OE See ell emt oe * sim teem: ~ a See the ball hit Sally. 2 THE NEW APRIL PERRIN NEIGHBOR ; | squinted through my glasses as Dad stopped the car before the vacant lot. This was where we were going to build our dream house. The weeds were worn down into the baseball diamond. On it eight kids were playing work up. They were yelling and running. | could smell the dust the kids were kicking up. Most of them were about my age, nine. “Well, this is it,” Mom said softly. “What do you think of it, Kathy?” “It's a pretty place,” | said smiling to please Mom. Mom has soft brown hair thet lies in curls all over her head. Her eyes are always relaxed. They never narrow like some mother’s eyes. | pushed my glasses back on my nose. | swung the door open quick ‘cause the handle was hot. I’ve got a long brown pony tail. It was making my neck sweat. Then | jumped out into the dust. The breeze was hot. | could smell dust and crushed weeds. The kids went right on playing without looking at us. Pop got out and walked around to where | was standing. The sun was already making him sweat where he stopped shaving and his hair began. He had a few grey hairs mixed with the black ones. He had a piece of Kleenex stuck on a place he had cut himself shaving. ‘I'm \ Q.7/( going to look around,” he said in his big voice. | didn’t kn@w why he wanted to “look around.” He had _ walked around this lot a hundred times. About three times ao week he would drive over and pace it off. He was really excited over building the house. Mom stuck her head out of the open door. “Why don’t you take Kathy with you and introduce her to the kids?” If it weren‘t for Mom, ? 4 “ “oa 4, 44 Daddy would never even remember how old I was. He sort of forgot | was there once in awhile, and she always had to remind him | belonged to him. could be gone for days and he wouldn’t know it. Dad started walking off without me, but | hurried up and caught up with him. He took great big steps. As Mom said, | had to “double time” to keep up with him. My hair bounced on my neck. My neck was sticky from sweating. As we walked up to the bunch of kids, | saw a girl with black frizzy hair running into home. A fet kid wos playing catch. The kids were yelling “Come on, get her out!” and “Get Ann!” The fat kid caught the ball. Then this girl slammed into him ‘cause he was standing on the base. She just about knocked him over. They kicked up a lot of dust. | was still trotting to keep up with daddy. (36) | | prey