to talk.
Marsh turned to look at me. His eyes were red. I didnât know what Iâd do if he started to cry. âI promised you Iâd take you with us when the kid . . . â
âDan,â I said.
âWhen we took Dan to the hospital. And I would have kept that promise. He didnât run off because of anything I said. If you donât believe me . . . â He reached in his pocket for his cigarettes. Then stopped and put his hands in his lap.
âHow did you find me?â I said.
âI followed the bus route, and I saw you get off here. Iâm supposed to tell you that Mrs. Stoa has gone to her nephewâs, right up the hill. She wanted me to move your stuff along with hers but I said not until I talk to you. If youâd talk to me.â
I turned and leaned my back against the truck door. âHow did Mrs. Stoa get mixed up in our lives?â I asked.
âHeaven must have sent her,â Marsh said.
I turned around again to look at him and he seemed so miserable I couldnât stay mad any more. âSheâll want to know everything Iâm doing,â I said.
âShe will.â
âWell, Iâm not moving again as long as youâre still living in the parking lot.â
âI am.â Marsh smiled when he said that, but it was a really weak one.
âIsnât it uncomfortable sitting up to sleep?â I asked. I knew Marsh slept in his truck a lot, but up until then I hadnât really thought about how he did it.
âWhat makes you think I sit up?â he asked. âIâve got my sleeping bag in the back. I can roll the top back on the canopy if I want and look up at the stars. There was a meteor shower last night.â
âDid you make a wish?â
Marsh shook his head. âIâm past that,â he said.
4
W HAT A F IRE C AN D O
B Y THE END OF THE FIFTH evacuation day, the light supper had gotten a lot lighter. Only plain chips were still available. None of the flavoured ones. There were no seconds on sandwiches. The fruit was cut into pieces and the edges of the apples especially were brown from standing a while. Still, the food was better than one of Mrs. Stoaâs casseroles.
I took my sandwich and a bag of chips outside and sat on the bleachers to watch some kids playing soccer. I put the chips down next to me while I got the plastic wrap off my sandwich and right away someone sat down next to me and turned my chips into something Mrs. Stoa would love to sprinkle on top of her next tuna delight.
âHey!â I said. I turned to look and saw a big man wearing sunglasses and a black baseball cap with Chief printed across the front.
âSurprise!â he said.
âYou need to trim your eyebrows, Frank,â I said back. Iâd been planning on giving him the icy shoulder for saying Dan had to go to the hospital and for generally neglecting me, but that was the best I could do. When he put his arm around me for a minute and squeezed my shoulder, I even let him.
âI was looking for you this afternoon,â he said. âWhat have you been up to?â
âOh, the usual. Riding the bus. Spending my allowance on coffee.â
âYou think thatâs a good idea?â
âI just found out about decaf,â I told him.â I might be switching. Or they have lemonade.â
âIâm talking about the bus,â Frank said. âBe serious.â
I shrugged. âNo one bothers me. And you know I can handle myself.â
Frank took what looked like a tiny radio out of his pocket and studied it. âItâs a beeper,â he said. âIn case anybody needs me.â
I guess they didnât because he put it back in his pocket.
âYou wonât be crowded in here much longer, Matti,â Frank told me. âIâm trying to find a place for you.â
âI have a place. Itâs called Blackstone Village and I want to go back there.â
I suppose I would have