Amber Brown Sees Red (9 page)

Authors: Paula Danziger

BOOK: Amber Brown Sees Red

12.94Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

“OK.” Max tries to look very serious but I can tell that he’s not too upset.

I, Amber Brown, would like to try throwing two balls down the alley, but it would be hard to do because Max is the coach.

Max is a great coach. He helps. He’s fun. He’s not too strict, but he’s strict enough.

I’d be having a great time if I wasn’t so worried about what’s going to happen when my dad gets here.

“Your turn,” Greg yells.

I pretend that the pins are everyone who is driving me nuts.

Strike.

I knock them all down.

Going back to my seat, I look around.

My parents are not here yet.

In Lane Ten, I see Hannah Burton start to bowl.

Miss. Miss. Miss, I think.

Hannah gets a gutter ball.

Yes.

Maybe my brain can will things to happen.

Hannah bowls again.

Miss. Miss. Miss, I think.

Hannah knocks them all down.

So much for my brain wishpower.

“Amber.” I hear my father’s voice.

I turn around.

My father is standing next to my mother.

“Daddy,” I yell, not caring who hears me calling him Daddy.

I rush up to him, jump up, hug him, and wrap my legs around his waist, just like I did when I was little.

He holds me just like he did when I was little but I can feel his legs wobble just a bit.

“You got taller,” he says.

I get down.

“And older,” he says.

“So did you,” I tease.

“Taller and older?” he teases back, standing up very straight.

I look at my dad.

He doesn’t look as tall as he used to look.

“And balder,” I tease him again.

I always used to tease him about his losing his hair and starting to look like my grandpa.

My dad pats the top of his head and then he looks over at my mom, who is standing next to Max, who has his arm around her waist.

Max has a lot of hair.

My dad looks back at me. His eyes are a little sad.

“I love the way you look, Daddy,” I say, hugging him again.

“I’ve missed you so much,” my dad says softly. “I was wrong to let them transfer me so far away. I need to be closer to my little girl.... It got so lonely there.”

It makes me feel so good to know that he felt lonely without me.

Then, for a second, I think about how he didn’t always stay in touch, how he told me about this woman he was dating and about her kid. So he wasn’t always so lonely.

But then I stop thinking about that.

My dad is back ... and he loves me.

“Your turn, Amber,” Greg yells.

Greg bowls after me and he hates to wait.

I think Greg would like it best if he could be his own bowling team and never wait for anyone else to take a turn.

I hug my father again and then I go back to the alley.

Before bowling, I turn around.

Max and Mom are standing there, together. Their arms are around each other’s waists.

There’s a look that my mom gets on her face when she’s a little nervous. She’s got it now.

I look at my father, who is standing there alone.

“Go!” Gregory yells.

I turn back to the alley.

It’s hard to keep my mind on the game when so much is going on in my real life.

My life is a little like my bowling.

There’s always something new to learn, some way to do better.

It’s just about impossible to be perfect all the time. In fact, some days it’s hard to do anything right. But sometimes things go really well. There are a lot of new things to learn, a lot of new rules and regulations.

Things don’t always work out the way I want them to.