The Minnow by Diana Sweeney Read Free Book Online Page A

passing.’
    â€˜Yeah, whatever,’ he says.
    I almost don’t want to leave; he is such a complete tosser.

On Saturday morning, Mr Wo and Jonah drive all the way to West Wrestler to visit me and the Minnow. Jonah promised to bring my thesaurus and dictionary and Mr Wo is bringing me some schoolwork.
    Jonah arrives first; Mr Wo has stopped at the cafeteria.
    I wish Mr Wo hadn’t asked me to call him James. Do I call him Mr Wo when he is visiting as my teacher? It’s starting to do my head in.
    I ask Jonah about it and he tells me he only refers to James as Mr Wo on school property. I smell something fishy.
    â€˜On school property?’ I reply in a singsong voice.
    â€˜Don’t be annoying, Tom.’
    â€˜Hi, Tom,’ interrupts James Wo. James Wo : much better.
    Neither of us heard him arrive. ‘The doctor tells me you’ll be here for a few weeks,’ he says as he leans down and drops his bag on the floor.
    â€˜So,’ he continues, pushing at the bag with his foot, ‘I took the liberty of bringing some extra work.’
    Jonah and I sit quietly. James Wo drinks his coffee. Jonah divides his time between staring out the window and staring at James Wo. Eventually James Wo pulls a chair next to my bed and talks me through each assignment. It takes about half an hour to explain everything.
    He says that language is one of my strengths, so some of the tasks are aimed at broadening my skills. That, he says, will be the fun part. The rest is revision, plain and simple. He has designed a lesson plan to catch-me-up with the aim of entering year ten (with a baby in tow).
    What did he say? The Minnow at high school? Is he high? I raise an eyebrow across to Jonah. He rolls his eyes back at me. ‘You two finished?’ asks James Wo, looking back and forth. Jonah’s face turns red.
    â€˜Sorry,’ I say. Jonah can’t speak.
    â€˜Well, I think that’s about it,’ says James Wo, ‘unless you have any questions.’
    Yes, I’d like to know how my school’s going to cope when I turn up with a baby. But instead I ask, ‘Why does my thesaurus omit particular words?’
    â€˜Give me an example.’
    â€˜Repetoire,’ I say, ‘and there are others.’
    James Wo smiles at me. I think he finds me amusing.
    â€˜I could compile a list.’
    â€˜You could, indeed,’ says James Wo. He stands to leave. ‘I’m going into town for a few hours,’ he says to Jonah and me. ‘Apparently West Wrestler has a fantastic library. I’ll be back at about three o’clock. That should give the two of you time to catch up.’
    He takes a small card from his pocket and tucks it into the side of one of the books that he’s piled up on the table next to the bed. ‘That’s my mobile, if you need me. Otherwise, see you at three.’ James Wo smiles, and he and his pretty face turn and leave.
    It’s quiet. Just me and Jonah. The Minnow has been asleep for what seems like days. I pat the bed.
    â€˜C’mon, Jonah, time to talk.’
    Bill’s truck is a twin-cab. He and I are up front and Paul Bunter and Jacko Davis are in the back. The four of us are driving up north to Minbayon Falls. Everyone goes there to fish for blue swimmer crabs, but the road is so bumpy that if I didn’t have my seatbelt on tight, I’d have banged my head on the roof or the window, or both. As it is, I have one hand braced against the dash and I’m gripping the edge of the seat with the other. The drive to Minbayon Falls is never fun.
    â€˜You see that new fella in town, Tuesday?’ yells Paul over the racket. I never bother talking to Bill while he’s driving, mostly because he never bothers to answer me. But he’ll answer Paul.
    â€˜Nup,’ says Bill, ‘but I heard he was sniffing around.’
    Sniffing around. Bill’s term for any unwelcome male and, as far as I can tell, they’re