“Well, no, not exactly. But he’s going to live with us. I’m his guardian now. That means I’m going to take care of him the same way that I take care of you.”
Inside the cab, Bear muttered darkly. I’d read in books ofsiblings who were friends and protectors, but I’d been given a dud, a brother who hated me and would happily feed me to a mountain lion. If my brother and I had ever shared a loving moment, I’d forgotten it.
Now, it seemed, my father had corrected the mistake.
“Can he sleep in my room?” I stood on my toes and tried to catch sight of Amir around Bear’s back. What was Bear doing to him in there? “Do you want to sleep in my room, Amir?”
“Well he sure as hell isn’t sleeping with me,” said Bear, finally pulling back out of the truck. He spat once at the ground and then plodded heavily up the porch steps.
Amir appeared unshaken by Bear’s inspection.
“Come on out,” my father told him. “Most of us don’t bite.”
Amir crawled across the seat of the cab and lowered himself to the ground. I was surprised to see that once straightened, he was taller than me. He clutched his blue coat in his arms the same way that the kids who didn’t know how to swim held rafts at the beach in Osha, and it made me feel as sorry for him as I did for them.
“Idon’t bite,” I told him. “Sometimes the chickens peck, but not much. There are coyotes, but they mostly bite the chickens. The horses don’t bite unless they think your fingers are carrots. Dad doesn’t bite, but Rei says his burps are so loud they hurt her ears.”
“Guilty as charged,” said my father.
Amir’s eyes hinted at a smile. I took a step closer to him. “Rei is our friend from town who bakes pies and sells Dad’s carvings at festivals. How old are you? I’m eight.”
“I’m almost nine.”
I nodded. “That’s why you’re taller than I am.” I turned to my father. “Will Amir go to Little Earth?”
“Yes. Now go inside, both of you. It’s cold out here. I’ll get your things, Amir.”
I wondered what kinds of things Amir had. He trailed after me into the house.
“Did you bring books?” I asked. When he shook his head, I hoped my face didn’t reveal my disappointment. “That’s okay. You can borrow as many books as you want from Little Earth. That’s your new school. It’s in town. You’ll be the only other eight-year-old besides me. I’m readingPippi Longstockingright now, but if you don’t like that there are a lot of other books you can choose. ButPippiis really funny. You’ll like it.”
Amir’s eyes were traveling all over the kitchen. I was happy to see that Bear was in his bedroom with the door shut. I followed Amir’s gaze around the room. I tried to see it the way he might. I’d never had someone my own age over before.
“Is it bigger or smaller than your house?” I asked.
“I didn’t have a house. I had an apartment. This is darker.”
I laughed. “Well, we only have the one light on. We like to save electricity. It’s good for the earth.” Pal was sniffing Amir’s sneakers. “That’s my dog, Pal.”
Amir stroked Pal’s head. They looked each other in the eyes, and Pal wagged his tail in a thoughtful way. When Amir straightened, he said, “You’re lucky to have a dog.”
I swallowed. I thought of his dead mother. “We can sharehim,” I said quietly. It pained me to offer this, but when Amir smiled the pain disappeared.
My father came in carrying a green duffel bag in one hand and a paper bag in the other. “We stopped for hamburgers on the way home. Here’s one for you,” he said, handing me the bag.
Normally, I might have asked if he’d brought one for my brother, but in that moment, I didn’t care if Bear ever ate again. Even though my stomach was full from the eggs and the bread I’d eaten, I stood right there in the middle of the kitchen and devoured the hamburger.
Dad watched me, shaking his head. “Slow down,” he said. The look he gave me almost made me tell him what Bear had done that day, but the sight of my brother’s closed door across the kitchen stopped me.
“Follow me, Amir,” Dad said, walking toward my room. “You’ll sleep on the floor in Merrow’s room for now. Rei’s dropping off an extra bed tomorrow. We’ll get you settled in before you know it. I can tell Merrow is happy you’re here.”
“I am,” I confirmed, swallowing the last of the hamburger as I hurried after them. “Are you tired, Amir? I’m not.” I liked saying his name.Amir is here,I thought, enjoying the rhyme.
“He’s had a very hard few weeks and a long day of travel. Try to let him get some sleep, okay?” My father set the green duffel on my floor and left the room. “You’ll show him the ropes, won’t you, Merrow?” he called from the kitchen. I heard the fridge door open and knew he was searching for his beer. I wondered if Bear had left him any.
Amir looked around my room, but there wasn’t much to see. Most of the toys and treasures I tried to accumulate were lost.
“We brush our teeth in the kitchen sink,” I told Amir. “And there’s a toilet shed around the side of the house.”
