo are trying to keep up. She said all of this. I'm the best. She knows it.
I open and close my right hand. It's sore, but I feel how strong.
She's so beautiful, and she makes me feel so proud. But I know something about her, I feel it.
"Will you shake," I call to Tillo.
I need to end it. Sobe…it's for her.
"To get out," Tillo says.
"Yes," I say. "To get out."
"Are you sure, Tonio?" Sobe whispers. She is gripping the bars. I know she was just getting started.
But I nod. Sobe is good, but there is trouble deep inside her. I am protecting her.
Chapter 15
We hear the car pull up to the sheriff's office. And the truck. That would be my dad is my guess, and Joseph's guess too, from the big eyes he turns on me.
"You should step out and close the door, Sobe," I say.
"Tonio…," she says as I move her toward the door.
She studies my face.
"Step out and close the door, Sobe." I am not asking, but I am not rude. I am firm. That is what works on people and animals most of the time. My hand on her arm is firm, and there is resistance, but she is allowing me to move her. I get her out enough I pull the door, and there is that clank. She is looking at me, she is not speaking but in her mind there are many words, that's what I think.
"Don't tell him," I say to Fat Ned. There is no need to tell what is fixed now. Sobe is out, and we are where the sheriff put us, and the deputy does not look like a fool.
The door opens then, and the sheriff is first with Dad behind. Sheriff holds the door, and my dad steps slowly inside. I stand at the door of my cell, my hands on the bars. I meet Father's eyes. He'll remember if I do that, and if not I'll hear about it.
"Here they are Mr. Clannan," Sheriff says.
"Well," Dad says. "Will you look at that? I have to come out of the field and leave a day's work to get my sons out of jail. How is it their mother sends them to school and their father must come for them at the jail? It's a puzzle."
I do not speak. He is taking in the picture of his sons the convicts.
"If your grandmother could only see," he says.
I stand tall. Sobe is watching. My setting her out made her quiet.
"I'm ready to shake hands with Tillo and Utz," I say to the sheriff.
"Oh he's ready to shake
Now Ned will have to bend over for them.
"Ain't you worried your dad will get mad?" Joseph finally speaks up.
She smiles big. "I'm mad. Does anybody care?"
"I do," I say quick.
"What he say?" Tillo asks Utz.
"Clean out your ears!" Sobe yells.
Ned has gone back to the desk and hung the keys. He sits on the desk very worried it seems. "Soon as your father gets here Miss Sobe I am telling him what you've done."
"Ned," Sobe says with a laugh, "he sees his own daughter sitting in a cell he can put the clues together and solve the case."
There is no stopping Miss Sobe.
"What?" she says to me. I guess I'm gawking. I know I am.
"Nothing," I say. Then I smile.
"You look like you've been in a match Tonio," she sighs. "Does it hurt?"
"Nah," I say strong. Just saying that hurts my lips some.
"I got him good, the sissy, and I didn't need a broom," Tillo says.
"Two against one," Sobe says. "You think that's fair? Maybe in Dewberry but regular citizens call that low down!" Sobe says.
"Sobe," I say. I don't think girls are supposed to speak this way. The Smiths are rough people. She doesn't want them thinking she is not a sweet girl like Maman probably was. I know what I mean. When girls get in trouble, they need backup.
But Sobe doesn't have anyone but her father. Well, now she has me. But I can't always…she needs to be careful.
Does she have any fear?
"And Tonio won! He was beating the both of you!" she adds with her fist in the air.
"We got our licks in. He didn't get that eye from a bug bite," Utz says.
"Yes, he did. A Dewberry cockroach," she says back.
I am staring at her. Soon as she says it she looks at me and gives me a smile. "You won Tonio. You're the best."
I look over there, and Utz and Tillo are trying to keep up. She said all of this. I'm the best. She knows it.
I open and close my right hand. It's sore, but I feel how strong.
She's so beautiful, and she makes me feel so proud. But I know something about her, I feel it.
"Will you shake," I call to Tillo.
I need to end it. Sobe…it's for her.
"To get out," Tillo says.
"Yes," I say. "To get out."
"Are you sure, Tonio?" Sobe whispers. She is gripping the bars. I know she was just getting started.
But I nod. Sobe is good, but there is trouble deep inside her. I am protecting her.
Chapter 15
We hear the car pull up to the sheriff's office. And the truck. That would be my dad is my guess, and Joseph's guess too, from the big eyes he turns on me.
"You should step out and close the door, Sobe," I say.
"Tonio…," she says as I move her toward the door.
She studies my face.
"Step out and close the door, Sobe." I am not asking, but I am not rude. I am firm. That is what works on people and animals most of the time. My hand on her arm is firm, and there is resistance, but she is allowing me to move her. I get her out enough I pull the door, and there is that clank. She is looking at me, she is not speaking but in her mind there are many words, that's what I think.
"Don't tell him," I say to Fat Ned. There is no need to tell what is fixed now. Sobe is out, and we are where the sheriff put us, and the deputy does not look like a fool.
The door opens then, and the sheriff is first with Dad behind. Sheriff holds the door, and my dad steps slowly inside. I stand at the door of my cell, my hands on the bars. I meet Father's eyes. He'll remember if I do that, and if not I'll hear about it.
"Here they are Mr. Clannan," Sheriff says.
"Well," Dad says. "Will you look at that? I have to come out of the field and leave a day's work to get my sons out of jail. How is it their mother sends them to school and their father must come for them at the jail? It's a puzzle."
I do not speak. He is taking in the picture of his sons the convicts.
"If your grandmother could only see," he says.
I stand tall. Sobe is watching. My setting her out made her quiet.
"I'm ready to shake hands with Tillo and Utz," I say to the sheriff.
"Oh he's ready to shake
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