The Blue Shoe by Roderick Townley

Author:Roderick Townley [Townley, Roderick]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-375-89417-6
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2009-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

At the other end of town from the mayor’s mansion stood the curio shop, Xexnax Knickknacks. There was no kissing going on there. Even the house had an unkissed look. After all, when you’re constantly fighting, you’re much too busy to fix a sagging door or replace a window.

Jon and Sophia’s parents quarreled all the time. They quarreled about whether Mrs. Hartpence’s tea was hot enough or whether Mr. Hartpence’s cocoa was cool enough. They disagreed about what to charge for souvenir mugs and whether to lower their prices again and where to place the racks of picture postcards.

One evening at dinner, some weeks after their daughter’s disappearance, they were discussing whether or not to change the shop’s doorbell from ding-ding to the more authoritative ding-dong when Mrs. Hartpence chanced to look up and notice that a chair was empty.

“Where’s Sophia?”

Jon looked up from his boiled cabbage. “You mean you just noticed now?”

“Noticed what?”

“Sophia’s gone.”

“Impossible! I just saw her …” Her voice trailed off. “When was it?”

Sophia’s father frowned. “It couldn’t have been more than …”

“Father,” said Jon, “she’s been gone for weeks!”

“What!” cried the woman. “Poor baby! What happened?”

Jon’s headache was kicking up again. He massaged his skull with his fingers.

“I helped her sneak into the prison. I showed her where the air ducts were, and she crawled inside. Do you have any of that headache tea left?”

“You helped her what?” cried Mother. “Why?”

“She wanted to save Hap.”

“Hap’s in prison?”

“He was.” Jon massaged his skull harder than before. “You didn’t know that? Everybody knew that!”

“Nobody tells us anything. Do you think she’s still in there?”

“In prison? No. I crawled in the next day looking for her. Nothing but dust and mouse droppings.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” demanded Mrs. Hartpence.

“I couldn’t get your attention.”

“That’s silly! I always want to know what my children are doing.”

Jon was so amazed by this he didn’t know what to say. His head had begun to throb.

“Well,” said Jon’s father, “I certainly care. You could have told me!”

“Are you saying,” said the woman, “that you care more than I do?”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“It certainly is not. Quite the opposite!”

“That’s outrageous!”

“Admit it. You never cared about your children.”

“Untrue!”

“True!”

Neither of them noticed that their son had quietly gotten up from his chair and left the room.

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