Me and Rupert Goody Read Online Free Page A

Marny’s all the time telling me the ruby mine is a rip-off, that them rubies ain’t worth nothing, but I know she’d love to get her grimy old hands on them if she could. Good news is she can’t, cause I keep my box at Uncle Beau’s.
    So, anyway, when Uncle Beau said that about going to Cherokee, I felt my spirits lift. “Yeah, that’d be good,” I said.
    â€œYou ever been ruby mining, Rupert?” Uncle Beau said.
    Rupert ran his thumb over the paint scraper and stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth. He squinted his eyes up like he was thinking real hard about whether or not he’d ever been ruby mining. Way I saw it, either he had or he hadn’t, but I kept quiet.
    Finally, he looked at Uncle Beau and shook his head so hard his cheeks jiggled. “No, I ain’t,” he said.
    â€œWell, now, that’s okay,” Uncle Beau said. “Jennalee’s bout the best ruby miner in North Carolina. I bet she’d give you a tip or two if you asked her.”
    Rupert scratched at the paint flecks on his arm. “You help me, Jennalee?” he said. “You give me a tip or two?”

    I shrugged. “I guess.”
    â€œOkay, then,” Uncle Beau said. “That’s what we’ll do.” He pulled his pocket watch out and flipped it open. “Hoooeee,” he said. “Where’d this day go?”
    â€œWhat time is it, Jake? Quittin’ time,” Rupert said. “Button the door, Jennalee.”
    Uncle Beau laughed so hard he had to sit back down on the couch.
    â€œYou beat all, Rupert,” he said, wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. “Don’t Rupert beat all, Jennalee?”
    â€œYeah,” I said. “Rupert sure beats all.”

Five
    It was still dark when we left Claytonville and headed for Cherokee. I squeezed my knees together and leaned over next to the door of Uncle Beau’s pickup so I wouldn’t touch Rupert. The morning air was chilly and damp. I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and stuffed my hands in the pockets.
    We chugged along the winding mountain roads in silence. That was fine with me. I like reading the signs along the way Usually I read them out loud to Uncle Beau, but with Rupert beside me, I read them to myself. Mountain-view Motel, Five Miles Ahead, TV, Pool, Air-Conditioned. My favorite signs are the ones announcing the souvenir shops. Big yellow signs, one after the other, letting folks know what was coming. Pecans. Honey. Boiled Peanuts. Indian Blankets.

    By the time we got to Cherokee, the sun was up and the chill had left the air.
    â€œMy stomach’s begging for some ham biscuits,” Uncle Beau said. “Y’all hungry?”
    â€œWe going to Thelma’s?” I asked. Me and Uncle Beau always eat at Thelma’s. I always get the Big Chief Special. Uncle Beau gets ham biscuits and grits.
    â€œCourse we’re going to Thelma’s,” Uncle Beau said. “Rupert, you wanna go to Thelma’s?”
    â€œSure I do,” Rupert said, nodding like he knew what the heck Thelma’s was.
    We sat at the counter and Thelma said, “Hey,” giving ole Rupert the eye.
    â€œThis here’s my son, Rupert,” Uncle Beau said.
    Thelma said, “That’s nice,” but I bet she was thinking something else.
    â€œI want the greasiest ham biscuits you can scrounge up,” Uncle Beau said. “And grits.”
    Thelma scribbled on a pad and then looked at me. “I’ll have the Big Chief Special,” I said.
    She scribbled again and then looked at Rupert.
    â€œGive him some ham biscuits, too,” Uncle Beau said.
    â€œI’ll have the Big Chief Special,” Rupert said.
    â€œWhy you have to go and copy me all the time, Rupert,” I snapped.
    He looked down at his hands, clutching and twisting his napkin. Doesn’t take much to dull his shine, I thought to myself, trying hard as I could not to