Beautiful boy a fathers journey phần 2
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seentheirbigbrotherinsixmonths.
Inthemorning,whenit'stimetoleavefortheairport,Igooutsideto
roundthemup.Daisy,wetandmuddy,isperchedonabranchhighup
inamapletree.Jasperstandsbelowher."Yougivemethatbackor
else!"hewarns.
"No,"sheresponds."It'smine?"Thereisbolddefianceinhereyes,
butthen,whenhestartstoclimbupthetree,shethrowsdownthe
Gandalfdollhe'safter.
"It'stimetogogetNic,"Isay,andtheydashpastmeintothe
house,chanting,"NickyNickyNicky."
Wedrivethehourandahalftotheairport.Whenwereachthe
terminal,Jasperyells,"There'sNic."Hepoints."There!"
Nic,anarmy-greenduffelbagslungoverhisshoulder,leans
againstaNOPARKINGsignonthecurboutsideUnitedbaggageclaim.
LankythininafadedredT-shirtandhisgirlfriend'scardigan,sagging
jeansthatridebelowhisbonyhips,andredConverseAll-Stars,when
heseesus,hisfacebrightensandhewaves.
Thekidsbothwanttositnexttohim,andso,afterthrowinghis
bagsintothewayback,heclimbsoverJasperandbucklesinbetween
them.Inturnheclaspseachoftheirheadsbetweenthepalmsofhis
handsandkissestheircheeks."It'ssogoodtoseeyou,"hesays."I
missedyoulittleboinkers.Likecrazy."Tousupfront,headds,"You,
too,PopsandMama."
AsIdriveawayfromtheairport,Nicdescribeshisflight."Itwas
theworst,"hesays."Iwasstucknexttoaladywhowouldn'tstop
talking.Shehadplatinumhairwithpeakslikeonlemonmeringuepie.
CruellaDeVilhorn-rimmedeyeglassesandprunelipsandthickpink
facepowder."
"CruellaDeVil?"Jasperasks.Heiswide-eyed.
Nicnods."Justlikeher.Hereyelasheswerelongandfalse—
purple,andsheworethisperfume:EaudeStinky."Heholdshisnose.
"Yech."Thekidsarerapt.
WedriveacrosstheGoldenGateBridge.Ariverofthickfog
poursbelowusandwrapsaroundtheMarinHeadlands.Jasperasks,
"Nic,areyoucomingtoStep-Up?"referringtohisandDaisy's
upcominggraduationcelebration.Thekidsaresteppingupfrom
secondgradetothirdandkindergartentofirstgrade.
"Wouldn'tmissitforalltheteainChina,"Nicresponds.
Daisyasks,"Nic,doyourememberthatgirlDaniela?Shefelloff
theclimbingstructureandbrokehertoe."
"Ouch."
"Shehasacast,"Jasperadds.
"Acastonhertoe?"Nicasks."Itmustbeteeny."
Jaspergravelyreports,"They'llcutitoffwithahacksaw."
"Hertoe?"
Theyallgiggle.
Afterawhile,Nictellsthem,"Ihavesomethingforyoukiddos.In
mysuitcase."
"Presents!"
"Whenwegethome,"hesays.
Theybeghimtotellthemwhat,butheshakeshishead."Noway,
José.It'sasurprise."
Icanseethethreeofthemintherearviewmirror.Jasperand
Daisyhavesmootholivecomplexions.Nic'swas,too,butnowit's
gauntandrice-papery.Theireyesarebrownandclear,whereashisare
darkglobes.Theirhairisdarkbrown,butNic's,longandblondwhen
hewasachild,isfadedlikeafieldinlatesummer,withsmasheddownsiennapatchesandsticking-upyellowedclumps—aresultofhis
unfortunateattempttobleachitwithClorox.
"Nic,willyoutellusaPJstory?"Jasperbegs.ForyearsNichas
entertainedthekidswiththeAdventuresofPJFumblebumble,a
Britishdetectiveofhisinvention.
