Lost in the Tunnel of Time by Sharon M. Draper Read Free Book Online Page A

Dad. We’re all here, and we’re fine now. Afrika found us and saved us!”
    Then Rico’s mom shouted through the small sewer opening. He could tell she had been crying. “Rico! Are you there? Are you okay, baby?”
    Rico wasn’t even embarrassed to let the other boys know his mom called him baby. He had never heard anything more wonderful in his life. “I’m fine, Mama. We’re all okay, really!”
    â€œStand back, boys,” boomed Rashawn’s father. “Here comes the jackhammer. They’re going to open the sewer entrance so you can get out. This will be noisy, but it will only take a few minutes.”
    The pounding sound of the jackhammer breaking the steel and concrete of the sewer pipe rattled the boys to their bones. The silence when it stopped was sudden.
    â€œZiggy? You down there, boy?” Ziggy’s mom shouted with worry in her voice.
    â€œOh, my mum!” Ziggy cried with a whoop ofdelight. He was the first to crawl out of the sewer and up into the street.
    Jerome followed, with Rico and Rashawn right behind him. Jerome ran to his grandmother, hugged her with all his might, and finally broke down and cried. He even hugged his two little sisters.
    The boys looked around in amazement at the crowd of people who stood cheering and clapping as they climbed out of the sewer. Rico’s mother, Rashawn’s parents, Jerome’s grandmother, and Ziggy’s parents and uncles all hugged the boys, the worry on their faces replaced by joy.
    Rescue crews with large digging equipment, two fire trucks, several police cars, an ambulance, and a television news truck were assembled. Mr. Greene, Mr. Lyon, and Mrs. Powell stood together. Several students from their class at school were also there with their parents. Tiana smiled shyly at Rashawn. This time he smiled back.

WRAPPED IN BLANKETS AND SIPPING HOT CHOCO- late, the four friends sat in the back of an ambulance, a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Mr. Greene and Mrs. Powell walked over to the boys. On their faces was that look that grown-ups use when a kid is no longer in trouble—relieved, a little angry, but really glad that everybody is okay.
    â€œWhat got into you fellas? Ziggy, if I thought you boys were going to try to follow that map, I never would have loaned it to you,” scolded Mr. Greene.
    â€œWe were just going to look around a little, mon,” explained Ziggy, speaking very fast. “Then thedoor got stuck and we couldn’t get out, and we got scared, and we followed the map until the tunnel caved in!”
    â€œHow did you find us?” asked Rashawn.
    â€œAt first, when your parents started calling the school and your friends because the four of you weren’t home yet, we had no idea where you might be,” explained Mrs. Powell.
    â€œThen Tiana told your parents that she saw the four of you go backstage, but she didn’t remember seeing you come out. She thought that maybe you might be up to something.”
    â€œWhen Mrs. Powell called me to let me know that you boys were missing, I knew it had something to do with that map,” added Mr. Greene.
    â€œWe unjammed the trapdoor and followed your path until we got to the cave-in,” Mr. Lyon said with fear still in his voice. “That’s when everyone got really worried and we called the police and rescue crews.”
    â€œWe heard the ghost, Mrs. Powell,” Rico said quietly. “She’s real, and she lives down there. I think she must have been a real comfort to the escaped slaves hiding in the darkness.”

    â€œGhost?” Mrs. Powell replied with wonder. “That’s just an old story from long ago. You probably just heard the wind.”
    The four boys looked at one another and smiled. They knew that the whistling song they had heard was more than just wind. They had been touched by a voice from the past.
    â€œDid you find the bundle in the Underground