Read Online Magic for Beginners: Stories by Kelly Link - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly Link
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in the toilet, and he doesn’t want to tell
you,” Henry said.
“Maybe you could buy a new toothbrush and bring it home,”
Catherine said. “He doesn’t want one from the drugstore here. He
wants one from New York.”
“Where’s Tilly?” Henry said.
“She says she’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with
Carleton’s toothbrush. She’s still in the bathroom.” Catherine
said.
“Can I talk to her for a second?” Henry said.
“Tell her she needs to get dressed and eat her Cheerios,”
Catherine said. “After I drive them to school, Liz is coming over
for coffee. Then we’re going to go out for lunch. I’m not unpacking
another box until you get home. Here’s Tilly.”
“Hi,” Tilly said. She sounded as if she were asking a
question.
Tilly never liked talking to people on the telephone. How were
you supposed to know if they were really who they said they were?
And even if they were who they claimed to be, they didn’t know
whether you were who you said you were. You could be someone else.
They might give away information about you, and not even know it.
There were no protocols. No precautions.
She said, “Did you brush your teeth this morning?”
“Good morning, Tilly,” her father (if it was her father) said.
“My toothbrush was fine. Perfectly normal.”
“That’s good,” Tilly said. “I let Carleton use mine.”
“That was very generous,” Henry said.
“No problem,” Tilly said. Sharing things with Carleton wasn’t
like having to share things with other people. It wasn’t really
like sharing things at all. Carleton belonged to her, like the
toothbrush. “Mom says that when we get home today, we can draw on
the walls in our rooms if we want to, while we decide what color we
want to paint them.”
“Sounds like fun,” Henry said. “Can I draw on them too?”
“Maybe,” Tilly said. She had already said too much. “Gotta go.
Gotta eat breakfast.”
“Don’t be worried about school,” Henry said.
“I’m not worried about school,” Tilly said.
“I love you,” Henry said.
“I’m real concerned about this toothbrush,” Tilly said.
He closed his eyes only for a minute. Just for a minute. When he
woke up, it was dark and he didn’t know where he was. He stood up
and went over to the door, almost tripping over something. It
sailed away from him in an exuberant, rollicking sweep. According
to the clock on his desk, it was 4 a.m. Why was it always 4 a.m.?
There were four messages on his cell phone, all from Catherine.
He checked train schedules online. Then he sent Catherine a fast
email.
Fell asleep @ midnight? Mssed trains. Awake now, going to keep
on working. Pttng out fires. Take the train home early afternoon?
Still lv me?
Before he went back to work, he kicked the rubber band ball back
down the hall towards The Crocodile’s door.
Catherine called him at 8:45.
“I’m sorry,” Henry said.
“I bet you are,” Catherine said.
“I can’t find my razor. I think The Crocodile had some kind of
tantrum and tossed my stuff.”
“Carleton will love that,” Catherine said. “Maybe you should
sneak in the house and shave before dinner. He had a hard day at
school yesterday.”
“Maybe I should grow a beard,” Henry said. “He can’t be afraid
of everything, all the time. Tell me about the first day of
school.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Catherine said. “Liz just drove up.
I’m going to be her guest at the gym. Just make it home for
dinner.”
At 6 a.m. Henry emailed Catherine again. “Srry. Accidentally
startd avalanche while puttng out fires. Wait up for me? How ws 2nd
day of school?” She didn’t write him back. He called and no one
picked up the phone. She didn’t call.
He took the last train home. By the time it reached the station,
he was the only one left in his car. He unchained his bicycle and
rode it home in the dark. Rabbits pelted across the footpath in
front of his bike. There were rabbits
you,” Henry said.
“Maybe you could buy a new toothbrush and bring it home,”
Catherine said. “He doesn’t want one from the drugstore here. He
wants one from New York.”
“Where’s Tilly?” Henry said.
“She says she’s trying to figure out what’s wrong with
Carleton’s toothbrush. She’s still in the bathroom.” Catherine
said.
“Can I talk to her for a second?” Henry said.
“Tell her she needs to get dressed and eat her Cheerios,”
Catherine said. “After I drive them to school, Liz is coming over
for coffee. Then we’re going to go out for lunch. I’m not unpacking
another box until you get home. Here’s Tilly.”
“Hi,” Tilly said. She sounded as if she were asking a
question.
Tilly never liked talking to people on the telephone. How were
you supposed to know if they were really who they said they were?
And even if they were who they claimed to be, they didn’t know
whether you were who you said you were. You could be someone else.
They might give away information about you, and not even know it.
There were no protocols. No precautions.
She said, “Did you brush your teeth this morning?”
“Good morning, Tilly,” her father (if it was her father) said.
“My toothbrush was fine. Perfectly normal.”
“That’s good,” Tilly said. “I let Carleton use mine.”
“That was very generous,” Henry said.
“No problem,” Tilly said. Sharing things with Carleton wasn’t
like having to share things with other people. It wasn’t really
like sharing things at all. Carleton belonged to her, like the
toothbrush. “Mom says that when we get home today, we can draw on
the walls in our rooms if we want to, while we decide what color we
want to paint them.”
“Sounds like fun,” Henry said. “Can I draw on them too?”
“Maybe,” Tilly said. She had already said too much. “Gotta go.
Gotta eat breakfast.”
“Don’t be worried about school,” Henry said.
“I’m not worried about school,” Tilly said.
“I love you,” Henry said.
“I’m real concerned about this toothbrush,” Tilly said.
He closed his eyes only for a minute. Just for a minute. When he
woke up, it was dark and he didn’t know where he was. He stood up
and went over to the door, almost tripping over something. It
sailed away from him in an exuberant, rollicking sweep. According
to the clock on his desk, it was 4 a.m. Why was it always 4 a.m.?
There were four messages on his cell phone, all from Catherine.
He checked train schedules online. Then he sent Catherine a fast
email.
Fell asleep @ midnight? Mssed trains. Awake now, going to keep
on working. Pttng out fires. Take the train home early afternoon?
Still lv me?
Before he went back to work, he kicked the rubber band ball back
down the hall towards The Crocodile’s door.
Catherine called him at 8:45.
“I’m sorry,” Henry said.
“I bet you are,” Catherine said.
“I can’t find my razor. I think The Crocodile had some kind of
tantrum and tossed my stuff.”
“Carleton will love that,” Catherine said. “Maybe you should
sneak in the house and shave before dinner. He had a hard day at
school yesterday.”
“Maybe I should grow a beard,” Henry said. “He can’t be afraid
of everything, all the time. Tell me about the first day of
school.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Catherine said. “Liz just drove up.
I’m going to be her guest at the gym. Just make it home for
dinner.”
At 6 a.m. Henry emailed Catherine again. “Srry. Accidentally
startd avalanche while puttng out fires. Wait up for me? How ws 2nd
day of school?” She didn’t write him back. He called and no one
picked up the phone. She didn’t call.
He took the last train home. By the time it reached the station,
he was the only one left in his car. He unchained his bicycle and
rode it home in the dark. Rabbits pelted across the footpath in
front of his bike. There were rabbits
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