Where the Lockwood Grows by Olivia A Cole

Author:Olivia A Cole [A. COLE, OLIVIA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

26

BEHIND THE VISITOR’S center is a metal shed, its roof just as mossy as everything else. Arturo already has it open and disappears into the shadow. Then farther back behind the shed, nestled in the trees, is another cabin like the one we’d just walked out of.

“Do you live here?” I ask.

“Sometimes,” he calls from the shed, where I can hear him banging around. “The employee cabin is set up for emergencies. Used to stay there with your aunt sometimes, when the fires were bad. They would have us here around the clock, waiting to receive injured animals. It’s just me now.”

He pops out of the shed and extends the book he’d been carrying to Pinnia, who’s closest. She takes it, and he disappears back into the shed.

“It would be lonely if it wasn’t for mis hijos,” he says. “They’re loud, but they’re good company. Birds and their personalities.”

He continues digging around, and I look over at the book he gave Pinnia. She tilts it so I can see: Raptors of the World.

“I know raptors aren’t just dinosaurs,” Pinnia says. “But it’s still weird to see raptors on a bird book.”

She plucks at a piece of paper poking out of the top of the book, and it slips out. When I bend to pick it up, I see a familiar word: Dolosalvus.

Pinnia sees it too, and points.

“That’s what the governor was talking about at the plaza,” she says. “The town they’re building.”

I say it out loud: “Dolosalvus.”

Arturo pops out, his hair a little dusty. He’s carrying a small box.

“Oh that,” he says, when he sees what we’re looking at. “They’ve been passing them out in this area. All the markets and changarros and tamale carts. I’ve never done ag work, but I might start now if it means I can get a medical card.”

“What about the birds?” I say.

He looks sad.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “But I don’t have any help here. You two are just niñitas so you don’t know yet, but eventually the body gets old and tired.”

“You’re not old,” I say quickly.

He smiles, a little weakly.

“Not yet,” he says. “But I will be.”

Then he retrieves the book and the Dolosalvus pamphlet from Pinnia’s hand, and uses them to gesture for us to follow him. He chats as he walks.

“I wonder if the governor gets old as quickly as the rest of us.” He chuckles. “Dolosalvus. I just know this will show up in his campaign videos. What won’t show up will be whether he takes anything off the top.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, curious.

“My abuela always said that citizens march and politicians slither,” he says with a wink. “If the governor is saying Dolosalvus will help people, it might. But I don’t watch his mouth when he talks… I watch his bank account. I’m pretty sure your Aunt Josie told me that.” He chuckles. “If someone calls something the best solution, but they’re getting rich off that best solution, the word best should raise all our eyebrows.

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