by Judy Young
“Way aboveground,” Kaden agreed. “You’re right, it’s perfect.”
“So, here you go.” Yo-Yo reached into his backpack, pulled out a hammer and nail, and handed them to Kaden. As Kaden nailed the sign above the metal chest, Yo-Yo pulled two cans of soda out of his backpack. The cold cans were sweating in the heat. He opened them, handed one to Kaden, and held his up in the air.
“We hereby christen this tower Udanax,” Yo-Yo said, touching his can to the sign.
“The Aboveground Kingdom of Kubla,” Kaden added. He, too, touched his can to the sign. The two boys chinked their cans together, took big swigs, and then burped as loudly as they could before sitting back down.
“Okay, what’s that?” Kaden asked, pointing to a bright blue and yellow plastic tube sticking out of Yo-Yo’s backpack.
“It’s a periscope. You’ll be able to see if your dad comes here again without him spotting you.”
Kaden took the elongated S-shaped tube and looked inside one end. There were some angled mirrors. Then, holding it so that end was above the window, he looked through the other end. Without standing up, Kaden could see the log barricade. He moved the periscope around and saw the base of the tower. Moving it again, he saw the tree limb Kubla frequently sat on, then the woods and the clear blue sky that didn’t offer a single shady cloud.
“Wicked!” he said. “But if Dad showed up, wouldn’t he see this bright thing moving around up here?”
“That’s why I brought this.” Yo-Yo pulled out a roll of duct tape and wrapped some around the bright yellow end of the periscope. “Now it’s camouflaged. If you keep it next to a window frame and move it slowly, I don’t think you could see it from down there.”
“We’ll check it out when we leave,” Kaden said. “You can stay up here until I get down and I’ll see if I can spot it.”
They went through the other items, picking them up one at a time.
“Camera,” Yo-Yo announced, “so you can have a picture of your dad.” Kaden hadn’t told Yo-Yo about the photo album. But the photo of his dad holding him was at least nine years old. It would be nice to have a current picture, Kaden thought.
“It’s only got a couple more shots on it,” Yo-Yo said. “It’s left over from music camp this summer. My mom gave me a throwaway, afraid I’d break or lose her digital camera.”
“Baby wipes for you.” Kaden laughed, rolling the container toward Yo-Yo. “And sunflower seeds for Kubla.”
“You never know when you might need a flashlight,” Yo-Yo said.
“A unique flashlight,” Kaden added. “Is that what the batteries are for?”
“No, for the CD player. I can’t find the electric cord that came with it but I’ll keep looking. The batteries don’t last very long.”
“There’s no electricity out here,” Kaden said.
“I know, but you can take it home and listen there, too. It won’t be heard through the intercom, not with the earbuds. So you can listen to stuff besides Gram’s records,” Yo-Yo said, holding up several CDs.
Kaden reached over and picked up the last thing, the cell phone. “This doesn’t work,” he said. “I tried to call you on it already.”
“I know. It’s an old one and we no longer go with that server,” Yo-Yo answered. “But they say you can call 911 on any cell phone no matter whether you’re hooked up to a plan or not. I threw it in, in case you ever need it.”
“Do you think I will?”
“I don’t know, but he has been in prison, and even though he’s your dad, you don’t know what he’s really like or anything, do you? I’ve seen these cop shows on TV and—”
“You’re right,” Kaden interrupted him, “it’s probably a good idea, just in case.”
The boys had gone through all the items. Yo-Yo put a CD into the player, popped the earbuds in, leaned back into the corner, and closed his eyes.
Kaden stood up and leaned his elbows on a window frame. With a blur of flapping wings, Kubla landed on Kaden’s head. A matchstick was in his beak. Without seeming to even be aware of the bird, Kaden took the matchstick and dropped it over the side of the tower.
Kubla caught it and returned. Kaden absently tossed the matchstick out again and looked down at Yo-Yo.
“Are you awake?” he asked. Yo-Yo said nothing. He was sound asleep. Kaden dropped the matchstick a third time. This time Kubla ignored the matchstick as it dropped toward the ground. Instead, the bird suddenly flew off toward the road, screeching his warning caw over and over, shattering the calm hum of insects.
