Read Online Saturday Boy by David Fleming - Free Book Online Page A

They also don’t call them guns. They call them rifles. So from now on I will too.
    What else can I tell you?
    It’s very hot here. There’s a lot of sand and a lot, LOT of fire ants. Whenever anyone drops a tray in the mess hall (dining room) everyone yells AIRBORNE! It really startled me the first time it happened.
    I miss you and Mom very, very much and I think about you all the time. I have to go now, it’s almost lights out (bedtime). I’ll write every chance I get and you write me, OK?
    I LOVE YOU,
    Pvt. Dad
    I read it again and when I’d finished, it felt like there was something stuck in my throat. I swallowed but it wouldn’t go away. I put the letter back in the envelope and the envelope back in the lunch box. Then I picked up the rest of the letters one by one and put them away, too, closing the lid and putting the lunch box back under the bed when I was done. Then I just sat on the floor feeling weird and hollow—almost like I wasn’t even there.
    I got my chair from under the doorknob and took it to my desk where I got out some paper and a pencil.
    Dear Dad,
    Hi, how are you? I am fine. School was good today. Can you come home now? That way you would be here for Christmas and you could see me in the play. Mom really misses you and the foldout couch hurts Ant Josie’s back. I’ll get some tools and fix it. Maybe that will make her less cranky. Do you remember Ms. Dickson? She remembers you.
    I remember you too.
    Love,
    DEREK
    I got an envelope from the drawer and folded up the letter and put it in. Then I sealed it with Scotch tape because I hated licking the glue. I carefully wrote the address on the front and then used my special ink pad and stamp that said “Master Derek Lamb” on it for the return address because it looked more official and Dad would know I wasn’t fooling around.
    A knock at the door made me jump.
    â€œDerek?”
    It was Aunt Josie. I didn’t say anything because I was still kinda mad. She knocked again only this time it was louder. I still didn’t say anything. It didn’t feel right not answering her, though. It felt rude and a little bit mean.
    â€œDerek, sweetie? I’m sorry I barked at you.”
    â€œYou didn’t bark at me.”
    â€œYes, I did and I’m sorry.”
    â€œThat’s okay.”
    â€œNo, it’s not.”
    â€œUm . . . thank you for saying sorry?”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” she said.
    It was quiet for a minute after that. I could picture her in the hallway with one hand on the door, thinking of what to say next.
    â€œDerek?”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œCan I come in?”
    I got up from my chair and went to the door and opened it. Aunt Josie came in and bent down and gave me a hug. She squeezed me tight and her hair tickled my nose. It was blonde this time. So blonde it was almost white.
    â€œYou’re my boo and I want you to know that I’ll be here for you no matter what.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Aunt Josie put her hands on my shoulders, looked me right in the eyes, and brushed the hair out of my face with her fingers. Her face was serious.
    â€œHonestly,” she said. “No. Matter. What.”
    â€œRight. Gotcha.”
    I nodded, hoping she’d let me go because I could smell garlic bread and garlic bread meant spaghetti and spaghetti was just about my favorite food in the whole universe. My stomach growled.
    â€œWhat was that?”
    â€œMy stomach,” I said.
    â€œ
That
was your
stomach
?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œYou’re not hiding a lion under your bed?”
    â€œIt was my stomach.”
    â€œThen we’d better put some food in it before it escapes and eats us all.”
    I pictured my stomach bursting out of my body. It was all pink and red and slimy and had little arms and legs and a big mouth full of fangs. I imagined it chasing Budgie down the street, snapping at his ankles and growling