Someday Angeline Read Online Free PDF Page B

behind her back. Her fair face stared nobly into the pink sky. “Alas,” she thought, “’tis better to die with honor, than to live a life of shame.”
    Tears rolled out of Angeline’s eyes. She wiped her nose on her sleeve. She perked up, though, as she heard her father open the door.
    “Don’t hug me until I take a shower,” he said.
    “Will you take me to the beach sometime?” she asked him.
    “No,” he said flatly. “No, I can’t.”
    “What about Mitchell Beach? It’s real close. Gary’s family goes all the time.”
    “I said no,” her father sternly repeated in a voice that told her she’d better not ask again.
    She didn’t say anything, but turned her back on him, demonstrating that she didn’t think it was fair.
    He walked into the bathroom and showered. He felt bad for having been so harsh with her, especially since he had decided that he would try and talk with her, just like Gus.
    He put on his pajamas and robe and walked out into the living room. She was on the couch, reading. He sat down next to her. She looked up at him coldly, still mad that he wouldn’t take her to the beach without even giving an explanation.
    He tried to think of a way to begin. “So,” he said, “what’s new?”
    “Oh!” she exclaimed, remembering Gary’s joke. “An animal at the zoo!” She burst out laughing, and forgot all about being angry.
    “Okay, fine,” said Abel, even though he had no idea what she was talking about. He wanted to show her that he could talk and laugh with her, too, just like Gus. “How was school today?” he asked.
    Angeline smiled as she remembered the good time she had had that day. It was one of the few days she had ever enjoyed school. “Mr. Bone let me feed her fish,” she said gleefully.
    “Okay, fine,” said Abel. He wondered how such a simple sentence could be so confusing. He thought awhile before saying another word, thenasked, “Who is Mr. Bone?”
    “She’s a wonderful teacher,” said Angeline, happy to tell her father all about her. “She’s got two fish tanks and yesterday she gave me a fish shaped like a cookie.” She laughed. “I mean a cookie shaped like a fish, which I ate.”
    “Okay, fine,” said Abel. They were talking, but it was like they were speaking two different languages. He wondered if she was trying to confuse him on purpose because he wouldn’t take her to the beach. More likely, he figured, she was just too smart for him. However, he didn’t want to let on, so he did his best to keep up with the conversation.
    “I thought you didn’t like your teacher,” he said.
    “I don’t,” said Angeline. “I hate Mrs. Hardlick. She’s my teacher. Mr. Bone is Gary’s teacher. She’s wonderful.”
    He stared at her in awe. “Is Mr. Bone a woman?” he asked.
    Angeline nodded. “She’s real nice.”
    “And her name’s
Mister
Bone?” Abel asked.
    “Yes,” Angeline told him. She knew it didn’t make any sense.
    “Okay, fine,” said Abel. “I understand.”
    “You do?” questioned Angeline.
    “Sure,” he said. He didn’t want her to know that he didn’t understand, but what he didn’t realize was that she didn’t understand either, so that if he had just told her he didn’t understand, she would have understood, but when he told her he understood, then she didn’t understand.
    “Explain it to me,” she said.
    He couldn’t believe it. “What’s this?” he wondered. “Now she’s giving me a test!” “Explain what?”
    “If she’s a woman, why is her name Mr. Bone?” Angeline asked.
    “I don’t know!” he shouted in frustration. “You’re the one who said it! Not me! She’s a lady. Her name is Mr. Bone. And she teaches a school of fish. She feeds them cookies shaped like Gary.”
    She laughed. Angeline liked it when her father told her jokes.
    Abel was too upset to notice he had made her laugh. “Okay, fine,” he said again, starting all over. “What else happened in school?”
    “Guess what?” she