You she says. Just—you. But the way she says it is like an arrow aiming rite at me. Why did I think she was nice? Why did I trust her? I have to get out of here.
I head down stares.
THE NEXT BIT IS CRAZY.
I run around the house and they all run after me. Its scary like a dream is scary and it stretches out like a dream 2. Sometimes it seems like time is stopping. I get lost rite away. There is a hall in front of me and I take the first turn to the left and then there is an other hall and I take an other turn and there is still more hall in front of me. The house is like a what do you call it—a maze. The halls all have white walls and doors and pictures and shelfs and lites so they look the same. A few times I think I am in a hall I have been in befor xept the shelfs have different things on them. Books and candles and pots and like that. Steve has a lot of things and I gess he has to put them somewhere. Sometimes there are a few stares going down to a little door. Or they go up and there is an other hall. Or they go down and then up again for no reason at all. I keep running. If there was a camera showing the hole house it mite look like Scooby Doo. Me running here and them running there. Now and then I hear a bang or a voice but mostly it is quiet. We all keep on missing each other.
Even tho I think about Scooby I dont laff.
I come to some stares but do not take them because this time I see an other way to go—a rite turn. I take it and come to a hall with a picture of trees and a wooden box and a left turn and now all at once the floor is different. I stop. This is the red and white and black room with the closet and the nite in armor and the tall ceiling. This is where I came in.
My coat is on the back of a chair. I put it on. My skates are side by side on the floor. The 13 from the city hall rental place is on the back. I sit to lace them on.
Steve steps out from behind the closet and hands me a bag.
I am sorry you are going to miss dinner he says. Here are sandwiches for your journey.
I put them in my coat pocket. Steve holds the front door open for me.
I dont know what to say to him.
Im not—
I dont finish.
Vi and Lubor are—
I dont finish that ether.
Who are you? I say finally.
He doesnt answer my question. Main street is that way he says. Down the road and across the vacant lot. Turn rite and keep going. In a few miles you will see sines for the bridge.
No who are you really? You got my stuff ready for me I say. You gave me sandwiches. Your helping me. Does that mean you are on my side?
I try to give every body what they want he says.
Every body?
As many as I can.
But—every body? I say. Even bad guys?
He blinks. Who are they? he says.
Forget it I say.
He is still holding the door open. Go fast he says.
I hop out the door and down the steps. Steve shuts the door. My skates cut into the ice on the front walk. Theres a long drive way on my rite with a black car parked behind the sled. I give a little shudder—I know that car. I was in the trunk.
I get an idea.
In my pocket I find the nife that Steve gave me to open the plastic pack. You mite need that sometime he said. I skate over to the car.
Lite shines out at me. The door is open agane and I hear Steves voice.
There he is! he says. There in the drive way!
He means me. He is telling Lubor and Vi where I am. He is helping them.
Wow! He really is on every bodys side.
I stab the back tire of the car—the nearest tire. It has a chain on it so it can go on icy roads. My nife bounces off the chain. Lubor and Vi run down the walk waving there arms and shouting. I stab again and this time the nife goes into rubber and I hear the whoosh of air coming out. The car sinks slow and steddy like gramma sitting down in the living room. Lubor falls but not like gramma—this is like going off the diving board and landing on your back. Wump. His legs wave in the air like a bug. Like a bugs legs. He says something in his axent voice.
Here comes Vi. I dont think of her kissing me or telling me she was on my side. I am not done with the car yet. I skate round to the other back tire.
Bunny! Stop!
Vi is at the end of the drive in her sweater. If I think of her lying to me I will get mad. I stick my nife into the other back tire and the air whooshes and I do not think of Vi. Now the car cant go. There is a spare tire in the trunk—I remember. But there arent 2 spare tires.
I kick it—Vi’s car. Full of her stuff. I do not think of her kissing me. Why did I trust her? The air is clear and cold and still. Vi moves toward me with slidey steps but she will not catch me tonite. I turn and dash away. My skates feel good and tite on my feet. The road is covered in ice. No one will be able to catch me for a while.
I dont know how you can give every body what they want. What if 2 people want to win the same race? Some body has to lose. Just now I wanted to get away and Lubor and Vi wanted to catch me and Steve wanted to help us both. Thats weird—isnt it?
The street lites bounce and sparkle. The road goes strait and ends at a vacant lot the way Steve says it will. A guy is standing in the middle of the vacant lot with a hose in his hand. There is a rink there and he is flooding it to make it smooth. He sees me and turns off the hose.
Cmon kiddo he yells. The ice is fine.
I dash across. The ice is already hard and really smooth. Theres a big road on the other side of the vacant lot. I remember what Steve said.
Does this road go to the bridge? I ask.
Thats the 37 he says.
Does it go to the bridge to Canada?
Course he says.
He makes it seem like I am stupid for not knowing this. Everybody knows the 37 goes to Canada. I thank him and start away.
Why dyou want to go to Canada kiddo? he calls after me. Its full of Canadians.
I cant tell if he is laffing. It mite be a joke and it mite not. I mean he is rite—Canada is full of Canadians. I keep skating and dont say anything.
