by Various Orca
The loyer sat at the big desk and leend forward. He calld us jentl men—funny cuz we wernt. We talkd about what a suprising will Grampa had made and what a suprising guy he was. I thot about the time he hid in the walk-in freezer and scared the crap out of all of us 1 at a time. That was suprising all rite.
And then the weerdest thing of all happend. The loyer turnd on a TV set and there was Grampa himself on TV. He was sitting down in a chair and looking out at us saying good afternoon boys. I must of said sum thing cuz a cupl of them turnd to stare at me for a second. Spencer told me that it was all OK.
TV Grampa made a long speech about how grate we all were and how much we all ment to him. It was nice to here this stuff about us but it was weerd too. Grampa was saying these things but he was dead. And he cudnt count. He said there were 7 of us but there were only 6. I checkd—6. And agane making sure I countd myself. Still 6. I new these guys. All my life I new them. I ast Spencer what was going on and he told me to wate and see.
Grampa was talking about nvelopes now. Nvelopes for each of us and things he wantd us to do inside the nvelopes. I had no idea what he ment—what kind of thing cud I do for a dead guy? I meen reely. I stared at the TV but I cudnt get what Grampa was saying. He liftd his glass. His littl hat was off to 1 side and his wispy hair was sticking out from under it. And then the screen went black and that was that. Grampa turnd into nothing. Well I gess we all do eh? Lifes your TV show and then sum 1 switches you off.
I countd agane to make sure. 6 of us.
The room was buzzing—evry 1 talking and waving there arms. I herd sum of what they were saying but it dint make sens. Tasks we were sposed to do. Tasks for Grampa. I dint no what they ment. Tasks. Spencer was talking to Webb so I cudnt ast him. Sum 1 said how xiting it all was. Yah I no—xiting eh! I said. But I dint meen it. Then the loyer gave us our nvelopes—big brown 1s with our names on them. And our moms and dads came back in and there was more talk and arm waving. Mom was crying and so was Anty Vicky and Uncle John. I was thirsty but I dint see a fountin anyware so I gulpd inside my mouth and wated for sum 1 to tell me what to do next.
My nvelope said BERNARD.
Our kitchen is yello. I like sitting at the table and watching the sun make dime end shapes on the floor. Mom was sniffling by the sink. Dad was rolling out a pi crust—he does that wen hes upset. It helps him think. Me and Spencer were at the table with our nvelopes in front of us.
I new what was going on now—Spencer xplaned on the way home. Grampa did a lot of things in his life but there were sum things he never got round to cuz he was working and stuff. Now Grampa was dead and we were going to do the things he never did for him. Thats what a task is—a thing you have to do. Me and Spencer and Webb and Adam and all the other grandsons were going to do the tasks Grampa dint do for himself. The nvelopes had jobs in them—1 for each of us. I wantd to open my nvelope on the streetcar but Mom told me to wate. I ast what good it was to do a job for sum 1 who was dead. No 1 anserd. So now Spencer and me sat at the kitchen table with our nvelopes in front of us. And I had a drink of milk 2. And Mom gave a sniff and Dad put the pi crust into a pan and the oven buzzd to say how hot it was. And Spencer and I startd in ripping.
YOU WONT BELEEV
WHAT GRAMPA WANTD me to do. What my task was. Reddy? OK here it is. He wantd me to get a tatoo. I no isnt that crazy? Isnt that the weerdest thing? A tatoo. Wen I red the letter I went NO WAY and startd laffing. Spencer was all reddy dun with his letter and going O crap O crap O crap.
Grampa had it all plannd out for me. There was a tatoo place on Lake Shore run by an old bud of his and I was going to show up and the guy wud give me a tatoo. Grampa xplaned in his letter. He was sposed to get a tatoo back in 1945 with his crew—Grampa flew airplanes—but he was sick that day and they got the tatoo and he dint. And then the war ended and he came home and got bisy with other things so now he wantd me to get the tatoo for him.
I no your big and strong Bernard
he rote in the letter
so you can stand the pane of the needl. The tatoo will remind you of sum important things. Your not a kid any more. Your getting older. Your growing up and I bet you feel alone sum times. But your not alone. Evry time you look at your arm youll no your apart of sum thing big. Me and my crew never let each other down. We wont let you down ether. Together we fly. Thats our motto. Make it yours Bernard. Trust yourself and trust your teem. Dont do this for me—do it for you.
