Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker

Author:Sara Pennypacker [Pennypacker, Sara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781423198604
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Published: 2012-06-19T00:00:00+00:00

“Everything’s changing,” I said after a while. “Cabbage is tall now. He’s having a talking spurt. Margaret is a makeup fiend, and she’s trying to move to California. We’re going to be five and not four anymore, but we’re out of rooms. And I’m stuck with Waylon for a partner in science.”

“You’re right,” my dad said. “Things are changing. We can’t help that. It’s life. But I’m confused about Waylon. Didn’t you tell me last week you felt lucky that you’d gotten him for a partner?”

“That was last week. Before I found out.”

“Before you found out what?”

“That he wants to walk through a wall.”

“Excuse me?”

“Exactly,” I said.

I chewed my gum for a while, then I explained the whole situation to him.

“And you don’t believe in superpowers,” my dad said when I finished.

I looked at him. “Well…I don’t know about that. But I don’t believe Waylon has any.”

“That’s a tough one,” said my dad. “You don’t think there’s a science project there, but you don’t want to hurt his feelings. I wish I could think of something to help.”

I leaned up against my dad and we chewed our gum for a while, until I realized I felt better. That is the miracle about gum. “Hey, Dad,” I said, side-smiling at him. “You know what might help? If I could wear your tool belt…”

My dad side-smiled back. “Oh, too bad. It’s in the vault. I have to keep it locked up because it’s so special. That tool belt was given to me by the President of the United States in appreciation for my lifelong service to this country.”

“Dad.”

“Seriously. It was in the Oval Office. I wore a tux.”

“Dad. It was in Hardware Depot. Aisle seven. You wore your raggedy green pants.”

“Oh right,” my dad said. “I can’t believe your mother let me wear those pants out of the house.”

“So where is it, really?”

“Really? Well, really, your Uncle Frank was here this morning. He’s putting up some shelves in his kitchen, and I let him borrow it.”

I jumped up and spit my gum out onto the back of my hand. “Dad! You let Uncle Frank borrow it? But you never even let me touch it!”

My dad got up, too. “Clementine, what is the deal with my tool belt? I’ve never seen you so obsessed.”

“It’s just…it’s just…” I said, trying to figure it out myself. “It looks so cool and it’s got all your tools, and if I wore it, I could build something anytime I wanted.”

“And you want to build something?”

“Yes! Of course!”

My dad looked at me like he was seeing a new person. “I didn’t know that about you,” he said at last.

“Well, I didn’t know it, either,” I admitted. “Until I saw that tool belt.”

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