Summer Bird Blue by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Author:Akemi Dawn Bowman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Pulse

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

I go with Aunty Ani to the mall because I can’t go back to Mr. Watanabe’s, and I’m still not sure if I’m allowed to hang out with Kai or not. Or, more accurately, I’m not sure he wants to hang out with me.

The mall looks like the ones back home in Washington, two stories and split down the middle, but there’s no roof and there are trees everywhere. We have chicken long rice for lunch, which isn’t rice at all—it’s more of a stew made up of clear mung bean noodles, ginger, onions, and lots of chicken.

Aunty Ani is being so careful not to set me off that she doesn’t ask me a single question—she never stops talking, like she’s worried the silence will give me an opportunity to yell at her for something.

“Shave ice at the mall is junk, but the one at the hotel is ono. We can drive by later. I thought maybe we could see one movie first, because I know you like da kine animated films, and there’s a new—”

“I don’t,” I interject. She stops, her mouth frozen midword. “Lea was the one who liked cartoons.”

Aunty Ani looks frazzled, like she knows she’s a pile of confetti that’s about to be thrown in the air and end up all over the floor, but she’s powerless to stop it.

I try to relax my face. I didn’t bring my weapons today. “I like superhero movies. I think they have a new Marvel one playing, if you want to see that instead.”

She nods so many times. I think she’s trying not to burst into tears. “Oh, oh, okay. We can do that. I’ll get us one of those big snack boxes, you know, with the nachos and popcorn? Or I could get two, if you want your own.” She pauses, still nodding.

“I’m full. But thanks.” I force a smile, but I’m pretty sure it still comes out like a grimace.

Aunty Ani almost explodes into an exasperated sigh. “You’re welcome, Rumi.”

I try to tell myself it feels nice to not be hurting someone for a change, but there’s a miserable itch in my chest that makes me want to shout and thrash and snarl at everyone and everything around me. But I tell that urge to shut up. I tell it to quiet down, because Lea would be horrified if she saw how I was treating Aunty Ani. They always got along, the two of them, even though they hardly saw each other. I think it’s because Lea was so easy to get along with. She was like a baby animal. You’d have to have a truly wicked heart to look at her and not feel some sliver of joy.

After the movie we take the long route along North Shore. I tell her I don’t want any shave ice, but I wouldn’t mind looking at the water.

Because I still think she’s out there, somewhere beyond the waves. Lea, with her goodness and giggles and heart made of pink cotton candy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.