Stealing Flowers Read Free Page B

Sally, I could purify myself further. Jesus had
sent Sally to me.
    All of this must have jumped to my face or
something, and Una pounced on me. She took my hand and squeezed it
not so gently. “Well, Mr. Christian, my full-grown child, ” she
said, “just don’t be wagging your tail yet. The nice people at
Carling Street would be happy to get rid of you, and I can see why,
but I think that the poor Tappets would be fools to take you in.
They feel obliged and I don’t see it that way at all. It was just
an accident. Bryce didn’t mean to hit you so hard.” With her other
hand on my chin, she forced me to look at her. “Is there the devil
in you?” she asked.
    Fear jumped to my face. I shook my head so
vigorously it caused her to let out a loud laugh. She stared at me
for the longest time until I tore my eyes away and looked up at
Stan for mercy. To my utter surprise, he shrugged. I saw she’d the
power over me, and not he. I didn’t have power at all. I was
furious that I misread the whole situation so poorly.
    I abruptly saw Una’s power then. It was
brilliantly disguised. So mysterious and extraordinary as to be
frightful, and at this point, totally camouflaged and unknowable by
someone my age. What force she served, I couldn’t see, yet I knew
she’d been the one who was responsible for Sally’s upbringing, the
one who would be responsible for me. Perhaps it was she and not
Sally who would be my earthly guide as Jesus had promised. But
whatever her standing and who ever she served, I could clearly see
I had absolutely no power over her and that she could stop
everything this instant with just a remark.
    “The Tappet family wishes to adopt you,
Christian,” Mr. Drury said from the foot of my bed as though coming
to my rescue. “Mrs. Abbibas and I feel it is an excellent
opportunity for you. We strongly recommend it. Nothing stands in
the way of an expeditious agreement. We already spoke to Carling
Street. You could be in your new home today. All we need is your
agreement.”
    I looked at Stan and perhaps said one of the
most disingenuous statements, and there have been many in my time
as a son to him, with a wild-eyed smile on my face.
    “You will become my father?” I asked in
wonder.
    He returned the smile completely taken in,
but Una spoke up again.
    “Mr. Tappet is a very busy man, my
full-grown child,” she said staring at me again. “He invents
things, and all over the world, he works for a better place. He’ll
have time for none of your nonsense. I can assure you of that. I’ll
be looking after you, mostly, so, think twice before you say yes to
this. It’ll be no picnic.”
    Though her eyes remained playful, I didn’t
doubt her words for a second. She was truly neutral to my coming
into her life. I could see it clearly. Her love would be
conditional. I’d never be able to work my charm on her as I would
others. I guessed that she didn’t really want the extra
responsibility. I don’t think it was even personal, but she seemed
to see through my mask so quickly and perhaps was afraid I was a
bad person. Or maybe she had a bad premonition of what my arrival
meant, of the calamities that would unfold.
    I seriously thought about refusing it, but
with the dream and everything, how could I? I put away the smile
and hung my head. “I’ll be a good son to you, Mr. Tappet,” I
promised.
    This got everything going and even Una
agreed it could be fun. When they left, I dressed into clothes Mrs.
Abbibas had brought from Carling Street. In the washroom, I peeled
back the bandages and was surprised to see that my head held twenty
or so stitches, but it didn’t look as bad as it felt. Mr. Drury
waited out in the hall, having agreed to take me back to pack up
and sign some papers.
    “Are you ready?” he asked when I stepped out
into the corridor. I could see some of the anguish in his eyes had
been alleviated by my good fortune. I felt fine and kept up to him
with no problem. Looking back, I saw I