Renewal Read Online Free PDF Page B

far as the seats would go. At least my mom was. My dad was still tuning the old chrome knobs on the two radios to pick up as much news as possible. The back of the wagon was packed to the ceiling, which made me think for a moment that Tommy and me were going to be left here, traded for goats or something, but then I saw that the back seat was clear now, so the plan was probably to pack us all into the back seat. Dodged a bullet there, I guess.
     
    My dad must have seen us moving around. I saw him turn his face to us, and the look on his face, red eyes, dark circles, and something else in his eyes, was a sight I could never forget. Then it changed back to his dad face. He reached down, cranked the window a few turns and quietly said, “Mornin’ boys. Sleep alright?”
     
    Kirk replied, “Yes, Dad. Don’t you and mom have a tent?”
     
    “Yes, son. We’ve got one, but right now, the important thing is to figure out what’s going on, and to keep an eye on you guys.”
     
    “Oh, ok…” Kirk looked around, trying to decide what to do next.
     
    Dad got out of the car, trying not to wake up Mom, but as soon as the door latch clicked she looked over at us too.
     
    Dad gave her a sheepish look. “Sorry, hon. I was trying to be quiet.”
     
    “I know, but who can sleep in a car anyway?”
     
    “Good point. Maybe we’ll do better tonight.”
     
    They were both out now, and stretching some obvious kinks out of their backs. Lucy crawled out of the tent, looking like sleeping on the ground was her least favorite activity ever invented. It still is, far as I know.
     
    “Beth, could you take Lucy up to the school? The boys and I will guard the car until you get back. Lucy, don’t forget your flashlight and knife,” Dad said with a stern look. Lucy rolled her eyes and climbed back into the tent. We had enough time to see that Mom and Dad were both wearing a couple of new pouches on their belts. It wasn’t a do-as-I-say thing, then. Lucy came out again with a light in one hand and a folded knife in the other and made a dramatic show of stuffing them both into her blue jean pockets. She and Mom started winding their way up to the building in the faintly drifting morning mist.
     
    As soon as they were gone, Dad said, “Ok boys, we’ve got a job to do. Anyone need to go number two?” Bathroom talk was way off our normal list of topics, so I doubt we would have admitted it even if we did, but we both shook our heads and hoped that Tommy would agree. Dad pulled a big pair of pliers out of the toolbox he kept in the car, and walked to the post on the very corner of the fence. He looked around, told us to stand behind him, then squatted down and started cutting the chain links of the back fence wire as close to the post as he could. Kirk and I looked at each other. Dad kept cutting until he was about four feet off the ground. Then he pulled some come coat hanger wire out of the toolbox, and bent it to make a clip. He tried the clip on the bottom of the fence he had just cut, and then made a few adjustments. When he was happy with his results, he pulled the clip off again, and held the wire open for us.
     
    “Let’s go, boys.”
     
    We ducked through the opening and into the heavy brush on the other side. Dad took his belt knife and cut some of the brush in a way that we didn’t understand, but when he was done, it still looked like impenetrable brush, but we could walk through to a tiny clearing about ten feet from the fence. Looking back, we could barely see the schoolyard, and Dad seemed satisfied.
     
    “Ok, guys. This looks like a good spot.” He faced away from us, and started to urinate on a convenient bush. We looked at each other again, trying to understand this latest bonding ritual, and followed suit. After we were all zipped up, he led us back through the fence, clipped the bottom of the wire so that it looked more or less normal, and walked back out to the small open space behind our car.
     
    “Good