Read Online Special Delivery! by Sue Stauffacher - Free Book Online

can’t do this without hydrogen peroxide.”
    “Me-phi-tis me-phi-tis me-phi-tis.”
All Razi cared about was his new-sounding word.
    “What does that mean, Grandma?” Keisha had to almost shout to be heard over Razi’s noise. She knew it was a Latin name, one that helped people all over the world no matter what language they spoke identify an animal, but the words usually meant something.
    “In Latin it means ‘stink,’” Daddy said, coming up from the basement with the box that their new computer had arrived in. “Mom, how many times have I told you not to climb the stepladder in the basement? You could fall.”
    “That’s what my gentle yoga class is for,” Grandma said. “Look.” Grandma put her hands over her head and bent way backward. “I call this cat-diving-backward-into-pool,” she said. “I’ve got the body of a twenty-year-old. Razi, give me a hand here.”
    Razi was good at pushing Grandma back to her starting point. He stood on his tippy-toes and pushedon her shoulders until she was in her spaceship-heading-to-the-moon pose.
    Using his pocketknife, Daddy began to cut the flaps off the box. “I guess they named it
Stinky stinky
because when they spray, skunks smell so bad that’s all you can think about.”

    He walked over to Grandma’s ingredient box and looked at the contents. “Hmmm … vinegar, baking soda. Where’s the hydrogen peroxide?”
    “That’s the million-dollar question,” Grandma said. “I thought the Z-Team was coming over with it.”
    “If you call Mama on her cell,” Keisha said as she continued to color soft brown puppy ears, “she can pick some up at Perkins Drugstore by the vet clinic. Daddy, did you know she’s going to check up on the dog?”
    Before Mr. Carter had a chance to answer, Grandma said: “Who’s going to check up on Mrs. Sampson? That’s what I want to know.”
    Keisha made extra curls on her puppy’s ears. From what Mrs. Sampson had told them, the baby crow was doing just fine, but Keisha agreed that Mrs. Sampson could use some checking up on, too.
    “Her milk was sour,” she said. “I could smell it all the way in the dining room.”
    “You should have opened the refrigerator. Oooo-weee!” Grandma plugged her nose.
    “We can check on Mrs. Sampson when we check on the baby crow,” Daddy said. “If she’s as good a nurse as she says she is, that fledgling might be able to be released this afternoon.”
    “Then what will happen, Daddy?”
    “Then he’ll fly away and join the others. Or at least he’ll start.”
    “Listen, Mom. As long as we’re waiting for Fayola to see if she got a skunk, I’m going to walk over to the hardware store. I never got a chance to stop the other day, and I need some chicken wire.… Those ducklings are getting ready to fly the coop and they belong in the park, not on Horton Street.”
    “We’re the welcoming committee! For the skunk.” Zeke knocked on the door as he was opening it. He put the bottle of hydrogen peroxide on the counter.
    “About time, boys,” Daddy said. “All we have to do is get the pen ready. Keisha has a good feeling we caught one in the trap last night. Then we have to go check on that fledgling. Come on, Razi, Keisha.…” Daddy led the way back outside, holding the box in front of him. “Let’s get this pen set up before I take off.”
    “I’m coming!” Razi dropped his crayons on the floor and ran after Daddy. Keisha scooped them up and followed Daddy and the boys into the garage.
    “I hate to use one of our crates because you can’t get the smell out if the skunk sprays. So, Razi, you get started with the pumpkin cutter and saw a door hole in this box. I’ll run over to the hardware store and be right back.”
    Keisha kissed Daddy as Razi sat down on the floor and started sawing away.
    Zeke bent over Razi. “I think that hole is too small for a skunk.”
    “Give it to me,” Zack said. “I can make it bigger.” Zack loved to show off how strong he was.