Spider Lake Read Online Free PDF Page A

nine out of ten doctors recommend a healthy breakfast at the start of your day.”
    He thought, “Where in the heck does she come up with this stuff?”   He knew the answer. Ever since the new broadcast antenna was put up in Campbell’s field, (the old one having been directly in the path of an unfortunate plane), and the TV reception was back, his mother had turned into a walking talking television advertisement.
    Ben had to think fast. Should he make a clean break of it and sprint through the clearing, or should he take his chances at the kitchen table? It was always easier to bolt when his father was away on business because his mom was more flexible, even gullible. He knew that he could charm her into not being mad at him, but he had been bolting a lot more than usual lately and he didn’t want to over-play his hand.
    He let go of the screen door. It snapped back loudly into its jamb with the tension of the spring. He was caught and he knew it. He turned around and headed back to the kitchen.
    It was the beginning of summer, but the early mornings were still cool. The warmth of the kitchen and the smell of the bacon and eggs drew him in like a hypnotic charm. Heck, he even liked the smell of the coffee, but he would never drink the awful stuff.
    “Morning Mom.” He walked up and gave her a hug. He would never ever hug her in public, not since he had turned eleven, but he thought it would still be okay if nobody was watching. There was a place for him already set at the stainless steel table. He sat down and as he did, the big Labrador retriever put his head in Ben’s Lap. Bo always got scraps when Ben was full or when he was not that enthusiastic about what his mom had prepared. He snuck Bo a piece of rye toast.
    “Don’t feed the dog below the table Ben.”
    “How did she see that?” he thought to himself. “She had her back to me!”
    “When is Dad coming home?”
    “He should be home by Wednesday. How about a glass of milk?”
    “Can I have orange juice?”
    She poured him a generous glass of juice and set it before him. She sat down at the table with her bowl of oatmeal. Ben’s mom must have owned stock in the oatmeal company, or maybe she had once gone steady with the Quaker Oats man. She ate oatmeal every morning. He couldn’t understand why she would prefer that mush over bacon and eggs.
    “Ben, what are your plans today?”
    “Uh-oh here it comes.” he thought, “Here’s the part when she asks me to do something.”
    Saturday was Ben’s only real day off. The summer rentals would be driving up in their fully loaded station wagons later that afternoon and evening; and during the week he would be busy getting their boats ready, seining their minnows, trapping their leeches, collecting their night-crawlers, and chopping their ice from blocks in the walk-in cooler. Once they were out in their boats things would quiet down, and then he would be free to do what he wanted, but his mornings were always occupied.
    “Me and Matt are going to take our bikes and look for bottles.”
    “Matt and I.”
    “Matt and I are going looking for bottles.”
    “I have to go into town and pick up some things at Rudy’s and I need you to be around in case any renters show up early. You can paint one of the rowboats while I am gone.”
    “Mom, it’s my only day off and—”
    “Ben, I will only be gone a couple of hours. You and Matt will have all day to run off and do whatever it is you are doing. Painting one boat should only take you an hour or so. You only have to paint the hull, the inside and the seats can be painted tomorrow or the next day. Your father wants one finished each week until they are all done.”
    “Matt and I wanted to----”
    “No arguments Ben. Two hours and you are free to do whatever you want.”
    There was a knock at the screen door.
    Ben yelled with his mouth full of eggs: “Come on in Matt!”
    The screen door made it’s loud slap slapping noise. Matt walked into the