I was in the USA for a long time without knowing it. I really did think I was in Canada until I saw the map at the jail. I can see why. The big things are not different. The trees and snow and clouds are the same. And the roads and cars and stores and people are the same. Little things are different—licence plates and speed limits and the way they say roof. That is funny. Roof. It sounds like ruff. And about sounds like abat. They all talk like that—Steve and the old lady and Orvil and the kids skating with there grampa. But really the places are more the same than they are different. The same moon is in the sky. So is the little star pointing me north—but I cant find it now but Im sure its there.
I am alone on the road. After a few alone minits I see a sine—Bridge to Canada 2 miles. I eat a sandwich from my pocket. I have to take off my mitt and my hand gets cold but it is worth it because the sandwich is really good. Meat and cheese and hot green things. Thank you Steve.
Skate skate skate.
I dont understand Steve asking who are the bad guys? You have to decide who the good guys are and help them. I remember thinking about him as Santas little brother but kids mostly want there own stuff—not other peoples. I would rather be Santa than Steve.
Maybe there is a way to make every body happy but I can not see it. If you can—well you are smarter than me. You and a lot of people.
IT IS NOT EASY TO GO HOME.
Youd think it would be but it is not. It is hard. I skate down 37. Bridge to Canada 1 mile says the first sine. Then Bridge to Canada ½ Mile. Then Bridge To Canada 500 yards. Then 200 yards. They really want you to know about it. There is no body on the road but me. The road is up hi and I can look down on a flat sheet of ice gleaming white in the nite with dark spots on it. The saint low rents. The dark spots are islands. Trees and rocks. Canada is on the other side of the river. The bridge goes across. There are US lites on this side and Canadian lites on the other side.
I follow the arrow and skate up to a little white booth in the middle of the road. CUSTOMS it says. Inside the booth theres an American flag and a picture of the president and the statu with her hand up. You know the 1. The man in the booth asks where my car is.
I dont have a car I say.
Are you looking for Brady or Alex? he asks.
I tell him I dont know Brady or Alex. I want to go to Canada I say. He nods. And now it gets hard. He puts his glove up to the hole in the window between us.
Pass port he says.
I dont have a pass port.
Then you cant visit another country.
I dont want to visit I say. I want to go home.
Give me some ID he says. And of course I cant.
I was kid napped I say. I escaped and now I am skating home.
He blinks a couple times. What? he says. When I start to tell him my story he makes a spitting noise. Get out of here kid he says. Go home.
He points behind me. The sine says WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
I dont live here I say. I live there.
I point across the river.
I am Canadian I say. I prove this by saying roof for him. And about and house. He makes the spitting noise again.
I have to get back soon—they will miss me in jail I say.
What? he says. He is paying attention now. What is this about a jail?
Its where I live I say.
Where were you last nite?
That was another jail I say. One of your jails.
Wait a second he says and picks up the phone.
I think what to tell him. I dont want to make things tuff for Bet. I explain about being in the rong jail. It looks like mine but it is not I say. I dont live there so I escaped and kept skating until my lace broke.
He nods at this but it is 2 late. It is all a mistake. I shuldnt of said anything. I feel a strong grab from behind. My arm is pinned by a guy with big ears and short hair. He marches me back down the road and off the bridge. His hands are bigger than my arm. There is a bilding at the side of the road—a blue trailer with an American flag over the door and a woman waiting for us inside. She is in uniform 2 and shes even bigger than the guy.
Hows our jail bird? she says to me.
Fine I say. Witch is not true. I am being polite. I am not fine. It wuld be hard to be less fine than I am rite now.
Actually I say I have been better.
The guy marches me over to the wall and says lean on this. So I do. And then he frisks me—checks my coat and chest and pockets and pant legs and everything.
What the heck? I ask.
The woman looms beside me like a cliff.
I am a victim I say. I was a hoss stage in your country and now I am trying to get home and you are not helping.
I explain about Vi and Lubor and Dusan—how they think that Grampa took there anthem and hid it some where and they want it and that is why they kid napped me.
My brother Spencer can tell you more. Call him I say. Or call Creekside jail where I live now. Call my prole officer. What is her name—Roz. I dont know her number but she is in Toronto. Or call my mom and dad I say. I can give you that number.
The 2 officers do not care. The guy holds up the nife that was in my coat pocket.
You are supposed to be in jail he says. You broke out and you are running away to Canada with a weapon and no ID. You are in trouble.
The woman officer leans down to speak close to me.
I dont trust you she says.
And that is when the party starts.
THE TRAILER IS NOT VERY BIG.
Apart from the room where we are talking theres an empty room like an office and that is all. I gess there is a bathroom but I never see it. The main room is crowded with the 3 of us in it so you can imagine what happens when 1 2 3 6 10 more people show up. I dont know how many it is actually but it is a lot and they all show up together. In a minit the place is jammed like an ants nest. People shout Happy Holidays Brady and Alex and pat the officers on the back. I dont know who is who but they are both popular.
There are bottles and glasses and snacks and a music player. It is a party. The woman officer trys to stop it but she cant. Nobody listens when she says go home. Nobody cares.
