Seeking Nip and Tuck by Barbara Brooks Wallace

Author:Barbara Brooks Wallace [Wallace, Barbara Brooks]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Pangea Press
Published: 2018-01-17T00:00:00+00:00

MORE GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT

After Click Click and Pounce went crawling off, they went on whispering for a while and saying how they would never fall asleep. Then came a time when Tuck whispered something to Nip, and Nip never answered. Deep breathing told him his brother was gone. But Tuck must have dropped off, too, because when he next opened his eyes, daylight was trying creep past the dirty windows into the room.

The other boys were all rolling out of bed and scrambling into their shirts and trousers, so the twins did the same. Rubbing their eyes and yawning, they all trooped out back, lined up at the outhouse, and after that took turns splashing at the spigot. When they came back in, they picked up tin cups on a sink at the back door, filled them with water, and climbed onto the benches at the table.

Lovey was there when they got back. She already had set a tin bowl of bread down on the table, and a big tin plate with a whole sausage and a knife. Another bowl was filled with eggs. Everybody grabbed for one, and then started to holler.

“Ouch!”

“Ouch!”

“Ouch!”

“Why didn’ you tell us they were hot as blazes, Lovey?” the boy named Croaker asked.

“Because you could of guessed, idiot,” said Lovey. “You think Ma’d be giving you eggs that ain’t cooked? All spoiled stupid, is what you are, the lot of you. You get a special treat from Ma, and beef about it.”

“Well how’re we ‘spected to do good work when our fingers is burned to a cinder?” Pounce asked. “How we going to keep ‘ em from hurting?”

“Just suck on ‘em,” Lovey said. “You got my sympathies. And if you don’t get on with breakfast, you’ll be going off to work without. Ma’ll be down any minute.”

After that, nobody wasted time before they were cracking eggs, and stuffing them into their mouths with the bread and sausage. What with pushing and shoving and teasing outside, and now eating their heads off, anybody would have thought they never had any cares in this world. But after the visit from Click Click and Pounce the night before, the twins knew better. They were just making the best of their lot. The only difference between them and Nip and Tuck was that they knew what was coming. The twins did not.

They had no more than finished when Aunty arrived.

“All right, dearies,” she said. “Let’s have a look at you.”

The boys all made a line in front of her. The twins joined in at one end.

“Straighten your shirt, Wolf,” Aunty said. “Your shoes are dusty, Moose. Otherwise, you look respectable enough for your work. And now dearies, we need to do a little demonstration for our new businessmen. Badger, you’ll be the mark. Moose and Croaker, you can both use the brush up. Here, Badger, here’s the loot.”

Aunty handed him some gold chains, two pocket watches; some coins, and a pair of handkerchiefs that she pulled from her dress pockets.

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