by Orca Various
But you play hockey yes? the mask guy asks.
I nod. I am not bad. I am better than my brother and his frends. I like skating.
Wuld you—
He stops then goes on.
Wuld you play with us? he asks. There is a rink in the front yard. We wuld like to play with a Canadian player. Please play with us Bunny.
I dont know what to say. He sounds like an ok guy.
I gess so I say.
We shake hands. He tells me his name.
Bojan? I say. He shrugs. Maybe I am saying it rong. It is something like Bojan.
THE SUN IS DOWN BUT THERE IS STILL LITE IN THE SKY.
I am playing hockey with Bojan and the other mask guy whose name is Peter. I am on there team. Lubor the big boss is playing with 2 guys I dont know. The score is 4 to 4 or maybe 5 to 5. It is tyed.
Vi comes out and then goes back in. She is not a hockey fan. Or maybe she doesnt want to be with Lubor.
I skate hard. My blades are sharp. I am having fun—witch sounds stupid because after all these are my kid nappers. I am a hoss stage. But the only guy I dont like is Lubor and when you play a game with a bunch of people there is usually somebody you dont like.
Think about that.
There is some shoving and elbowing but nobody gets mad xept Lubor. One time I am over by the bords and he trys to cross check me. I duck and the stick goes over my head. I tell him to watch out. Shut up he says. There is a ring of white ice around the mouth of his red mask from where he is breathing. I pass to Peter behind my back and he scores. Lubor slams his stick down on the ice.
On the next rush one of the new guys has the puck. He has boots on and is sliding over the ice. His nose drips. He passes to Lubor but I get my stick out and stop the puck. Lubor charges at me like a bull going after Bugs Bunny. I duck at the last minit and Lubor goes flying over me and hits his head on the bords and lands on the ice and starts to bleed.
We stop playing and carry him inside. Lubor is out cold. The kitchen is the first room we come to and we lay him on the table.
When Vi sees him she starts to cry.
That is rite. She runs over and takes his head in her hands and kisses him. And then glares at me.
You did this she says.
What? I say.
You and Lubor hate each other she says.
She is crying and holding Lubor and calling his name and I am surprised as anything.
AS ANYTHING.
I say the first thing that comes to me.
Your the good cop I say.
Like in a police show you know? Theres a bad cop and a good cop. They seem different but they are working together. They are both cops. So Lubor is scaring me and Vi is kissing me but they both want the same thing. They want to know what I know about Grampa and the anthem.
I forget that Peter and Bojan and the others are there. It is just me and Vi and she is a lyer. She does not hate Lubor. She likes him. She has always liked him. She did not take my note to the police. She and I are not on the same side. She was lying to me all this time.
Wow I say. Wow I think.
I walk outside. Bojan comes with me. And so does the guy with the drippy nose. They are garding me. Bojan takes off his skates and puts his boots back on.
I breath in the fresh air. It is cold and clean winter air.
Vi is not on my side. The police are not coming to get me and bring me home. Wow.
I trusted her and I was rong.
There are no cars on the road. I can hear the nite sounds and the cold sounds—the crack of the ice and the wistle of the wind. I hop over to the rink and skate around while Bojan and the drippy nose guy watch. It is cold and the hi way lites show all the snow and ice that is packed and stacked and planked down. The drive way is coverd. So is the road. It is ice as far as I can see. A real Canadian winter seen.
I get an idea. Partly it is from knowing that the police are not coming. Partly it is from wanting to get back to Creekside and call Spencer who will be worryed. A lot of it is not wanting to be a hoss stage. I had some fun playing hockey but I am not having fun now and I do not want to help these people. My idea is to get away now. Bojan and the other guy are in boots. I am in skates. I can go faster than them. Lubor is sleeping. Vi cant catch me. Why not skate away rite now?
So I do. I hop over the bords and head for the drive. Bojan takes a minit to work out what is happening and then yells at me.
Bunny stop!
Bojan is sort of an ok guy. I can play hockey with him. But I dont want to be his prisoner. I skate down the drive and turn. The road is icy. I am going ok. A bit bumpy but ok. I skate past the 40 sine. I dont know what way I am going but it doesnt matter. I am going away from my prison and that is the rite way.
I am skating home.
THINGS GET UGLY RITE AWAY.
I hear the car start up. Oh crap! I think. How can I skate faster than a car can drive? I call myself names. Stupid I think. Dummy. They are rite about you. You can not plan a head.
I look back over my sholder to see where the car is. And I start to laff. The ice is every where and the car is not going the way Bojan wants it to go. I watch it slide down the drive and across the road and into the ditch at the far side. The drippy nose guy has all ready slipped. He is lying on his back in the drive way.
Maybe I am smarter than I know.
My skates cut into the ice. I zoom along. The road bends to the rite and I follow the bend. I can not see the Newman place any more. There is lite in the sky to my left. And there are street lites every now and then. I pass another car in the ditch and then a truck in the ditch. No one is driving. I keep going. I can do this as long as I have to. I keep my eyes open for a place to stop and get help.
Skate skate skate.
