never heard spoken and talked about dinosaurs and starsand planets with the confidence of a scientist, but at the same time he was ignorant of really ordinary things like bologna. And the stories he told! He was absolutely the biggest liar she had ever met, and that included Kay-Kay, who had told some whoppers.
She set the plate on the stoop in the carport shade. “Go ahead. Try it.”
“We never had plain white bread at our house,” he said, sitting on the step.
Now she knew he was a liar.
“My mom said it wasn’t nourishing.”
“Well, pardon me.” Madora tried to grab the sandwich back, but Django had already taken a big bite. He took another, chewing with his mouth open, the sandwich going around like clothes in the washing machine. His grin said thanks for lunch and dared her to get after him for bad manners. A bicolor blob of mustard and mayo squatted on his lower lip.
“You are disgusting,” she said and sat on the cement step beside him. Across the cul-de-sac a roadrunner scampered up the trail. Even if Django was the king of the liars, he was better company than Linda, who was getting meaner every day. But having him around was dangerous and she could not completely relax. Willis wasn’t expected home for hours, but still, if there was an emergency and he showed up unexpectedly… As she and Django bantered back and forth, she was always listening for the sound of the Tahoe on the gravel road.
Madora had seen Willis lose his temper once when they lived a couple of months in Great Falls, Oregon, just a wide spot in the road, really, but greener than anywhere she had lived before. He worked as a mechanic until he was falsely accused of harassing the owner’s daughter. Willis told the boss to go fuck himself and his bitch daughter too; and on the way out of town before sunup, he threw a wrench through one of the garage windows. His rage lasted all day and he drove like a crazy man, twenty miles over the speed limit down twisting mountain roads. If he knew about Django, Willis would tear into both of them.
“You shouldn’t be here. Willis wouldn’t like it.”
He shrugged. “My mom and dad are dead. Their car got hit.”
He had told her this before. She wondered if he had to keep saying it to convince himself.
She said, “My dad’s dead too.”
“Did it happen in his car?”
“He shot himself.”
“How come?”
“It was my mom’s fault,” she said. “She didn’t keep him happy.”
Django stopped chewing and gaped at her with a look of disgust. “That’s cracked.”
“But it’s true.”
“Get out. He’s the one who pulled the trigger.” Django put two fingers to his temple and made a click sound. “No one made him do it.”
“He loved her and he trusted her and she let him down.”
“How?”
“How should I know? She just did. And when that happens it’s the same as putting a bullet to a man’s head.”
“Who told you that shit? Willis?”
“Don’t cuss.”
“He doesn’t know everything.”
“And you do?”
“I have a genius IQ. I took a test.”
“So does Willis, probably. He’s really smart. Not with books, like you, but he knows stuff.”
“Have you got any Coke?”
“Willis says it’s not healthy.”
“It’s okay if you don’t drink, like, a gallon a day.”
He ate a second sandwich and fed a crust to Foo. “I like this bologna. Thanks. Were you going to eat all these yourself?”
“No, I made ’em for the dog.” She flipped him the bird.
He laughed and gave it right back to her. “How old are you anyway?”
“Old enough to know better.”
“Better than what?”
“Better than let you hang around here all day.” She picked a bit of lettuce out from between her teeth. “If Willis finds out—”
“How come you’re scared of him?”
“I’m not.”
“Liar.”
“He doesn’t like strangers.”
“He knows me.”
“You met him one time. That’s not the same as knowing someone.”
“If he knew me better, I
She set the plate on the stoop in the carport shade. “Go ahead. Try it.”
“We never had plain white bread at our house,” he said, sitting on the step.
Now she knew he was a liar.
“My mom said it wasn’t nourishing.”
“Well, pardon me.” Madora tried to grab the sandwich back, but Django had already taken a big bite. He took another, chewing with his mouth open, the sandwich going around like clothes in the washing machine. His grin said thanks for lunch and dared her to get after him for bad manners. A bicolor blob of mustard and mayo squatted on his lower lip.
“You are disgusting,” she said and sat on the cement step beside him. Across the cul-de-sac a roadrunner scampered up the trail. Even if Django was the king of the liars, he was better company than Linda, who was getting meaner every day. But having him around was dangerous and she could not completely relax. Willis wasn’t expected home for hours, but still, if there was an emergency and he showed up unexpectedly… As she and Django bantered back and forth, she was always listening for the sound of the Tahoe on the gravel road.
Madora had seen Willis lose his temper once when they lived a couple of months in Great Falls, Oregon, just a wide spot in the road, really, but greener than anywhere she had lived before. He worked as a mechanic until he was falsely accused of harassing the owner’s daughter. Willis told the boss to go fuck himself and his bitch daughter too; and on the way out of town before sunup, he threw a wrench through one of the garage windows. His rage lasted all day and he drove like a crazy man, twenty miles over the speed limit down twisting mountain roads. If he knew about Django, Willis would tear into both of them.
“You shouldn’t be here. Willis wouldn’t like it.”
He shrugged. “My mom and dad are dead. Their car got hit.”
He had told her this before. She wondered if he had to keep saying it to convince himself.
She said, “My dad’s dead too.”
“Did it happen in his car?”
“He shot himself.”
“How come?”
“It was my mom’s fault,” she said. “She didn’t keep him happy.”
Django stopped chewing and gaped at her with a look of disgust. “That’s cracked.”
“But it’s true.”
“Get out. He’s the one who pulled the trigger.” Django put two fingers to his temple and made a click sound. “No one made him do it.”
“He loved her and he trusted her and she let him down.”
“How?”
“How should I know? She just did. And when that happens it’s the same as putting a bullet to a man’s head.”
“Who told you that shit? Willis?”
“Don’t cuss.”
“He doesn’t know everything.”
“And you do?”
“I have a genius IQ. I took a test.”
“So does Willis, probably. He’s really smart. Not with books, like you, but he knows stuff.”
“Have you got any Coke?”
“Willis says it’s not healthy.”
“It’s okay if you don’t drink, like, a gallon a day.”
He ate a second sandwich and fed a crust to Foo. “I like this bologna. Thanks. Were you going to eat all these yourself?”
“No, I made ’em for the dog.” She flipped him the bird.
He laughed and gave it right back to her. “How old are you anyway?”
“Old enough to know better.”
“Better than what?”
“Better than let you hang around here all day.” She picked a bit of lettuce out from between her teeth. “If Willis finds out—”
“How come you’re scared of him?”
“I’m not.”
“Liar.”
“He doesn’t like strangers.”
“He knows me.”
“You met him one time. That’s not the same as knowing someone.”
“If he knew me better, I
Similar Books
