Sing Fox to Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

oily-looking hair behind his ear.
    â€˜So, Dad,’ said David, and Jonah was struck by how strange it was for his dad to have a father of his own. ‘The boys are really excited to be here. Aren’t you, boys?’
    Clancy glanced over at him. ‘Are they?’
    Jonah gazed down at his feet.
    A thump sounded under the table. Samson laughed. ‘No licking.’
    Clancy whacked the tabletop with his fist, and both Samson and the dog fell silent.
    The pause felt awkward to Jonah, but David smiled. ‘You’re looking good, Dad,’ he said.
    â€˜I look like shit warmed up.’
    â€˜Um-ah,’ said Samson quietly. They weren’t allowed to swear at home.
    â€˜Alice sends her love. Doesn’t she, boys?’
    Clancy snorted.
    â€˜I said no licking ,’ said Samson.
    David popped his head under the table. ‘That’s enough.’ His voice was a pot of water about to boil over. ‘Get out from there now.’
    Samson came out, dragging his bum like a dog with worms.
    â€˜Why don’t you tell your granddad about our drive?’ David prompted.
    Samson flapped his hands. Jonah had refused to learn sign language, and Clancy didn’t seem to understand either.
    â€˜Not like that,’ said their dad, and he looked at Clancy even though the comment was meant for Samson. ‘With your words.’
    â€˜The drive was okay.’ Samson spoke as if everyone but him was stupid.
    â€˜Is he deaf?’ asked Clancy.
    Samson shook his head. ‘I have Down’s Syndrome.’
    David cleared his throat. ‘Why don’t you boys go find your new rooms?’
    Finally, Jonah’s first real bedroom. No partitions or room divides or bunk beds. No shared drawers or wardrobes. He would finally have some privacy. He and Samson had always shared everything. They’d shared a crib when they were babies and a bedroom when they got older. The house in Queensland had three bedrooms, but their dad needed an office. Jonah and Samson were given the big third room, and their mum divided it down the middle with an accordion partition. ‘King Solomon’s bedroom,’ said their dad sometimes, as a joke.
    â€˜Hang about,’ interrupted Clancy. ‘There’s only one room.’
    â€˜Where will dad sleep?’ asked Samson, but everyone ignored him.
    â€˜I thought you had two spare bedrooms,’ said Jonah.
    â€˜I told you there might only be one,’ said David, and he put his hand on Jonah’s shoulder.
    â€˜One’s closed up,’ said Clancy. ‘They can’t sleep in there.’
    David nodded as though he knew something Jonah didn’t. ‘Boys, go get your bags and bring them in. You can have my old room. Won’t that be fun?’
    Jonah shrugged his dad’s hand away. ‘So we do have to share,’ he snapped. ‘Even though you promised .’
    â€˜I didn’t promise. I said it might not be possible.’
    Clancy pointed down the hall. ‘It’s the first on the right.’
    Jonah stood up from the table too quick and sent his chair scooting backwards. The red dog snarled near his feet. Jonah pulled away, almost tripping. He didn’t like dogs, not even nice ones.
    David laughed. ‘He’s never normally clumsy.’
    Jonah steadied himself against the wall. His fingers tingled as if they were passing through sunlight. He took a step back and looked at the wall over the table. A dark amber stain reminded Jonah of the shadows he would often see on the beach in Queensland. Huge pelicans that seemed almost too heavy to fly would pass over him one by one, casting long dark shapes. Jonah turned his head sideways and stared up at the skylight. There were no birds flying over Clancy’s house.
    Jonah looked at his dad and granddad, wondering if they could explain.
    â€˜What’s that from?’ asked Samson, pointing to the shadow.
    â€˜Nothing,’ said Clancy.
    Jonah