"Later,mister,Ipromise."
Weheadnorthonthefreeway,exitingandturningwest,
meanderingthroughaseriesofsmalltowns,awoodedstatepark,and
thenhillypastureland.WestopinPointReyesStationtoretrievethe
mail.It'simpossibletobeintownwithoutrunningintoadozen
friends,allofwhomarepleasedtoseeNic,bombardinghimwith
questionsaboutschoolandhissummerplans.Finallywedriveoff
andfollowtheroadalongPapermillCreektoourleftturn,whereI
headupthehillandpullintoourdriveway.
"Wehaveasurprise,too,Nicky,"saysDaisy.
Jasperlookssternlyather."Don'tyoutellhim!"
"It'ssigns.Wemadethem."
"Dai-sy..."
Lugginghisbags,Nicfollowsthekidsintothehouse.Thedogs
chargehim,barkingandhowling.Atthetopofthestairs,Nicis
greetedbythekids'bannersanddrawings,includingahedgehog,
captioned,"ImissNic,boohoo,"drawnbyJasper.Nicpraisestheir
artistryandthentrudgesintohisbedroomtounpack.Sinceheleftfor
college,hisroom,aPompeianredchamberatthefarendofthe
house,hasbecomeanadjunctplayroomwithadisplayofJasper's
Legocreations,includingamaharaja'scastleandmotorizedR2-D2.
Preparingforhisreturn,KarenclearedoffDaisy'smenagerieof
stuffedanimalsandmadeupthebedwithacomforterandfresh
pillows.
WhenNicemerges,hisarmsareloadedwithgifts.ForDaisy,
thereareJosefinaandKirsten,AmericanGirldolls,hand-me-downs
fromhisgirlfriend.Theyareprettilydressedin,respectively,an
embroideredpeasantblouseandserapeandagreenvelvetjumper.
Jaspergetsapairofcannon-sizedSuperSoakers.
"Afterdinner,"NicwarnsJasper,"youwillbesowetthatyou'll
havetoswimbackintothehouse."
"You'llbesowetyou'llneedaboat."
"You'llbewetterthanawetnoodle."
"You'llbesowetthatyouwon'tneedashowerforayear."
Niclaughs."That'sfinewithme,"hesays."It'llsavemealotof
time."
Weeatandthentheboysfillupthesquirtgunsandhastenoutside
intothewindyevening,runninginoppositedirections.KarenandI
watchfromthelivingroom.Stalkingeachother,theboyslurkamong
theItaliancypressandoaks,duckundergardenfurniture,andcreep
behindhedges.Whentheygetacleanshot,theysquirteachotherwith
thinstreamsofwater.Hiddenbehindsomepottedhydrangeas,Daisy
watchesfromnearthehouse.Whentheboysracepasther,shetwirls
aspigotshe'sgraspingwithonehandandtakesaimwithagarden
hoseshe'sholdingintheother.Shedrenchesthem.
Istoptheboysjustasthey'reabouttocatchher."Youdon't
deservetoberescued,"Itellher,"butit'sbedtime."
JasperandDaisytakebathsandputontheirpajamasandthenask
Nictoreadtothem.
Hesitsonaminiaturecouchbetweentheirtwinbeds,hislonglegs
stretchedoutonthefloor.HereadsfromTheWitches,byRoaldDahl.
Wehearhisvoice—voices—fromthenextroom:theboynarrator,all
wonderandearnestness;wryandcreakyGrandma;andtheshrieking,
haggyGrandHighWitch.
"Childrenarefoulandfilthy!...Childrenaredirtyandstinky!...
Childrenaresmellingofdogs'drrrroppings!...Theyarevursethan
dogs'drrroppings!Dogs'drrroppingsissmellinglikevioletsand
prrrimrosescomparedwithchildren!"
Nic'sperformanceisirresistible,andthechildren,asalways,are
rivetedbyhim.
