by Various Orca
“It’s not too late, Gramma,” says AmberLea. She’s holding GL’s hand, at least until the paramedics ask her to stand back. They swing a stretcher down into position, all calm talk and asking questions about what happened and where it hurts. GL winces and yelps when they lift her onto the stretcher. The ground is rough, so they carry it instead of using the wheels. As the paramedics lift her into the ambulance she spots me. “Spencer,” she says. “Like Spencer Tracey. That’s how I remember it. You’ve been a good sport, Spencer. Come here. In here. AmberLea!” she calls. “Bring the camera.”
I climb in and kneel beside her. “Lose the glasses,” she orders. “Prop up this pillow. More. There. You,” she says to a paramedic, “get a flashlight. We need a small spot.”
“Ma’am—” the paramedic starts to say.
“Just do it, we haven’t got all day. No wonder pictures go over budget.”
AmberLea sets up the shot for GL’s good side. GL directs the lighting. “How’s my hair? All right. Spencer, turn the other way; we shoot faces, not ears.”
I bend in. This close she’s a very old, very pale lady and her lips are quivering with pain. She reaches out a hand that’s all bones and blue veins and red polish. I understand and reach my hand out to her. Her hand is cool. It clutches tight. She pulls me in close for the shot. “I meant everything I said out there,” she whispers. Her breath is like a musty sweater. Then, louder, “All right,” she says, “this is for David McLean, from Wanda Karpuski.” She kisses me on the cheek.
I start to get up and she pulls me back. “And this is for Spencer, from Gloria Lorraine.” She kisses me again.
“Cut,” says AmberLea.
REEL FOUR
BLACK SCREEN
SOUND OF HELICOPTER
FADE IN:
EXT.—HIGHWAY 17—AERIAL SHOT—DAY
Chopper swoops low and follows Jackfish Road. Fall colors dot the landscape. To the south, the gray-blue swell of Lake Superior.
EXT.—CLEARING—LONG SHOT, FROM GROUND—DAY
Chopper lands in clearing. TINA, AMBERLEA, JERRY, DEB and MIKE KARPUSKI climb out. SPENCER is not in the group. JERRY carries a shovel, TINA a bag.
EXT.—FOREST—HAND-HELD TRAVELING SHOT GROUP, FROM BEHIND—DAY
Group walks through forest along railroad tracks. They turn off into a small clearing, almost overgrown, with wire fencing around.
SOUND OF FEET CRUNCHING.
TINA
It’s too bad your son Bunny can’t be here.
DEB
Thanks. I know he wishes he could.
JERRY
Yeah. At least he’ll be out in less than a year.
EXT.—GRAVEYARD—MEDIUM SHOT GROUP—DAY
TINA, AMBERLEA, JERRY, DEB and MIKE KARPUSKI are in graveyard. Red and orange leaves blaze as sunlight filters through the trees. One wooden cross still leans against wire fence, one has fallen over.
SOUND OF MURMURING VOICES, WIND RUSTLES LEAVES. A LAST FEW INSECTS BUZZ.
CLOSE-UP OF WRITING ON STANDING CROSS
Writing is in a strange language, maybe Latin.
CLOSE-UP OF WRITING ON FALLEN CROSS
Writing is too faint to read.
MIKE (OFFSCREEN)
Here.
PAN TO:
MEDIUM SHOT—MIKE
MIKE points to the earth at his feet. It has sunk a little. A dead tree has fallen across it and there’s a piece of rotten wood at one end, like the wood of the crosses.
MIKE lifts away the log and clears the space.
JERRY digs a small hole near the rotten wood.
TWO SHOT—TINA AND AMBERLEA
TINA and AMBERLEA are holding a round metal box. (The kind used to hold a reel of movie film.) TINA opens it.
AMBERLEA wears a small antique locket hanging over her sweater.
CLOSE-UP—AMBERLEA’S AND TINA’S HANDS
AMBERLEA and TINA put a copy of the picture of Danielle and one of Gloria as a movie star in the box. AMBERLEA opens the locket to show the original picture of Danielle. She closes the locket. They close the box.
