Kiki and Jacques Read Online Free Page B

scooped her brother into her arms, but Amir reached back and grabbed Jacques’s hair.
    â€œOuch, this little man is strong!” Jacques grinned.
    Ricky and Ismail ran over, with Robby three steps behind: “We’re starving!”
    â€œI got something in here.” Kiki pulled out two triangle-shaped pastries and divided them among the open mouths. “You want to try?” She held out a piece for Jacques. “Hooyo made it this morning.”
    The pastry was filled with spicy meat mixed with onions.
    Kiki laughed when she saw the expression on Jacques’s face. “It is called
sambusa
. They are like your hot dogs—we eat them all the time.”
    A loud rustling noise came from the other end of the playground.
    â€œHey, Gagnon!”
    Jacques’s stomach flipped. Duane and another teenage boy were standing by the fence. A blonde girl was tucked under Duane’s shoulder. When she turned slightly, Jacques took another look and blinked. Monique! What was she doing with Duane? Was it possible she was actually marrying that creep?
    Kiki quickly stuffed the rest of the food in her bag and yelled for Ismail. Her lips were set together and her brow was pinched.
    â€œHold on a minute. . . .” Jacques began, but Kiki was already jogging behind the stroller without looking back. Ismail ran after her.
    Jacques wiped the last bit of sambusa from his hands as the older boys came close.
    Monique waited by the fence alone.
    â€œWho’s the Somali babe?” Duane put his hands in his pockets.
    â€œNobody.” Jacques’s pulse began to race. What if Duane still had the knife? “Just a girl from school.”
    â€œWe have a little job for you,” the other boy sneered. He was slightly shorter, with a soft, full belly. Two small silver hoops hung from one earlobe.
    â€œI’m watching these kids.” Jacques shook his head. “I can’t talk.”
    â€œDon’t mess with us.” Duane leaned over Jacques’s shoulder. “Garth and I need your help.”
    â€œI’ve got to go!” Jacques motioned to the twins. He grabbed Robby by the elbow, pulling him toward the gate while Ricky scurried after them.
    â€œYou forgot the ball,” Ricky shouted.
    â€œLeave it.” Jacques bounded ahead. “We’ll get it later.”
    When Jacques finally stopped to let the twins catch their breath, the older boys and Monique had vanished.

6
    Jacques dropped Ricky and Robby with their mother and raced up the stairs to Grandmère Jeannette’s apartment. When he stepped inside, he was shocked to find his grandmother slumped over the dining room table.
    â€œGrandmère! What’s wrong?” Her head lifted, and Jacques exhaled sharply. But he could see that her eyes were red and swollen. “Are you sick?”
    â€œIt’s nothing; I didn’t hear you come in.” Grandmère Jeannette wiped her face and pushed up from the table. “I’ll go fix you somethin’ to eat.”
    â€œNo,” Jacques said. “Tell me what happened.”
    Trembling, Grandmère Jeannette fell back into the chair. A stack of official looking papers were piled high in front of her.
    â€œWhat are those?”
    Grandmère Jeannette shook her head. “The bank wants to take the shop,” she finally answered.
    â€œOur shop? The bridal shop?” Jacques could barely move his lips.
    Slow and silent, Grandmère Jeannette nodded yes.
    â€œI don’t understand. You’ve had that place forever!”
    When Jacques was little, they’d moved around a lot. But the bridal shop was always there—in some ways, it felt the most like home. Mom had taken Jacques to work with her nearly every Saturday. They’d stop along the way at the library, and Jacques would curl up in the corner of the office with a pile of books while Mom and Grandmère Jeannette sold gowns. By the time he was six or seven,