Banana Man (a Novella) Read Online Free PDF

smell his clothes over the burning fire. That was how his clothes always smelled.
     
    His dad sat down near the fireplace, slow and careful, exhausted from a long day of work. He rubbed his calloused hands in front of the flames. “I got to work ten hours today.” He opened the fireplace grill and poked at the fire with a metal rod. “Pine is almost burned through.” He lifted a heavy piece of oak and fed it into the fire. The oak crushed down on the pine, and the fire spit sparks and embers. He swung the grill shut, leaned the poker against the brick, and gazed into the flames. His shoulders slumped a little, and for a moment Danny saw sadness in his eyes.
     
    Danny couldn’t contain himself any longer and blurted out, “I need to borrow money. You can take it out of my allowance. I know it’s not Friday but I want to get Banana Man. It came out today and the guys will be out of detention soon and there’s only one copy left.” He was talking fast but he couldn’t help it. He always talked fast when he was nervous or he wanted something. “Mr. Cleary only buys three copies. I need a dollar dad. Can I have a dollar?” He forgot to mention that Mr. Cleary promised to keep the last copy aside. There really wasn’t a rush, but Danny wanted to buy the comic as soon as possible.
     
    His dad laughed. “Banana Man? What kind of super hero is that?”
     
    “Please dad?”
     
    “Tell you what. I’m going to get out of these clothes and take a shower. You ride your bike over to the post office and get the mail. When you get back, I’ll give you a buck for your comic. I won’t take it out of your allowance.”
     
    “That’s not fair. Billy and Tommy’s mom already bought theirs. Chris is going to beat me to Cleary’s and get the last one. I know it. Let me buy it first and then I’ll get the mail.”
     
    But his dad had already left the room. He yelled from down the hallway, “Take your backpack. I haven’t checked the mail for a week and there’s going to be a lot. And don’t get it wet.”
     
    For as long as Danny could remember, his dad always had the mail delivered to the post office instead of the house. Privacy was important to him. He told Danny on more than one occasion he didn’t like strangers knocking on their front door, and that included the mailman.
     
    Danny checked his watch: 3:30.
     
    His friends would get out of detention at four. That gave him thirty minutes to get to the post office and back home and over to Cleary’s Market. Although Farmer Cleary promised to hold the comic for him, he didn’t entirely trust that old man, not when it came to earning a dollar.
     
    If Chris’s mom picked him up from detention at four o’clock sharp and drove him straight to the store, he would get there by four-fifteen at the latest. There was no way Danny would make it to Cleary’s in time if he took the long way to the post office. He would have to take the shortcut through Tucker Street Alley.
     
    Danny put on his wet sneakers. He dumped the contents of his backpack onto the kitchen table, and then slung it over his shoulders and strapped it down. He grabbed the mailbox key from the hook on the kitchen wall and left the house.

 
     
     
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    Tucker Street Alley
     
    Tucker Street Alley was in a bad neighborhood.
     
    Danny’s dad warned him not to ride his bike anywhere near Tucker Street and definitely not to walk through it. His buddies received similar caution from their parents, and for the most part, Danny and his pals avoided the entire block. But it wasn’t their warnings that kept the young boys away. It was the dog.
     
    The most notable part of the alley was Charlie the dog. It was his alley. Some of the kids at school learned the truth of that fact the hard way by trekking through his domain and getting chased and sometimes bitten. The smart kids respected the rumors. They steered clear.
     
    Supposedly Charlie piled his victim’s shoes in the bushes