Read Online Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Ryan Hyde
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a dream about Pearl. But I couldnât hang on to it. It kept sliding away. It was like trying to grab a handful of water.
I sat up and couldnât find my glasses in the dark. I couldnât find my inhaler. I couldnât breathe and I couldnât see to find my glasses without my glasses. Iâd never been at Mitchâs house in the night before.
I knew Pearl was there with me, but I didnât really know what that meant yet. And besides, I needed my inhaler even worse.
PEARL,
age
18: itâs something
Two things I worked very hard at during those five years after Leonard came. One was talking better. The other was not getting arrested.
I figured, I more or less knew how to talk. I just didnât really practice. You know, what with spending so much time on the street with those people who donât know, or donât know how to use what they know. But I went to school almost eight years. I thought I could do it if I tried, and Leonard was my reason to try. A boy looks to his mother. Anyway this is what I believed.
As far as getting arrested, at first I was even scared to go see Rosalita in jail. But she paid cash for that apartment every month and the landlord did not know her name nor care. But I was that careful at first. Then after a while, since you never get arrested, you start thinking maybe you never will.
So for five years I practiced this good talking thing and did not get arrested. And then one day I did.
I was running an errand for Mrs. Morales, in her car. She has a very nice car, which I think is why I got pulled over. I didnât look nice enough to go behind the wheel. Anyway I pretty much knew how to drive from Rosalita and her car, which she let me use while she was in jail until it died. It was not nearly so nice. But I did not have no license. Any license, I mean.
They took me down to the station and took my pictures front and side and my fingerprints. This is bad, I thought. This is really really bad. But then they said, we are going to cite you out. I didnât know what that meant. Turns out it means I get this ticket. They said I had to come back for court and pay a fine. And when I went to court, they said, I would have to show ID, which I did not have on me that day. But I lied about my name. So I could not ever show any ID in that phony name. I thought real hard which was worse, a lie or the truth. I ended up with the lie, but I still donât know what was better. I donât know that it matters either way. It was all over as of that day.
I thought, I will take Leonard and we will go away. Only even farther this time. Maybe up to Oregon or Washington State, which they say is real nice. So long as we could be together I thought it didnât matter much where that was.
On the day I had to go to court, I left Leonard at Docâs house. He stayed there a lot and he seemed to like it. I think they were all pretty nice with him. Except that one bird.
I took the bus.
I thought Iâd be out of that town and on to Oregon before I had to go to court, and of course now I know I shouldâve been. Itâs always easy to look back later and see what you shouldâve known. Anyway I asked the judge for another thirty days to earn the money. It was true I needed more time, but the money I earned I was never planning to give to any judge. Me and Leonard we were going to buy a bus ticket and get the hell away. Judge asked about my ID and I told him my mother had it and sheâd gone out of town and I did not know how to get in touch with her, but Iâd bring it when I came back. I know how it is with them. Cops, judges, they are pretty much the same. If they want they can say thatâs not good enough. Or if they want they can shake their head and say I donât care, just go away. He shook his head and said I had thirty days to straighten it all out.
When I got back on the bus it was raining. There was this big dark American car. It was just
I sat up and couldnât find my glasses in the dark. I couldnât find my inhaler. I couldnât breathe and I couldnât see to find my glasses without my glasses. Iâd never been at Mitchâs house in the night before.
I knew Pearl was there with me, but I didnât really know what that meant yet. And besides, I needed my inhaler even worse.
PEARL,
age
18: itâs something
Two things I worked very hard at during those five years after Leonard came. One was talking better. The other was not getting arrested.
I figured, I more or less knew how to talk. I just didnât really practice. You know, what with spending so much time on the street with those people who donât know, or donât know how to use what they know. But I went to school almost eight years. I thought I could do it if I tried, and Leonard was my reason to try. A boy looks to his mother. Anyway this is what I believed.
As far as getting arrested, at first I was even scared to go see Rosalita in jail. But she paid cash for that apartment every month and the landlord did not know her name nor care. But I was that careful at first. Then after a while, since you never get arrested, you start thinking maybe you never will.
So for five years I practiced this good talking thing and did not get arrested. And then one day I did.
I was running an errand for Mrs. Morales, in her car. She has a very nice car, which I think is why I got pulled over. I didnât look nice enough to go behind the wheel. Anyway I pretty much knew how to drive from Rosalita and her car, which she let me use while she was in jail until it died. It was not nearly so nice. But I did not have no license. Any license, I mean.
They took me down to the station and took my pictures front and side and my fingerprints. This is bad, I thought. This is really really bad. But then they said, we are going to cite you out. I didnât know what that meant. Turns out it means I get this ticket. They said I had to come back for court and pay a fine. And when I went to court, they said, I would have to show ID, which I did not have on me that day. But I lied about my name. So I could not ever show any ID in that phony name. I thought real hard which was worse, a lie or the truth. I ended up with the lie, but I still donât know what was better. I donât know that it matters either way. It was all over as of that day.
I thought, I will take Leonard and we will go away. Only even farther this time. Maybe up to Oregon or Washington State, which they say is real nice. So long as we could be together I thought it didnât matter much where that was.
On the day I had to go to court, I left Leonard at Docâs house. He stayed there a lot and he seemed to like it. I think they were all pretty nice with him. Except that one bird.
I took the bus.
I thought Iâd be out of that town and on to Oregon before I had to go to court, and of course now I know I shouldâve been. Itâs always easy to look back later and see what you shouldâve known. Anyway I asked the judge for another thirty days to earn the money. It was true I needed more time, but the money I earned I was never planning to give to any judge. Me and Leonard we were going to buy a bus ticket and get the hell away. Judge asked about my ID and I told him my mother had it and sheâd gone out of town and I did not know how to get in touch with her, but Iâd bring it when I came back. I know how it is with them. Cops, judges, they are pretty much the same. If they want they can say thatâs not good enough. Or if they want they can shake their head and say I donât care, just go away. He shook his head and said I had thirty days to straighten it all out.
When I got back on the bus it was raining. There was this big dark American car. It was just
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