Jordan and the Dreadful Golem Shut up brain-starved Ziv yells back I shoot up from the bottom and spray him with a huge (cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:73)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:183)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:72)(cid:3) my friend Noam coming by His name means pleasant and agreeable just like soft clouds in a bright blue sky He’s the kid who knows how to form clouds He can do some really neat things with them like making shade by covering the sun with a cloud I swim close to the shore and shoot a mouthful of water at him He’s always so cool The spray splatters his skinny legs but he doesn’t laugh His usually smiley face looks like the underside of a black cloud What’s up Noam I shout Nothing he answers through gritted teeth Ziv and I glance at each other and then scramble out of What’s going on I bounce on my right leg to shake the the lake water out of my ear Noam growls his answer I’ve been collecting tadpoles all day for my summer science experiment I have a special jar for them with a really tight lid One of the kids over there took it and I don’t know who I look across the lake and see trouble with a capital N on the other side The N stands for Nadav He’s the prin cipal’s son A lizard begins leaping around in my stomach (cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:183)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3) in trouble I look over at Noam’s angry face I huff out a breath I can’t let him down Can’t chicken out I have an idea who did it I say A knight’s squire ap pears in my head and clothes me in armor I’m ready for a (cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:180)(cid:38)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:58)(cid:72)(cid:183)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:78)(cid:17)(cid:181)(cid:3)(cid:49)(cid:82)(cid:68)(cid:80)(cid:183)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:68)(cid:70)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:3) like a clear sky after the clouds have disappeared We cross the red footbridge to the other side of the lake I expect to hear my armor squeak and clunk but all I hear are our feet slapping against the wooden planks We head to a small stand of eucalyptus trees The tall boy with 14
Trouble at the Lake black eerie eyes stares at us They are so black his pupils have disappeared I grit my teeth and step up to him All right Nadav where are Noam’s tadpoles Nadav inches closer to me Why ask me Cuz you’re always picking on somebody Go whine to your mother Nadav sneers My armor melts away I’m defenseless I feel naked Finally I think of something aggravating to say Maybe I’ll speak to your father the principal I straighten up as tall as I can Nadav’s dark black eyes glare at me Then his voice be (cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:88)(cid:74)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:78)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:180)(cid:39)(cid:76)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:87)(cid:3) yet Hard isn’t it It’s as if a knife cuts out my throat I can’t speak His black eyes seem bottomless Nadav laughs under his breath Some kids just don’t have gifts you know Maybe you’re one of those regular kinda guys It’s okay You don’t have to be embarrassed There are some kids without gifts Nitzan who’s almost fourteen hasn’t gotten a gift yet He might not be getting one I heard Miss Sara didn’t name him I swallow hard Hot-faced I glance at Noam and Ziv They’ve heard Nadav Neither one looks at me They’re busy studying something on the ground (cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:88)(cid:85)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:83)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:49)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:68)(cid:89)(cid:17)(cid:3) I don’t want (cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:183)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87) a voice says in my gut but there’s no way out of this Nadav juts out his chin and stares at me We move toward each other as though in a dance Our chests are almost touching I look straight into his eyes (cid:43)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:83)(cid:85)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:17) Noam and Ziv jump forward They grab me by the shoul ders Forget the tadpoles Noam shouts 15
Jordan and the Dreadful Golem (cid:44)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:85)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:74)(cid:75)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:73)(cid:73)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:74)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:51)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:92)(cid:3) pebbles dig into my shoulders Nadav steps back Not cool he says He cackles a short laugh and raises his hands in surrender mocking me Then he ducks behind a tree and reappears with Noam’s jar of tadpoles Take the dumb things Noam grabs the jar from Nadav and jumps back It was only a joke Nadav calls over his shoulder as he walks off No one laughs They pull me up My body is still shaking but I can stand upright now and I push my shoulders back I glare at Nadav’s back as he retreats toward the village We walk back across the bridge without a word At the swimming spot by the eucalyptus grove Noam slaps me on the back that creep Awesome Jordan you’re the greatest he says You stood up to I stare at the dried-up eucalyptus leaves on the ground I’m pleased we got the tadpoles back but I feel like a relay runner who’s dropped the baton Maybe Nadav’s right and I don’t have a gift coming I’m gonna take the tadpoles home Noam says See you tomorrow He waves tucks the jar under his arm and heads for the village I plunk myself down on the riverbank and shove my hot feet into the water Sweat drips down my forehead I have a feeling you’re going to get your gift really soon Ziv says You and your feelings I mumble Don’t knock it It’s my gift I’m silent I have nothing to say to him (cid:61)(cid:76)(cid:89)(cid:3)(cid:90)(cid:68)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:86)(cid:90)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:68)(cid:92)(cid:86)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:180)(cid:44)(cid:183)(cid:80)(cid:3) going home See you I grunt good-bye and hear my brother walk off I pick up a fallen branch from one of the eucalyptus trees 16
Trouble at the Lake and beat out my frustration I stretch forward and write the word gift in the mud with the tip of the branch I stare at it Hey Jordan I look up Ellah is coming I jump up and kick the dirt to erase what I wrote Then I wave to her How ya doing she asks as she slides down next to me I’m okay The words feel like sand in my throat How bout a swim She smiles Maybe later What You love to swim Dare you She jumps up and runs toward the lake I sigh and stand I kick the branch away and follow her 17
