Broken Things Read Online Free PDF

head in. “It’s fine,” he assured her, “He’s
got everything he needs. He’s got plenty of food, water, toys, clothes. He’s
going to have a great time.”
    “I don’t know,” she said, and then stopped, the words
catching in her throat.
      “Stop,” he said, “Are you having second thoughts?”
    She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With resolve she
opened them and shook her head. “No.”
    “Do you want to say goodbye?”
    “No. I don’t think I can.”
    He nodded, glancing at the river. “I agree. Come on, we’d
better go.”
    He extended his hand, and she let him help her from the
tent. The day seemed to heat up faster now as the afternoon went by. David
returned to the car but didn’t get in, instead watching as his wife walked over
to the table and pulled out a sandwich and soda, then arranged chips in a neat
stack off to the side. She then wrapped it securely with plastic wrap, shooing
the flies away.
    She stood there for a minute surveying the camp, wiping the
crumbs from her hands on her jeans. “Well,” she said, “I guess that’s it.”
    “That’s it,” he repeated, “Everything’s set.”
    “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?”
    “He’s thrilled,” he replied, “It’s been all he’s talked
about since his accident. We’ve prepared him as best we can. He’s going to be
okay. If we leave now we can be home in time for supper. I’ll take you out, if
you want.”
    She nodded and forced a smile. “I’d like that.”
     
    9
     
    Over by the river Josh blissfully threw rocks into the
water. He’d managed a few skips but nothing spectacular. He’d seen his father
skip a stone half way across a park lake once, each skip becoming smaller and
smaller until too rapid to count, the stone seeming to glide along the
surface. 
    On the other side of the water the trees and brush grew
thick, and he expected that it was probably full of snakes. He would have to
cross later to explore and find out. He hadn’t seen many snakes, once in a zoo,
and another time one in the garden behind his home. That one had been
little. 
    He’d been away from his parents for a while now. It felt a
little peculiar to play by the river for so long without his mother checking on
him every five minutes. Being twelve, he was big enough to do just about
anything he wanted, but she still saw him as a little kid. But he’d never been
little, always twelve. He’d been built to be this age, and that could never
change. That didn’t seem to matter to her though. If she wasn’t checking on him
then maybe he needed to check on her. It would do her good to know that he was
okay.
    Josh hopped up from the bank of the river and made his way
back to the camp. Miraculously everything looked complete as though it had sprung
whole from the ground. When they’d arrived there had only been nature, and now
it looked as though a piece of civilization had moved in. Food waited for him
on the table, even though the sandwich still had the crust on it. He’d make his
mother cut it off before he’d eat it, but she’d gotten him the right chips at
least.
    His parents sat in the car, window rolled down. His mother
looked upset, shaking her head and crying. He could hear her but not what she
said. His father consoled her, his voice sounding a bit impatient. She probably
wanted to go home. Dad would settle it though. They were all set up. No way
would they leave.
     For a moment he let himself get distracted, ripping off
the plastic wrap and throwing it in the general direction of the fire pit. He
scarfed the chips and looked around for more. He found the rest tucked away in
a grocery bag. He pulled out a handful and shoved them into his mouth. The
campsite looked great and even had a fire pit. Maybe they’ll let me roast
marshmallows before dinner , he thought. That wasn’t very likely though.
Parents always expected you to eat what they wanted you to first, getting you
too full to eat the good stuff. Maybe