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She wrote down the phone number of Waldo’s vet, just in case.
She also asked Marvin to bring in her mail and newspapers.
“So, any questions?”
Marvin only had one question. “Why’d you pick me?”
Mrs. North smiled. “You don’t think I’d let Nick alone in my house, do you?”
Marvin smiled.
“I don’t know,” Mrs. North said, more seriously. “I feel I can trust you, Marvin. I think you are mature and responsible.”
Marvin suddenly felt very mature and responsible.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “The key.”
She gave Marvin the key to her house.
Chapter 3
Mature and Responsible
Marvin woke up early, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and made his bed. He had a job to do.
The key was in his pocket.
He was already downstairs, eating breakfast, when his mother knocked on his bedroom door and said, “Marvin, time to get up.”
His father smiled at him across the kitchen table. “I’m very proud of you, Marvin,” he said. “You seem to be taking your job very seriously.”
Marvin nodded. But he knew it was not yet time to feel proud. Wait seven days. If he didn’t lose the key. If Mrs. North’s house didn’t burn down. If Waldo wasn’t dead. Then he’d be proud.
He finished eating, rinsed his dishes, and put them in the dishwasher.
“Oh, here you are,” said his mother, coming into the kitchen. “What would you like for breakfast?”
The whole family stood by the door as Marvin left for work. Marvin had one brother and one sister. Jacob was eleven. Linzy was four.
“Twenty-five bucks! All right, Mar!” said Jacob.
Marvin slapped his big brother’s hand.
It was odd. Marvin had always looked up to Jacob. He wanted to be just like him.
But Jacob never had a job.
“I’m going to miss you, Marvin,” said Linzy.
“I’m not moving away,” Marvin told her. “I’ll be home after school, just like every other day.”
“I’ll still miss you,” said Linzy. “I miss you every day.”
“I’ll miss you too,” said Marvin. He walked out the door.
There was a fence around the Redpost house. The fence was all white except for one red post.
Marvin tapped the family post—for luck—then rode his bike to Mrs. North’s.
