"Nancy Springer - Number 20" - читать интересную книгу автора (Springer Nancy)

to be bothered with anybody, I didnтАЩt feel like part of my family at all, I wondered if
maybe I was adopted or something, and that was when I would hide under the lilac
bush beside her porch and play that I was Chinese Jumprope Master Of The Galaxy,
and that was how it happened that I heard her arguing with Mr. Quickel.

It was pretty early in spring yet, and the blossoms were still on the lilac, and it
smelled sweeter than a Church La-diesтАЩ Auxiliary under there, so I stayed longer than
usual. I almost fell asleep. At least I think that was the day it was. It makes sense that
it was, because lilac time is when people start mowing their lawns, and she was
arguing with Mr. Quickel about what he was going to charge her to do hers again this
year.

тАЬThirty dollars a week,тАЭ he said. тАЬNow you know that includes every-thing.тАЭ
She had a big lawn with lots of shrubs and things in it that had to be kept after.

тАЬWhy thirty? Last year you charged me fifteen.тАЭ

тАЬNo, last year I charged you twenty-five. But the cost of everything has gone
up, gasoline for the mower тАФтАЭ

тАЬLast year you charged me fifteen.тАЭ

Mr. Quickel was one of those people who had had Mrs. Life in school, and
now he was a schoolteacher himself. My big brother, Greg, had him for Health and
wrestling in middle school, and after going to a few wrestling matches I kind of got a
crush on Coach Quickel because he was really good-looking for an old guy. Besides
which he went to our church and everybody liked him. He mowed grass in the
summertime because, my mom said, the school board didnтАЩt pay him enough. My
mom said it was a disgrace to see a schoolteacher moonlighting. I had heard Greg
and a couple of his friends talking about mooning a tour bus one night, and I
wondered if it meant the same thing.

Mrs. Life said, тАЬThe cost of gas hasnтАЩt gone up that much. You want to
charge me double what you did last year?тАЭ

тАЬNow I know youтАЩre getting up there, Mrs. Life.тАЭ Mr. Quickel tried to make a
joke of it and put on a sort of teacher tone, like to a kid who was being dense. тАЬYou
think back, youтАЩll remember I charged you twenty-five last year. Not that I blame
you for forgetting. The years do have a way of piling up, donтАЩt they? You must be
pushing eighty. Are you getting a little short-minded, maybe?тАЭ

тАЬNicholas Quickel.тАЭ Mrs. LifeтАЩs voice instead of yelling went low and cold,
and I knew Mr. Quickel had made a mistake. A bad one. He knew it too, because he
said, тАЬI didnтАЩt mean any-thing, Mrs. Life.тАЭ I also noticed that even though he had
gray hair himself Mr. Quickel still called her Mrs. Life instead of Savilla the way
some of the really old people did. тАЬI just thought . . . my tax records show . . . never
mind. Look, I guess I can still do your lawn for twenty-five. . . .тАЭ

Mrs. Life said, тАЬI will get someone else,тАЭ and I heard him walk away.