Lump Read Online Free Page B

was...a holy terror...myself. Worse than you ...probably. But the lumps of coal...made me stop...and think."
    Buzz tipped his head to one side . "Think about what?"
    "All the terrible things...I was doing." Mr. Bittermaker rolled his head away on the pillow and stared out the window . "Maybe it wasn't...so fun ny...to hurt other people...after all."
    Buzz tossed the coal in the air and caught it. "You got all that from a lump of coal?"
    "At first...I thought Santa...was leaving them. Later...I found out...it was a neighbor." Mr. Bittermaker rolled his head back to face Buzz. "Eventually, I realized...whoever was doing it...was doing me a favor."
    Buzz tossed and caught the coal again. "How so?"
    "Because...he could have done...much worse ...if he knew...where I lived ...and what I'd done ." Mr. Bittermaker took a long, wheezing breath, then let it out slowly. "But instead...of taking revenge ...he sent me a message...and it changed me. "
    Buzz stopped tossing and scowled. "That's why you left all those lumps? You were trying to change me?"
    Mr. Bittermaker shrugged and smiled. "I know...right? How dumb...was that ?"
    Buzz's scowl turned into a wicked grin. "Pretty dumb, Mr. B-M."
    "See what I mean?" Mr. Bittermaker jabbed a finger at Buzz. "You know ...I hate...that name! It stands for...'bowel movement'...not 'Bittermaker!'"
    The two of them laughed until Mr. Bittermaker lapsed into a coughing jag. Just when Buzz was starting to think he should call the nurse, the coughing finally stopped.
    "Oh...well." Mr. Bittermaker raised his shaking hands a few inches and turned them palms-up. "Can't blame a guy...for trying. And failing. "
    Buzz chuckled and reached out to rub the coal on the bed sheet , leaving a black smudge. "You really did fail, Mr. B-M. I'm even wrecking your nursing home. I'm getting coal dust all over the place ."
    Mr. Bittermaker looked at the smudge and shook his head. "Do you really...have to vandalize...my deathbed ?"
    Buzz laughed and made another black smudge. "Can I have this lump of coal ? Since you didn't leave one in my mailbox this year?"
    "No...actually." Mr. Bittermaker met his gaze. "But maybe you can...help me with it."
    "Help you how?" said Buzz.
    "You...can't be changed. I see that...now."
    Buzz nodded firmly . "Right."
    "But there are other...holy terrors...who might benefit...from a lump of coal...on Christmas." Mr. Bittermaker breathed in, then out, with effort. "It might help...keep them...in line...don't you think?"
    Buzz shrugged. "Maybe."
    "But I need...some help...from someone on the front lines," said Mr. Bittermaker. "Someone who knows...all the players...and all the tricks. Someone...like you."
    "What kind of help?" said Buzz.
    "Making a list...of the up-and-comers. The ones who could use...a good lump." Mr. Bittermaker's shaking finger pointed at the coal in Buzz's hand. "Maybe making...a few deliveries ...even."
    Before he said another word, Buzz did a reality check. Was he the kind of kid who'd hang around an old folks' home with a dying fogy ? Didn't he have better things to do--geeks to pound, houses to vandalize, doughnuts to shoplift?
    The Buzz he knew would never consider hanging around with Mr. B-M for even a minute. The Buzz h e knew would never care that the old man was dying, or lonely, or sad. That Buzz would never get a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought about some of the things Mr. Bittermaker had said.
    But there was one thing that all the Buzzes could agree on: how cool it would be to be the one giving out the lumps of coal instead of the one getting them.
    Even if it meant keeping this one old fart company in the process. Even if, technically, that constituted doing something nice.
    " What's...the verdict ?" Mr. Bittermaker looked at him expectantly.
    Buzz tossed the lump of coal in the air and caught it. "Got a pen and paper?"
    So what if he did something nice? He'd just have to ho pe no one was paying attention.

    *****

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