Read Online Samurai Summer by Åke Edwardson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Åke Edwardson
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you have the guts to pick on someone your own size?”
“Stay out of this, Tommy.”
“Kenny,” I said.
Weine looked like he couldn’t make up his mind whether to go for me or Sausage. But Sausage had already started to crawl up toward the shore. The other idiot didn’t move.
“And you’re two against one,” I said, “and you’re each bigger than he is.”
Weine still didn’t move.
“You were really after me, weren’t you?” I took a few steps closer. “This is about me, isn’t it?”
“He was acting cocky,” said Weine. “That’s all. He was cocky and he needed to be taught a lesson.”
“I’ll teach
you
a lesson,” I said and took another step.
Weine’s flunky looked like he didn’t want to be there anymore.
“Tommy! Weine!”
The counselors’ shouts echoed high above the lake. You’d have thought Weine and I were on the other side. I caught sight of the sailboat. It must have rounded the headland just as I’d crossed over it. Maybe there was someone on the deck right now watching me through a set of binoculars.
“You get up here this minute!”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do with you, Tommy.”
Matron was sitting behind her writing desk. I had no idea why she even had one. Nobody had ever seen her write anything.
“You pick fights,” she continued, “and you won’t eat your food.”
At supper the oatmeal would be brought out again. It would be colder and the milk bluer or maybe even greener by now, like the bottom of the lake.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Matron got up and from where I was sitting she loomed like a tower. She blocked the sun that had nearly sunk behind the lake by now.
“You can’t keep behaving like this.”
You can’t keep behaving like this
, I thought.
We’ll just have to wait and see who can keep this up the longest.
“We’re not going to give up,” said Matron, seeming to read my thoughts. Though come to think of it, that might not have been all that hard just then. “Don’t you go thinking that, Tommy.”
“Kenny,” I said.
“Right, and then there’s all
that
silly childishness.”
She sat down again and the rays of sunlight hit me right in the eyes. Matron was like a shadow.
“You’re sowing disorder among the others, Tom-m-y.”
She drew out the name.
Tom-m-y
. That was what she was like. She wanted to show that she had all the power. Grown-up power.
That was the worst kind.
“Like on the swimming trip. You started fighting.”
“I wasn’t fighting,” I answered, “and I didn’t start it.”
“The other boy said you did.”
“It’s a lie.”
“You’re sitting there trying to tell me that other people are lying?”
“I wasn’t fighting,” I repeated.
“You went after that boy. Weine.”
I didn’t answer. It was pointless. It didn’t matter what I said. I looked at Matron’s thick arms. I didn’t want her to grab me again and twist my ear. Or do something worse.
“If this continues we’ll have to send you home, Tommy.”
She said my name normally now. Only it wasn’t my name.
“If this continues, then you’ll be sent away.”
“What? What do you mean?” I asked because I felt I had to. “If
what
continues?”
“What I’ve just been talking about! Your refusal to eat.And the fighting. And all this about accusing us of having stolen a bag of Twist!”
She looked out toward the lake. It seemed she didn’t want to look me in the eye. “I’ll have you know there are hundreds of children who would love to come out here for the summer.”
She looked like she was considering the simplest way to drown hundreds of kids.
”Hundreds,” she repeated.
She looked at me again.
“Do you hear me, Tommy?”
I nodded.
“If you don’t eat up the good food we give you tonight, we’ll have to send you home tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, right after breakfast,” said Matron. Then she smiled. “After the breakfast you don’t eat.”
Matron looked like she meant
“Stay out of this, Tommy.”
“Kenny,” I said.
Weine looked like he couldn’t make up his mind whether to go for me or Sausage. But Sausage had already started to crawl up toward the shore. The other idiot didn’t move.
“And you’re two against one,” I said, “and you’re each bigger than he is.”
Weine still didn’t move.
“You were really after me, weren’t you?” I took a few steps closer. “This is about me, isn’t it?”
“He was acting cocky,” said Weine. “That’s all. He was cocky and he needed to be taught a lesson.”
“I’ll teach
you
a lesson,” I said and took another step.
Weine’s flunky looked like he didn’t want to be there anymore.
“Tommy! Weine!”
The counselors’ shouts echoed high above the lake. You’d have thought Weine and I were on the other side. I caught sight of the sailboat. It must have rounded the headland just as I’d crossed over it. Maybe there was someone on the deck right now watching me through a set of binoculars.
“You get up here this minute!”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do with you, Tommy.”
Matron was sitting behind her writing desk. I had no idea why she even had one. Nobody had ever seen her write anything.
“You pick fights,” she continued, “and you won’t eat your food.”
At supper the oatmeal would be brought out again. It would be colder and the milk bluer or maybe even greener by now, like the bottom of the lake.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
Matron got up and from where I was sitting she loomed like a tower. She blocked the sun that had nearly sunk behind the lake by now.
“You can’t keep behaving like this.”
You can’t keep behaving like this
, I thought.
We’ll just have to wait and see who can keep this up the longest.
“We’re not going to give up,” said Matron, seeming to read my thoughts. Though come to think of it, that might not have been all that hard just then. “Don’t you go thinking that, Tommy.”
“Kenny,” I said.
“Right, and then there’s all
that
silly childishness.”
She sat down again and the rays of sunlight hit me right in the eyes. Matron was like a shadow.
“You’re sowing disorder among the others, Tom-m-y.”
She drew out the name.
Tom-m-y
. That was what she was like. She wanted to show that she had all the power. Grown-up power.
That was the worst kind.
“Like on the swimming trip. You started fighting.”
“I wasn’t fighting,” I answered, “and I didn’t start it.”
“The other boy said you did.”
“It’s a lie.”
“You’re sitting there trying to tell me that other people are lying?”
“I wasn’t fighting,” I repeated.
“You went after that boy. Weine.”
I didn’t answer. It was pointless. It didn’t matter what I said. I looked at Matron’s thick arms. I didn’t want her to grab me again and twist my ear. Or do something worse.
“If this continues we’ll have to send you home, Tommy.”
She said my name normally now. Only it wasn’t my name.
“If this continues, then you’ll be sent away.”
“What? What do you mean?” I asked because I felt I had to. “If
what
continues?”
“What I’ve just been talking about! Your refusal to eat.And the fighting. And all this about accusing us of having stolen a bag of Twist!”
She looked out toward the lake. It seemed she didn’t want to look me in the eye. “I’ll have you know there are hundreds of children who would love to come out here for the summer.”
She looked like she was considering the simplest way to drown hundreds of kids.
”Hundreds,” she repeated.
She looked at me again.
“Do you hear me, Tommy?”
I nodded.
“If you don’t eat up the good food we give you tonight, we’ll have to send you home tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow, right after breakfast,” said Matron. Then she smiled. “After the breakfast you don’t eat.”
Matron looked like she meant
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