Read Online Double Fudge by Judy Blume - Free Book Online
Authors: Judy Blume
Tags: Fiction
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imagine Dad as a forest ranger but I couldn't. He's such a city kind of guy.
"Howie's a park ranger," Eudora said. "He's been at all the national parks in Hawaii. On January second he's starting his new job at Everglades National Park. Until then we'll be traveling around the country."
"Everglades," Dad said. "That sounds exciting, Howie."
"Yes, it does," Cousin Howie agreed. "How about you, Tubby? What do you do?"
" Warren is in advertising," Mom answered. "We live in New York City."
"Advertising?" Cousin Howie's face clouded over. "Advertising!"
90
"That's right," Dad said, and I was glad he sounded proud of his job.
"But how can that be, Tub?" Cousin Howie asked. "Are you saying you broke your vows?"
"Howie ..." Dad said, "we were boys. Boys often change their minds when they become men."
"Well, I am certainly disappointed to hear that," Cousin Howie said. "I never expected you to sell out."
"What did you sell, Dad?" Fudge asked. "How much did you get for it?"
"It wasn't a question of selling out, Howie," Dad said, ignoring Fudge. "It was a question of growing up and following my interests."
You tell him, Dad! I thought. Then I got this picture in my mind of Jimmy and me meeting about twenty years from now. Jimmy's wife will remind me that he and I vowed to become professional sock hockey players. And I'll be--I don't know--a web designer or a movie director and Jimmy will get all worked up about it because he'll be star of the Vermont Blue Socks, the national sock hockey champions, and he'll tell me I sold out.
"This is saaaad news, Tubby," Cousin Howie said, stretching out the word. "Advertising doesn't help make the world a better place."
"Oh yes ..." Fudge said. "I learn a lot from commercials."
91
A lot of nothing, I thought.
"Commercials?" Cousin Howie said. "You write commercials?"
Fudge licked his spoon and said, "My dad invented the Juicy-O commercial, and the Toddle Bike commercial, and the one for X-Plode cereal."
The Natural Beauties gave Fudge a blank look.
"You know ..." Fudge told them, "from TV."
"We don't have TV," Fauna said.
"Pete," Fudge said, "did you hear that? They don't have TV."
"And they aren't missing anything either," Cousin Howie said.
Dad didn't respond. He was trying to be diplomatic, I could tell. But Fudge was like a train that couldn't be stopped. "And last year my dad wrote a book," he announced.
Now Cousin Howie relaxed his brow. "A book! Well, that's more like it," he said. "Isn't that more like it, girls?"
"Yes, Daddy," the Natural Beauties chanted. "That's more like it!"
"What kind of book, Tub?" Cousin Howie asked.
But did Dad have a chance to answer? No! Turkey Brain wouldn't shut up. "Longer than a Dr. Seuss book," he said, "but shorter than an encyclopedia. Right, Dad?"
92
Dad tried to smile. He and Mom exchanged a look. Then Dad said, "Actually, Howie, I was researching the history of advertising."
Howie's face clouded over again. I noticed that when he scrunched up his forehead, his eyebrows crept together as if they were living things. "History is one thing, Tub... but the history of advertising is a ... is a ..."
Eudora put her hand on Cousin Howie's arm. "Now, Howie... let's remember it takes all kinds to make the world go round."
The Natural Beauties jumped up, put their heads close together, and hummed a note.
Oh no! I thought. They're going to do it again. Get me out of here!
This time it was some song about how love makes the world go round. Not only did they sing, they danced. All around the coffee shop. Fortunately, only three other tables were occupied.
Fudge leaned close and whispered, "Is this a show, Pete?"
Yeah... a freak show, I thought. But instead of answering Fudge's question I moaned and buried my head in my hands, grateful we weren't in New York, where I might have known someone, someone from school who would say, Saw you having ice cream with those weird sisters. Hope you're not related.
93
During the show, Mini buried
"Howie's a park ranger," Eudora said. "He's been at all the national parks in Hawaii. On January second he's starting his new job at Everglades National Park. Until then we'll be traveling around the country."
"Everglades," Dad said. "That sounds exciting, Howie."
"Yes, it does," Cousin Howie agreed. "How about you, Tubby? What do you do?"
" Warren is in advertising," Mom answered. "We live in New York City."
"Advertising?" Cousin Howie's face clouded over. "Advertising!"
90
"That's right," Dad said, and I was glad he sounded proud of his job.
"But how can that be, Tub?" Cousin Howie asked. "Are you saying you broke your vows?"
"Howie ..." Dad said, "we were boys. Boys often change their minds when they become men."
"Well, I am certainly disappointed to hear that," Cousin Howie said. "I never expected you to sell out."
"What did you sell, Dad?" Fudge asked. "How much did you get for it?"
"It wasn't a question of selling out, Howie," Dad said, ignoring Fudge. "It was a question of growing up and following my interests."
You tell him, Dad! I thought. Then I got this picture in my mind of Jimmy and me meeting about twenty years from now. Jimmy's wife will remind me that he and I vowed to become professional sock hockey players. And I'll be--I don't know--a web designer or a movie director and Jimmy will get all worked up about it because he'll be star of the Vermont Blue Socks, the national sock hockey champions, and he'll tell me I sold out.
"This is saaaad news, Tubby," Cousin Howie said, stretching out the word. "Advertising doesn't help make the world a better place."
"Oh yes ..." Fudge said. "I learn a lot from commercials."
91
A lot of nothing, I thought.
"Commercials?" Cousin Howie said. "You write commercials?"
Fudge licked his spoon and said, "My dad invented the Juicy-O commercial, and the Toddle Bike commercial, and the one for X-Plode cereal."
The Natural Beauties gave Fudge a blank look.
"You know ..." Fudge told them, "from TV."
"We don't have TV," Fauna said.
"Pete," Fudge said, "did you hear that? They don't have TV."
"And they aren't missing anything either," Cousin Howie said.
Dad didn't respond. He was trying to be diplomatic, I could tell. But Fudge was like a train that couldn't be stopped. "And last year my dad wrote a book," he announced.
Now Cousin Howie relaxed his brow. "A book! Well, that's more like it," he said. "Isn't that more like it, girls?"
"Yes, Daddy," the Natural Beauties chanted. "That's more like it!"
"What kind of book, Tub?" Cousin Howie asked.
But did Dad have a chance to answer? No! Turkey Brain wouldn't shut up. "Longer than a Dr. Seuss book," he said, "but shorter than an encyclopedia. Right, Dad?"
92
Dad tried to smile. He and Mom exchanged a look. Then Dad said, "Actually, Howie, I was researching the history of advertising."
Howie's face clouded over again. I noticed that when he scrunched up his forehead, his eyebrows crept together as if they were living things. "History is one thing, Tub... but the history of advertising is a ... is a ..."
Eudora put her hand on Cousin Howie's arm. "Now, Howie... let's remember it takes all kinds to make the world go round."
The Natural Beauties jumped up, put their heads close together, and hummed a note.
Oh no! I thought. They're going to do it again. Get me out of here!
This time it was some song about how love makes the world go round. Not only did they sing, they danced. All around the coffee shop. Fortunately, only three other tables were occupied.
Fudge leaned close and whispered, "Is this a show, Pete?"
Yeah... a freak show, I thought. But instead of answering Fudge's question I moaned and buried my head in my hands, grateful we weren't in New York, where I might have known someone, someone from school who would say, Saw you having ice cream with those weird sisters. Hope you're not related.
93
During the show, Mini buried
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