Almost Eden by Anita Horrocks

Author:Anita Horrocks [Horrocks, Anita]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-1-77049-033-8
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2006-09-27T04:00:00+00:00

Dad gave Tommy away.

I didn’t find out even until this morning, after Tommy had been gone four days already. I might not have found out at all except I told Dad I wasn’t going to paint that morning so I could look for Tommy instead.

Dad looked confused. “I told you already, you don’t need to worry about that old tom anymore. He’s living the high life with a farmer north of town.”

Only he hadn’t told us already. Four days, and this was the first he’d said about it. He’d forgot. It wasn’t like he was trying to keep it a secret or anything. He’d just forgot.

Honest to God, I think he was surprised when Lena started to cry.

“Nah meyahles, simmer down. There’s no reason to get yourselves all worked up over it. Tommy’s better off in a barn with other cats. There are plenty of mice to chase. It’s warm in the winter.”

My whole body was shaking, I was so mad. I couldn’t speak, I was so mad.

“Jumping Jehoshaphat! Would someone please tell me what all the fuss is about?” Dad said. “Most days you can’t even remember to feed it!”

“His name is Tommy!” I said. Lena crawled under the table to cry her eyes out.

“It’s not like I took it out and shot it. I was doing the damn cat a favor, giving it to Nickel Enns.” Dad shook his head. “I’m going to work.”

Figures, I thought. The kitchen was pretty quiet after he left. Beth handed Lena a bowl of cereal and let her eat it under the table.

“Dad’s right, schnigglefritz” she said. “Tommy’s better off on a farm. He was filthy and probably full of fleas and worms and who knows what else?”

“As if.” I gave her a withering glare as I shoved my chair back from the table. “You knew. You’re just as much to blame.”

“Vite dee!” she snapped. She had to be pretty pissed off to talk Plautdietsch. “I’ve had it to here with your lousy attitude. You’re the one who couldn’t be bothered to put out a bowl of milk half the time.”

I stomped outside. I went into the garden and there were no ripe tomatoes yet but I yanked a green tomato off and threw it as hard as I could against a hydro pole. And all the time I was swearing under my breath, calling Dad every dirty name I could think of in both English and Plautdietsch.

The worst thing was, Dad and Beth were right. I’d done a lousy job of looking out for Tommy and now he was gone and it was mostly my fault. What would Mom say when she got home? It wasn’t enough that I’d got her all upset in the first place so she had to go to Eden, now I’d messed up the one thing she’d asked me to do yet.

I tried painting for awhile, even though it was going to be too devilish hot again to paint for long and my heart really wasn’t in it.

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