The Last Pioneers by Amanda McCallister

Author:Amanda McCallister [McCallister, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve:

The following morning, Mom made it clear that she was pissed. She refused to speak to me, and each time I looked in her direction, she was glaring at me. I could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears. Fortunately for me, the hoard of supplies we brought in kept her pretty busy. Going through everything gave Mom and Mrs. Davis something to do and took some of the heat off us, which I was eternally grateful for.

I watched them as they went through each box and bag, carefully writing down everything and putting it in its proper place. Mom squealed with delight when she opened the bag that contained two big boxes of Folgers coffee I had found. I sat there, drinking my own cup, watching them intently, while trying to avoid eye contact with Mom. I still had a tough time believing we had pulled off what we did last night. We were lucky. Things could have gone differently. What if Jessie hadn't been so friendly? What would have happened? We weren't armed with anything other than our backpacks and flashlights.

Mr. Davis walked over to me and brushed my shoulder. "Hey, do you have a minute to talk?

“Sure.” I jumped up and followed him outside. He took a seat in one of the rocking chairs and stared off in the distance. I joined him and studied him closely. With each passing day, Mr. Davis’s skin grew paler and grayer. Dark circles formed under his eyes, and he got out of breath quicker than he used to.

“I need to talk to you about something, Carter,” he said, rocking methodically back and forth. He sighed and pushed his glasses back up with his thumb.

“What’s up, Mr. Davis?” I asked, already knowing what he was about to tell me.

“Carter, I’m sick. Not like the cold or the flu but sick. I have cancer.”

I felt my stomach drop. Not because of what he told me because I already knew. No, it was in the way he said it. There was an acceptance in his tone. Sadness. It felt different hearing it from him. Hearing him say those words split my heart into pieces.

I nodded my head. “I know.”

“Figured you did.”

“Kara told me right after we got here.”

“Hmmm. Surprised it took her so long.”

“Well, there has been a lot going on.”

“Indeed.”

“Yeah.” I struggled to put into words exactly what I was feeling. What do you say to the man who has been like a father to you most of your life? A man that, when my own father died, stepped up and did his best to fill a spot in my heart that was empty.

“I can see the sorrow on your face, Carter. Don’t be sad for me. I’ve lived a good life. A full life. My kids are nearly grown. Well, Blake still has some growing up to do.” He smiled, his glasses falling down the bridge of his nose.

“I just don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say. It is what it is.

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