Another Kind Of Hurricane Part 24

"Me too. You want to hear something else?"

"Yes."

"The geese take care of the falcons too. I just remembered that. The geese make a great loud alarm call that warns the falcons when the fox is approaching."

"Oh! I like the geese!"

"Me too," said Henry. "I like the way they work together. Its kind of like...magic."

"Like a magic!" said Osprey.

A magic.

Henry liked that.

"Zavion has a magic," said Osprey.

"He does? What is it?"

"Its a secret."

A secret.

Henry knew about secrets.

But a secret that was a magic?

"Maybe my leash is a magic, Henry," said Osprey.

"I bet it is," said Henry. He gripped the leash. "Ill take a picture of Brae wearing this and send it to you."

And then he had a flash of an idea. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny wooden car from the Salvation Army. He had almost forgotten he had it. "This is from Vermont," he said. "Its for you."

And he knew, with certainty, that it was.

"And maybe this is a magic too!" squealed Osprey.

She took the little car and then leaned back again on Henrys chest. She ran the car up and down his arm. "This is where you live," she said, placing the car on Henrys wrist. "And this is where I live," she said, driving it along his arm to his shoulder.

"Not too far," he said.

"Nope."

Henry stared into the sky and the moon stared back at him, watched him as he looked down at Osprey, who closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. As he rested his chin on Ospreys head, he felt that tugging feeling again. He imagined that the peregrine falcon and the red-breasted goose felt it tug between them too. It was a funny feeling. Funny, but good. A rooted kind of feeling, pulling him to the ground, even though he was up in the sky.

chapter 55.

ZAVION.

Up on a ladder, Papa was painting one of the living room walls. Zavion needed to tell Papa that they should go to Vermont with Henry and Jake. He ran his hand down Tigers wing feathers, felt the muscles under them, felt how strong his wings were and imagined just how high he could fly. He tried to soak in some of Tigers strength through his fingertips.

"What are you going to paint?" said Zavion.

"This is it," said Papa.

"No jazz band?"

"Nope."

"No fis.h.i.+ng boat?"

"Nope. Just this green and then wait for it to dry and then another coat of green. Like a professional painter, right?" Papa looked happy. He was comfortable, way up there, balanced on a rung. He was comfortable anywhere if he had a paintbrush in his hand. "I spoke with your uncle Gabe yesterday. He says he has room for us."

"No!" said Zavion. Tiger squawked and flapped his wings. The no had more force than Zavion expected such a tiny word to have.

"Room for us for what?" he said quietly.

"To live with him."

"To live with him? I dont even want to visit him! Papa-" he said, trying to calm his voice as he scrambled inside his head for something to say. "It looks like youre painting another mountain on a wall."

"Its a green wall."

"Well, mountains are green."

"Enough with the broken-record mountain song over and over again, okay?"

Zavion watched Papa paint some more. He tried not to speak. He tried to keep the words from rising up like a wave and cras.h.i.+ng over the levee. But sometimes waves have a pull and a push and a force that one single person cant hope to control.

"But its true," Zavion blurted out. "They are green. Especially Vermont mountains."

"Ive never seen a Vermont mountain, Zav. So I dont know if this looks like one or not."

"I doubt theyre that awful minty color," piped up Ms. Cyn. She and Skeet came in from the kitchen.

"Morning," said Papa.

"I brought you some breakfast," she said, putting down a tray. "And Ill have you know that I made a personal visit to the kitchen to get it."

"Be impressed," said Skeet.

"I am," said Papa.

"I am too," said Skeet. "With both Ms. Cyn and you. Your painting job is excellent. Thanks for agreeing to repaint this room for me...." His voice trailed off. "You know what? I bet I could find you more painting work-for pay. Would you want that?"

Skeet was distracting Papa. Zavion had to keep him focused.

"Work is good," agreed Papa.

"I wonder...," Skeet mumbled. "I have an idea...." And then he was gone.

"Youve seen a North Carolina mountain, right, Papa?" Zavion jumped in. "Isnt this the same color as Mamas mountain?" The paintbrush in Papas hand shook the tiniest bit. "After Mama traveled to New Orleans and found you, didnt she take you back to North Carolina? To Grandmother Mountain? Didnt you get to see Mamas mountain?"

"Quiet, Zavion!"

The door slammed just as Papa yelled.

"Quiet!" squawked Tiger, directly into Zavions ear.

Osprey ran through the room. Henry sauntered in behind her.

"Watch out for the wet paint," said Ms. Cyn.

"I told Gabe we would go to Kansas right away," said Papa, his voice quiet again. "Theres no reason not to."

"You should come to Vermont first," said Henry. "Thats a reason right there."

chapter 56.

HENRY.

Henry still wanted to take Zavion and Ben to Vermont. He wanted to take Zavion up Mount Mansfield. He had told Mom when she called.

"Why?" Mom had asked.

Henry was silent. He didnt know how to answer her. He was surprised by his desire, actually. He had wondered if it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, an idea he would feel was the worst one he had baked up in his whole entire life, after he had slept on it. But that hadnt happened. He didnt understand why, but he felt even more sure about it than before.

"Well, I cant wait to see you-" Mom interrupted his thoughts. "And I would love to meet your new friend." She didnt ask again why he wanted to bring Zavion, which, weirdly, made Henry miss her. "Braes not the only one who misses you," she said, as if she could read his mind.

"Its only been two days."

If he said he missed her too, he might cry.

"Well, I still cant wait to see you," said Mom. "With or without Zavion."

With Zavion.

Henry was determined.

At this moment, although he couldnt explain it or understand it and-Jeezum Crow, he would never say it to anyone else-he might tell Cora that taking Zavion to Vermont was his hearts desire.

chapter 57.

ZAVION.

"We dont know anyone in Vermont," said Papa.

"Of course you do," said Ms. Cyn. She tugged her scarf, which was about two miles long now, and gathered it into her lap as she sat down. "Who do you think youre looking at?"

"Thats the problem. I dont exactly know."

"Him?" said Osprey. "Hes Henry." She clicked to Tiger, who jumped onto her arm.

"No offense, Henry, but Ive only just met you," said Papa.

"Henry," said Osprey, "I wish I still had that leash I gave you. I want to take Tiger for a walk."

"Tiger doesnt need a leash," said Henry. "I think hed stay with you." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I was thinking of taking a walk too," he said. "I need-I want to see Pierres Salvation Army."

"Cant live with em, cant live without em," Tiger squawked.

Henry laughed, and Papas face sharpened into anger. He began painting again, and Zavion noticed his hand shook harder as he dipped the brush in the paint.