A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers

A Bird Will Soar by Alison Green Myers

Author:Alison Green Myers [Green Myers, Alison]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER NINETEEN

Pasta-palooza

What it is:

Elbow macaroni.

Gluten-free fettuccini.

Angel hair.

Rigatoni.

Fusilli.

Marinara.

Alfredo.

Butter.

Pesto.

Meatballs.

What it’s not:

A place for Frank.

EMMETT AND BYRD FLUTTER IN from the kitchen, each with steaming bowls of pasta in their hands. Gluten-free for Byrd, and angel hair for Aunt Nancy, who doesn’t like thick pasta. Who says, “If I wanted something thick, I’d eat paste.”

The last bowl to come to the table is for Axel. Elbow macaroni with heaps of butter and salt. It is in a red bowl, also Axel’s favorite. Leave it to Emmett to make things special for Axel.

Axel waits for Byrd to say, “And for our buttervore,” like she usually does when the elbows come to the table, but tonight she’s more interested in fluffing the napkin on her lap. Frank reaches for the bowl. For Axel’s special bowl of pasta, and digs the serving spoon deep into the middle of the bowl. It’s only then that Byrd leans over to whisper to Frank.

Axel hopes that when Byrd leans close, placing her hand on Frank’s wrist, she will say, “No, Frank, those are for my buttervore.” Instead, when she’s at Frank’s ear, she says, “Pasta-palooza now includes trivia.”

Now includes?

Now? When has Frank D. Rastusak ever been to a Pasta-palooza? Weren’t they started after he left for the first time? After he decided to live in his own cabin along the Delaware River. The cabin that has only one bed, in the middle of only one room. Not a place for any visitors.

Wasn’t the first Pasta-palooza then?

For Axel and Byrd to have special dinners with their special friends?

And hadn’t they added trivia just last year in Aunt Nancy’s effort to stop George from talking through dinner with his poems?

Now includes?

Now?

“Sorry, Frankie,” Aunt Nancy says. “Only five categories.”

“Five things,” Axel adds. “Five areas of expertise. Five people in the game.” Axel swipes the bowl of elbows from in front of Frank to dish out his own mound of noodles, even though Frank probably got all the best ones that were the exact right slick of butter and salt from the top.

“There’s always room for one more,” Byrd says, leaning forward like she might leap across the table at Aunt Nancy. But Aunt Nancy doesn’t flinch.

“Always room for one more,” she says. “Sounds like you’re talking about bottles of beer, isn’t that right, Frank?”

“Nance,” Emmett warns. He pulls a sauce-speckled dish towel from his shoulder. “I’m waving the mercy flag,” he says. “Let’s just eat.”

George clears his throat. “Let’s give thanks, then eat.” He dips his head, so he doesn’t see that some people at the table aren’t in the mood to give thanks. He starts his prayer anyway, says the words that should make everyone grateful. Only the words don’t work this time. The words aren’t telling the truth. We aren’t all “thankful” for the guest at the table.

The prayer does press the reset button on Nancy, at least for a few minutes. She twirls her pasta, dabs the corners of her wrinkly mouth with a red napkin.

“Who’s ready for question number one?” Emmett asks, reaching into his pocket for his phone.



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