The first place I pass has no lites on. Nether does the second. The places are far apart. There are fields in between. I am some where in the country. The third place is lit up but no one is home. I try the front door and the back but no one comes.
I wonder what I shuld do. The place has a clear patch of ice in the back with some snow piled up. I hop over the snow and skate across the open ice for something to do. I remember learning to skate. Dads arms around me. Mom telling him to let me go. Dad worrying about me falling. Mom saying so what every body falls.
My mom—tuff lady.
I get back on the road and keep skating. I pass another speed limit sine. It looks rong somehow. And then I come to a salt truck. It is resting by the side of the road. I am so happy. I skate up to the door and wave my hands. The driver rolls down his window.
Help he says. A surprise since I was going to ask him for help.
What?
Im stuck he says. And my sell phone is out of power. Do you have a sell phone kid?
I shake my head.
Sorry.
Well can you go home and tell your mom or dad to call in? This stupid wether is killing me. Im supposed to get 40 miles of hi way salted and I am stuck in the ditch.
Sorry I say again.
You got the rite idea he says. Skates. Wish I had em.
Yah I say.
Go home kid he says rolling up the window.
Skate rite home. Thats what I want to do.
This guy is not going to save me. I skate away. I keep going until I come to my first cross street. Still no cars or walkers. Or skaters. Theres a sine that says RICO CITY LIMIT with an arrow pointing the way but I cant see a city. Or even a house. I have never heard of Rico Ontario. Not even on the wether report from CBC that they listen to at Creekside witch is how I have herd of Red Lake Pickle Lake Kenora and Rainy River.
I turn left to follow the arrow. I can skate faster than I can run. I bend over and put my hands on my nees to go even faster. Nothing but woods and stars for a while. The next place I come to has a lite on the porch and a car in the drive. I skate up the walk and ring the bell. I hear it like a voice in a dream. Bing Bong. No 1 comes out.
I put up my hands to cup my face and look thru the
window beside the door. I can see into the living room. And there is the woman who lives here. She is in her house.
Only problem—she seems to be dead. O wait no. She gets up.
THE OLD LADYS LEGS WORK LIKE MY BRAIN
—slow and not strait. She opens the door and peers up at me.
You are not God are you? she says.
What? I say.
I was having the most wonderful dream she says. God was showing me how the univers works and I was taking notes. And then the grate bell to end all time was ringing in my dream and it was the door bell.
I dont know what to say.
In my dream God had a beerd she says. Why dont you dont have a beerd?
Because I am not God you crazy lady.
I dont say that.
I cant grow a beerd—I am only fifteen.
I dont say that ether.
Can I use your phone? I say.
She lets me in and I start to see how hard this is going to be. I do not know Spencers number. It is in my phone not in my brain. I know the first three numbers because they are the same as mine. But I dont know the others. I stare at the ladys phone and go blank.
Then I remember the cops and phone 911 and they put me on hold. A machine voice tells me what to do. The system is over loded they say. We will reply as soon as we can. Thank you for calling they say. Leave a message they say.
I do not believe it. What if I am being robbed? What if I am on fire?
If you have a medical emergency press 1 says the voice. If you have a police emergency press 2. If you have a—I want a person I say. The voice doesnt say anything back. I hang up.
I am in a kitchen. The wall paper has flowers on it. The sink is empty. There is a little towel on the frig door. It is a kitchen from a TV ad. If only it was sunny I wuld xpect to see Mr Clean. But it is nite. It is always sunny in Mr Clean ads. He never shows up in nite kitchens.
I try to think what numbers I know apart from 911.
The first one that comes to mind is a pizza place. I do not call that. I think harder and come up with my parents. I phone home and get the machine. It is funny to here my dad telling me to leave my name and number. Dad is so frendly. I take a deep breath and wish I was there insted of here.
I hang up.
Are you ok? asks the old lady. I am in her kitchen dripping with swet and snow and standing a foot taller than her in my skates. She is not scared of me at all. She is staring at me like I am Christmas.
Im trying to remember who I know I say.
You know every body in the world says the old lady. You even know how many hairs they have on there heads.
I dont know what she is talking about. I am thinking of something else. What phone numbers do I know?
Would you like something to read? she says.
I shake my head and think about what other number I know. Police and Pizza and home and who else? Jaden that is who. Jade she is now. My frend from the 15 street possy. I punch the number and there is Jade talking to me.
Hey this is Bunny calling. How are you? I ask.
O yah so it is. Hi Bunny!
Jade is happy like usual when we are talking.
I herd from your brother she says.
You were talking to Spencer?
I am smiling into the phone. If your brother is on the case you feel better. Your brother is on your side.
He came to my work says Jade. He doesnt know where you are. Whats going on?
I got kid napped I say.
What? she says and then says it again. What? Who kid napped you? What do they want? Where are you?
They say they want the anthem. But they are lyers I say. They keep talking about Grampa. I dont know where I am. I dont know whats going on.
And thats for sure.
Poor old Bunny she says.
Jade is rite. I felt ok when I was thinking about Spencer and how he was on the case but not any more. Now talking about all the things I dont know I sound kinda sad and blah. Whats the word for that?