Kaden was surprised. He hadn’t heard a car. He ducked out of sight. Quietly picking up the periscope, he poked it slowly upward and looked through it. He saw no vehicles parked near the barricade. But what he did see made his heart instantly begin racing. Standing just behind the barricade stood his dad holding a long stick.
Kubla dove at Dad as he stepped over the barricade. Dad waved the stick and the crow veered off out of reach. He flew to his favorite branch, still cawing raucously as Dad walked toward the tower. Worried Dad would look up, Kaden pulled the periscope from the window. He wondered why his dad was at the tower. Maybe he’s leaving something for me again, Kaden thought, but he hadn’t seen anything in his hands except the stick.
Kubla squawked harshly a few more times, then quieted. Kaden sat out of sight, his heart still pounding. I wonder what he’s doing, he thought. Slowly, he poked the periscope up to the window again. He saw Kubla on his tree limb, but adjusting the periscope, he could not see his dad. He crawled quietly toward the open trapdoor in the floor and put the periscope out the opening just a little. Layers of stairs, alternating with metal grate landings, zigzagged down until they reached the last landing, twenty feet above the ground. Under the landing stood Dad, staring at the ground where the last set of stairs should have ended.
Dad dropped the stick, bent over, and picked something up. As he looked at what he held, Kubla suddenly came shrieking from the tree, flying straight toward him. His wild black wings fluttered around Dad’s arm, and then the bird veered off. Kubla darted up, through the crisscross of steel beams, then circled around the flights of stairs to the top, as if climbing a spiral staircase. Kaden pulled the periscope in from the hole just as Kubla flew through it. He landed on Kaden’s head, his black feet pricking Kaden’s scalp as they grabbed his hair for balance. Kubla made several turning jumps until the bird and Kaden faced the same direction. Then Kubla bent over Kaden’s forehead holding a matchstick he had taken from Dad’s hand.
“Kaden!” a voice yelled out suddenly from below. “Kaden, are you up there?”
Kaden froze, every muscle tight and rigid.
“I know you’re here. Your grandmother said you were!” Dad yelled up again. Kubla, still holding the matchstick, jumped up to the window and looked intently below. The matchstick dropped to the ground as the bird gave several brassy caws.
Kaden glanced at Yo-Yo. He was still sleeping. Thursday night, Kaden swore he wouldn’t hide from Dad, but he didn’t want to meet him now. Not with Yo-Yo there. Kaden didn’t move.
“Have it your way.”
Kaden didn’t hear another word. Finally Kubla left his watch post at the window. He hopped over to Kaden’s shoulder, cooing and gurgling in Kaden’s ear and pulling at his earlobe. Kaden inched the periscope past the edge of the hole in the floor and peered down. Dad was gone. He quietly moved it over to the window and scanned all around. Nothing.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
READY
Kaden waited for a while to make sure Dad was gone, took a quick peek out the window, then gave Yo-Yo a shake.
“Dad was here again. You slept through it,” Kaden said.
“What?” Yo-Yo said. He took out the earbuds and a thin trickle of music could be heard.
“My dad. He was here. Just now,” Kaden repeated.
“Really? Did you talk to him?”
“No. I wasn’t expecting him to come here and I didn’t know what to do.”
Yo-Yo stood up and looked out the window through the binoculars.
“I don’t see his truck.”
“He didn’t drive in. He walked.”
“Are you sure it was your dad?”
“Yeah. He called my name. And I recognized him from the other night.”
“The other night?”
“Yeah. That’s what I wanted to tell you about. Dad was at the cabins Thursday night when Gram was at the board meeting.”
“Wow! So you’ve finally met him.”
“No. He was in Cabin Five and didn’t know I was home. It’s not that I don’t want to meet him, but every time I see him, I freeze. I’m just afraid of meeting him.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I was all ready to meet him and then Gram said he wasn’t ready to meet me, and now I’m even more nervous about it. I think he is, too. I told you he left me the backpack. Well, he left a ball and glove, too, and Thursday, a photo album with pictures of him and me when I was a baby. It’s like he wants to meet me, but . . .”
