Deep in the Heart of Me Read Online Free Page B

like us coming in late ruining her little sewing club," I say looking for another rock. "She's damn lucky I flipped it to farming and didn't let her have it."
    "Have it?"
    "Tell her my mind," I say finally finding a rock I can throw.
    He's shaking his noggin again.
    "Well, why'd you follow me out then?"
    He grins. "I didn't want to write those sentences."
    We laugh. "Dad says you ain't a man until you can think long term, one season to the next. Ever think you might need more schooling?"
    We laugh again.
    We ain't laughed together maybe all summer. We've worked hard and I been in that mood. He stood by me today, and he'll be in trouble for it, but he's always true.
    "Let me do the explaining," I say. I'm better at it. So we go up the lane to face the folks. And I think of that Sobe. And I reach in my pocket and touch that peel. I think I'm right about her.

Chapter 9
     
    I'm looking for the right time is all. I know the girls are home from school even though Ebbie hasn't shown and he's supposed to muck stalls. Those canaries will be singing to Mom and Granma. The whole school is already talking about it. That's how it goes. Two big boys walking out. And we're Clannans.
    Joseph keeps following me, all through chores. He's waiting. I'm getting buggered with him again. Over the summer, he turned more to Ebbie and less to me. I wanted that, some time to myself. But just because he stood for me he thinks it's like it was and it's not. I want to be by myself. Ebbie is the one with a twin, not me.
    So I'm trying to feed, and he's right there. "Get back," I say.
    "I need to get some," he says, his bucket empty as he waits for me to get oats from the bin.
    "You're breathing on me," I say.
    "I'm not," he says. "You say that…and I'm not."
    I fill my bucket and make a noise in the back of my throat.
    "Tonio," Dad calls from the front of the barn.
    I lift my head, look briefly at my brother, shove my bucket against him and he takes it. "Finish," I say, meaning he's not to follow. I told him I'll do the explaining and I will.
    "Joseph," Dad calls right after.
    I hear Joseph dump the feed and set the buckets on the hard earth. I wipe my hands on my overalls and lift my cap to smooth my hair. After leaving school, we'd bypassed the house and gone straight to the barn, and we wanted to have everything finished before Dad got back from helping at Buchholtz's place.
    He waits for me, my father does. "There are people here," he says when I get closer. "Sheriff, teacher. The sheriff's daughter."
    Sobe?
    "We didn't do anything. We just quit school," I say.
    "You quit," Dad repeats.
    "School."
    "Why?"
    "Miss Charlotte gave me a punishment for reading a note. Then she asked me about injustice, and I said there was some around here and before I said the wrong thing…about the punishment…I spoke on the co-op." Then I think of the picture. The naked lady. Is that what this is about?
    "What did you say?"
    "I just said we should run it…like a business. I said…they should care about it."
    He is staring at me. "Am I about to be made as small as a mouse's diddy?"
    "No, Sir. I just walked out. They followed. I sent Ebbie back inside."
    "Did you do it arsewards?"
    "No, Sir. Just…I ah…I said the note was from Joseph. I lied."
    He moves his boot like he's stealing himself for a punch. "You lied."
    "Yes. I…I was protecting…," I nod toward the house.
    "Your mother?"
    "No. No sir."
    His brows go up, and he looks there and Sobe waves a little. "Oh," Dad says.
    You couldn't go to jail for looking at a picture. But what if Miss Charlotte found it after we left—the picture of the lady. What if they were rounding us up to get at it?
    Do they think I brought it to school?
    If that's why they are here, Sobe will know. She'll know I looked.
    "Come on then, Romeo," Dad says. "And to think I bought Ollie's finest whiskey for everyone in that joint the day you were born."
    We're already walking toward the house. I see them there on the porch. My mother