Its deadest time of the year! shouts one guy. Nothing is going to happen tonite!
He is beanpole thin. I am not fat but I am 2wice as big as him. He is thin and stands strait with brite red hair. He looks like a match. Its party time! he shouts.
Somebody standing near the woman officer gives her a drink. The guy officer already has a drink. The bean pole beside me gives me a drink. I say thank you. He pats me on the back.
I’m Kenton he says. His breath smells like peaches. Im Bunny I say and he laffs like I have made a joke. When he asks how I am doing I say Not fine. I am not polite any more.
Kenton laffs again and asks how I know Brady and Alex. We all went to school together he says. Perivale Tech—down hi way 37 there. Brady and Alex are so strait now he says. Cops would you beleeve it? They were crazy back in school he says. Theyd go to Canada and start fites. One nite they both ended up in jail.
I think they want to put me in jail now I say.
He laffs. Everything I say he laffs at.
Your funny! he says. He pats me some more. This is a funny guy! he tells the room.
My drink smells like peaches. I cant tell if it is bad or good but I have another sip. Yeah it is pretty bad.
Kenton tells me to drink up. The party goes on. The music is a song every body knows and they start singing and dancing. I can not help dancing along. I do not know the song but the trailer is rocking and I have to move to stay on my feet.
Kenton notices.
Hey you have skates on! Your a riot! he says.
I came on my skates I say.
The world is tilted at a funny angle. I take off my coat and hang on to it. I dont want any more peach stuff.
Kenton nods like Aha. You skated over—thats why you are in trouble he says.
The guy officer comes over. Brady or Alex. He takes a drink from his glass.
Who are you? he says to me.
He takes another drink.
Ive seen you befor he says. But I cant think where.
He shakes his head and finishes his glass. He wanted to arrest me and now he doesnt remember who I am. I start to laff. Kenton is all ready laffing.
This guy is the funniest! he says. Say something Bunny—say something funny.
Funny Bunny says the customs officer. Funny Bunny—yeah thats pretty good.
And I didnt even say anything.
Are you Brady? I ask him. Or Alex?
He doesnt know who I am and I dont know who he is. We all laff.
See! Kenton puts his arm around my sholders. Bunny is a riot! he says.
The air is starting to swim. The music is loud and we are jumping up and down to dance. The floor is moving like an earth quake. Alex or Brady staggers. I cant tell if I am dancing or not. I am sort of jumping. My arms and legs move on there own.
Alex or Brady moves off to find another drink. The trailer shifts and sinks to one side. At least I think it does. The pole with the flag on it falls over. The song ends.
Where are you skating to Bunny? says Kenton.
Canada.
I know a secret way to Canada he says. No customs or anything.
What way? I ask. Where?
We used to—Kenton starts but the music comes up and everyone goes back to jumping and I cant hear the rest.
What? I say.
When we were in school says Kenton. We did it all the time. Theres a way down from up here he says. There are yellow stickers on the trees to mark the path.
I dont know what he is talking about.
What path? I say.
He looks past my sholder. I feel a hand grab my upper arm. It is the other officer, the woman—Brady or Alex.
Ive been keeping an eye on you she says. What are you talking about?
/> Ive been telling Bunny about the path down to the river.
No Kenton! she says. He cant go to Canada. Hes a criminal. He broke out of jail. He has to stay here.
What? says Kenton. Is this true?
Sort of.
You are joking—rite?
No joke says Brady or Alex. She drags me away. The music is on and people are drinking and bouncing.
I still dont trust you she says. And I dont want Kenton helping you. Come here.
I have to go with her. She is so big she is like a troll. Her hand is a hook. She pulls me to the other room of the trailer and locks me in.
The good news is I am not with Vi and the other kid nappers. But I am still locked up in an empty room with no window or telephone or chairs. It is not as cold as the basement in the Newman house but it is pretty cold. I zip up my coat and slump until I am sitting on the plastic carpet. The music gets louder and the floor bounces under me when everybody starts dancing. I sit with my legs strait out. My skates are done up.
I REMEMBER GOING SKATING WITH MY SCHOOL
back when I was in grade 3. The rink was down King Street and we walked. We had buddys and we had to hold hands. Nancy from the front row picked me for her buddy and then got in a fite with Rich witch I didnt understand at first—I thot Rich wanted to be my buddy 2. But no. He wanted to be Nancys buddy and he didnt know why she picked me.
It all came out while we were skating. I was practicing turns crossing my legs over and Nancy was saying Wow and Way to go Bunny. Rich tripped me as I past him so I was lying on the ice on my back looking up at the 2 of them.
Hes stupid said Rich.
Meaning me.
Hes the stupidest kid in the class.
I dont care said Nancy.
You shuld be my walk buddy said Rich. Were both smart. You will be my buddy on the way home he said.
No I wont she said and pushed him. He bent in the middle like a folding chair and went down so there were 2 of us on the ice. Nancy put her hand out to me and helped me stand up. And we went back to our skating.
The Wolf and Me: The Seven Sequels Page 6
