The Pinballs by Betsy Byars

Author:Betsy Byars
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

15

Harvey’s father was coming for a visit, and Harvey was waiting on the front porch in his wheelchair. He was sitting as still as a statue.

“Carlie, let him see his father alone,” Mrs. Mason said when she saw Carlie heading for the front porch.

“I will.”

“Then stay in the house.”

“I’m going for the mail,” she said.

“The mail is already here. It’s there on the desk.”

“Anything for me?”

“No.”

“For Harvey?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong with the mail these days anyway?” Carlie asked. “People are going to quit buying stamps if the post office doesn’t start delivering letters.” She kept going toward the porch.

“Carlie,” Mrs. Mason warned. “I mean what I say. I don’t want you out there when Harvey’s father comes.”

“I won’t be. I’ll come back in the house as soon as he gets here. I just want to get a look at the kind of creep who would run over his own son’s legs.”

“Who told you that, Carlie?”

“Harvey told me.” She turned. “I wonder if he’ll have the nerve to come driving up in the same car.” Over her shoulder she said, “Anyway, when the creep comes, I will come right into the house. Girl Scout’s honor.”

Before Mrs. Mason could say anything else, Carlie went out onto the porch. She sat on the railing in front of Harvey.

Harvey was too nervous to fidget. He was sitting with his hands tightly clenched, his teeth clamped together. He had not seen his father since he came to the Masons’, and the only thing he could remember about his father was him weeping in the emergency room. His tears, falling on Harvey’s burning face, had seemed to sizzle.

“Is that his car?” Carlie asked.

“No.”

“Because I’m supposed to go straight in the house as soon as he comes. Mason’s orders.” Carlie paused. She began swinging her feet back and forth. “Mail came. Nothing for you or me.”

“I know.”

“Hey, maybe your mom’s not at the farm anymore. Did you ever think of that? She could be anywhere.”

“Then I’ll get my letter back. The return address was on it.”

“I know my mom got my letters. She just won’t answer. For all I know, she’s left the state.” Carlie kept swinging her legs back and forth, hitting the heels of her sandals against the railing. “If you weren’t in that wheelchair, we could go looking for your mother.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” she said. She was pleased with the thought. “We could just take off. I’d really like to see the farm. I’m bored with this place anyway, aren’t you?”

“Are you talking about running away again?”

Carlie looked at him. “Why do you have to make everything sound so bad? Run away. Nobody’s going to run away. You been watching too many Shirley Temple movies. We’re just going to take off, split.” She glanced at the door to see if Mrs. Mason was within hearing, then she turned back to Harvey. “You know, it really isn’t a bad idea, Harvey. I couldn’t go home because they’d pick me right up, but this farm …”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“For one thing, I am in a wheelchair in case you haven’t noticed.

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