Return to Sender by Kevin Henkes

Author:Kevin Henkes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

CHAPTER 10

An After-Dinner Discovery

BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST DAY of school, Mrs. Murphy had a tableful of chocolate-chip cookies waiting when Whitaker got home. They were delicious.

And because it was the first day of school and Mrs. Murphy had baked the cookies and was too tired to cook dinner, the Murphys went to the Big Bear Hamburger Heaven to eat. It was delicious, too. At least for a while.

“Should we drive through and eat in the car, or should we eat inside the restaurant?” Mr. Murphy asked.

“In the car,” Whitaker said. “That way we get to talk into the bear when we order.”

“Yes. Yes. Yes,” Molly said in agreement.

Although Mrs. Murphy preferred sitting in the restaurant, she was so delighted that Whitaker and Molly were agreeing that she didn’t say a word.

The bear said, “May I take your order?” and “Thank you,” and “That will be $9.58,” and “Drive around to the side, please.”

“How come the bear looks like a boy, but talks like a girl?” Molly asked.

“The bear is a man, but the voice you heard is the lady he ate for dinner,” Whitaker said in a serious voice. “And you can be his dessert.”

Molly looked horrified. Mrs. Murphy rolled her eyes. Mr. Murphy snickered and tried to explain to Molly how a lady inside the building was talking into a microphone. And that it only sounded as if she was inside the bear.

Molly was as confused as ever, but by the time she ate her first french fry, the only thing she was thinking about was food.

“Molly told me all about her school, when I came home for lunch,” Mr. Murphy said. “But how was your first day, Whit?”

Setting down his Bear Burger with everything, plus extra onions, Whitaker answered, “It was all right. We got a new kid who smiles a lot, who never saw a cow or snow. And we got a lot of old kids, too. And the teacher is fat.”

“Your mom says you were a little late coming home after school. Is that right?”

His mouth was full, but Whitaker replied just the same. “I thought I’d help the teacher fix up the room after school. Nice of me, huh?”

“You’re sure you weren’t in any trouble?”

Whitaker nodded, not wanting to worry his parents.

Molly was playing with her pickle when she asked, “Why do they call them Bear Burgers?”

“Because they’re made of dead bears, why do you think?” Whitaker replied, slurping his chocolate shake.

Molly made a horrible face.

“Whit, cut it out,” Mr. Murphy said. He tried to reassure Molly. “The owner of the restaurant is named Clayton Bear. And he makes the burgers. So that’s why they’re called Bear Burgers.”

All Molly kept thinking of was her Teddy—between buns with ketchup and mustard—so she gave her burger to Whitaker and concentrated on her fries.

“For some reason, I can’t finish my burger, either,” Mrs. Murphy said, holding her stomach.

“No problem. I can handle it,” Mr. Murphy said.

And he did.

After dinner and ice-cream cones, the noisy Zebra was leisurely driven around the outskirts of town.

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