The Gift-Giver Read Online Free Page A
Author: Joyce Hansen
about Sherman," she said.
"No one knows what happened." I walked real fast, but she kept following me.
"You think he afraid of Big Russell?" she asked in a little whiney voice.
"Girl, you crazy. Sherman could beat that fat Russell into a Virginia ham," I said.
We laughed so hard we couldn't stop. When we got to the room Mrs. Brown made up her face right away.
"Shut up that racket. You've been so good for the past two days, Doris. Don't spoil it."
School was long and hot and boring that afternoon. But everytime me and Mickey looked over at Russell we had to cover our mouths to keep from laughing.
Then Mrs. Brown called Russell up to the board. Mickey drew a picture of a big ham and showed it to me. We tried not to laugh out loud. But we couldn't help it. Me and Mickey exploded. We was all doubled over laughing and crying.
Mrs. Brown stopped her lesson. "Mickey and Doris, go and stand in the hall until you control yourselves."
We went outside. When we looked at each other we started laughing. I guess you could say we was friends again.
After school Mickey and Dotty headed for the playground and I went home.
For the rest of the week all we heard was these stories about Sherman. By the time the weekend came I was off punishment, but it didn't matter 'cause it rained all weekend. I still had to stay in the house because of the rain, so I didn't hear any news about Sherman.
6. Runaway
On Monday morning me and Mickey and Dotty took the shortcut through the playground to school. As we passed the swings we saw Sherman sitting by himself on a bench. Before we could say hello, he just got up and ran. "What's wrong with him?" Mickey said.
"That boy is going crazy. Running from us like he's scared."
I told Amir and Big Russell when we was all walking back home from school what happened. Russell said, "That's what he did last week. And I saw him this morning too and he did the same thing to me. Guess he scared I'm going to get him for missing the game."
I said to myself, You know good and well Sherman ain't afraid of you.
"Something must've happened to him," Amir said.
"Like what? He just afraid, that's all," Russell answered.
"Is he afraid of me and Mickey and Dotty too? He ran from us."
Russell looked at me. "As ugly as you girls is, who wouldn't run from you?"
All the boys started laughing. Sometimes I hated Big Russell. He was so mean. Amir was the only boy who didn't laugh.
Dotty put her hands on her hips and stuck out her mouth. "You a big, fat hog, Big Hocks."
She flew down the street and me and Mickey went right behind her.
When we got to Mickey and Dotty's stoop I said, "Dotty, why you say that to him? Now he's going to bother us all week long."
Russell never hit girls, but he'd tease you, pull on you and embarrass you in front of everybody. We was in for a miserable week. I sat on Mickey and Dotty's stoop. "Now I can't even go back home until Russell leave my stoop."
"We going upstairs now," Mickey said.
"See how dirty y'all are? I got to go back over to my building with that Big Russell on the stoop and you and Dotty is safe in your house."
"Big Russell ain't gonna bother you. See you later."
Dotty just kept popping her gum and acting like she didn't even care. Sometimes I think that girl ain't got sense enough to be afraid of nobody. Not even Big Russell.
When they left I heard someone from down in the basement calling my name. I looked over the railing and saw Sherman sitting outside the basement door on a box.
"What you doing down there?"
"Shush. I don't want no one to know I'm here."
"Why you been running from people?"
"I don't want no one to know my business."
"What business?"
I ran away.
"You ain't go far. Your family is in the next building."
"I ain't run from there. I ain't got no more family. They broke us up."
"What're you talking about? They who?"
"The authorities. They say my grandma too old to take care of us, so they put us in different homes."
"You mean with other people in
"No one knows what happened." I walked real fast, but she kept following me.
"You think he afraid of Big Russell?" she asked in a little whiney voice.
"Girl, you crazy. Sherman could beat that fat Russell into a Virginia ham," I said.
We laughed so hard we couldn't stop. When we got to the room Mrs. Brown made up her face right away.
"Shut up that racket. You've been so good for the past two days, Doris. Don't spoil it."
School was long and hot and boring that afternoon. But everytime me and Mickey looked over at Russell we had to cover our mouths to keep from laughing.
Then Mrs. Brown called Russell up to the board. Mickey drew a picture of a big ham and showed it to me. We tried not to laugh out loud. But we couldn't help it. Me and Mickey exploded. We was all doubled over laughing and crying.
Mrs. Brown stopped her lesson. "Mickey and Doris, go and stand in the hall until you control yourselves."
We went outside. When we looked at each other we started laughing. I guess you could say we was friends again.
After school Mickey and Dotty headed for the playground and I went home.
For the rest of the week all we heard was these stories about Sherman. By the time the weekend came I was off punishment, but it didn't matter 'cause it rained all weekend. I still had to stay in the house because of the rain, so I didn't hear any news about Sherman.
6. Runaway
On Monday morning me and Mickey and Dotty took the shortcut through the playground to school. As we passed the swings we saw Sherman sitting by himself on a bench. Before we could say hello, he just got up and ran. "What's wrong with him?" Mickey said.
"That boy is going crazy. Running from us like he's scared."
I told Amir and Big Russell when we was all walking back home from school what happened. Russell said, "That's what he did last week. And I saw him this morning too and he did the same thing to me. Guess he scared I'm going to get him for missing the game."
I said to myself, You know good and well Sherman ain't afraid of you.
"Something must've happened to him," Amir said.
"Like what? He just afraid, that's all," Russell answered.
"Is he afraid of me and Mickey and Dotty too? He ran from us."
Russell looked at me. "As ugly as you girls is, who wouldn't run from you?"
All the boys started laughing. Sometimes I hated Big Russell. He was so mean. Amir was the only boy who didn't laugh.
Dotty put her hands on her hips and stuck out her mouth. "You a big, fat hog, Big Hocks."
She flew down the street and me and Mickey went right behind her.
When we got to Mickey and Dotty's stoop I said, "Dotty, why you say that to him? Now he's going to bother us all week long."
Russell never hit girls, but he'd tease you, pull on you and embarrass you in front of everybody. We was in for a miserable week. I sat on Mickey and Dotty's stoop. "Now I can't even go back home until Russell leave my stoop."
"We going upstairs now," Mickey said.
"See how dirty y'all are? I got to go back over to my building with that Big Russell on the stoop and you and Dotty is safe in your house."
"Big Russell ain't gonna bother you. See you later."
Dotty just kept popping her gum and acting like she didn't even care. Sometimes I think that girl ain't got sense enough to be afraid of nobody. Not even Big Russell.
When they left I heard someone from down in the basement calling my name. I looked over the railing and saw Sherman sitting outside the basement door on a box.
"What you doing down there?"
"Shush. I don't want no one to know I'm here."
"Why you been running from people?"
"I don't want no one to know my business."
"What business?"
I ran away.
"You ain't go far. Your family is in the next building."
"I ain't run from there. I ain't got no more family. They broke us up."
"What're you talking about? They who?"
"The authorities. They say my grandma too old to take care of us, so they put us in different homes."
"You mean with other people in
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