Sum thing like that anyway. I dont member the xact words. There was more stuff about being there for each other and all. I showd the letter to Mom. She was upset but I wasnt. Not even at the Bernard. I was used to it.
A tatoo—not bad. Lots of kids at skool have them. Ed sits next to me and has 2 arrows on his arm. There cool.
Poor old Spencer was hanging his head and moning. Gess what? He had to kiss an old lady. That was Grampas task for him—find sum old lady actress and get her to kiss him. Spencers into movys and all and I gess thats what Grampa was thinking. I laffd and laffd. Glad Im not you I said. Id rather get a tatoo than a kiss from sum creepy old bag. He told me to shut up.
The phone rang. Mom said Vicky! and then startd talking 649 miles a minit. I herd her say Africa! like she says Your kidding! I dint care about Africa. I went to the TV room and sat in the blu chair and wonderd about things. I dint no what good it wud do Grampa for me to get his tatoo. Or for Spencer to kiss his old lady. Or whatever the others were doing. Grampa was dead. His letter said do it for you but I dint get that ether. What wud a tatoo do for me? I wonderd if Spencers letter said do it for yourself and what a kiss from an old lady wud do for him? I turnd on the TV and found cartoons. OK then.
Mom came into my room to say good nite. It was dark but I cud see her face in the lite from the hall. Her eyes were all skinny and her mouth was down at the corners. She ast how I felt and I told her fine.
And do you still want to get the tatoo? she ast.
Uh huh.
You dont have to she said. Just cuz Grampa ast you to do sum thing you dont have to do it. He was my dad but I dint always do what he wantd. If he ast me to get a tatoo Id say no. Tatoos r ugly Bunny. Ugly and stupid.
She stoppd and the word hung in the air for a bit. Like a fart you no? Stupid. I new Mom was wishing she dint say it. Stupid was what I was.
I wonderd did Grampa think tatoos were stupid? Was that why he wantd me to get 1? I dint think so. This wasnt about stupid. It was sum thing els.
I want to go tomoro I said.
She side.
Wate a few days she said. Wate and see if you still feel this way. Good nite now. And she left me alone in the dark.
12 Street.
13 Street.
14 Street.
It was a few days later—Friday afternoon. I dint change my mind. I was sitting on the streetcar going along Lakeshore. I was on my way to Kilroy Tatoo. The streets we past were numbers and that made it easy for me. Kilroy Tatoo was at Lakeshore and 20 Street. All I had to do was count.
17 Street.
18 Street.
Mom was at skool. Its her job. Shes a prof. Prof O’Toole. Spencer xplaned what shes a prof of but I dint reely get it. Sum thing about how we no things—how we no what we no. I dint here the word Spencer used. You meen like flossing? I said and he laffd.
Thats a good 1 Bun man. Yah Mom teeches flossing.
So anyway she was at skool being a prof and Spencer and Dad were on there way to Buffalo to find his old lady and I was on the streetcar counting to 20. I was alone. Mom ast if I wantd her to go with me but I said no. I dint want her calling evry 1 with a tatoo stupid. Besides this was my task and Grampa wud want me to do it alone. If DJ cud go to Africa on his own I cud find a tatoo place.
Xept I cudnt. I got off the streetcar at 20 Street and lookd around but there was no Kilroy. I saw a junk store and a restront with a sine that blinkd BUD BUD BUD and a dollar store and a place with weel chairs in the windo and a fite but no Kilroy.
It wasnt a reel fi
te. A fat bully kind of kid was pushing a skinny 1. The big kid had teeth and a shiny haircut and was pushing so hard the skinny 1 fell down and wen he got up the fat kid pushd him agane. Push and push. And he was saying a word.
I dint like it. Big aganest littl isnt fair. I dint like the word ether.
It was getting dark and there was wind. I shiverd in my short sleevs. The skinny kid fell down. The big 1 said the word agane. I went over and told him to stop it. Hes littlr than you I said.
The big 1 turnd. And who r you? he ast.
Bunny I said.
