I didn't say anything to Chet Barrow about this because I still wasn't sure my uncle was going to lend me the hundred dollars I asked for.
Anyway, Mother drove me out there, this was a little past noon, and came in with me to kiss and say hello to Uncle Chas, and then she left like she had promised.
I gave him the brownies, and he said that was great because he had bought some almond ice cream which we could put on top of the brownies for dessert. But first he had pizzas, two different kinds, and cream soda to drink, so I knew it was going to be a nice lunch, more like a party.
We started eating, and he got right down to business.
"Tania," he said, "I'm going to lend you the hundred dollars no matter what, but I'd really feel a lot better about it if you'd tell me why you need it."
"I knew you were going to ask me that," I said, "because a hundred dollars is an awful lot of money, and you just can't hand it over without wanting to know what it's for. I thought about it, and I decided that I would tell you if you promise not to tell my parents. "
"I promise," he said.
"Cross your heart and hope to die?"
He nodded.
"You've got to say it," I told him.
"Cross my heart and hope to die," he said.
"Well," I said, "I need the money because I'm going to run away from home. With Chet Barrow."
He stopped eating his pizza, looked at me, then started eating again.
"Who's Chet Barrow?" he asked.
"His real name is Chester Barrow. He's a boy who lives next door to us.
He's a year older than I am, and he is very nice.
Also, he is smart."
" Uh-huh, " Uncle Chas said. "Is running away from home his idea or yours?"
"He thought of it first. He hasn't even said he'll take me with him.
But I thought if I told him I had a hundred dollars, then he'd have to take me because I don't think he's got much money." , "Good thinking on your part," my uncle said. "Why does Chet want to leave home?"
"Because he is unhappy there. His father doesn't talk to him, and his mother watches TV all the time."
"I see. And why do you want to run away, honey?. "Because I'm unhappy also. My father drinks alcohol all the time, and he doesn't come home for dinner. And then, when he does come home, he smells from perfume, and he and Mother have these terrible arguments, and once he slapped her and she cried. So I don't want to live there anymore."
He didn't say anything for a while, and we each had another slice of pizza. It had a very thick crust but it was good.
Mostly I ate the topping off.
"Where will you go?" Uncle Chas asked finally. "Have you decided?",
"No, not yet. Chet is planning it."
He sighed very sorrowfully. "Tania, have you thought this over carefully? I mean, you won't have your own room anymore, or your own bed, or three meals a day. And where will you go to school? "
" School's out for vacation."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot. But won't you miss the other things?
"I suppose," I said. "But I'll get used to it. And it will be better.
Can we have dessert now? I'll fix it.
"Sure, honey. The ice cream is in the freezer. If it's too hard, heat the spoon under hot water."
"I know how to do it," I told him. "Uncle Chas, did it hurt when you lost your legs?"
"Sure it did. And for a while I thought they were still there. I mean I kept trying to wiggle my toes even though I knew I didn't have any toes. It was like having an itch you can't scratch."
"I feel sorry for you," I said.
"Thank you," he said.
I brought him his brownie with ice cream on top.
"That looks good," he said. "Why don't you bring the things over here.
Then if we want more we can help ourselves."
"I'm not going to have more," I said. "I don't wish to get fat. Now I suppose you're going to tell me I shouldn't run away.
Well, it won't do you any good because I've made up my mind."
"Hey," he said, "I wasn't going to try to persuade you not to. It's an important decision, and obviously you've given it a lot of thought."
"I have," I said. "And once I make up my mind, I do it."
"Sure," Uncle Chas said. "You're very determined, I can see that. But we may have a problem. Now look here…"
He pulled out his wallet and spread five twenty dollar bills on the desk.
"That's a hundred dollars, Tania," he said.
"I know," I told him. "I can add."
"Of course, you can. But the problem is, what are you going to do with it until you actually leave home? I suppose you could give it to Chet to keep, but then he might run away and not take you with him."
"He wouldn't do that."
"He might. It's possible, isn't it? Don't bite your fingernails, honey. And if you hide it in your room, or someplace else around the house, your mother or father might find it and want to know where you got it and what it's for."
"I can hide it good."
"Maybe you can, but there's always the chance they may find it. Now, I'll put this hundred dollars aside for you. When you and Chet are ready to leave, you take a cab out here. Tell the driver to wait, and I'll pay him for the trip. Then I'll hand over the hundred dollars, and you and Chet can go wherever you like. How does that sound?"
I thought about it. "You promise to give us the money, Uncle Chas?
When we leave home and come out here? "
"Of course. Here it is. I'll put it in a special envelope marked with your name. I won't touch it.
It's yours when you come for it."
"Well, all right," I said. "I'll tell Chet about it, and then he'll have to let me go with him."
"Sure he will. If he's as smart as you say he is."
"He kissed me," I said suddenly.
"He did?" Uncle Chas said. "Did you get mad at him? "
"No," I said.
"I liked it."
He laughed, wheeled his chair over, and hugged me.
"What's not to like?" he said.
Mother came for me like she promised and we went home. I went looking for Chet and finally found him at the swimming pool.
This was a pool for all the people who live in our development.
I don't go in very much because the stuff they put in the water turns my hair green. Chet was sitting by himself on the grass, and he was wearing clothes so I knew he hadn't been swimming with the other kids.
I sat down beside him. He was eating a Butterfinger and gave me a piece.
"Listen," I said, "I've got something to tell you." And I told him all about how my uncle promised to lend me a hundred dollars. It was put aside for me in a special envelope, and when we decided to leave home, we could take a cab to his place and he would pay the driver, and then he would give me my money.
"Wow," Chet said. "That's keen. We can go anywhere on a hundred dollars. I've been studying the map, and you know where I'd like to go?"
"Where?
"Alaska. It's a nice place, and also it's so far away that our parents would never think of looking for us there." Aren't there bears in Alaska?" I asked him.
"I guess so," he said. "But they wouldn't bother us. There are alligators in Florida, but look how many people live here and never get bitten."
"And wolves," I said. "In Alaska."
"Okay, okay, " he said angrily. "Where do you want to go?"
"Wherever you say," I told him. "Alaska is fine."
But I really wanted to go to Paris, France. That's where Sylvia Gottbaum was going with her mother and father.
DR. CHERRYNOBLE e called me on Saturday right after his niece Hleft, but I had just come from the beach and had to shower and dress. I stopped on the way to pick up a chilled bottle of Frascati and arrived at his studio about five o'clock.