“Well, if he was here, he must be ready to meet you now.”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure I’m ready.”
“It’s not too much different than standing up to Luke. You just have to act confident, even if you’re not.”
“I guess.”
Yo-Yo looked at his watch. It was past five. “We’d better get going. My mom’s going to be picking me up soon.”
Kaden took the binoculars from Yo-Yo, put them in the chest, and closed the lid. But Yo-Yo opened it back up. He reached inside and pulled out the cell phone. “Maybe you should take this with you. You know, just in case.”
Kaden took the phone and stood there looking at it in his hand. Then he shook his head and put the phone back in the chest.
“No, I won’t need it,” he said, and they headed down the stairs.
Kaden returned the rope with its rock to its hiding spot, and as he walked back under the tower, he picked up the stick his dad had dropped.
“Is it the one from the muddy spot?” Yo-Yo asked.
“Yeah,” Kaden answered, but let the stick fall back to the ground. “No point in putting it back. It won’t tell me anything if he walks in.”
“You could set up a trip wire booby trap. I’ve seen them on TV. You’re walking along and all of a sudden a rope goes around your ankle and before you know it you’re hanging upside down from a tree.”
Kaden said nothing but led the way down the path and over the barricade. As they walked down the road, Yo-Yo kept up with a stream of possibilities.
“Maybe you could dig a hole and put rattlesnakes in it and then cover it all up with branches. Or set up some invisible laser beams and if someone steps through them, they set off an alarm.”
“You watch too much TV,” Kaden said.
“Yeah, well, somebody has to.” Yo-Yo grinned.
The two boys reached the back of the junk cabin, crept along the far side, and peeked around.
The white pickup was in front of Cabin Five. Mrs. Strokowski’s SUV was in front of Gram’s cabin and Emmett’s truck was behind the SUV. Emmett was talking with Mrs. Strokowski through the car window. Gram was nowhere in sight. Neither was Dad.
“I’ll stay if you want me to,” Yo-Yo whispered.
“Thanks,” Kaden said, “but I have to do this alone.”
Yo-Yo and Kaden walked around the front of Cabin One and headed toward the SUV.
“She came out on the porch and said she had company, so I told her I’d just wait in the car,” Mrs. Strokowski was telling Emmett as the boys walked up.
Kaden stood by Emmett, purposely keeping his back to Gram’s cabin. Yo-Yo climbed in his mom’s car, and as the SUV drove out of the circle drive, he opened the window and yelled out, “Good luck. See you Monday!”
But Kaden hardly heard. He stood there wondering if Dad was inside watching him.
Emmett turned to Kaden. “You know your dad is in there,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, I know,” Kaden said. He had been thinking about his dad but suddenly he wondered about Emmett. Emmett usually walked up to the cabins. This time he had driven. “Why are you here? Did Gram call you? Is something wrong?”
“No, I got here just a second before you did. Mrs. Strokowski called me to find out where you and Yo-Yo were. I think she’s a little intimidated by your grandmother. So I thought I’d better come up. I didn’t know your dad was here until I got here.”
At the word “dad,” Kaden tightened up again. Emmett took his hand for just a second and gave it a big squeeze. “You’ll be all right.”
“I know,” Kaden said. He took a big breath and let it out slowly. “I’m ready.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE MEETING
When Kaden and Emmett came in, Gram was on the couch and Dad was sitting in the easy chair. The chair Gram usually sat in. Dad watched them enter but he didn’t get up.
“Howdy, Dennis,” Emmett spoke first. His voice wasn’t friendly, but it wasn’t unfriendly either. Kaden noticed Emmett didn’t step up to Dad or put out his hand.
“Emmett,” Dad said, “been a long time.” His voice wasn’t overly friendly either, nor did he put out his hand.
Gram had not said a word, but now she spoke up. “Dennis, I taught you to stand when an elder enters the room. And take your hat off in the house.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dad said in a sarcastic tone. He removed his hat and slowly stood up. He gave Emmett a look that reminded Kaden of the looks he got from Luke.
