Free Alabama Moon by Watt Key Page A

why don’t you take a seat in one of those chairs.”
    I sat down. Mr. Gene went around the other side of the desk and got in his chair and placed his drink down in front of him. I turned to see if Mr. Carter was still there, but he’dalready gone. Then I started to feel sick from all of the food I’d eaten. I took a deep breath and crossed my arms over my stomach.
    â€œHow was your supper?” Mr. Gene asked me.
    â€œGood,” I said. “Better than jail.” I watched my stomach rise and fall because it felt bigger than usual.
    â€œMr. Carter says Sanders roughed you up.”
    I shrugged.
    â€œYou know, we’ve had trouble with him before.”
    â€œI’m okay.”
    He studied me for a moment, then took a sip of his water. “Very well. Are you still planning on busting out of here?”
    â€œYessir.”
    â€œDon’t you think you’d rather be inside and warm than out in the cold alone with people like Sanders?”
    â€œI’d rather be on my way to Alaska.”
    â€œAh yes, Alaska. Mr. Wellington told me about your Alaska plans.”
    â€œThere’s people like me up there.”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œThat’s why I’m bustin’ out.”
    â€œIt seems you’ve got your mind pretty much set on what it is you want. Since that’s the case, let me tell you how it’s going to be.” Mr. Gene sat up in his chair and set his drink back down. His face tightened and became serious. “First of all, you’re not going to bust out of here. We’ve never had anyone escape from Pinson. That talk is nonsense and you may as well get it out of your head. Second of all, there’s a possibility that you have relatives.” Mr. Gene bent over and brought Pap’s box from the floor and set it on the desk.
    â€œWhere’d you get that?”
    â€œWe’ve got all of your things in a safe place for you.”
    â€œWhat about my rifle and bullets?”
    â€œThe police in Livingston have them.”
    â€œWhat about my wheelbarrow and my clothes?”
    â€œI don’t know anything about a wheelbarrow and clothes.”
    â€œWell, then, you don’t have it all. Sanders threw my wheelbarrow in the swamp and he threw my deerskin hat in the road. They took my moccasins and my jacket at the jail. Said I wasn’t gettin’ my rifle back.”
    â€œWe’ll look into all of that. However, your friend Mr. Abroscotto—”
    â€œHe’s not my friend.”
    â€œFine. Mr. Abroscotto told me about these pictures. He—”
    â€œThat’s why he’s not my friend.”
    Mr. Gene held up his hand. “Will you let me finish?”
    I didn’t answer him because my stomach suddenly started hurting bad. I took a couple of deep breaths.
    â€œMr. Abroscotto said one of these men here looks a lot like your father. If anyone turns out to be a relative of yours, then he can claim you. If not, you’ll remain the property of the state. If you behave yourself, we may eventually find a foster home for you. Otherwise, you’ll remain here until you’re fourteen years of age, and then you’ll be moved to Hellenweiler, our facility for older teenagers. You understand all of that?”
    My stomach hurt so much that I didn’t care what he said. I nodded my head and took another deep breath.
    â€œAny more incidents like the one you had with me a coupleof days ago and your stay here will not be pleasant. Do you understand that?”
    I nodded again.
    â€œGood. First thing you’ll need to do here at Pinson is get that mess of hair cut out of your eyes. You can do that tomorrow after breakfast. Report to the back of the kitchen and Mrs. Broomstead, the cook, will take care of it.” He shoved a pile of books from the corner of his desk at me. “And these will be your schoolbooks. We have school every weekday from seven thirty until three. You’ll be in