Chasing the Phantom Ship by Deborah Toogood

Author:Deborah Toogood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing
Published: 2016-03-16T13:52:56+00:00

Chapter 18

Adam got to breakfast first. While I waited for the comics, I read the headline Low Lobster Catch Worries Fishermen.

“Hey, don’t hog the Cheerios,” I said.

“And save some for me.” Dad sat down with Catherine in his arms.

I’d decided mornings were the best times for babies. I patted down Catherine’s puffs of red hair. She was happy like a clown. I offered her a Cheerio and she grabbed my fingers. We stared at each other for a moment, and I really thought she knew what I was up to.

“Here.” I refilled my juice and poured some for Dad.

“Just saw Emma heading to the beach, had her oars…what are you boys up to today?”

Adam gagged on a mouthful of cereal. He pounded his chest and gulped some juice. “Excuse me.”

I kept my eyes glued to my cereal. “Later we’re going to the beach.”

“Supposed to be a scorcher, I’ll try to get away early—we can all take a swim.”

“Good morning.” The screen door banged behind Mom and Aunt Maddy. They had on their walking shoes and Mom was wearing those striped pants I really hated, but I decided to be diplomatic and say nothing. “Nice track suit, Aunt Maddy.”

“Why, thank you, Matt. Saw your friend Emma.”

Jeez, did everyone see Emma today? It had been a whole week since our night on the water and I still felt like I was under constant surveillance.

“We’ll all go to the beach later,” Dad said.

“Too bad you can’t take the whole day off,” said Mom.

“We have bills to pay…boys, wait until I’m back.”

Adam ducked his head down and stuffed a second slice of toast into his mouth. At that moment, Catherine decided to grab Dad’s glass. The orange juice ran across the table like a wave, circling Adam’s bowl, and creeping forward until it poured over the edge of the table. Thank you, Catherine. Springing into action, I grabbed the super-absorbent paper towels and laid them one by one over the mess.

“Darn. John, you know she’ll grab anything.” Mom reached for the dishtowel. Adam leaped from the table.

“Whoops! Come on, little lady, I’ll get you some clean clothes.” Dad made his escape.

Mom and I wiped up the linoleum floor. I loaded the dishwasher and put the cereal away.

“Thanks, honey. Could you do one more thing? Would you return a library book for me?”

“Sure, no problem.” I wanted to keep busy, but couldn’t be too helpful or it would be weird.

“Here.” Dad put Catherine in her playpen and pulled a toonie out of his pocket. “Stop by the store and get yourself a Popsicle.”

“Thanks.” I put the money in my pocket and grabbed my knapsack off its hook and stuffed in Mom’s library book: another boring story about the queen of England.

I went into the living room, where Adam was sitting at the computer. “Want to bike to the library?”

“I’ll stay here, I’m checking the tidal charts.”

“Be careful,” I mouthed. He was definitely a computer nerd, but he had been finding some very useful information.

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