Joey and the Magic Map by Anderson Tory

Author:Anderson, Tory [Anderson, Tory]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Tory C Anderson
Published: 2013-11-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Joey took the map to his room and put it on his desk. On his way downstairs he stopped to look in Glory’s room. His eyes rested on the dolls that lined her pillow. Every day she had one or two of these dolls in her arms. This made Joey wonder. On TV little girls gave their dolls tea parties and dressed them up. Glory didn’t do this. She just carried them around pressed to her chest. She wasn’t a shy, quiet little girl in need of comfort. Glory was bossy, manipulative, and clever. So why the dolls?

He stared, thinking. It occurred to him that a doll was missing—the skinny, little, Barbie-like doll with bad hair. The doll’s hair was done up in dreadlocks. The dreadlocks stuck out in all directions and were tied off with colorful rubber bands. This doll wasn’t soft or cuddly, but Glory seemed to favor it. Looking again Joey made sure the doll was missing. She must have had it with her at the pond. It probably fell in with her. What if it hadn’t? It could be lying in the grass out there all alone. This possibility bothered Joey.

Downstairs he found Beezer and Story at the kitchen table stacking golden coins.

“I’m rich, I tell you. Rich!” Story said in pirate brogue.

“I’m going out for a few minutes,” Joey said.

“Eh? Where you going?” asked Beezer.

Joey wondered what to say. Beezer might not let him go. His Mom wouldn’t. Joey wasn’t a very good liar. He didn’t want to lie, anyway.

“I think Glory dropped her doll. I’m going to go find it for her.”

“By the pond?” asked Beezer. He concentrated on his stack of coins as he spoke. It was starting to wobble.

“Yes,” said Joey.

“You’ll stay out of the pond?” said Beezer. A smile flickered on his lips for an instant as if he were making a joke.

“Yes,” said Joey, feeling annoyed.

“Okay. Don’t make me come looking for you. I don’t like the way that pond smells.”

Joey was surprised to be given permission. He wondered how good a baby sitter Beezer was.

Joey climbed over the fence using the fence-steps and made his way toward the pond. He didn’t look hard for the doll until he got to the pond. He was sure that if she had dropped the doll it wouldn’t have been until she was falling in.

Staying back from the steep bank Joey searched near the pond. He found nothing. The doll must have gone in with her. Joey was tempted to leave it at that. He had done his duty. As he turned to leave Joey felt bad. He realized he wanted to do more than his duty. He wanted to find the doll for his sister.

It occurred to him that the doll might have fallen onto the muddy bank on the slope to the water. To find out he would have to go to the edge of that steep, slippery, slope and look. The thought of getting that close to the pond turned his stomach.

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