Lacey and the African Grandmothers Read Online Free Page A

her eyes. “You want us to go fight him?” offered Colton, brandishing his sword.
    â€œHii-yah!” Seven-year-old Raine kicked his foot high in the air. Little Davis tried a kick too, and fell on his behind.
    â€œWe can do it! We can beat him. We can make him sorry,” said Joseph, who was nine.
    Angel sniffled and shook her head. She gave our brothers a small crooked smile.
    â€œMaybe you should all go outside and play,” I suggested. “You can make sure there aren’t any wild dogs ready to attack, or any mountain lions. You can keep us safe that way.”
    â€œYah!” said Colton. “Come on, Raine. Let’s save our family from wild animals.”
    â€œI’m the oldest, so I get to be the mountain lion and chase you. Grrrr,” cried Joseph, running out the door growling.
    Angel sat in the chair where Kelvin had been. I turned back to the stove, added salt to the water, and turned on the burner. “Want to talk?” I asked.
    Angel shook her head, but then she said, “I don’t know what to do.”
    â€œHe’ll cool off. Eventually.” Too bad, though. I wished he’d keep stomping. I wished his anger would take him so far away that he couldn’t get back.
    â€œIt’s not that,” she said. She toyed with some crumbs on the table, using her fingers to brush them into a little pile. “He wants me to move in with his mum and sisters. He says there’s more room there, and we can be together all the time.”
    â€œBut you can’t do that,” I said. I felt panicky at the thought of her going to stay with Kelvin forever.
    She looked at me with sad eyes. “But I’m nearly eighteen, and I have his baby. We’re a family, kind of. He says he loves me, and he wants us to live like a real family, and there’s no room for him here.” She spread the crumbs back across the table, then started gathering them up again. “I’d like us to be a family, too. I don’t want to stay with his family, but I don’t think I have a choice. There is nowhere else for us to go.”
    â€œBut Angel, we are your family too, and we love you and Kayden. Besides, Mum needs you.”
    â€œI wouldn’t be very far away. I could still come over and help.”
    â€œBut what about school? What about college? What about becoming a nurse so you can really help people?”
    â€œKelvin says to forget about college. He says I’m not smart enough to get in, and even if I was smart enough to finish high school and got good enough grades, I’d never survive in the city. He says people there will pick on me because I’m First Nations, and they’ll treat me badly, no matter what I do. He says if I try living in the white world, I’ll be destroyed, the way his father was. Sometimes I think he’s right. I don’t want to go to the city, especially by myself.”
    Steam was rising from the boiling water and clattering the lid. I jumped up to grab it, then sat at the table again with my sister.
    â€œLook at me, Angel, and promise. Promise me you won’t do anything yet.”
    â€œI don’t think I can promise.” Her head was down, and her voice was choked. “Kelvin keeps pressuring me, and he’s stronger than me, you know?”
    â€œYou’re wrong. You’re stronger, Angel. You’re smarter, too.”
    â€œYou would say that.” She smiled her sad, crooked smile, but tears were streaming down her face. “You’re my best sister and my best friend.”
    â€œBut it’s true. Look at how well you do in school when you have time to study. You’re a lot smarter than Kelvin, and you’re loving, too. Kahasi says there’s a lot of strength in loving. It’s stronger than steel.”
    I reached out to take her hand. Kayden slapped her tiny hand on top as if we were players on a team, getting ready to win. I hoped that Angel could win.