Saying no more to Emmett, Dad turned to Kaden and with a much more pleasant voice said, “And you must be Kaden.”
“Yes, sir,” Kaden said.
“What’s this sir stuff?” Dad said curtly. Kaden looked at the floor.
“The boy’s been raised to be polite to strangers,” Emmett said. His tone had not sweetened.
“Strangers, bull,” Dad said. He turned to Kaden, his voice sweet again, but the tone of voice didn’t match his words. “I’m not a stranger, son. I’m your dad. I know you already know that. I also know you saw me at the tower and didn’t answer me.”
This wasn’t what Kaden imagined meeting his dad would be like. For years, he had imagined his dad running and picking him up, swinging him around and around, saying how much he missed him. For years, Kaden thought he knew what it would be like when Dad got out of prison. And until the last letter arrived three weeks ago, Kaden had looked forward to that day. Now Kaden didn’t know what to say. He stood there, staring at the floor.
Gram stood up, taking Kaden off the hook. “We’ve all been reunited now, so enough. Let’s have dinner.”
Emmett turned to leave but before he got the screen door opened, Gram said, “Emmett, you’re staying. Kaden, go wash up.”
Kaden rushed out the door, relieved to have a chance to get away. When he got in his cabin, he looked under his mattress. The photo album was still there. He looked at the picture again. In it Dad was smiling. Dad looked like he liked him. Maybe Dad is just as nervous about our reintroduction as I am, he thought.
Kaden could hear Gram through the intercom telling Emmett and Dad to behave themselves, that they were acting like a couple of strutting roosters. He heard the porch door slam shut and through his open window he heard the creak of the glider. He wished he could see who was sitting on the porch.
Through the intercom came the sound of pots and pans. That would be Gram. At the same time, there was the sound of the silverware drawer being opened and the chink of knives and forks. Someone was helping Gram. It could be either Emmett or Dad. Nobody said a word, so he couldn’t tell which, but he knew there was only one person on the porch. He wished he had Yo-Yo’s periscope.
Keeping his ears tuned, hoping to hear voices over the intercom, Kaden washed his hands and face and changed out of his sweaty T-shirt. He paused at his desk but heard only sounds of dinner being prepared. I’ve got to come out sometime, he told himself. Hoping it was Emmett on the porch, he steppe
d out. It wasn’t Emmett. It was Dad.
“Come on over here and sit down,” Dad said. His voice no longer sounded sarcastic. “We can get to know each other a little before dinner. Did you find the presents I gave you?”
“Yes, thank you,” Kaden said politely, but as he sat on the porch steps, anger started rising up in him. He could feel his body tense up thinking about why his father was giving him presents now. He never had before, at least not that he could remember. For eight years, he had never gotten anything from his father, not a letter, not a card, certainly not a present. All letters that came from Chapston City State Correctional Center had been addressed to Gram. Since Gram never let Kaden read any of them, he didn’t know what they said, but no letters ever showed up around his birthday. Christmas cards arrived every year but they too were addressed to Gram, and Dad never wrote anything in them. He just signed them and they were always signed Dennis, not Dad. Kaden often wondered whether his father even remembered he lived with Gram. Or if his father even remembered he existed. And now he wondered if the stranger called Dad, who was sitting there in the glider as if he’d been there all along, thought the recent gifts would make up for the past.
“Why didn’t you ever write me?” Kaden asked, not looking at his father.
Kaden said nothing more. Dad was silent also. Kaden could feel his father’s eyes looking at him. Finally, Dad broke the silence.
“I know I haven’t been a father to you and you have a right to be angry,” he said. “I was wrong and I want to make it up to you now.”
Kaden sat there. He didn’t know what to think. He thought it’d be simple to just forgive and forget but it wasn’t. Kaden felt like shouting. At the same time, he wanted to cry. He also wanted Gram or Emmett, or even the stranger called Dad, to give him a hug. But none of that happened. He stood up, not saying a word, and walked back to his cabin. Without turning on the light, he lay down on his bed.