The Buried Book Read Free Page A

into a glass. “Do we have to discuss this every time? You know Galatas is constantly sending me out on errands. I had to go to the warehouse.”
    “Why is that? Why’s he got so many errands for you, huh?”
    His mother sighed. “Because I do a good job. Why is that so hard for you to believe?”
    “I’ll tell you why! I don’t like the way that man looks at you!”
    “Don’t be ridiculous.”
    “I don’t trust him, Althea! The way I heard it, he’s runnin’ more than numbers out of that joint.”
    “Jesus, Wendell! There you go listenin’ to gossip again. Tell those boys down at the plant to mind their own damned business! Ain’t nothin’ coming out of the warehouse but butter and cream. Alright?”
    There was a heavy pause. The next time his father spoke, he sounded beaten. “How many nights is Jasper gonna be left alone like this?”
    “He wasn’t alone . . . He was downstairs with Mrs. Carbo.” A glass hit the counter. “I hate it when you do this. You know I’d rather be here with him, but what am I supposed to say to my boss?”
    “You should’ve said no.”
    “I can’t just say no to Galatas, and you know it! Besides . . . we need the money.”
    His father let out a long hiss of air, and his voice grew almost too quiet to hear. “This isn’t just about money. I can’t—I can’t live like this.” A moment later, the front door opened and then clicked shut.
    The sound of it hollowed Jasper out. He tried to shout after him, Dad! Don’t go!
    The next thing he knew, he was falling down a long dark tunnel. DAD!
    Jasper startled awake. It took him several breaths with his heart hammering his ribs to recognize where he’d landed. He was in Wayne’s small bed behind the thin curtain. He exhaled in relief. Then he realized his pajamas were wet.
    No! He leapt out of bed, banging his elbow on the small chest of drawers under the window. He stifled a yelp and checked Wayne’s face. The older boy snored and rolled over. The only other sound was the wind whistling through the trees outside. On the other side of the wavy window glass, the eastern sky was just starting to glow at the edges. Everyone would be awake soon.
    Jasper felt the sheet and blanket where he’d lain. There was only one small wet spot. He put his pillow over it. He’d try to clean it later when no one was watching. He stripped off his pajamas and wiped down his legs with them. He couldn’t let Wayne know what he’d done. He’d rather die than have his cousin think he was some baby. He balled up the pajamas and searched for a place to hide them. There was barely space to turn around in his cousin’s makeshift bedroom. It was the length of the bed and only wide enough for the mattress and the small chest of drawers that held Wayne’s clothes. Jasper’s suitcase sat on top.
    A rooster crowed from the henhouse. Jasper was out of time. He threw the ball of urine-soaked pajamas under the bed and pulled his last pair of clean pants out of his bag. He quietly closed the lid of the suitcase and bit back tears. It had been ages since he’d had an accident. He glared down at the pathetic organ that had betrayed him. The image of Roy’s balls split open flashed in his head, and he nearly doubled over.
    Jasper was saying a silent prayer that he would not ever have another accident again in his life when a knock rattled the cabin door.
    “Leo? Leo, you in there?” a voice bellowed. The knock turned into a pound.
    “Hold your horses,” his uncle barked back. There was a creak and the sound of shuffling feet. On the other side of the curtain, the front door opened. “Mornin’, Wendell. You leave your manners at home?”
    The angry thud of his father’s footsteps shook the floorboards. “Cut the crap, Leo. Where is she?”
    “Easy, Wen. We’d better go outside.”
    The door to the cabin thumped shut. Jasper stood half naked behind the curtain, holding his pants and staring after the two men. His dad wasn’t even looking