Read Online The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Paterson
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town like the one where they had all the fast-food places. Little towns wouldnât have supermarkets that stayed open all night. Angel ought to get some sleep. It would be an hour or so before Verna could get back. No reason to just lie here and worry.
She didnât bring any clothes.
Of course Verna had brought clothes. They were just in another suitcase, not mixed up with Bernieâs. Why would she pack her things with Bernieâs? Sheâd want to keep them neat andâWell, Angel hadnât actually seen another suitcase, but that didnât mean there wasnât one. Thereâd been plenty of time for Verna to pack one and put it in the back of the pickup when Angel was busy packing or seeing to Bernie.
How come she left the pots and pans behind? How come she didnât bring the almost-new TV?
Angel flung herself over and yanked the quilt up to her neck. Even though it was summer and the room was hot, she felt cold. It was one thing to leave your kids in an all-night diner by mistake. It was something else to leave them in the country on purpose. That would be too much like Hansel and Gretel.
Sheâs gone back to pack everything up and clear out of the apartment. She couldnât do that with Bernie hanging on to her and whining. Thatâs what it was. Why, sheâll be back by nighttime tomorrow
;
or by the next day at the very latest.
Yeah, and what was that about âone week at the mostâ?
Okay, maybe a week. It takes a while to really move out of a place youâve been in for nearly a year.
Angel turned to the other side. It was no use. She wouldnât be able to sleep. Well, at least Bernie was still asleep. He didnât know Mama was gone. Oh Lord, what would happen when he found out? She wouldnât tell him. When he woke up tomorrow, sheâd just say that Verna had to go to Burlington to clean out the apartment and that sheâd be back soon. Meanwhile, she wanted them to be good and help their great-grandma.
Maybe they should just call the old lady Grandma. She was really Wayneâs grandma, not hers and Bernieâs, but Great-grandma took so long to say and sounded funny anyhow. Bernie seemed to like herâwell, as much as Bernie liked any stranger. At least he wasnât scared of her. Angel had thought at first he might be. Good thing sheâd remembered in time and hadnât told him the rest of the story of Hansel and Gretel. She wished she hadnât remembered it herself. This house wasnât made of gingerbread, that was for sure. Somehow she had to persuade Grandma to buy something besides canned peaches and pork and beans. She didnât seem to care a mosquito bite about proper nutrition, and since Bernie wasnât going to eat the beans, heâd only be eating one of the five major food groups. A little boy was likely to get sickly and die eating only canned peaches.
Shoot, Verna would be back long before that. Sheâd come with huge grocery bags full of good, nutritious things to eat.
Youâre nothing but a worrywart, Angel
Thatâs what Verna always said, and Angel did worry too much. She knew that. But she couldnât help it.
Maybe she should check Vernaâs bed. How could she be sure that was Vernaâs pickup sheâd heard, anyway? It might belong to the guy she and Bernie had seen in the yard. Grandma must have known who he was. She wasnât worried a bit about someone prowling around. That was it. The truck she heard belonged to Grandmaâs Santy Claus. What was the matter with the old woman that she couldnât just say right out who it was? You had to admit she was a little weirdânot scary weird, but old-lady weird.
Angel turned over in bed again. She really couldnât sleep. Maybe she should check Vernaâs bed and, if it was empty, go downstairs just to make sure Verna wasnât down there or outside smoking a cigarette or something. It was stupid to get all upset over
She didnât bring any clothes.
Of course Verna had brought clothes. They were just in another suitcase, not mixed up with Bernieâs. Why would she pack her things with Bernieâs? Sheâd want to keep them neat andâWell, Angel hadnât actually seen another suitcase, but that didnât mean there wasnât one. Thereâd been plenty of time for Verna to pack one and put it in the back of the pickup when Angel was busy packing or seeing to Bernie.
How come she left the pots and pans behind? How come she didnât bring the almost-new TV?
Angel flung herself over and yanked the quilt up to her neck. Even though it was summer and the room was hot, she felt cold. It was one thing to leave your kids in an all-night diner by mistake. It was something else to leave them in the country on purpose. That would be too much like Hansel and Gretel.
Sheâs gone back to pack everything up and clear out of the apartment. She couldnât do that with Bernie hanging on to her and whining. Thatâs what it was. Why, sheâll be back by nighttime tomorrow
;
or by the next day at the very latest.
Yeah, and what was that about âone week at the mostâ?
Okay, maybe a week. It takes a while to really move out of a place youâve been in for nearly a year.
Angel turned to the other side. It was no use. She wouldnât be able to sleep. Well, at least Bernie was still asleep. He didnât know Mama was gone. Oh Lord, what would happen when he found out? She wouldnât tell him. When he woke up tomorrow, sheâd just say that Verna had to go to Burlington to clean out the apartment and that sheâd be back soon. Meanwhile, she wanted them to be good and help their great-grandma.
Maybe they should just call the old lady Grandma. She was really Wayneâs grandma, not hers and Bernieâs, but Great-grandma took so long to say and sounded funny anyhow. Bernie seemed to like herâwell, as much as Bernie liked any stranger. At least he wasnât scared of her. Angel had thought at first he might be. Good thing sheâd remembered in time and hadnât told him the rest of the story of Hansel and Gretel. She wished she hadnât remembered it herself. This house wasnât made of gingerbread, that was for sure. Somehow she had to persuade Grandma to buy something besides canned peaches and pork and beans. She didnât seem to care a mosquito bite about proper nutrition, and since Bernie wasnât going to eat the beans, heâd only be eating one of the five major food groups. A little boy was likely to get sickly and die eating only canned peaches.
Shoot, Verna would be back long before that. Sheâd come with huge grocery bags full of good, nutritious things to eat.
Youâre nothing but a worrywart, Angel
Thatâs what Verna always said, and Angel did worry too much. She knew that. But she couldnât help it.
Maybe she should check Vernaâs bed. How could she be sure that was Vernaâs pickup sheâd heard, anyway? It might belong to the guy she and Bernie had seen in the yard. Grandma must have known who he was. She wasnât worried a bit about someone prowling around. That was it. The truck she heard belonged to Grandmaâs Santy Claus. What was the matter with the old woman that she couldnât just say right out who it was? You had to admit she was a little weirdânot scary weird, but old-lady weird.
Angel turned over in bed again. She really couldnât sleep. Maybe she should check Vernaâs bed and, if it was empty, go downstairs just to make sure Verna wasnât down there or outside smoking a cigarette or something. It was stupid to get all upset over
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