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 itâs 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 doesnât like thick pasta. Who says, âIf I wanted something thick, Iâd eat paste.â
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 Axelâs favorite. Leave it to Emmett to make things special for Axel.
Axel waits for Byrd to say, âAnd for our buttervore,â like she usually does when the elbows come to the table, but tonight sheâs more interested in fluffing the napkin on her lap. Frank reaches for the bowl. For Axelâs special bowl of pasta, and digs the serving spoon deep into the middle of the bowl. Itâs only then that Byrd leans over to whisper to Frank.
Axel hopes that when Byrd leans close, placing her hand on Frankâs wrist, she will say, âNo, Frank, those are for my buttervore.â Instead, when sheâs at Frankâs ear, she says, âPasta-palooza now includes trivia.â
Now includes?
Now? When has Frank D. Rastusak ever been to a Pasta-palooza? Werenât 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.
Wasnât the first Pasta-palooza then?
For Axel and Byrd to have special dinners with their special friends?
And hadnât they added trivia just last year in Aunt Nancyâs effort to stop George from talking through dinner with his poems?
Now includes?
Now?
âSorry, Frankie,â Aunt Nancy says. âOnly five categories.â
âFive things,â Axel adds. âFive areas of expertise. Five people in the game.â 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.
âThereâs always room for one more,â Byrd says, leaning forward like she might leap across the table at Aunt Nancy. But Aunt Nancy doesnât flinch.
âAlways room for one more,â she says. âSounds like youâre talking about bottles of beer, isnât that right, Frank?â
âNance,â Emmett warns. He pulls a sauce-speckled dish towel from his shoulder. âIâm waving the mercy flag,â he says. âLetâs just eat.â
George clears his throat. âLetâs give thanks, then eat.â He dips his head, so he doesnât see that some people at the table arenât in the mood to give thanks. He starts his prayer anyway, says the words that should make everyone grateful. Only the words donât work this time. The words arenât telling the truth. We arenât all âthankfulâ 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.
âWhoâs ready for question number one?â Emmett asks, reaching into his pocket for his phone.
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