MEDIUM SHOT—ALL
TINA and AMBERLEA put the box in the hole and step back. JERRY fills in the hole. Then DEB hangs a small circular object on a loop of rawhide to the wire fence behind.
CLOSE-UP—ONE OF GRANDPA’S AIR FORCE IDENTITY DISCS
MEDIUM SHOT—ALL
Everyone bows their heads; then everyone hugs.
SOUND OF VOICES, BREEZE, ETC.
AMBERLEA walks toward, then off camera.
SOUND OF HER FEET CRUNCHING ON LEAVES CLOSE BY.
SOUND STOPS.
AMBERLEA (OFFSCREEN)
You know, Spencer, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship…
TILT UP FROM GROUP TO EXTREME WIDE SHOT— CLEAR BLUE SKY
A jet’s vapor trail cuts across the sky.
SONG FROM CASABLANCA, “AS TIME GOES BY ”
FADE TO BLACK
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There are a whole bunch of people who deserve most of the credit and none of the blame for this book.
First, my thanks to Eric Walters, who dreamed up Grandpa David and the whole Seven series, for both a great idea and his generosity in inviting me along for the ride. Also, thanks to Richard Scrimger. It was fun dreaming up Spencer and Bunny’s family and coordinating their adventures.
Peter Carver kindly gave me the tablecloth trick. As well, I’m indebted to Pat Devereaux and Mike Glover, who pointed me toward Jackfish. My old buddy Frank Rolfe made sure I got the details of his cottage right by inviting me up to visit; I’m grateful.
I’d also like to thank the folks at Orca for their support of this project, especially editor extraordinaire Sarah Harvey, who kept a firm hand on the steering wheel whenever Spencer’s story started to careen out of control.
Finally, my gratitude to Margaret and to Will for great advice and for being there.
When he isn’t writing, TED STAUNTON has a busy schedule as a speaker, workshop leader, storyteller and musical performer for children and adults. His previous books include the well-loved Green Applestreet Gang series, as well as Hope Springs a Leak and Power Chord. Ted lives in Port Hope, Ontario. To learn more about Ted, go to www.tedstauntonbooks.com.
RICHARD SCRIMGER
INK
ME
ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS
Copyright © 2012 Richard Scrimger
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Scrimger, Richard, 1957-
Ink me [electronic resource] / Richard Scrimger.
(Seven (the series))
Electronic monograph.
Issued also in print format.
ISBN 978-1-4598-0017-5 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-4598-0018-2 (EPUB)
I. Title. II. Series: Seven the series (Online)
PS8587.C745I56 2012 jC813'.54 C2012-902626-3
First published in the United States, 2012
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012938313
Summary: Bunny goes to get a tattoo but inadvertently becomes involved with a gang.
Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
Design by Teresa Bubela
Cover photography by Getty Images
Author photo by Brendan Humber
ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS
PO Box 5626, Stn. B
Victoria, BC Canada
V8R 6S4 ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS
PO Box 468
Custer, WA USA
98240-0468
www.orcabook.com
15 14 13 12 • 4 3 2 1
To my mom, who may not have much time
for gang wars or tattoos but who loves kids
and books as much as anyone around.
CONTENTS
AFTER IT WAS OVER
WHEN IT BEGAN
YOU WONT BELEEV
SHE HAD THE NEEDL
AT DINNER
IT WAS SPENCER. HEY! I SAID
THE NEWS WAS ON
THE SUN WAS BEHIND US
MOM WAS IN A GOOD MOOD
ALL AFTERNOON WE TOOK TURNS
DIFFERNT
I SENT JADEN AN OTHER TEXT
WE DROVE AROUND
I DREAMED
MY RITING HAND IS HURTING
JADEN NEW WARE TO GO
THEY CRAMMED INTO THE CAR
WE WERE ALL GOING TO THE MALL
RAINY DAYS AT THE COTTAGE
MY SIDE HURT.
