Crown Park Read Free

Taupo.
    He pulled out the book and
climbed into bed. If his parents weren’t here, then he would read
to himself, even though it was a little kid’s picture book.
    It took him some time because he
wasn’t a great reader, but when he had finished he felt better. He
turned out the light thinking of Magic’s adventurous world instead
of the problems in his own. As he dozed off, he wondered if cats
really did have dreams where they did wonderful things. Did
Chainsaw ever dream like Magic? Jack hoped so, because then someday
they might share a dream together.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Saturday morning Jack watched cartoons
on television. When they finished there was nothing to do at home
so he decided to go and find Chainsaw.
    That was a mistake. He’d only
gone a block when he met up with Liam Bennett swaggering along the
footpath. Alongside him was a bigger boy with the same thick body
and sneering smile.
    “Jack Spewit,” Liam cried. “Who
let you out?”
    Jack tried to walk away.
    “Hold it, Spewit,” said Liam,
grabbing Jack’s arm. “Don’t be rude. I want you to meet my brother
Brian.”
    “So this is the Spewit,” said
Brian. “The one that plays with the little kids.” He nudged Liam.
“I can see why you don’t let the little vomit play with you.”
    “You should come and watch us
play footy,” said Liam.
    “Yeah!” added Brian. “We could
use you as the ball.” Both brothers seemed to find this
hilarious.
    Again Jack went to move away.
This time they let him, but not before they’d yelled more insults
at him. Jack walked with his head down. A bad morning had just
become worse.
    It didn’t get any better when he
got to the takeaway shop. The place was closed and Chainsaw wasn’t
there. Jack decided to wait. There was nothing else to do.
    He sat with his back against the
corner of a fence, hidden in the shadows behind some bushes. His
mind was full of ugly thoughts. They started with the Bennett
brothers, but moved on to his parents and later to himself.
    Eventually, the sun climbed high
enough in the sky to shine into his corner. Its warmth put him to
sleep and for a while the ugly thoughts disappeared.
    When he woke, Chainsaw was
crouched beside him, kneading away at his leg. Jack put his hand on
the cat’s back and once again the sound of a chainsaw filled the
little backyard.
    They stayed like that for maybe
an hour. Neither seemed to want to break the spell. Jack certainly
didn’t. The only peace he felt these days was when he was with
Chainsaw. He wasn’t going to give that up easily. If only he could
find a way to be with him always.
    He’d already tried to take
Chainsaw home. One afternoon, he’d picked him up and headed off
down the road. But he’d only gone a short distance before the cat
went crazy, scratching his arms to get down. Jack didn’t see him
for three days after that.
    Jack now understood that if the
two of them were to be together then it would have to be on
Chainsaw’s terms. The cat would always do his own things. As if to
prove this, he got up, crawled out of the bushes and strolled off
along the driveway to the road. Jack followed him with his eyes,
disappointed that the magic had been broken.
    When Chainsaw got alongside the
front of the shop, he stopped, looked back and meowed. Jack
brightened. It was a clear invitation: “You can come with me if you
like.”
    It took Jack only seconds to
make a decision. He crawled out of the bushes in time to see
Chainsaw move out of sight along the footpath.
    By the time Jack reached the
front, Chainsaw was crossing the road, walking slowly, as if he had
all the rights. A car screeched to a stop, its wheels centimetres
from running him down. Jack gasped, but Chainsaw continued as if
nothing had happened. Jack waited until the car had gone before
crossing and following at a distance.
    After a while Chainsaw moved
from the road into a bushy gully at the back of Crown Park. Jack
went faster, worried that he might lose sight of him.