Read Online Othermoon by Nina Berry - Free Book Online

Arnaldo to tell his father that we were his family.
    “This is your family!” Mr. Perez gestured to himself and the boys. “Not those bird-hunters.
     Only your blood, your tribe, is your family.”
    “I know what Mama would say,” Arnaldo said. At the mention of the boys’ mother, Mr.
     Perez’s jaw set. “She would say families don’t hurt each other.”
    “You heard me,” Mr. Perez said. “If they’re your family, you are no family of mine.”
    Arnaldo’s brown face went gray. Both his brothers gasped. Luis tried to grab his father’s
     sleeve, but Mr. Perez pulled away. Cordero took Luis by the shoulders and edged him
     back toward the dining room.
    Arnaldo’s chin was trembling. “Papi, please. I never meant for this to happen. I’m
     proud to be your son.”
    “I am not your father.” Mr. Perez’s eyes were aimed at him like a spear.
    For a minute, I thought Arnaldo would break down crying. But instead he took a deep
     breath and drew himself up to his full height, taller than his father now, slender
     and taut. “What would Mama say?’
    Mr. Perez winced, as if Arnaldo had struck him. “You are not my son,” he said, but
     it was not as convincing this time.
    “Mama would say that you drink too much,” said Arnaldo. “I should have told you this
     long ago, but I was afraid.”
    His father’s eyes were red and bright with unshed tears. The pain behind them made
     me look away. Somewhere inside, Mr. Perez knew he was failing his children.
    “Mama would be ashamed of how you treat us.” Arnaldo’s voice was shaking. “She would
     want you to stop drinking, to get help.”
    Tears streamed down Mr. Perez’s face, and his lips trembled, as if saying the words
     was almost more than he could bear. “Get out,” he said, and pointed at the door.
    It looked like something out of an old silent movie—the proud father throwing his
     wayward son out of the family home by flinging out one arm toward the door. For a
     moment I couldn’t quite believe it. But it was all too terribly real.
    Luis was crying silently, as if he’d learned not to let anyone hear his sobs, and
     Cordero stood behind him, arms around his shoulders and chest protectively. “It’s
     okay, Arnaldo,” Cordero said. “I’m here.”
    I caught November’s eye and saw she was thinking the same thing. We couldn’t leave
     these boys with this drunken father. “Let Cordero and Luis come with us to the school
     too, Mr. Perez,” I said. “They could learn a lot there, and you could visit—”
    “No!” Mr. Perez stepped between us and his two younger sons.
    I hesitated. We outnumbered him. We could make him give us the boys.
    “Please, go,” Cordero said. He was shaking. His voice wavered, but he cleared his
     throat, determined. “We don’t want to go with you.”
    “Don’t you hurt Papi, dirty fur-carriers,” Luis shouted. “Get out of our house!”
    “You sure?” November asked. “If you come with us, your brother won’t get any more
     black eyes.”
    Cordero shot a glance at his father, who looked like he might tear November’s head
     off. “I was just playing outside. I fell,” Cordero said, his voice dropping, his eyes
     darting away.
    “That’s right!” Luis piped up. “Go away!”
    “You see?” Mr. Perez brought his chin up. “Nobody wants you here.”
    “Arnaldo . . .” I said helplessly. It made me queasy to hear the boys defending their
     father. But what other choice had he given them?
    This was too big for us, and I couldn’t see any way to make it right. We couldn’t
     force the boys to come with us, not without possibly injuring their father right in
     front of them and dragging them off, probably in some kind of restraints.
    “Let’s go,” Arnaldo said, and walked to the door. Siku put a hand on his shoulder,
     and Arnaldo turned to look back at his family. “I’ll see you all again soon.”
    I looked at Arnaldo’s father. He put his arms around Cordero’s shoulders and