Spencer gave me his phone number she says. You want it?
Yes I say. Thanks.
I tell her to wait a sec and then she reads the number off to me. I rite it on my arm. The old lady has a pen in her desk and I am not taking a chance on forgetting.
Thanks I say again.
Being a hoss stage sucks says Jade. You shuld run away.
I dont have to run I say. I have skates.
She laffs and then asks if I want the possy to come and find me?
Not now I say. The roads are bad for cars. I will have to skate home.
I hang up and call Spencer. The phone rings and rings and someone says that the male box is full and I have to hang up. So I do.
The old lady is watching all this. I go thru it all again. And hang up.
The old lady shakes her head.
Even you cant get thru she says. The phone company is awful.
No one can help. Not Spencer or my parents or Jaden. That is why I feel so pathetic. Thats the word I was trying to think of befor. Sad and blah.
The old lady shows me to the door. I walk careful but my skates are drippy. I say sorry for making a mess of her floor.
She asks where I am going and frowns when I tell her. She has never herd of Creekside. I tell her it is a jail for kids. She nods and says of course.
The poor children there need you she says. There must be so much for you to do.
Well there is Bingo on Friday nites I say.
She tells me the next town is a few miles down the road. She points the way. I thank her. There is a patch of ice in her back yard. I skate across it and hop to the road. I wave back at her.
Grow a beerd she shouts. Then people will know who you are.
THE NEXT TOWN IS RICO.
The sine says it has a pop of 5035. I dont beleeve it. I dont see anyone. There are no lites on and even the McDonalds is closed. In the center of town there is a park area with swings and slides and a guy on a horse. The guy is wearing a three corner hat and a long coat and he is the first person I see.
Hello I say.
Not xpecting an anser because he is made of stone. But he does anser.
Hello he says.
I stop with a jerk and a spray of ice. The guy has not moved. He and his horse are on top of an other bit of stone. He can not really be talking rite?
Hello? I say again. You mean me?
Of course he says.
There are no town lites but the snow is white and the moon is shining enuff for me to see that the three corner hat guy is a statu. The talking is not coming from him.
Where are you? I say.
An old man with a parka and hat comes out from behind some bushes.
We both say hello again.
He tells me about himself. His name is Orvil and he lives next door to the park in the house with the hedge. He is alone. His wife is dead and his son is in Africa and never calls to talk. Orvil was in the back yard when he herd me say hello.
I tell him who I am.
My cousin went to Africa I say.
Does he talk about it?
All the time I say.
Orvils voice is gruff and bumpy—the way a stone can feel in your hand. If the statu culd talk it mite sound like him.
Want to see Jupiter? he says. You shuld see it. Tonite is a good nite. The moons of Gally Layo are clear.
I dont know what he is talking about but he wants to show me so I skate across the snow and ice past the statu to Orvils back yard. In the middle of the yard is something that looks a lot like a machine gun. It is on three legs and it is pointing at the sky. Of course it is not a machine gun. It is a telly scope. When I get close to it Orvil tells me where to put my eyes so I can see Jupiter.
See those moons? he says. Arent they clear?
Wow I say.
But I do not see anything. No Jupiter or stars. No sky. All I see is black. I move my eye back from the eye place and blink. I say Wow again. I am lying because I do not want to hurt Orvils fe
elings.
Those moons go around Jupiter he says. Gally Layo saw them move 100s of years ago. Witch proved the church was rong.
Thats grate I say.
Orvil says it is not grate at all. The church got mad at Gally Layo and wanted to burn him until he changed his mind and said the moons didnt move after all. And he did and then the church let him live.
Good I say.
But I am rong again. Orvil gets xcited and tells me Gally Layo shuld not have changed his mind. You have to stand up for what you beleeve even if it means dying. Remember that Bunny he says. And nods feercely. Like an eagle or something. Or a dragon. A feerce thing.
Where is the police station in town? I ask.
Theres no police station in town he says. The nearest one is in Perry Vale. Hardly any one lives in Rico in the winter. Me and my son were lonely. And then he went to Africa. And now he doesnt call.
But—I say and then stop talking.
Vi told me about dropping off my note at the police station in town. She was lying. I new Vi was a lyer all ready and this is more proof. No police station. No one to help me. No one to tell my story to. That is why I stop talking.
Orvil goes back to looking at the telly scope. He does not ask me any thing about why I am here or why I am interested in a police station. He is not an asking guy. Or else he knows everything he has to.
I dont.
What day is it? I ask.
Spencer and I went to grampas cottage the day after Christmas—Boxing Day witch is a great name dont you think—how many sports have there own day? I have never herd of soccer day or baseball day or MMA day.
Any way the day after Boxing Day we came back to Toronto and went skating and I got kid napped. And the day after that I escaped and ended up here in Orvils place in Rico. I think thats when things happened. But I dont know.
What day is it today? I ask. Is it new years?
I have to be back at Creekside by new years or I will get in trouble with my prole officer.
Not yet he says looking at his watch. Like it will be new years any minit.
Soon? I ask.
Now he looks up at the sky.
Do you know where Creekside is? I ask. Is it far?