The other kid got up and brushd off his pants. He was crickety with long skinny legs and arms and kind of bug eyes. He dint run away. He wasnt scared.
The big kid tryd to push me. I cot his hand in mine and held on and wen he tryd to pull his hand away I dint let him.
No I said.
His leg went back and he tryd to kick me. I saw his foot come at me and dint think what to do I just did it. I grabbd his foot and liftd the way I used to do wen Spencer and me were fiting. I still had the big kids hand so I liftd him off the ground and spun him round hanging on to his arm and leg. He wasnt laffing like Spencer tho—he was kicking with his other leg. I tossd him away from me. He went like that in the air and landed on top of a trash can and stayd there.
The other kid said holy crap.
There was a tatoo place across the street. Not Kilroy a differnt 1. I wonderd if theyd no about Kilroy so I crossd and gess what? It was the rite place after all. Kilroy retired and now the place was calld Ink Tank. Thats what the guy at the desk said. Grate I said. I told him who I was and he said sure sure. He had my name and evrything.
Down the hall and on your left he said.
SHE HAD THE NEEDL
IN HER HAND like a pen and amed it at my arm. Reddy? she said and there it was. Sharp and fast like litening. I cud feel it going up my arm to my brane.
O I said.
Did that hurt?
I memberd Grampas letter. I no you can take the pane Bernard.
Im OK I said.
Her name was Roxy. She was bald and short like a dorf. She wore an undershirt and shorts to show her tatoos. She had riting all over her sholders arms legs and neck. There was even riting across her bald head. I dint want to stare so I dint reed the riting. It lookd cool but kind of gros 2.
Wen I came into the room she was picking papers off the floor. She threw them on a table and yond. She held up the top peace of paper. It had a 15 on it.
This is you rite? she said.
Huh?
Your ink. Your tatoo. What you want on your arm.
I said I dint no.
R you 15? she ast.
Yah.
That was what Grampa said in the letter. Your getting older now Bernard.
My birthday was last month I said.
OK whatever. Your 15 said Roxy. She put the paper on my arm and wet it and took away the paper and there was the drawing on my arm. There was a 15 and a candl like for a cake. Ill put it down here so you can see it. Like this. See?
Cool! I said.
You like that? You want it in ink?
Yah ink me I said.
Roxy yond. What a day she said. 3 jobs alreddy and an other after yours and Im tired as deth. I dint get any sleep last nite.
She got her needl.
Stay still she said.
I dint think about the pane. I sat in the chair and thot about Roxy working. She followd the marks on my arm stopping to wipe away the blud. Wen she yond I cud see the back of her mouth. Ew. I thot about what kids wud say about my tatoo at skool. Wen I saw Eds arrow tatoo I went Wow. I dint have a best frend or any thing but mayb sum 1 wud say Wow wen they saw my 15. Spencer wud say sum thing. Way to go Bunster or sum thing. Spencers OK.
Stay still said Roxy.
I countd holes. There were 17 of them on my rite hand wall and 9 on my left hand wall. Holes like from a hammer. I countd them agane. 9 and 17.
Roxy stood back and yond sum more.
Your dun she said. What do you think?
She held up a meer and there was the tatoo. It lookd rong—like a 21. But that was the meer. It was a 15 all rite.
Wow I said.
There was a bit of blud. Roxy wiped it and put on a big band ade. She used tape to hold it on.
Thanks I said and she smiled. She had a lip tatoo and wen she smiled I cud see it. LOVE. Wen she stoppd smiling the letters went away.
I hurt. Not litening bolts but it was there. Pane. Roxy told me to by sum goop to rub on the tatoo or els sum thing bad wud happen. She told me the kind to get. Put it on 2 times a day for a week she said. I said OK.
The guy outside in the hall was taking off his button shirt. I dint see his face but he had a nife tatoo on his rite sholder.
2 men sat in the wating room talking about me. I cud tell cuz wen they saw me they stoppd. Older men like 30 or 50. 1 of them had a vest and long hair. You the 1? he said.
What 1? I said.
You hurt that Angel across the rode. Dint you? The Angel hassling Jaden?
Uh I said.
Yah your the 1. I saw. But you not 15 r you? You 15?
He was frowning.
Yah Im 15 I said.
Huh! You dont look like it he said.
