The Sixth Sense by Peter Lerangis

Author:Peter Lerangis [Lerangis, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Published: 2000-05-26T18:30:00+00:00

Lynn pulled a nice piece of juicy roast beef off the stove. She'd bought a big supply of meat during the sale at the A&P this week. Cole's color had been off lately, and the protein and iron would do him good.

His eyes were glued to a cartoon on the kitchen TV. As she served him his meal, he barely noticed. That was okay. At least he was smiling. She was grateful for that. He was always easier to talk to when he was in a good mood.

And she had some serious things to talk to him about.

It was suddenly very chilly in here. As Lynn returned to the stove for her own plate, she de-toured to the thermostat and turned it way up. "I don't care what they say," she murmured. "This thing is broken."

A familiar tinny, high-pitched voice cried out from the TV: "Mommeeeee, my throat hurts!"

Tommy Tammisimo. In full color. Standing in bedroom doorway, dressed in pj's. Again. They played that darn commercial all night long. She and Cole had seen it a million times.

On the screen, the actors who played the perfect parents exchanged a knowing glance, not a hair out of place as they left their bed, took Tommy to the bathroom, fed him cough syrup ... and now the syrupy music ... here comes the friendly announcer....

"Pedia-ease Cough Suppressant," a deep voice intoned. "Gentle, fast, effective."

Miraculous was more like it. Cut to Mr. and Mrs. Yuppie the next morning, looking out their spotless window as a now-cured Tommy frolics in the yard with his dog. He waves ecstatically, they wave back....

Cole threw a shoe at the screen. The TV lurched backward, the plug yanked out of its socket, and the image went blank.

Lynn didn't like him throwing things. Vio­lence was not the answer. But she let this one go. Tommy deserved it.

She did mind, however, that Cole was wear­ing his father's winter gloves while he tried to drink his milk. Her ex-husband had been in such a hurry to leave, he hadn't had the decency to remove all his possessions and spare her the grim reminders. Now Cole insisted on wearing his stuff all the time. "Take 'em off," she said.

Cole obediently removed the gloves and placed them next to his milk glass.

"I don't want them on my table," Lynn snapped.

As Cole put them on the floor, Lynn pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. They ate in si­lence for a moment as she composed mentally what she needed to say. He had been taking things from her bedroom lately, and it had to stop.

She knew he had been sneaking religious figures from the church. She'd talked to Father Manahan about it, and he'd asked in a tactful way if Cole had ever shoplifted. When Lynn told him no, he'd smiled and said not to worry. Cole was a good boy and he clearly needed the com­fort of the saints. When he was older, his conscience would lead him to confess, and he would return the figures.

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