Strawberry Yellow (A Mas Arai Mystery) by Naomi Hirahara

Author:Naomi Hirahara
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Prospect Park Books
Published: 2013-03-05T10:00:00+00:00

Later that evening, Mas sat outside on the stoop. It was times like this he wished he hadn’t quit smoking. To hold the cigarette between his index and middle fingers, to inhale that blast of nicotine and let out the smoke—it would cast the whole world in a new light. Instead of the clear, sharp lines that didn’t forgive, the smoke would make everything a bit blurry, somehow more digestible.

Mas didn’t have help from to-ba-co right now. But he did have a bump on the head that made certain details fuzzy, including the pain. The pain had changed from being sharp jabs to a dull ache.

A car roared up the street and parked in front of the neighbor’s curb. Mas saw a line of cars in the driveway—a torn-up camper, a red Toyota truck, and a silver Oldsmobile.

Victor was still wearing the same glasses and hoodie when he noticed Mas sitting on Minnie’s porch.

“Hey, you,” Victor said. “Mister Shug’s cousin. I don’t think I got your name last time.” The teenager jumped over the begonia bush dividing the two properties and walked over to Mas.

“Mas. Mas Arai.”

“Más? Didn’t know you had some Mexican blood in you.”

Mas didn’t respond. The joke was old the first time he heard it.

“So, anyway, Miss Minnie mentioned that you got into an accident. Totaled your truck, huh?”

Mas nodded. He’d forgotten about the Ford for a moment.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Mas gestured to the boy’s sedan. “Me own an Impala. Long, long time ago.”

“For reals?”

Mas nodded. “Same model. Getsu hot in summertime.”

“You bet. You can fry an egg on the hardtop. Actually I’ve tried it.”

Mas laughed. Just what a snot-nosed boy would try to do. “Eat it?”

“Yeah, I ate it. Kind of runny, but I ate it.” Victor looked back at the Impala. “That was my bisabuelito’s first car when he came to Watsonville.”

“Mine was second passenger,” Mas said. “Studebaker first.”

“Hey, you want to meet my great-grandpops?” Victor said abruptly, as if it just occurred to him.

Whatthehell, Mas thought. Did he have anything better to do?

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