Free The Blue Between the Clouds by Stephen Wunderli

worked. I began to think it really might fly.
    Emmett stopped what he was doin’ and stood beside the plane. He pulled out a long sheet of canvas and threw it over the skeleton. He showed us how to get it wet with starch, then sew it together so it wrapped around the wire frame. We figured out that the canvas must shrink when it dries, pulling it tight. Emmett went back to the engine and started puttin’ pieces together. Me and Two Moons dragged the waterin’ trough over and started soakin’ the canvas in starch.
    It wasn’t until long after dark that we had most of the plane canvased. Emmett was workin’ on the engine. He made a paste out of oil and sand and spun the valves in their openings. I guess that made them fit a little better. He sure took his time with it. He handled every valve and piston like it was fine china. Then he cut gaskets out of heavy paper and put the head and the valve covers on. I guess it was later than we thought ’cause when we stood up to take a break, Two Moons noticed the sun was startin’ to rise above the mountains. Suddenly we were very tired. That’s when Pa came out.
    â€œWell, I’ll be,” Pa said. “Looks like Emmett ain’t the only crazy one around here.”
    He laughed at that. Emmett didn’t pay him any attention, and me and Two Moons were too tired to say much of anything. We laid down in the straw and were about to take a snooze.
    â€œWhat are you two doin’?” Pa said.
    â€œWe’re kinda tired, Pa,” I said.
    â€œThat’s your own doin’,” he said. “You still got chores to do before you get off to school.”
    We hadn’t even thought about school. I knew right away there’d be no talkin’ about it. We’d been in enough trouble at school already. No use even tryin’ to argue with Pa.
    â€œGet a move on,” he said.
    Me and Two Moons slowly stood up and started for the chicken coop to gather eggs.
    â€œEmmett,” Pa said. “You don’t think this will really fly, do you?”
    Emmett didn’t say anything. He made airplane noises and swooped his arm through the air. Pa laughed.
    â€œThat’s what I thought,” he said.
    By the time we got to school we could hardly keep our eyes open. We were two zombies roamin’ the halls in broad daylight. We both fell asleep in class, but Two Moons didn’t fall out of his chair the way I did. The whole class roared with laughter. I hadn’t been so embarrassed since I sleepwalked into the parlor one night in my underwear. Ma’s tea club was over that evenin’ and I came strollin’ down in my birthday best. I didn’t wake up until I was stand-in’ right in the middle of the party. I can still hear them laughin’.
    Anyway, at recess we both laid down under a tree at the edge of the schoolyard and slept until Miss Alexander woke us up.
    â€œYou two have a rough night?” she asked.
    â€œI suppose so,” I said.
    â€œI hear Two Moons is going to live with his sister in Bozeman,” she went on. “Is that true?”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Two Moons said.
    â€œWell, we’re going to miss you here, Two Moons,” Miss Alexander told him. “You’re a bright boy.”
    â€œThank you, ma’am,” Two Moons said.
    We felt a little better after that nap. It gave us the strength to suffer through the rest of the school day.
    When the school bell rang, we dashed out and ran all the way home like two thirsty horses. We didn’t even wait for Esther. We ran straight to the plane. Emmett wasn’t there, but it looked like he had worked all day. We figured he must be asleep. He had recanvased some of our work, and a good part of the engine was put back together. The propeller was leanin’ against the barn and had been sanded and varnished. The canvas had mostly dried, and was tight as a drum.
    We got goose bumps just lookin’