The Living
Page 24
The tattered boat moved swiftly through the ocean as the sun crept into the perfect blue sky. Shy listened to more bits and pieces of the reporter on Marcus’s radio, and he felt Carmen’s heartbeat in her hand, and he stared at the devastated island, which was completely scorched and still smoldering in places. He wondered what they’d find when they returned home, and who would be there to greet them. And then he decided to stop thinking about things he couldn’t control. For now he should focus on how fortunate he was to be on this sailboat, with Shoeshine and Marcus and Carmen. He fingered the good-luck ring in his pocket and looked at each of their faces, feeling incredibly close to them. Marcus tinkering with the antennae. Shoeshine opening up his leather journal. Carmen staring at the sea and breathing steadily, clutching his hand. He had no idea how long it would take for a boat this size to sail all the way back to California, but he was convinced they’d make it there eventually. They had to.
Shy turned back to the massive ocean, which spoke to him more clearly now, trying to process everything that had happened over the past eight days. But it was impossible. All he could do was watch the island get smaller and smaller on the horizon, until it was just a tiny dot on the water, and then it was gone.
The fight
for survival
continues in
THE FORGOTTEN
Available Fall 2014
from Delacorte Press
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank the following folks for helping make this novel possible. Krista Marino: Your guidance through this story was truly remarkable. Thanks so much for all your hard work. Shy and I owe you a fancy dinner at the New York restaurant of your choice. Steve Malk: Thanks for always taking the long view and for coaching me through far more than just career decisions. Working with you is one of the best moves I’ve ever made. Matt Van Buren: Thanks for reading all fifty-eight thousand drafts of this novel. Your notes and conversations (often in a Park Slope bar) were vital to my figuring things out. Thanks also to all the great folks at Random House who work so hard to get good books into the hands of readers, especially Beverly Horowitz, Dominique Cimina, Lauren Donovan, Lisa Nadel, Adrienne Waintraub, Tracy Bloom Lerner and Lisa McClatchy. Thanks to my medical expert peeps (and friends): Quan Luong and Tanya DiFrancesco. Thanks to my supportive family: Caroline, Al, Roni, Amy, Emily, Spence, the Suns and Annie the cat.
Last but not least, I’d like to thank all the supportive friends who agreed to accompany me on the cruise I took to research this book. Oh, wait, none of you would go with me. Even when I begged and offered to pay. Even after I posted several desperate pleas on Facebook: “Come on, someone come with me on this cruise. I can’t board a ship for a full week by myself.” No responses. Zero. Oh, and the cruise I randomly picked turned out to be a “family” voyage, too. So all the moms and dads kept shooting me dirty looks and shielding their kids from me. I could read their minds: Who’s this random guy creeping around the Lido Deck by himself sipping piña coladas? So, yeah, thanks for the company, guys. Way to come through for your boy.
About the Author
The Living is Matt de la Peña’s fifth novel. He attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at San Diego State University. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, where he teaches creative writing. Look for Matt de la Peña’s other books, Ball Don’t Lie, Mexican WhiteBoy, We Were Here, and I Will Save You, all available from Delacorte Press.
Also by Matt de la Peña
Ball Don’t Lie
Mexican WhiteBoy
We Were Here
I Will Save You