Chapter One Ri-i-i-ing Ri-i-i-ing Ri-i-i-ing Ri-i-i-ing I lift my head from my pillow The downstairs floor squeaks One of my brothers shuffles across their bedroom Hullo It’s Leland who is six years old After a long pause he says Do you want to speak to someone bigger 1
Sara Cassidy I’ve got it sweetheart Mom picks up the phone in her room She speaks quietly for a few minutes Kids she calls I need to talk to you The three of us bound to her room The boys are wearing flannel pajamas with pictures of robots and snow boarders Their hair is stormy with sleep Silas has eight little circles indented on his cheek It looks like he slept on a piece of Lego I’m wearing the knee length soccer shirt that Dad sent from England Mom smiles at us but when she blinks tears slide from her eyes Sad news she says Richard died last night Outside Silas asks horrified Yes dear Mom says In the park Alone Leland asks in a wobbly I guess so Mom says gently voice 2
Windfall Richard slept outside and alone for many years Was it rainy and cold Leland’s chin trembles It was a lovely night Mom says She shoots me a look Mom and I played Crazy Eights last night after the boys went to sleep Rain pelted the roof and the wind was so strong that the branches of the backyard apple tree scratched at the window Still maybe Richard was warm and dry Maybe in his dreams angels rocked him into that weird final sleep You never know He was probably dreaming beautiful dreams I say to comfort Leland Probably Leland challenges Maybe probably I say Maybe maybe Leland says We brought him a coat not that long ago Silas says And socks He would have been warm 3
