Chapter 19
“Dad?” I say quietly so as not to wake Mom.
I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a gentle shake. Dad mumbles something and tries to turn over, but I don’t let him ignore me.
“Dad, wake up!”
He blinks a few times, tries to focus. Yawns and rubs his face sleepily.
Bellman is sleeping on the rug at the foot of the bed. He is breathing deeply and steadily, looking very comfortable with his furry tail outstretched.
“Tuva?” Dad says in a gravelly voice. “What time is it?”
It’s only ten to seven, but he doesn’t need to know that. It would just make him ask questions.
“Can I borrow the boat for a while?”
He seems confused, as if he can’t comprehend the question, but then he nods with his eyes half closed.
“Mm-hmm,” he says. “Yeah, sure.”
Then it seems to occur to him that this is an unusual request.
“What do you need it for?”
I have rehearsed an explanation that should sound natural. I even try to sound kind of grumpy and annoyed about it.
“We’ve got this thing at school. We have to work in pairs. On a history project.”
“On a Saturday?”
The room is dark. The blinds are down and the sun isn’t up yet. Mom is sleeping like the dead. I can see the shape of her body under the covers, curled up on her side. Only her long braid is visible.
“It has to be ready by Tuesday,” I say. “And the boy I’m working with only has time today.”
I hope Dad isn’t awake enough to ask who my partner is. Mom would definitely have wanted to know, no matter how deeply asleep she’d been.
“Okay,” Dad murmurs. “It has a full tank, I think. Just make sure you have your cell phone with you. Promise?”
He yawns again and rolls over to the other side. I wonder if he will remember this conversation when he gets up and finds the boat gone.
I wonder if he’ll remember it if I don’t come back.