Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz

Author:Pat Schmatz [Schmatz, Pat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7951-4
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2015-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

I LEAVE THE PAVILION with Rasta but Machete calls me back, and I remember her kickshaw promise.

“What does she want?” Rasta asks.

“She’s giving me a kickshaw to help me sleep.”

“Don’t take it,” Rasta whispers. “At least not right away. You can save it for later.”

A half moon hovers over the treetops as comrades stream to the boys’ and girls’ sides. I go back to Machete while Rasta waits.

“How are you?” Machete asks.

“All right.”

“You cut your hair.”

“Yes.”

“Did it help?”

“Help what?”

Machete smiles, and puts a hand on my shoulder.

“Kivali, I admire your courage. I’ll get Katrina to trim that up for you tomorrow. Meanwhile, take this, and get some rest tonight.”

She hands me the kickshaw, and I put it in my pocket.

“I want to wait till I’m back in my slice,” I say. “I’ll take it there, when I’m alone. That way I can feel the community around me all night.”

I’m doing what Rasta wants and what Machete wants, both at the same time. Can’t get better than that — unless I can get Sully in on it, too. Machete nods and squeezes my shoulder.

“Good night,” she says. “I’ll expect you on regular schedule tomorrow, but please know that you can come to my office at any point. We can talk if you’d like, or you can have some alone time in the Quarry. Meanwhile, talk to your friends. Let them help you. And stay checked in with me. I’ll help you through this.”

I nod, and return to Rasta.

“Good job,” she says once we’re well away from Machete. “Now I think that you should give it to me.”

I put my hand in my pocket, and for a split second my fingers think they will find the komodo. Instead, they find the kickshaw, and the touch alone makes my mouth water.

“But I want it,” I say.

“I know. But maybe you can try the night without it. Just try. I won’t rip it up and bury it. If you really need it, pretend that you’re going to the privo, and whisper outside my slice, and I’ll give it to you. I promise.”

We skid down the steep part of the path and approach Rasta’s slice. There’s no one else I’d trust with a kickshaw, but I know that Rasta won’t take it. When we get to her pie, she holds out her hand. I hesitate.

“You’ll keep it for me, right? In case I change my mind?”

“Promise.”

She takes it and holds up her other hand. We touch fingertips, and I walk back to my slice with crow feathers wrapped around me. I stop at Sully’s door and whisper-call.

“Hey, Sully.”

“Hey, Lizard. You okay?”

I want her to come out and look deep into my eyes and ask again. I want her to pull answers out of me, to find all that I’m hiding from myself. The chirp of tree frogs carries on the dense, humid air.

“Yes,” I finally say.

“Good.”

I wait. She doesn’t come out. I want the kickshaw. I turn back toward Rasta’s pie and almost knock into Nona.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.