The Photographer Read Free Page B

you’re really tired because you’re losing your soul.” Megan reminded her mother about the gypsy’s belief about their cameras. Since she couldn’t forget about the episode, she might as well talk about it. Sometimes that helped.
    â€œNo, your mother’s getting paid, remember,” Megan’s dad said.
    They laughed and talked, and Megan pushed her dreams, more recently becoming nightmares, aside. She’d had dreams before where she kept trying to get to school. Or she was entering a contest and kept searching for a photo she’d lost. Your usual stress dreams. She was just physically tired. She wasn’t as good at working under stress as her mother. With homework, a newspaper deadline every week, photos due on the annual, she was almost too busy. She had a right to be tired.
    Megan helped her mom with dishes so they could both get out of the kitchen in a hurry. “Do you ever think of the plane crash, Mom?”
    As her father had done, Megan’s mother looked at Megan for a minute, her face blank. “Oh, no, Megan. I had to remember what you were talking about. Now that my arm has healed, it’s history. You aren’t worried about it, are you? Goodness, no reason for that.”
    Mrs. Davidson had broken her arm when their twin-engine Otter had crashed, returning from their hop to Tiger Tops in Nepal. Megan and her dad had escaped with only bruises. But even as Megan talked to her mother, she wondered why her mother and father had been able to forget the event that was starting to haunt her. Why couldn’t she forget it?
    As if her mother had read her mind, she said, “Sometimes, when something bad happens, Megan, we push it away and refuse to deal with it. Maybe you didn’t deal with the crash at the time, and you have to think about it now.”
    â€œYou may be right, Mom. I’ve been dreaming about it. It happened so fast, I don’t even remember being scared. But I feel scared now. Isn’t that strange?”
    â€œSounds as if you have a bad attack of what-might-have-happened. Brought back by looking at your slides, I’d bet. We survived. Think that over and let it go.” Megan’s mom hugged her close for a minute. Megan hugged back, grateful for parents who didn’t laugh at her fears.
    â€œYou’re pretty smart—for a mother,” Megan said teasingly, and joined her mother’s soft laughter.
    She stopped to kiss her dad when dishes were done.
    â€œWant to watch TV?” he asked. “There’s a dance concert on Channel 6.”
    â€œNo, I have to study, and I want to go to bed early. Newspaper staff meeting in the morning, remember?” Megan hurried up the stairs.
    Before she started her chemistry problems, she reached for the phone.
    â€œDon’t do that,” Cynthia said.
    â€œDo what?”
    â€œAnswer the phone before it rings. It gives me the creeps.”
    Megan hadn’t realized she’d answered before the phone rang. “Oh, it was good timing, Cynthia. I was just going to call you before I got involved with chemistry. I’m afraid the only chemistry I’m really interested in is the reaction of chemicals on film.”
    â€œHow about male and female? Gus just called me. He’s coming over to take me for a Coke. Sounds serious.” Cynthia laughed.
    â€œWhat did I tell you? He’s been planning an apology all day. Don’t be too hard on him.”
    â€œI will at first, but I’ll give in. Now I really can tell Derrick I can’t go with him. Everyone knows the Homecoming Queen goes with the football captain. Did Robert ask to take you to the dance at the Photo Club meeting today?”
    â€œNo. What makes you think he will? We’ll both take pictures at the game and the dance. He wouldn’t even consider that either of us needs a date.”
    â€œI think he likes you, Megan, more than you realize. Maybe even more than he realizes.