Another Kind Of Hurricane Part 13

A game show was on the radio.

"Henry..." Moms sigh traveled through the telephone like a gust of wind. It blew into Henrys ear and rattled its way to his knees. "Are you all right? Are you eating enough?"

"I just left! How could I not be eating enough?"

Why did mothers always ask about food? Every time Henry went to his father and stepmothers house for the weekend, the first thing Mom asked when he got home was if he had eaten enough. Like his father didnt have a refrigerator or an oven or a cereal cupboard.

"Henry, are you there?"

"Yes, Mom." He turned to Jake, whose eyes were fixed on the road.

"Take this opportunity, Henry."

What the heck was she talking about?

"Take all these miles between you and the mountain and use them."

Henry still didnt know what she was talking about.

"This South American bird has a distinctive look, with feathers on top of its head that fan into a bold crest when it feels threatened."

"Whats a harpy eagle?" said Henry without even thinking.

"What?" said Mom.

"What is an ibis?" said the contestant.

"Wrong," said the game show host. "The correct answer is 'What is a harpy eagle?"

Jake turned to look at Henry. "Nice job," he said.

"Brae misses you already-" Moms voice cut back in over the game show host.

At the mention of Brae, Henry refocused his attention. "Is he okay?" he said.

"Hes fine. Nopie came over after school to play with him."

"Stupid Nopie! Mom dont let-"

"Dont worry about Brae and me," said Mom, interrupting. "Were okay."

Henry put his hand across his knees to quiet them. "I gotta go, Mom," he said. "Bye." And he clicked off the phone before she had a chance to say anything else. He handed it back to Jake.

"You okay?" Jake asked.

"This means having two toes directed forward and two toes directed backward, as the parrot has."

"What is zyG.o.dactyl?" answered Henry.

"Youre real good at those animal questions," said Jake.

Henry felt his face flush. He shrugged. But it was true. He could keep track of animal facts. He liked to do it. He liked animals. They were dependable. They were loyal. When they bit you, it was for a good reason. "Youre real good with animals," said Jake. Henrys cheeks flushed again. "You should be the one searching for Tiger." Jake touched the silver baseball. It flickered in the light.

Was the baseball a good-luck charm? Did Jake wish on it?

Henry slouched in his seat and reached his leg toward the rearview mirror. He touched the baseball with his foot. He wished like a parrot with its zyG.o.dactyl-like toes, forward and backward. He wished forward that Tiger would find his way home, and that he would find his marble in New Orleans. He wished, backward-with every bone in his body-that he could let Wayne win that last race down the mountain.

chapter 27.

ZAVION.

Zavion figured out how to get to New Orleans.

The clown brothers had helped him.

"Whyd the bird NOT cross the road?" Skeet said.

"Why?" asked Tavius and Enzo in unison.

"Because it couldnt swim!" Skeet hooted. "Get it? The street had been flooded with water? And it couldnt swim?"

"But it could fly," said Tavius.

"Yeah, birdbrain," said Enzo.

Zavion had been making bread at the time. He was on the thirty-sixth knead when Skeet told his joke, and he had laughed out loud, almost losing count.

"Count me in for a piece of that bread," said Tavius. "Honey oat with a heaping spoonful of guffaw!"

"Food for the heart," said Enzo.

"Food for the soul," echoed Skeet.

As Zavion folded and pushed and turned and folded the dough, he laughed again, thinking about the bird joke. He liked the clown brothers.

Whyd the bird NOT cross the road?

Ha!

Aha!

Birds! The bird lady. Diana. She went to New Orleans all the time. Maybe he could hitch a ride with her.

The marble on the windowsill was a good idea. Zavion had slept a little better. And now he had the first idea for his plan.

- Osprey ran into the kitchen, flying a green Converse sneaker on her leash like a kite. The sneaker bounced on its heel on the floor and hit Ms. Cyns leg. Two mugs slipped from her hands.

- The sound of ceramic shattering.

The smell of coffee splattering against the cupboard.

The crash rattled something in the back of Zavions brain.

All of a sudden, Zavion couldnt breathe.

He was underwater.

He gasped.

"Im sorry-"

Zavion didnt know if he said those words out loud or not.

- "Lordy, child-" Was Ms. Cyn talking to Zavion or Osprey?

Zavion snapped back. He waited for her to add You scared the living pee out of me, but she didnt this time.

"Coffee down," said Enzo.

"Thatll keep the snakes away," said Tavius.

"Hush, you," said Ms. Cyn. She wiped coffee off the cupboard.

Zavion picked up pieces of the broken mugs.

"Osprey," said Enzo, "you need to be more careful."

"Watch out, Osprey," said Skeet, "hes going all father-figure on you."

"I am her father," said Enzo. He hugged Osprey, who squirmed in his arms.

"Poor kid," said Tavius.

Osprey broke free from Enzo and ran around the kitchen table.

"Poor father," said Zavion.

The clowns laughed.

Zavion had told a joke that made them laugh.

Enzo stood up. "Let me help, Ms. Cyn," he said. Osprey ran a lap around him.

"Youve got your hands full," she said.

Zavion straightened up, his own hands full of shards of ceramic mug. "I can take Osprey for a walk," he said.

He wasnt sure why he offered.

Osprey stopped running. "We can take Green for a walk," she said.

"Green?" asked Tavius.

"My dog," she said, pointing to the sneaker.

"Cute pup," said Skeet.

Enzo blinked his eyes a few times fast. Tavius and Skeet immediately threw their arms around him. Zavion remembered that their real dog, Crow, had died in the hurricane. He felt a wave of sadness for Enzo.

"I used to babysit at home," offered Zavion again.

"Go on," said Ms. Cyn. She rinsed her dish towel in the sink. "Get on out of here so I can clean up."

"You?" said Tavius.

"Clean?" said Skeet.

"The kitchen?" said Enzo, grinning. To Zavion, he said, "Thank you."

- Osprey stopped at the corner.

For someone with such short legs, she was fast.

"This way," said Zavion. It had occurred to him as they began their walk that he could investigate the bird lady while they were at it. He was pretty sure he knew the way to her house.

"Nope," said Osprey. She turned in the opposite direction and began skipping down the block. "Sorry, Zavion," she sang over her shoulder. "Green is dragging me this way."

Zavion jogged down the block after her. "Hey! Hold up-"

But Osprey only sped up. "Green!" she yelled. "You know how dogs are-" Her voice was hard to hear now. She was so far ahead of him.

Zavion caught up to her and grabbed the leash. "Whoa," he said, playing along. "Cmon now, Green. Ease up."

Osprey giggled and stopped running. Then she flopped onto the sidewalk. "Greens tired. He needs to rest."

Zavion was tired too. He sat down next to Osprey.