BEANS WENT INTO THE MALL
GUY CLIMING OUT OF THE SUV WAS OLDER THAN US
HAFF WAY ROUND A LOOP
I WAS—I DUNNO WHAT I WAS
WE LOOK RONG SAID JADEN
YES SHE SAID
NIKKI THE COP CAME BACK
WE SAT
IN THE MOVY
I WAS DUN. I DINT WANT TO RITE ANYTHING EVER AGANE
THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AFTER IT WAS OVER
SHE SAT ME DOWN at a big table and ast if I wantd water or juice or anything.
No I said.
Or sum thing to eat—a bagel or muffin?
No.
My voys sounded funny like it was coming from behind a door. My ears were still messd up from the gunshots. She told me to rite my full name. I put down Bunny O’Toole and ast if that was OK. My names Bernard but no 1 ever calld me that xept Grampa. She said Bunny was OK.
Im Sarjent Nolan but you can call me Nikki she said. Like Nikki K the rapper—you no her dont you?
O yah I said but I dint reely.
The paper was yello with lines. The pen was the kind that went blob blob wen you rote. Now your address said Nikki so I put that down—2 Tecumsee. I ast did she want Trono and Canada and that. She shook her head.
And how old r you Bunny? Rite that too.
I put down 15.
You sure you dont want sum thing to eat? You look hungry.
Well mayb a muffin.
OK.
She told me to rite down what happend in my own words. I ast what she ment by my own words and she said what do you member?
Starting ware? I said.
At the start.
Like wen we got to Sure Way and the Angels and Buffalos were there with there bikes and the SUV and then the pleece cars came?
Befor that.
Like driving to the mall?
Befor that.
Lunch? That was at Snocones house. There was a baby.
Befor that.
Befor lunch—like brekfast? I had that at home I said. OJ and Rice Krisps. Spencer likes them and Mom always makes sure there there.
By now Nikki was frowning the way evry 1 does at me. Not meen but tired you no? Like she wantd to say Jeez Bunny smarten up. Guys do that even if they all reddy no Im a dummy. Not Spencer but evry 1 els. Mom and Dad do. Mom sure does. I can see it in her face. She loves me but she wants to yell at me 2.
Sorry I said. I dont no what you want.
I wishd Spencer was there to xplane for me. But Spencer was off with Dad kissing that actress and getting lost and driving Mom crazy. I was here at the pleece stashun with Nikki the cop and she was giving me the Jeez Bunny look and rolling up her blu sleevs. A sister Jaden wud call her but I cant cuz Im not reely a brother.
Start at the begining she said. Wen did you join the possy?
The table was chippd and wiggly. There were marks on it like sum thing xploding. Other guys marks.
I told Nikki that I dint no I was in the possy until Jaden said so. That was wen he saw Grampas tatoo.
Your grampa has a tatoo?
No I do. Grampas dead. I got his tatoo for him.
I touchd my arm saying this. It still hurt a littl bit. I shud of bin rubbing that goop on it. Nikki ast cud she see the tatoo so I pulld up the sleev of my new shirt and there it was. Pretty sweet.
Why dont you start with that? she said. Wen did you think about getting the tatoo? Rite down evrything that happend from then until now OK Bunny? Ill bring you a muffin.
Evrything? I said. Thats alot.
Im no good at riting. I get words rong and I forget ware I am and my spelling is Very Bad. Thats what Miss Wing says. She helps me in skool. Shes hot. Evry 1 says so.
What if I dont do it? I ast.
Then youll go to jale said Nikki the pleece woman.
Was she kidding? She dint look like she was kidding. And I was in a pleece stashun. And bad things had happend. Shots and things. I dint want to rite all the stuff down. But I dint want to go to jale.
Your meen I said. Your a meen lady you no that?
Yah. You want a coke with that muffin?
I side a long one. Huhhhhh.
I never herd of Nikki K I said.
She left and I bent over and startd riting.
WHEN IT BEGAN
WE WERE ON THE STREETCAR—all of us. This was a wile ago like last week or the 1 befor. Me and Spencer Mom and Dad scraping along Queen Street past traffic lites and turning cars. Past the take out place and the SHOOS SHOOS SHOOS place and the place ware Spencer gets his movys. Past the corner with the hobos and the corner with the bank and the corner with all the shmata stores—thats what Dad calls them anyway. He xplaned but I forgot. Past the drug store and the junk store and the restront and the other restront and the other 1. Spencer was beside me watching Kill Bill on his phone. Mom and Dad in the seat in front of us. The car was full. Peepl and smells and noys and more peepl.
