Chapter three: Three Who Watch

02:28 PM EDT on Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Reading the Sky - Chapter 13

Reading the Sky - Chapter 12

Reading the Sky - Chapter 11

Reading the Sky - Chapter 10

Reading the Sky - Chapter 9

Reading the Sky - Chapter 8

Reading the Sky - Chapter 7

Reading the Sky - Chapter 6

Reading the Sky - Chapter 5

Reading the Sky - Chapter 4

Reading the Sky - Chapter 3

Reading the Sky - Chapter 2

Reading the Sky - Chapter 1

Avi shapes his good ideas with words of understanding

13-part story begins today

A breakfast serials story | Written by Avi | Illustrated by Joan Sandin

Jamie parked his bike near his grandfather's pickup truck and made his way to the Luries' barn. Mr. Lurie was a dairy farmer with fifty head of cows on mostly rocky pasture. Todd, the Luries' son, was in his teens. Alice was the family baby, and Gillian was a girl about Jamie's age, twelve. Grandma was always suggesting Jamie hang out with her, but Jamie wasn't so sure he wanted a friend who was a girl. Besides, she would probably end up making fun of himjust like everyone else.

"Grandpa!" Jamie called.

Grandpa Thornton stuck his head out of the barn. "Jamie? Got the wrench? Good boy!"

Mr. Lurie, hands and face streaked with grease, was on his knees beside a large pump. "Hey, Jamie, nice to see you again."

"You too," said Jamie as he stood watching. Then, losing interest, he announced, "I'm going outside."

"That you, Jamie?" called Mrs. Lurie from the porch.

"Hi, Mrs. Lurie."

"You're so big I almost didn't recognize you. How're your folks?"

"Okay."

"Why don't you go on out back? Todd's working on his car. I think Gillian is with him."

Sure enough, Todd was bending over his 1961 Ford pickup, which he had bought from a junk dealer. For the past two years, he had been trying to get it to go.

Gillian was there too. Only a bit taller than Jamie, her long ponytail made her seem bigger. Her round, tan face never appeared to smile, and the way she looked at Jamie made him feel uncomfortable. It was as if she were trying to find something out.

"Hi, Jamie," Todd said, looking around. "What's happening?"

"Not much. Get it to work yet?"

"Keep the faith, baby."

"What if you don't?"

"Hey, dude, I will. What you been doing?"

Jamie shrugged.

No one spoke for a few moments, until Gillian said, "Up for a while?"

"Whole month."

Illustration by Joan Sandin

"Hey," said Todd with a grin, "you still staring at the sky?"

Feeling his face become hot and wishing he had never come, Jamie mumbled, "What do you mean?"

"Your grandmother said some folks read books, but you read clouds. That true?"

"Maybe," said Jamie, concentrating on his untied shoelace.

"Said you go to special classes," said Todd. "What you do there, skywriting?"

Jamie started to walk away.

"Hey," Todd called after him. "Be cool!"

Jamie headed back to the barn. "Grandpa, I'm going to bike home," he said.

"I won't be long," his grandpa said. "I can drive you."

"I'd rather bike."

"Okay. See you at home."

Jamie went to get his bike, only to find that Gillian had followed him. "Don't let Todd bother you," she said.

"He doesn't," Jamie said, wanting to leave more than ever now. He tied his lace, straddled his bike, and pushed back on the kickstand.

"He's a dork," said Gillian. "Ask him what his grades are."

"I told you, he doesn't bother me."

"I bet his grades are a lot worse than yours," said Gillian.

"Right," Jamie murmured, pressing onto the pedals. "See you," he called.

When Jamie got home, Mrs. Thornton was sitting on the porch chair reading the newspaper.

"Didn't you want to wait for Grandpa?" she asked.

"Didn't feel like it," he said.

"Want to hear what President Nixon said about Vietnam?"

"Later." Jamie started to walk off.

"Jamie -- something happen at the Luries'?"

"No. Just going up the hill."

"Watching some clouds?" she asked.

"I guess," he said. That was exactly what he was going to do -- that and keep away from people who bothered him, like the Luries.

Ed Goddard had emptied his apartment of everything that could be traced to him. All that was left was what he was taking with him -- including his map. He studied it again, not to learn anything -- he knew it all by heart -- but to test his memory. He flipped a coin in the air and let it fall anywhere along the route the airplane would take. Then, without looking at the map, he wrote out complete directions to the nearest big town. In doing so, he noted every road he would use, every road he would pass. He checked to see if he was right. Over and over he flipped the coin in the air. No matter where it fell, his memory proved correct.

He turned on his radio and listened to the National Weather Service bulletins. The report was good: Fair and hot. Only a chance of storms.

At six o'clock in the evening, he went down to the basement and knocked on the superintendent's door.

"Ah, Mr. Alowski," said the super to Ed Goddard. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm going on vacation tomorrow," said Ed. "Just wanted to give you my rent in advance." He handed the super a cash-filled envelope.

"Traveling?" asked the super.

"Visiting my family."

"Don't worry about a thing," said the super. "Flying?"

"Not me," replied Ed. "I hate to fly."

"Hey, right. You might fall down."

Back in his apartment, Ed Goddard folded his parachute. He did it once. He did it twice. He did it ten times. Only when he was completely satisfied did he pack it away in its bag and lay it softly on a chair like the precious object it was.

In the bathroom, he dyed his hair black.

Ed was ready. Tomorrow, he thought to himself. Tomorrow I'll be in the sky.

(To be continued next week in Kidsbeat.)

Breakfast Serial - Reading The Sky Weekly Activity for Chapter Three

Jamie's grandmother, Mrs. Thornton is reading the newspaper when he comes home. She's reading a story about President Nixon. In 1972, the newspaper would have had stories about Nixon's eight-day visit to Communist China, the Vietnam War, and Watergate. The Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl and the Oakland A's won the World Series. Atari introduced the first video game, an arcade version of Pong and the HBO (the first pay cable network) debuted on television. Also that year, the compact disk was developed by RCA and email is introduced. Apollo XVII, the last manned moon landing to date, returned to the Earth with 250 pounds of lunar samples.

Look through the pages of The Providence Journal for news headlines, fashion stories, gasoline prices, advertisements and science stories. Design a time capsule for the year 2004 that elementary school students will open in 2029. What would you put inside? Why?

Text copyright 2004 by Avi

Illustrations copyright 2004 by Joan Sandin

Reprinted by permission of Breakfast Serials, Inc.

www.breakfastserials.com