Serendipity and Me (9781101602805) by Judith Roth Read Free Book Online Page A

cry.
    Â 
    We were a family once.
    Here is the proof I remember—
    Mom with a garland of flowers in her hair
    gazing up at Dad
in their wedding photo.
    Sun-soft Mom cradling baby me.
    Bright-eyed Dad with toddler me
    on his shoulders.
    So many smiles.
    Â 
    I can’t stop looking.
    Â 
    I hear Dad come into the house.
    My alibi is ready.
    I needed it for school.
    Â 
    But he doesn’t come to my room.
    Â 
    I decide I will hide the box here
    so I can keep looking.
    Â 
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    Dad has dinner ready
    soon after he gets home.
    Â 
    When he calls
    I pluck out one picture
    and shove the box
    in my closet
    Â 
    almost a mirror
    of where he’d hidden it.
    Â 
    I hear a bump behind me
    and back out quick
    heart thumping
    Â 
    but it was only Serendipity
    knocking three paperbacks
    off my bookshelf.
    Â 
    I slip the picture
    into my social studies book.
    Â 
    King Tut looks at me
    from the cover
    slyly keeping mum.
    Â 
    Our family is finally
    out of the box
    Â 
    ready to see the world.
    Â 
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    I open a new milk jug
    to pour our drinks for dinner.
    Â 
    The plastic ring that sealed the lid
    pops off and rolls on the ground
    Â 
    a sudden thrill for Serendipity.
    Â 
    She chases
    she pounces
    she swats and sends it flying.
    She races
    she bounces
    she puts on a tumbling show.
    Â 
    After a while she calms down
    picks up the circle in her teeth
    and carries it off.
    Â 
    I look at Dad
    to see his reaction.
    Â 
    He has just turned back to the stove
    but not quickly enough to hide it:
    Â 
    a tiny grin tilting
    the corner of his mouth.
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    Dad puts the pot of tomato soup
    in the middle of the table
    with a plate of grilled cheese sandwiches.
    Â 
    While he ladles the soup into our bowls
    I consider.
    I’m torn between asking
    once and for all
    why no cats are allowed
    Â 
    torn between that
    and getting Dad to fall in love
    with Serendipity.
    Â 
    I decide it’s smarter
    to go with love.
    Â 
    Serendipity is intrigued
    by the smell of cheese
    and jumps onto an empty chair
    then onto the table.
    Â 
    Plan already foiled.
    Â 
    Dad stands to grab the kitten
    but she freaks at his sudden move
    and tears off the table
    and out of the room.
    Â 
    Dad just looks at me
    Â 
    and shakes his head.
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    Luckily it’s my turn
    to do the dishes.
    Â 
    I’m right near the phone when it rings.
    Â 
    The voice is tentative.
    You don’t by any chance
    have a kitten
    you’re trying to get rid of,
    do you?
    Â 
    I’m not lying when I say No.
    Â 
    Sorry.           I saw this flyer and called
    and the number on it was wrong
    and I thought maybe I saw where
    the mistake was. . . .
    Â 
    She apologizes again
    and I say it’s all right.
    Â 
    But it’s not.
    Â 
    What if someone else
    is smart enough to figure it out
    and Dad answers?
    Â 
    Dad calls from his study.
    Who was that?
    Â 
    Just Taylor, I lie.
    Â 
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    Bedtime has become
    much more fun
    since Serendipity arrived.
    Â 
    She thinks my feet
    are small animals
    burrowing under the covers
    like moles under the lawn.
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    It is her job
    to stop the moles
    to pounce on the moles
    to wrestle the moles
    until
    they are too afraid
    to move.
    Â 
    She does her job well.
    Â 
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    Miss Conglin tells us to put our photos
    at the top of our desks.
    Before we start writing
    she lets us walk around
    and see everyone else’s pictures.
    Â 
    Garrett’s family must like camping.
    He and his little sisters and parents
    are messing around in front of a tent.
    Â 
    Walking further
    I see I am not the only one
    with a broken family.
    Â 
    I forgot how Breanna lives alone
    with her grandmother.
    Â 
    Giselle’s pictures
    show two different houses
    her mom in one
    her dad in the other.
    Â 
    Jaime has a shot
    of him and his dad
    before his dad was deported.
    Â 
    I guess all families
    have some kind of