Button Down by Anne Ylvisaker Read Free Book Online

the few old
Gazette
s Granddaddy had stacked by his fireplace for the past few balls, and this was the one he’d made out at Uncle Elmer’s farm the day he and G.O. spent out there staying out of the way of Harvey Moore and the Rowdies. This was the best one he’d ever had, thanks to G.O., and it had lasted nearly a couple of months. A real football cost more than eight dollars. Impossible.
    Gladdy held up Miss Lindy. “Bet you wish . . .”
    “Knock it off, Miss Lindy,” said Ned.

Ned and Gladdy peered through the screen door at Tugs’s house. It was a small house, so it didn’t take too many adults to make things crowded and hot. Granny was sitting in Uncle Robert’s chair, a rag on her forehead covering her eyes, and she was clutching Tugs’s hand.
    “Is she dead?” said Gladdy. “I thought they said it was Granddaddy.”
    “Is Granddaddy
dead
?” said Ned, a cold lump dropping into his chest. There were enough aunts and uncles for it to be a death in the family. Tugs saw Ned and Gladdy and gently pulled her hand out of Granny’s and set Granny’s hand on the armrest.
    At that, Granny yanked the rag off her face and sat up straight. Gladdy jumped.
    “Daddy is dead?” Granny shouted. “Nobody tells me anything!”
    “Nobody died,” sighed Mother. She turned and saw them then, too. “Where in tarnation have you been?”
    “There was a football game after school,” said Ned. “Where’s Granddaddy?”
    “Wish I had time to play games,” said Uncle Elmer. “But football isn’t going to bring in the wheat, now, is it? Football isn’t going to put food on my table. Isn’t going to put butter on the bread or . . .”
    “Come on,” said Tugs. “Let’s go outside.”
    Ned and Gladdy followed Tugs out to the front porch, where they sat side by side on the steps.
    “What’s happening?” Gladdy asked. “Betsy Ann wants me to come over before supper. Are we all staying here for supper? Is Granny dying?”
    “I’m not supposed to know,” said Tugs. “And I don’t know about supper. But I listened in. Granny’s just got nerves. Granddaddy had a spell down at the luncheonette today. The doctor was here and explained it all, and Granddaddy is resting on my bed. It’s Granddaddy’s heart, but it’ll work for a while, probably, the doctor says, depending. We’re supposed to treat him like everything is regular — only, make sure he doesn’t overdo.”
    “That doctor wouldn’t look a whit at me, and look at how I suffer!” they heard Granny hollering. “What will he say when I go before Daddy? Think he’ll believe me then?”
    “Maybe you should go in and hold her hand, Gladdy,” said Ned. “She likes Miss Lindy.”
    Gladdy hopped up and went inside.
    Tugs reached over and took Ned’s flattened ball from him.
    “Too bad,” she said.
    “Yep,” he said.
    “Want to make another one?”
    “Have you got newspaper?”
    “No, but Granddaddy’s always got something lying around. Just a minute.” Tugs got up. Her mother was standing just inside the door.
    “I could go straighten up at Granddaddy’s before he goes home,” said Tugs. “Ned says he’ll help.”
    “Oh!” said Aunt Corrine. “Is it . . . well, yes. Fine. Fine.”
    “Race you,” said Ned. “I’ll even give you a head start.”
    But Tugs had already started running and hollered back over her shoulder, “I don’t need a head start!”
    “Tugs!” Ned shouted. He chased her until she slowed down enough to let him catch up. All that wind burning in his lungs made Ned feel taller, faster, invincible.
    “He’s going to be OK, isn’t he, Tugs?”
    Tugs kicked a rock with her shoe and loped ahead to kick it again.
    “Sure,” she said.
    Ned stopped and just breathed long and deep. “He’ll be OK,” he said to himself, and ran on.

Ned stared out the classroom window. He glanced at the clock, then back out the window. If only Granddaddy would meander past the school like he sometimes did, pausing to talk to