The Holiday Visitor. Tara Taylor Quinn

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СКАЧАТЬ only want to write if you do. But if you do, I do, too.

      Sincerely,

      Marybeth Lawson

      P.S. I turn thirteen in January. I’m the youngest in my class because I started kindergarten early.

       Tuesday, September 15, 1992

      Dear Marybeth,

      Okay, yeah, I want to. What classes are you taking? I have shop. I like it. I make things out of metal. Right now I’m working on a shelf for the bathroom wall for my mom’s birthday. There’s no medicine cabinet in there. We just moved and the place isn’t all that great. I have art, too, and that’s cool. English and the rest of that stuff I’m not so good at. I get okay grades, I just don’t like ‘em. Like who’s ever going to need to know that that Shakespeare dude wrote about some guy who killed a king to be king and then had his wife commit suicide and then was beheaded? What kind of crap is that?

      Sorry. You probably like that stuff.

      Later,

      James

       Friday, September 18, 1992

      Dear James,

      I can’t believe you’re reading Shakespeare, too! In our school it’s only the advanced classes who get it in eighth grade. I didn’t much like Macbeth, either, but I loved Romeo and Juliet. They were almost our age. Not that that means anything. I wouldn’t be in love if they paid me a million dollars. I just liked that they were such good friends that they would die for each other. Someday I want to have a friend like that. (I can tell you that because you’re just a piece of paper in another city and I’ll never have to meet you or anything. That’s what they said in counseling.) You’re in counseling, too, right? So your mom lived? You’re very lucky.

      Write back soon,

      Marybeth Lawson

       Thursday, September 24, 1992

      Marybeth,

      Yeah, I’m in counseling just like you, but I don’t like it much. And yes, my mom is alive. It’s just me and her. I have to watch out for her, ‘cause I’m all she’s got. But, in case you’re wondering, I’m pretty good at watching out so if you ever need to say something, go ahead. I won’t make nothing of it. I could kinda be your good friend from far away, if you want. If you think that’s corny then just forget I said it. I’m sorry your mom died.

      Write back if you want,

      James

       Saturday, September 26, 1992.

      Dear James,

      I just got your letter. It’s been over a week and I thought you weren’t going to write back. I don’t think what you said is corny at all. Why don’t you like counseling? I think it’s okay, it just doesn’t seem to change anything. They say talking makes it better, but it doesn’t. I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to forget it. My dad quit already. He didn’t like it, either. But he won’t let me quit, yet. He’s a great guy. I love him a lot. He can’t help that he’s so quiet and sad all the time now. I’m all he’s got, too, and I try my best to take care of him. I’ve learned to cook some stuff pretty good, and I already knew how to clean. I ruined some of his white shirts in the wash but he didn’t yell or anything. He just told me not to cry and went out and got more. He was always good that way. In the olden days he would’ve given me a hug, but we don’t do that around here anymore. Does your mom? Sorry, you don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.

      School’s okay. I was in cheerleading last year but dropped out this year. I’m doing gymnastics, though. I got my back handspring. I used to be too chicken, but I’m not any more. My coach says that I could probably compete in high school if I want to. I don’t know if I want to. My dad wouldn’t have the time to come see meets any way.

      I like English. And math. Home ec is dumb. I already do all that stuff. But it’s a required class to pass eighth grade so my dad said to just try to find something to like about it. I tried, but so far, nothing.

      My dad’s a manager of a company that makes computer parts. He golfs a lot. What does your mom do?

      Write back soon,

      Marybeth

       Tuesday, September 29, 1992

      Marybeth,

      I came home from school today all bummed out ‘cause I didn’t make the baseball team and it was cool to have your letter here. I didn’t reallywant to play baseball anyway. I like basketball better. I played that in my old school. But we just moved here to Colorado and I missed basketball tryouts. My mom says maybe next year. Your address says Santa Barbara, California. I looked it up on a map and it looks like it’s right on the ocean. That’s cool. I’d like to live on the ocean. My mom said it’s a little town, not all rough and stuff like Los Angeles is on TV. I hope so and that you can be safe there.

      My mom’s a teacher. This year she has third grade. It’s pretty cool. She likes kids and they seem to dig her pretty much, for a teacher and all.

      Well, gotta go. Keep writing.

      James Malone

      P.S. Yeah, my mom hugs a lot—kinda too much but I don’t really mind. I’d only ever tell you that, though, ‘cause anyone else’d think I was a sissy or something. Sorry ‘bout your dad.

      P.S.S. If you want to talk about what happened to your mom, that’s okay. Remember I’m just sorta a piece of paper.

       Saturday, October 3, 1992

      Dear James,

      I’m sorry you didn’t make the baseball team but I think baseball’s boring. Guys just stand around while one or two throw and try to hit the ball and then there’s a lot more standing around and stuff. Once in a while something exciting happens, like the time last month when that Brett guy from Kansas got his 3000th hit. They were playing my dad’s team, the Angels, so I heard all the cheering. Anyway that kinda stuff only happens once in a while. My dad’s really into sports. He watches them all the time now that Mom’s gone. Mostly I hate them. Basketball’s okay, though. It’s fast.

      No, I don’t want to talk about my mom. I just want to forget. But it was nice of you to ask.

      Santa Barbara’s cool. I used to love it here. I wanted to move after what happened, but Dad couldn’t because of his job and anyway, it wasn’t like moving was going to make the memories go away. You got to, though, huh? That’s cool. Sometimes I think life would be so much better if I were someplace where no one knew me or about what happened. I hate that kids at school sometimes look at me strange because they know. Like they feel sorry for me but no one talks to me. My dad says it’s because they don’t know what to say.

      I used to have a best friend, Cara Williams, but she’s hanging with some other kids now. I think I made her feel too weird ‘cause I cried a lot in the beginning. I don’t cry at all anymore. She still invites me to stuff, but I think it’s ‘cause her mother makes her. Anyway, she’s still nice. I just don’t want to be best friends anymore. I have to СКАЧАТЬ