Free Philip and the Case of Mistaken Identity and Philip and the Baby (9781597051095) by John Paulits Page B

from the bench, and there
was his father coming toward him. And did he look angry!
    “Philip, what do you think you are doing here
instead of being in school? When I get you home...”
    The ice cream man came over. “Are you the
boy’s father? We spoke on the phone.”
    “Yes, yes. I’m Mr. Felton. I want to thank
you for keeping an eye on him.”
    The ice cream man smiled. “I saw his name and
address on his schoolbag and called you.” The ice cream man’s grin
widened as if he thought he’d done the smartest thing ever. Philip
hated him.
    “Thank you. Thank you,” his father mumbled,
pulling his son toward the car.
    Philip was beginning to get scared. He’d been
caught. Caught running away from home. What would his father do to
him? His father didn’t usually spank him. Would he now? For running
away?
    The ride home was quiet, and when his father
pulled the car into the Felton driveway, all he said was, “Get out
and get into the house.”
    Philip moved quickly.
    “Sit down on that sofa.”
    Philip sat.
    “Do you know where your mother is?”
    “Upstairs?” Philip answered softly.
    “No. Not upstairs. In the hospital. She’s
going to have the baby today. I got a call from Mommy to tell me to
come home. When I walk in the door, the phone is ringing, and it’s
a call from the ice cream man at the zoo telling me that my son,
who is supposed to be in school, is sleeping on the park bench in
front of the monkey cage.”
    Philip could feel tears rising in his eyes.
Now his father was so mad he’d ignore him even more when the new
baby came.
    “Your mother doesn’t know you aren’t in
school. And I don’t want her to know. This is no time to have your
mother upset. What were you doing at the zoo, if I may ask a stupid
question?”
    Philip started to answer, but he knew if he
spoke one word he’d cry.
    “Answer me, Philip.”
    Philip looked at his father. His father’s
face didn’t look as angry now. Philip sprang from his seat on the
sofa and ran to his father.
    “Daddy,” he cried. “I don’t want a baby in
the house. I want you and Mommy to have only me.” Philip lifted his
head a little. He could see the wet mark his tears had made on his
father’s shirt. Philip felt his father pull his head toward his
chest and hug him tightly. When Philip lifted his head again, he
thought he saw some water shining in his father’s eyes.
    “Philip,” Daddy sighed. “We’ve talked about
this some. Probably not enough. Let me see.”
    His father’s arms were still around him, and
Philip liked that.
    “Do you remember the turtle you got last
year?”
    “Fred,” Philip said.
    “Sure you do. You liked Fred so much you
wanted another turtle. So we went to the store and bought you
Effie. Now think. Did you love Fred less after you got Effie, or do
you love them both a whole lot?
    “Both.”
    “Philip, love is not something you run out
of. You can never give it all away. No matter how much you use up,
there is always more inside of you than you can ever use.” His
father pulled him to his chest again. “Mommy and I love you the
same as ever. But something exciting is going to happen, Philip.
Mommy will be home soon, and we will have a baby in the house. A
tiny, tiny baby. A baby who can do nothing for itself, Philip. A
baby who will depend on us for everything. It will cry at night and
wake us up. It will cry a lot, and maybe not even stop if we hold
it and rock it and sing to it. But it will be our little baby. And
one day, Philip, this baby will smile at you. Maybe it will reach
out and grab your finger. You think your finger is small, don’t
you? But it will take the baby’s whole hand to hold your one
finger, Philip. The baby will hold it tight, and it will be magic.
Believe me, Flipper. Magic, just like you were magic. You still
are.”
    Philip let his father hug him one more time.
Then his father stood up. “It’s almost one now. Go to Mrs.
Moriarty’s and stay there until I come and get you.