Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Author:Gennifer Choldenko
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction.Historical, Young Adult, Childrens, Humour
ISBN: 9780142403709
Publisher: Puffin
Published: 2004-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

20. Warning

Same day—Wednesday, January 16, 1935

I feel bad for Jimmy and Annie. They’re going to really get it. I won’t, though. I’ll explain what happened to my dad. He’ll understand. He always does.

We head to the parade grounds, but when we get to the turnoff, Natalie keeps plowing down toward the dock. Her buttons are there. How could I forget? Without any discussion, we follow her down.

Theresa puts her skates on, but then just sits. Annie and I kick an old can around. Natalie picks up where she left off, matching buttons to feathers and stones. Jimmy begins building another machine. Every now and then he finds a rock he thinks Natalie might want and he puts it in a pile for her. Apparently he knows the kind she likes, because Natalie seems to give these stones a special place in her elaborate grid.

I spin around and smack the can backward just for the heck of it. I turn back to see it sail ninety degrees the wrong direction and land right in the middle of Nat’s button box, tipping it into her grid game.

Natalie freezes.

I race over there. “I’m sorry, Nat, I’m so sorry.” I kneel down, throw the can away and try to put the buttons back as fast as I can.

But it’s too late. Nat sits motionless. No one can be still like Natalie. She’s still like not even her blood is moving inside her.

“Nat, we can make them like they were. It will be fun! Come on.” I pick up a smooth gray stone and try to think what Nat would match with this.

But Natalie doesn’t look. She curls up into a tight little ball on the cement. Buttons, stones and feathers all around.

Annie and Jimmy are kneeling with me now.

“Nat,” I say gently. “I’m sorry. We’ll help you put them back. We’ll make them just like before.” A fly lands on her cheek. Natalie doesn’t flinch. Annie shoos it away.

“Come on, Natalie, it’s okay.” Annie tries too. She makes her voice soothing and sweet.

But Natalie doesn’t move.

“Nat, we’ll be careful. It won’t happen again. Look! Birds, nine birds!” I point to one lone gull pecking the ground.

But she doesn’t look. And then Theresa skates over.

“Natalie,” Theresa commands, “it’s okay. I’m here now.”

But Natalie has gone away somewhere deep inside. Only her body is left, rolled up tight and completely still.

Theresa and I put her buttons back as best we can, arguing over where they should go. Annie shoos flies from Natalie. Jimmy keeps on building his machine, though every few minutes he adds another stone to Natalie’s pile.

We sit with her. Annie and Theresa, Jimmy and me. Keep her company wherever she’s gone.

That is the way my mom finds us when she gets off the boat, her music bag over her shoulder.

“Moose!” My mother looks at Natalie and then me. “What happened? What’s the matter?” She runs toward us.

“I don’t know, Mom. We . . . I . . . tipped over her buttons.”

“Why did you let her take them out?”

“I dunno.

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