Read Online Lizzie! by Maxine Kumin - Free Book Online Page A

Digger helped me back in the car. We didn’t turn left where we usually do. Instead, we went right past the HENRY’Z sign. “According to my GPS there has to be a little road about half a mile from here,” Digger said. In case you don’t know about GPS, that’s Global Positioning Something, go look it up, because a lot is happening these days when it comes to directions.
    And there was a little road. It was dirt, no sign.
    â€œThis looks hopeful,” Digger said. We went slowly around one bend and then another and there was the old wooden warehouse so overgrown with kudzu that it could have been mistaken for an enormous thicket. Just as we pulled over, a tall skinny kid came out—the same shy one Trippy and I had met.
    I leaned out the window and said, “¡ Hola ! ” He jumped about a mile and looked like he was about to take off like a scared rabbit. Then he recognized me.
    â€œÂ¡ Hola ! You’re Lizzie, right? Te llamas Lizzie, ¿no ? ”
    â€œYes, and this is my honorary grandfather, Diego Martinez. He’s a chief of police.”
    Julio looked terrified. “But you promised me . . . Pero me prometiste. . . .”
    â€œNo, no, he’s a retired chief from California and he’s a good person, he’s a friend.”
    â€œIs there somebody else coming too?”
    â€œNo. We came alone. My mom came early this morning to drive Henry and his mother to the hospital.”
    â€œWell, you’re too late. Llegaron demasiado tarde. They’re all gone. Ya se fueron todos. ”
    Then Digger said, “What’s all gone? Who are you? Do you work here?”
    â€œMy name is Julio Blanco. Trabajo aquí. I do all the work, I looked after the monkeys from the day Jeb brought them.”
    I gasped. “Are you related to Jeb Blanco?”
    â€œHe’s my uncle. Es mi tío. ”
    â€œSo you’re saying you work for him?”
    â€œI don’t want to, believe me. But what can I do? I broke out of juvie and had no place to go. No tengo casa. ”
    I said, “What’s juvie ? What’s that got to do with the monkeys?”
    â€œLizzie, you don’t know how it is, living on the street, en la calle. I never knew from one day to the next where I’d eat, where I’d spend the night, where I’d end up. That’s why I’m here. ”
    â€œI get it now,” I said. “You’re the one who weeds the garden, you keep everything watered, you mulch the plants. I didn’t think Henry could do that all by himself.”
    â€œRight. I do the garden. And until yesterday I did all this.” He gestured to the now silent warehouse. “My uncle and his helpers came for the monkeys. Todos los monos. Stuffed them all into two bags and took off. Left two dead ones on the floor.”
    â€œHold on here,” Digger said. “This uncle of yours, Jeb, and his whatever-you-call-them, his accomplices, took the monkeys and what?”
    â€œJammed them into his jet and flew out of here, en su avión . I don’t know where they were taking them, I just know there was a big fight about money. Not with this one guy Oskar, but with the guy who brings them in by boat.”
    â€œYou know all this?”
    â€œWell, I’m not part of anything that goes on. I just work here for barely enough to pay for my groceries. My uncle is hiding me. Mi tío me esconde. If I don’t do what he says he’ll either turn me over to the gang or take me back to juvie.”
    I asked, “Why were you in juvie?”
    â€œI was the lookout.”
    â€œLookout? What were you looking out for?” But then Digger took Julio by the elbow and walked him away from the car. I knew I had asked too many questions.
    Now I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I knew they were rattling away in Spanish. After a while they walked back and Digger came over.
    â€œI’m going in for a minute, angelita.