Mom was quiet and Dad was patting her hand. She was waring good close. Me and Spencer too—shirts with buttons. Dad lookd funny without the bandana he normly has on.
I saw a topless girl on the sidewalk and poked Spencer. Then we were past her and she turnd out to be a guy not a girl. A fat guy jiggling. Ew.
What? said Spencer taking out his ear thing.
Nothing.
He went back to Kill Bill.
Sum thing Jewish. What shmata meens. Jewish for sum thing.
Downtown the bildings were bigger and evry 1 had phones in there hands. We went round the door—I meen the door went round and we were in it. You no. And then we were in a big stone room with a seeling that went up and up. Very cool. I went Wow! and I cud here my voys going wow ow ow ow getting softer.
Hey I said.
Ey ey ey.
I did it agane. Ey ey ey. An old guy glared up at me.
Mom said Shhh!
Shh shh shh.
Made me laff.
In the elvater Mom was shaking her head at Dads cowboy boots and he was humming sum old song—he does that alot. My neck hurt from my shirt. Spencer was back to his movy. The elvator went up.
I was thinking about Grampa. He was reel old. Like the pine ears—that kind of old. He livd in a cottage by a lake. Leest thats ware we saw him. He livd other places 2 but I never saw him there. He was always old. His hair was white and his hands had those bumpy blu lines. He calld me Bernard. I kept telling him it was Bunny but he dint lissen. How r you getting on in skool Bernard? he said. R you playing sports Bernard? Your a big boy—sports r good for you.
He said that a lot about sports.
I said my name was Bunny.
You shud be on a teem. You learn a lot being on a teem. Your fast Bernard.
No Im not I said.
I meen your quik—your hands move fast. What r you good at?
Finding things I said. Mom says Im the best. She always gets me to help her find her keys.
I ment like baseball he said.
I member telling him
1 time that I was sorry. He ast why and I said cuz I wasnt smarter. He told me not to be sorry. He ment this I cud tell. It was important to him. There was just the 2 of us standing on the dock cuz evry 1 els was playing tag or sum thing. He put his hands on my sholders and stared at me.
Never feel sorry for yourself he said. Never never never. Do you understand Bernard?
Im not sorry for me I said. Im sorry for you.
He took a step back and opend his mouth and then closd it agane. And then DJ came running up behind me and pushd me. Hes always pushing peepl. I cot his hand and we spun each other round like Grampa tot us that time in the barn. We pushd and pulld for a bit and then Grampa pushd us both into the lake—and that was pretty funny.
It dint look like him in the coffin. I hardly new him. I ast Spencer if it was reely Grampa or if it was like a doll or sum thing. Spencer said that was him all rite—he just lookd weerd cuz he was pumpd up with stuff.
Just befor the elvater got to our floor and went ding I jumpd in the air so I cud feel my lunch left behind—thats always fun. Mom gave me the Jeez Bunny look. The door opend and we went to the loyers offis. The room was full of uncles and antys and cuzzens—peepl I hardly ever see xept at the cottage. It was like a suprise party xept no 1 shoutd suprise. They were all stiff like they were made of cardbord. Mom went over and starting hugging Anty Vicky. Dad gave a peace sine to evry 1 and Spencer side. He says Jer is lame. That’s what he calls Dad—Jer. Short for Jerry. I ast Dad if he wantd me to call him Jer too and he said it was a free country and I was a free sole and it was up to me. Mom said I better not call her Deb. Its a free country but Im your mom she said.
We all sat down and the loyer talkd about Grampa for a bit and it was kind of boring—and then he talkd about a mistery part of Grampas will that had to do with us grand kids. He said sum of us wud have to leev the room and Steve and DJ startd shouting at each other—there brothers and they bug each other alot. But it all got sortd out and it was the parents who left. I was a bit worryd but I was beside Spencer and he told me we were cool.
My chair had a smooth seat and wen I movd it sounded like a fart. I laffd and felt better.