excerpt
Only their ragged breath disturbed the stillness, breaths now visible on the frigid air.
Bobby was the first to break the silence. “Where’s Daddy? Has he gone away?”
Rachael looked at his upturned face, blotchy red with cold. Too heartsick to answer, she simply nodded her head.
Bobby’s features crumpled. “What we goin’ to do, Rachael? Where we goin’ now?” And then before she could answer, he whimpered, “I’m h …hungry.”
The boy’s questions seemed to galvanize Ronald into action. “We’ve gotta decide what to do. But first, you guys have to eat something. We gotta find a place to get outta the wind.”
Rachael looked at him. “What about you, Ronnie? You gotta eat, too.”
He glanced at the bag she carried. “I didn’t bring nothin’. Didn’t have time.”
“We have enough,” Rachael said. “We’ll share.”
“I ain’t goin’ to take your food.”
“You are so.” Rachael stamped her foot on the sidewalk. “An’ you’re not taking it; I’m giving it to you.” As if that settled things, she looked around. “Where are we gonna find shelter?”
Ronald hunched his shoulders and pulled his coat collar up. He looked back at the house.
“There’s an old shed behind your house, ain’t there?”
“Y …yes, where my dad keeps his tools an’ stuff. Why?”
Ronald lifted Bobby into his arms. “C’mon.” He set off towards the back lane.
“Wait,” Rachael hissed, “we can’t go back there. They’ll see us.” Nevertheless, she hurried to catch up to them.
“Not if we’re quiet, an’ they’re probably not even up yet. C’mon, there’s a board fence along the lane. Crouch down behind it until we get inside the yard, then run to the shed as fast as you can.”
She followed because she didn’t know what else to do. Her legs ached from cold and fatigue, but she kept up until they reached …
Libros Libertad 