Read Online Wilderness by Roddy Doyle - Free Book Online Page B

    There were four logs, in a square; seats around the
    fire.
    â€œLuxury,” said Tom.
    â€œMove over, lads,” said their mother.
    She got in between them. She pretended she was
    pushing them away.
    â€œWhat did you think?” she said.
    â€œBrilliant,” said Tom.
    â€œWhy can’t we have our own sleds?” said Johnny.
    â€œThey told you—” she started.
    â€œIt’s boring,” said Johnny.
    â€œBoring?” she said. “Boring?”
    She picked up a stick and shook it.
    â€œCome here till I give you boring.”
    Johnny ran, and she ran after him. He dived on to
    the snow. She sat on top of him.
    â€œIs it boring?” she said.
    â€œYeah.”
    She picked up a handful of snow. She put it to his
    nose.
    â€œIs it boring?” she said.
    Tom could hear Johnny laughing.
    â€œYeah,” said Johnny. “It’s very boring.”
    His mother’s back was blocking Tom’s view, but he
    thought she was shoving some of the snow down
    Johnny’s back.
    â€œIs it boring?” he heard her.
    â€œStop!”
    â€œIs it boring?”
    â€œNo!”
    He shouted so loud a small bird shot out of a bush
    beside him.
    Tom laughed.
    â€œSiberian jay,” said Aki. “This bird is the soul of a
    dead hunter.”
    â€œReally?” said Tom.
    â€œFor sure.”
    Tom heard his mother.
    â€œIs it exciting?”
    â€œYes!” Johnny yelled.
    â€œHow exciting?”
    â€œStop!”
    â€œ How exciting?”
    â€œThe best ever!”
    â€œGreat,” said his mother.
    She stood up. She hugged Johnny when he was
    standing up. Tom wanted to go over there now, to
    throw snow, and be chased and hugged.
    The man from Belgium was sitting now, near Tom.
    â€œYour mother,” he said.
    He pointed, and smiled.
    â€œIs a very attractive woman,” he said.
    Tom knew his face was turning red. He wanted to
    jump up and hit the man from Belgium. But his wife
    or girlfriend was sitting beside him, and she nodded
    too. She leaned out, so she could look properly at
    Tom.
    â€œShe is very nice,” she said. “The way she plays with your brother.”
    The man nodded. And that was fine. He just
    thought Tom’s mother was nice. And that was OK.
    Because she was.
    â€œTom?” he heard Aki.
    Tom looked. Aki was at the fire, kneeling beside it.
    â€œWill you help?” said Aki.
    â€œOK,” said Tom.
    Would he help? He went so quickly, he nearly
    tripped and dived into the fire. He landed right beside
    Aki. Aki was cutting a thin branch at the top, to make
    it split in two. He had tied three other thin branches
    together, using a strip of bark. They stood like a
    teepee, or the legs of a stool.
    â€œSee how I cut?” he said.
    â€œYeah,” said Tom.
    Aki handed the knife to Tom. It was like one of the
    knives in the showcase, and way bigger than the knife
    Tom had hidden in his pocket. Aki was holding it out
    for Tom. He wasn’t telling him to be careful or
    anything. Tom took the knife; he held the handle. It
    wasn’t as cold as he’d expected, probably because Aki
    had been holding it. It was quite heavy. He looked
    around. He hoped Johnny was watching, and his
    mother too.
    They were. They were looking at him. They were
    coming towards the fire. He pretended he hadn’t been
    looking at them. He turned, back to Aki.
    Aki was holding the stick he’d been splitting.
    â€œSee why I do this?” said Aki.
    â€œYeah,” said Tom.
    â€œWhy?” said Aki.
    â€œEh, not sure.”
    â€œCut it a bit more,” said Aki. “Then I show you.”
    â€œOK.”
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    It was Johnny.
    â€œHelping Aki,” said Tom.
    â€œHow?” said Johnny.
    â€œWe are making the coffee,” said Aki.
    Tom was careful with the knife. This was his
    chance; he wasn’t being treated like a baby. He cut a
    bigger