Home Alone 2 by Todd Strasser Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Todd Strasser
cents."
Kevin opened the brown travel bag, found the envelope of cash, and pulled out two $20 bills.
"Oh, my," the man said, staring at the envelope. "Where did you get all that money?"
"I have a lot of grandmothers," Kevin said. He decided it might be best to change the subject. "You know, you have a really nice store here. One of the finest toy dealerships I've ever visited."
"Thank you," the man said with a smile.
Kevin wasn't sure why, but he felt comfortable talking to him, which wasn't always the case with grown-ups. "This Mr. Duncan must be a pretty nice guy to let kids come in his store and play with the toys. Most toy stores prohibit that."
"Well, he loves kids," the man said as he placed Kevin's toys in a bag. "Actually, he's going to donate all the money the store makes today to the Children's Hospital."
"Tonight?" Kevin asked. "Like on Christmas Eve?"
"It's not possible tonight," the man said. "He'll leave the money here in the store and take it to the hospital the day after Christmas."
"That's very generous of him," Kevin said.
"Children bring him a lot of joy," the man said. "As they do for anyone who appreciates them."
The thought of sick children in the Children's Hospital really tugged at Kevin's sense of Christmas spirit. He opened the envelope again and took out another $20 bill.
"I'm not supposed to spend this money," he said, giving it to the man, "but I have twenty dollars from shoveling snow and I can pay my mother back with that. So you can give this to Mr. Duncan. The hospital needs it more than me because I'll probably just spend it on stuff that rots my teeth and my mind."
"That's very sweet of you," the man said. He turned and pointed to a miniature Christmas tree adorned with small ceramic figurines from "The Twelve Days of Christmas." "In appreciation of your generosity, I'm going to let you select an object from that tree."
"For free?" Kevin was amazed.
"Absolutely," the man said with a smile. "And may I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Take the two turtledoves."
"Both of them?" Kevin was doubly surprised.
The man nodded. "I'll tell you why. You should keep one and give the other to a person who's very special to you. Turtledoves are a symbol of friendship and love. So long as the two of you have your turtledoves, you'll be friends no matter how far away you might be. Even if you never see each other again, you'll still be friends."
"Wow." Kevin took both turtledoves from the tree. "I thought they were just part of a song."
"They are," the man said. "And for good reason.
"Gee, thanks." Kevin slipped the ornaments into his pocket and picked up his bag of toys.
"Merry Christmas," the man said.
"Merry Christmas to you, too." Kevin zipped up his coat. "And be sure and bundle up when you go outside. It's a little nippy."
The man waved and Kevin turned to go. As he got to the front door, he looked up and noticed a framed portrait on the wall. The white-haired man in the portrait looked exactly like the man he'd just spoken to. Under the portrait was a small gold plaque which said: E. F. Duncan, founder . Kevin looked back at the cash register, but the man was gone.
He looked back up at the portrait in wonder. Was the man he'd just spoken to E. F. Duncan?
December 24
New York City
3:15 P.M.
As Harry and Marv pushed through the doors of Duncan's Toy Chest and out onto the sidewalk, Harry suddenly stopped and shaded his eyes from the bright mid-winter sun. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"
"You've seen traffic before," Marv said. "They call it holiday congestion."
"No, you idiot. Him! " Harry pointed at Kevin, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of them, concentrating on his street map of the city.
"It can't be!" Marv gasped. "I must be seeing things!"
"No, you ain't," Harry said, a nasty smile growing on his lips. "I thought I saw him before. Amazing ain't it? We escape from prison and come all the way to New York and who do we run into? The kid who put us in the
Kevin opened the brown travel bag, found the envelope of cash, and pulled out two $20 bills.
"Oh, my," the man said, staring at the envelope. "Where did you get all that money?"
"I have a lot of grandmothers," Kevin said. He decided it might be best to change the subject. "You know, you have a really nice store here. One of the finest toy dealerships I've ever visited."
"Thank you," the man said with a smile.
Kevin wasn't sure why, but he felt comfortable talking to him, which wasn't always the case with grown-ups. "This Mr. Duncan must be a pretty nice guy to let kids come in his store and play with the toys. Most toy stores prohibit that."
"Well, he loves kids," the man said as he placed Kevin's toys in a bag. "Actually, he's going to donate all the money the store makes today to the Children's Hospital."
"Tonight?" Kevin asked. "Like on Christmas Eve?"
"It's not possible tonight," the man said. "He'll leave the money here in the store and take it to the hospital the day after Christmas."
"That's very generous of him," Kevin said.
"Children bring him a lot of joy," the man said. "As they do for anyone who appreciates them."
The thought of sick children in the Children's Hospital really tugged at Kevin's sense of Christmas spirit. He opened the envelope again and took out another $20 bill.
"I'm not supposed to spend this money," he said, giving it to the man, "but I have twenty dollars from shoveling snow and I can pay my mother back with that. So you can give this to Mr. Duncan. The hospital needs it more than me because I'll probably just spend it on stuff that rots my teeth and my mind."
"That's very sweet of you," the man said. He turned and pointed to a miniature Christmas tree adorned with small ceramic figurines from "The Twelve Days of Christmas." "In appreciation of your generosity, I'm going to let you select an object from that tree."
"For free?" Kevin was amazed.
"Absolutely," the man said with a smile. "And may I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Take the two turtledoves."
"Both of them?" Kevin was doubly surprised.
The man nodded. "I'll tell you why. You should keep one and give the other to a person who's very special to you. Turtledoves are a symbol of friendship and love. So long as the two of you have your turtledoves, you'll be friends no matter how far away you might be. Even if you never see each other again, you'll still be friends."
"Wow." Kevin took both turtledoves from the tree. "I thought they were just part of a song."
"They are," the man said. "And for good reason.
"Gee, thanks." Kevin slipped the ornaments into his pocket and picked up his bag of toys.
"Merry Christmas," the man said.
"Merry Christmas to you, too." Kevin zipped up his coat. "And be sure and bundle up when you go outside. It's a little nippy."
The man waved and Kevin turned to go. As he got to the front door, he looked up and noticed a framed portrait on the wall. The white-haired man in the portrait looked exactly like the man he'd just spoken to. Under the portrait was a small gold plaque which said: E. F. Duncan, founder . Kevin looked back at the cash register, but the man was gone.
He looked back up at the portrait in wonder. Was the man he'd just spoken to E. F. Duncan?
December 24
New York City
3:15 P.M.
As Harry and Marv pushed through the doors of Duncan's Toy Chest and out onto the sidewalk, Harry suddenly stopped and shaded his eyes from the bright mid-winter sun. "I don't believe what I'm seeing!"
"You've seen traffic before," Marv said. "They call it holiday congestion."
"No, you idiot. Him! " Harry pointed at Kevin, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of them, concentrating on his street map of the city.
"It can't be!" Marv gasped. "I must be seeing things!"
"No, you ain't," Harry said, a nasty smile growing on his lips. "I thought I saw him before. Amazing ain't it? We escape from prison and come all the way to New York and who do we run into? The kid who put us in the
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