Skinny-Dipping at Monster Lake Read Online Free PDF Page B

wasn’t that bad, was it?”
    Dad walked beside me, carrying the empty ice-cream freezer. A few steps ahead of us, Mom led the way down the road. She glanced over her shoulder.
    â€œDidn’t I tell you she was nice?” Mom smiled. “When you’re afraid of something, it’s usually because you don’t know enough about it. Like me. I used to be afraid of snakes. My fourth-grade teacher had a boa constrictor. I studied and learned everything I could about snakes, and by the end of the year I could hold the thing. People are a lot the same way. Sometimes we don’t like someone simply because we don’t know them. I knew that if yougot to know Mrs. Baum, you’d just love her.”
    I got to know Mrs. Baum, all right. I knew her a whole bunch better than I ever wanted to. I knew she was seventy-eight years old. I knew her husband was named Jeb. He used to be a miner. I knew he worked in mines all up and down the West Coast. I also knew that he had a stroke eight years ago, and they had to put him in the nursing home. I knew that it was really expensive to keep someone in a nursing home. And I knew she made good oatmeal cookies.
    There were some other things I knew, too.
    Only they weren’t things I could mention to Mom and Dad. I knew that probably the only reason she was nice to me was because they were along. I bet if they hadn’t been there, she’d have run me off with a broom or something.
    And I knew she lied.
    Mom had asked her why she didn’t want people on her front pasture. The wrinkled old woman hesitated a moment, then kind of stammered when she started to explain.
    â€œWell . . . my . . . ah . . . my husband and I spent some time looking for the jar of silver dollars my father buried.” The way her eyes jumped around, and the way she wouldn’t look us in the face—I could tell she wasn’t being honest. “We also havelots of gophers. I’m sure you’ve noticed the mounds. Whenever we dug into a gopher run, Jeb would cover the hole with a piece of wood. Then instead of having to dig a new hole to put gopher poison in, all he had to do was lift the wood. A lot of the boards got covered with dirt and grass. I wouldn’t want one of the horses to break a leg.”
    Mom thought it made sense. As far as I was concerned, Mrs. Baum just made it up—she was hiding something.
    While I waited for Mom to open the front door, I patted my tummy. Still, I thought to myself, she sure makes good oatmeal cookies.
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    I felt like I’d just gotten to sleep when . . . WHOOOP!
    Something clunked me on the head. My eyes flashed wide. The breath caught in my throat. Waving my arms to fend off whatever it was that attacked me, I sat straight up in bed and swung my legs over the side.
    â€œWhat . . . who . . .” I stammered.
    â€œGet up, you lazy nerd. We got to go shoot shad and cut bank poles.”
    â€œWho hit me? What’s . . . what’s going on?”
    Ted stood beside my bed. Grinning like some kind of idiot, he held my pillow in both hands. Hedrew it back over his shoulder like he was getting ready to swing at me again.
    I waved him off with my hands. Blinking a couple of times, I glanced at the window. A pale glow came through my blinds. It was morning, but the sun was barely up. “What are you doing in my room? I haven’t even talked to my folks yet. Give me a second to wake up.”
    Ted tossed the pillow at me. I knocked it away. He laughed.
    â€œCome on, sleepyhead. I’ve already asked them. They said okay. Get up. Get your clothes on. We got places to go. People to see. Things to do.”
    â€œWhat people?” I yawned.
    â€œIt’s just an expression. Now get out of bed. Let’s go.” He headed for the door. “Oh, be sure and bring your bow,” he called over his