Read Online For Your Heart (Hill Dweller Retellings) by A.L. Davroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: A.L. Davroe
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to say, “You started it.” She’s got a triple line indentation on her forehead from resting on the placemat. “It’s not like I’m doing this on purpose. You know I want to get into a good college.”
Her dad doesn’t say anything as he pulls vegetables out of their refrigerator and lays them on the cutting board. Jeanette watches him expectantly and when he doesn’t reply she turns and wipes tears off her flushed cheeks. She stands and moves to leave, but her dad cuts her off with a harsh voice.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Upstairs.” She sounds confused.
“I want you to sit and do your homework down here tonight.”
Jeanette puts her hand on her hip and sighs. “Dad, I’m not five. I can do my homework without supervision.”
He lifts the knife off the cutting board and points it at her. A few chunks of tomato plop onto the counter. “You want another month of being grounded?”
Enmire asks, “You don’t think he’d use that on her, do you?”
I shake my head.
For a long moment, Jeanette seems petulant, but eventually she sits and riffles through her bag. I climb the sycamore tree outside the kitchen window and wait, Enmire perched beside me like a gargoyle.
Looking half distracted, like perhaps she’s expecting someone to pop out of one of the cabinets, Jeanette completes her homework for every class before glancing uneasily at the three-inch thick conversational Spanish book.
A marvelous, tangy smell emanates from the exhaust vent and my stomach growls, but I don’t dare move. With my luck, she’ll duck out before I get a chance to get her payment from her. She closes her book and, with impeccable timing, her father comes over with two navy blue bowls. He leans over and kisses her on the forehead before going back to the counter and returning with a basket of bread. They pray before dinner and he quizzes her on Spanish vocabulary while they eat. I wait.
When they finish and she stands at the kitchen sink and washes the dishes, I climb down and ready myself for a visit. Enmire calls to me, “Will you bring me a treat?”
“No, I will not bring you something to eat. You’re fat and spoiled as it is.”
He mumbles in his native Rhumbrining , probably cursing me.
Ignoring him, I say, “Wish me luck.”
“I hope she kicks you in the nads!”
Rolling my eyes, I move to the window. I expect Jeanette to retreat to her room since her homework is complete, but as her father disappears into the living room, she glances around uneasily then trails after him like a frightened puppy. I switch windows in time to see them settle in to read – her father in a stiff leather chair and Jeanette curled up on the couch with White Cat.
Enmire laughs at me, all mockery. Growling to myself, I pace the edges of the neglected flower beds. She’s purposely avoiding me. Stupid Jeanette. Stupid Manga . Manga? What's that? I pause and look through the window. She's reading a picture book with a dark-clad man on the back cover. She flips a page in the opposite direction. She's reading it backwards? How odd. Can't she wait for the end? Is she one of those humans who eats her dessert first? Pft, like her mother would ever allow that.
Why would I think that? I don’t know the first thing about mothers. I scratch my head. Speaking of…Where is her mother? Human family units are similar to Aos Si family units – which makes sense since Aos Si are part human. There should be a mother and a father and offspring. But I’ve never seen Jeanette’s mother. I see the mother in pictures on the mantle. Jeanette looks a lot like her – a good thing because that means she'll age well. Then I remember her father saying something about her mother being
Her dad doesn’t say anything as he pulls vegetables out of their refrigerator and lays them on the cutting board. Jeanette watches him expectantly and when he doesn’t reply she turns and wipes tears off her flushed cheeks. She stands and moves to leave, but her dad cuts her off with a harsh voice.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Upstairs.” She sounds confused.
“I want you to sit and do your homework down here tonight.”
Jeanette puts her hand on her hip and sighs. “Dad, I’m not five. I can do my homework without supervision.”
He lifts the knife off the cutting board and points it at her. A few chunks of tomato plop onto the counter. “You want another month of being grounded?”
Enmire asks, “You don’t think he’d use that on her, do you?”
I shake my head.
For a long moment, Jeanette seems petulant, but eventually she sits and riffles through her bag. I climb the sycamore tree outside the kitchen window and wait, Enmire perched beside me like a gargoyle.
Looking half distracted, like perhaps she’s expecting someone to pop out of one of the cabinets, Jeanette completes her homework for every class before glancing uneasily at the three-inch thick conversational Spanish book.
A marvelous, tangy smell emanates from the exhaust vent and my stomach growls, but I don’t dare move. With my luck, she’ll duck out before I get a chance to get her payment from her. She closes her book and, with impeccable timing, her father comes over with two navy blue bowls. He leans over and kisses her on the forehead before going back to the counter and returning with a basket of bread. They pray before dinner and he quizzes her on Spanish vocabulary while they eat. I wait.
When they finish and she stands at the kitchen sink and washes the dishes, I climb down and ready myself for a visit. Enmire calls to me, “Will you bring me a treat?”
“No, I will not bring you something to eat. You’re fat and spoiled as it is.”
He mumbles in his native Rhumbrining , probably cursing me.
Ignoring him, I say, “Wish me luck.”
“I hope she kicks you in the nads!”
Rolling my eyes, I move to the window. I expect Jeanette to retreat to her room since her homework is complete, but as her father disappears into the living room, she glances around uneasily then trails after him like a frightened puppy. I switch windows in time to see them settle in to read – her father in a stiff leather chair and Jeanette curled up on the couch with White Cat.
Enmire laughs at me, all mockery. Growling to myself, I pace the edges of the neglected flower beds. She’s purposely avoiding me. Stupid Jeanette. Stupid Manga . Manga? What's that? I pause and look through the window. She's reading a picture book with a dark-clad man on the back cover. She flips a page in the opposite direction. She's reading it backwards? How odd. Can't she wait for the end? Is she one of those humans who eats her dessert first? Pft, like her mother would ever allow that.
Why would I think that? I don’t know the first thing about mothers. I scratch my head. Speaking of…Where is her mother? Human family units are similar to Aos Si family units – which makes sense since Aos Si are part human. There should be a mother and a father and offspring. But I’ve never seen Jeanette’s mother. I see the mother in pictures on the mantle. Jeanette looks a lot like her – a good thing because that means she'll age well. Then I remember her father saying something about her mother being
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