I get that all the time. Im big but I dont look very old.
But its cool he said. You keep on hurting those Angels. Who they think they r anyway?
Uh huh I said. I was playing with the band ade—pulling at the tape and lifting it up so I cud look at the tatoo. Then sticking it back down agane. I lookd up and he was staring at my arm. My tatoo. The other man was peeking 2. He had thick glasses.
This kid a brother? he said.
Shut up TJ said the long hair 1.
He dont look it is all.
Shut up TJ. Hes with the possy. You see the ink?
I dint no what they were talking about.
It was a yucky gray day but I felt like walking. I countd the blocks back words. 20. 19. 18. I peeld back my band ade and there it was. My tatoo. I cud feel it with my hart going. Bump bump bump. Arm arm arm.
I wantd Spencer to see my tatoo. I peeld away the band ade and held out my phone and twistd my arm round and took a pick sure. Not bad. You cud see the 15 and candl sort of. I sent the pick sure to him.
I thot I did it. All the cuzzens with all the tasks and I did mine befor any 1 els. Im the winner. I checkd my tatoo agane. Did I feel Grampa with me? No. The tatoo was mine not his. He wasnt 15. I was.
Arm arm arm.
I came to a drug store and that reminded me I had to get the goop to rub on my tatoo. A lady showd me the rite kind. She wantd to see the tatoo but wen I showd her she stoppd smiling.
Whats rong? I said.
She dint say anything just backd away covering her mouth.
Weerd.
Poring rain wen I got outside. Poring like a flud. Peepl stood under the overhang watching the rain splosh and grrgle wating for it to slow down.
I checkd my phone. Nothing from Spencer. I sent him a text—did u look yet? tel me. Then I had to look agane myself so I pulld off the band ade.
Not bad.
A kid was watching.
Hey! he said to me. He new me and I new him. He was the skinny kid from outside the tatoo place. The 1 getting pushd round.
He stared at the tatoo then at me.
Now I no he said.
What? I said.
Why you hurt that Angel. Your 15 arnt you?
Evry 1 wantd to no how old I was. Yah I said. I put the band ade back down. It dint stick very well any more.
He held up a fist and changed it to a hand wide open. Like a bom xploding.
What? I said.
He did it agane. Fist—hand open.
I nodded and did the same thing back to him.
He nodded 2.
How old r you? I ast.
14 he said. But I bin in the possy forever. Cobras my brother so they let me in erly. I no the sines. Look here.
Gess what it was.
Hey its like mine I said. Xept for the candl.
You dont look 15 he said. And I never seen you befor. But you got the ink and you no the sines.
I never seen you ether I said.
So ware you bin? How come I dont no you.
I live away from here I said.
Away? O yah—away. I get it he said. I no lots a guys who had to go away. How long were you away?
How long?
Your talking about jale rite? Cors you r. Thats why I dont no you. You bin away. How much time you do?
I dint no what he ment so I smiled and he smiled back. He came up to my chin or a littl past it. His hair was thick and curly. Im Jaden he said. What do they call you?
I told him.
O yah what you told the Angel he said. Thats funny. Thats cool. Bunny.
He put out his hand and I thot we were going to shake but he leend close and grabbd me near the elbow. So I did the same thing to him. My hand went all the way around his arm like I was holding a hocky stick.
Your differnt he said.
I no.
Does it bug you? Being—
Dum? Im used to it.
I meen your white.
Well Im used to that 2 I said.
We were still holding on to each others arms. He was black—not black black but pretty black. You no what I meen.
Does Scratch give you a hard time about it? he said. Or Jello? I gess they leev you alone cuz of the candl.
He pointd at my tatoo.
I no what the candl meens he said. I respect you Bunny. You did what you had to for 15. Like you did with that Angel today. You threw him away like trash. That was aw sum. Man that was proper. Sum seeryus you no?
He let go of my arm then.
I respect you 2 I said.
I dint no what he was talking about with his jale and candl. I dint no Scratch and Jello were guys names then. But I new Jadens smile was reel and it was for me.
Im going to the jim on 15 he said. You want to come and hang out?
With you?
Yah. Im part of the possy he said. Dont be shamed of me. Cobra trusts me. I no stuff he said.