Fish's Thirteenth

Two

Thought I would forget to update today? Yeah, I did too😂. The answer to the last chapter's question is Scumble! I told you it was easier than you thought *^_^* I kinda feel like I'm the only one reading this book..... so leave a comment before you go! Enjoy Chapter Two! ~F

Monday
On the Bus
_________
BANG!

Today at breakfast, I heard the sound of something shattering--well, a few things actually, but I don't want to exaggerate. Immediately after, the kitchen lights flickered. Missy and I shared a knowing glance as Momma turned from the stove to face me.

"Fish," she'd said, "was Samson in his bed when you woke up this morning?"

Samson and I share a room. We used to share it with Rocket too and his now-room was Gypsy's old-room, but that was before--well, you know.

"No," I said taking a bite of my French toast.

"Then that's probably him in Rocket's room," Momma figured. "Rocket, Samson, in here please."

Rocket walked in with Samson hitching a ride on his on his leg, a deep-set frown on his face. Rocket's always had a stormy disposition, but after his savvy birthday, he tuned full-blown sourpuss. And he regularly takes out his down-in-the-dumps attitude on the rest of us. By the rest of us I of course mean me. Most of the time he's a real pain.

"What's happened boys?" Momma asked.

"Well, Samson was in my room," Rocket started as he set Samson on the ground. "I was minding my own business. Samson was under my desk with his stupid turtle. He scared me half to death," he explained, muttering the last part.

We all stifled our laughter. "You two are fine, right?" Momma wanted to know.

"Yeah." Rocket mumbled, looking at the ground. "Just blew the lights in my room... and some in the hallway." I barely caught that last bit.

A second of silence, and then:

"Samson, what were you doing in Rocket's room?" Missy asked.

"He said his turtle didn't like to stay in one place too much," Rocket answered for him. Then he got a look on his face. "Samson where is your turtle, anyway?"

Samson just smiled and shrugged as he subtly eyed his small turtle atop Rocket's head. We looked there too and laughed some more. Rocket was confused, finding all of us laughing and not finding anything to laugh about. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothin'," I said. Then we all looked away before he could get it. Samson grabbed two of Momma's fresh-cooked French toast slices, gave one to to Rocket, and ran off down the hallway. Where to? We almost never know.

"I'm gonna go clean up my room," Rocket announced, toast in hand and turtle on head.

"Alright, and go wake up Gypsy," Momma called as she turned off the stove and packed our lunches in our lunch boxes. There was one for me, one for Missy, and one for Samson. Rocket doesn't go to school. He's been home-schooled ever since he got his savvy, and we all will when we get ours. Momma and Papa say we can go back once we learn to control it. (Papa works far from home and usually starts real early so he can come back early; that's why he's not at breakfast. He normally schedules his time so that he'll at least eat supper with the rest of the family. But he's takinh the WHOLE. DAY. OFF, just for my birthday.)

"Sure thing, Momma." Rocket turned to leave but Missy stopped him: "Wait."

She jumped up and walked over. She curled her finger and Rocket, telling him to come down to her level. He did and Missy plucked the turtle from his head.

"Oh!" Rocket realized. "That's what y'all are laughing at." And we all (including Rocket, surprisingly) broke out laughing as the two disappeared down the hallway.

I cleared mine and Missy's plates from the table and set them in the sink. When I turned on the water to start washing them, Momma stopped me and turned the water back off.

"Oh, no no," she said. "You're birthday's coming. You're not washing one dish for the next two days."

"Really?" I asked incredulously. "I had to wash the dishes last year on my birthday."

"Yeah, well this is a special birthday so you get special exceptions."

I smiled. "Alright, Momma."

"And speaking of, Grandpa Bomba won't be able to make it over here for your birthday."

"Oh no. Why not?"

"He's being held up at your cousin's place in Indiana. Says his flight missed his flight and there won't be another one till after your big day."

While she started washing the dishes, I leaned back against the wall facing Momma as the kitchen filled with silence. Now, I know a lot of kids would rather do anything else than spend an afternoon with their grandparents, but Grandpa Bomba's the best. He always has the best stories, including his world-famous savvy story about where it all began. With none other than Eva Mae L. Dorito Random, or something like that; I can never remember the name. I didn't want Momma feeling bad that she had be the bearer of bad news, so I changed the subject. "Momma? Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, honey."

I had to be real careful so she wouldn't be asking questions I couldn't answer and she'd get suspicious about. "Have you ever not wanted something? And you saw someone else get that something and it made you not want it that much more?"

She breathed a laugh that I detected a bit of confusion in. "Like a present?"

"Yeah, like a present. And you knew there no way you could stop it from getting to you, but you really really wanted it, while at the same time you're really really dreading it and you--"

"Ah," Momma interrupted, "I think I know what you mean." Whoops, blew it. "And there was nothing else I wanted more than to get my--uh--special present. When I saw your Grandmother Dollop get hers," Momma continued, the smile audible in her voice, "that just made me ten times more excited. I was just a tad worried I would get something like your Grandpa Bomba. Worried I wouldn't be able to control it. But I'm happy with what I got." She turned around. "Why do you ask, Fish? Is something wrong?"

"I'm just a little worried I might end up like--"

"I found him!" Missy informed, bursting into the kitchen with Samson in hand. "C'mon, Fish, we're gonna be late! Thanks for lunch, Momma."

We all three got our lunch boxes and headed for the door to mount the bus. Momma stopped me: "Wait, Fish what were you gonna say?"

"Um," I hesitated. I wasn't gonna tell her I was about to say Rocket. I couldn't. "Nothing important. Thanks for lunch." I added and raced out the door and into the waiting bus.

That--was close.

-Fisher

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Today was Roald Dahl's 100th birthday💯💯! Do you have a fav book by him? I adore "Mathilda"❤️❤️

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~F

Comment Trivia Question: In "Scumble", what is the name of Ledge's younger sister?

Comment Question: What kind of special treatment of you get on your birthday?

Date Published: 16.9.14