Papa Georgio Read Online Free PDF

brothers and going to an all girls’ school, I wasn’t used to boys. And since Dad had been stolen by the Mountain–God I couldn’t seem to find the right things to say to people any more. In those seconds when he wasn’t facing us I took a look at him. He was tall, thin and strong looking, not at all like his Dad who was bacon pink and doughnut fat. And he was a bit hippy-ish, with that long hair down to his collar. He was dressed in sludgy green jeans, a pair of Green Flash plimsolls which were so old they were brown instead of white and a baggy jumper of rainbow stripes. There was something defiant about the way he was standing, as if he had to protect himself, his legs braced, hands resting on his lower back so that his elbows stuck out. And he kept looking away, away, as if trying to see something out of the window. Everything about the way he stood seemed to say you can’t make me …
    The man put his tray down on one of the little tables which were fixed to the floor.
    ‘Nice to see you again!’ he boomed, reaching for Grandpa’s hand. ‘I’m Archie Chubb. This is Maggie, my wife, and little Clarey.’ He tickled the baby’s cheek and she squirmed. Maggie’s long, severe face broke into a smile showing big, uneven teeth, and which suddenly made her pretty.
    ‘And this is our lad, Fizz.’
    Fizz came forward then. Neither of us could get out of it. My heart was thumping with nerves. Were we going to get stuck with each other? What would we say? And then he turned to face me, pushing his hair back with one hand. And what a face. A strong-featured, quite-long nosed, greeny-brown-eyed interesting face. His eyebrows were thin arcs, raised now as if he was trying to look casual but friendly at once. And there was a moment, when he looked at me and I looked back, that I saw something in his eyes before he quickly glanced away again and I knew: he’s scared too … Maybe even more scared than me. And it drew me to him. What was he scared of? Me? How crazy was that?
    But as Grandpa said my name, Fizz looked directly at me again as if to say, come on, let’s see how it is then and reached out his hand. I’d never shaken hands with someone my own age before. But I took it and for a second Fizz’s hand was in mine, surprisingly warm and reassuring, like bread fresh from the oven. My cheeks went red which was really annoying.
    ‘’Ello,’ he said quietly. I could see he was wary, but underneath, basically friendly. Maybe I looked wary too. It was how I felt.
    ‘Hello.’ I smiled. And things were all right suddenly, because Fizz smiled back and he didn’t seem aloof any more, just relieved.
    ‘Come and join us,’ Archie said, waving his hand at the table. ‘I’ve got enough for everyone.’
    I wondered who else exactly they’d been expecting, because on the tray were three bottles of fizzy orange and five cups of coffee. Maggie Chubb sat down with Clarey on her lap and every move she made set off tinkling noises from her long earrings and the coloured bangles up her arms.
    ‘But my wife…’ Grandpa said helplessly.
    ‘Bring her over as well,’ Maggie’s voice was deep and later Grandpa told me her accent was Irish. ‘She sounds as if she gargles with nails,’ he said.
    But Grandpa decided to leave Brenda where she was. ‘I expect she’ll be grateful for a few moments more peace and quiet.’
    ‘Nice if you can get it,’ Maggie chuckled. She lit a cigarette and blew smoke from her nostrils, over the baby’s head.
    Fizz and I drank bottles of pop, listening to the talk. I glanced at him now and then because I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t friendly. Just once he looked back and I thought he almost smiled. As soon as we’d finished our orangeade, Archie said, ‘Here you go – here’s another one. Polish that off between you. And you’ll need a bite to eat….’ From his pocket he produced several bars of chocolate. I found myself grinning. It was like meeting Father