Worth - Softcover

LaFaye, A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1416916245 ISBN 13: 9781416916246

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006

Synopsis

Before the accident Nathaniel's life seemed pretty good. His help around the farm made his father proud. But now, with a busted leg, Nathaniel can't do farmwork anymore, so his father adopts another son through the Orphan Train. Feeling replaced and useless, Nathaniel attends school for the first time. Meanwhile, sturdy and strong John is able to do the work that earns Pa's attention.

But the truth is, John Worth has his own set of troubles. He is treated more like a servant than a son. Kept awake at night by nightmares of his family's death, he remembers having a pa who took pride in him. But now he has no one, until a community battle and a special book reveal a potential friend -- and a chance for understanding.

About this title

About the Author

A. LaFaye (the "A" is for Alexandria) is the author of Worth, for which she received the Scott O'Dell Award, as well as The Year of the Sawdust Man, Nissa's Place, The Strength of Saints, Edith Shay, Strawberry Hill, and Dad, in Spirit. She teaches at California State University at San Bernardino during the school year and at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, in the summer. She lives in Cabot, Arkansas.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Worth

By A. LaFaye

Aladdin Paperbacks

Copyright © 2006 A. LaFaye
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781416916246

Chapter Three: What a Boy Is Worth

The sound of his boots told me Pa planned to go into town. Heard the crisp clomp-clomp of his Sunday boots. I counted back on my fingers -- no Sunday hadn't come again. It was only Saturday. When he stepped into the kitchen, Ma spoke in how-dare-you whispers. I knew them well.

Back when Pa came home with his homestead papers, saying we'd be moving to Nebraska come spring, Ma'd let her anger out in short hot bursts only Pa could hear. We all slept in the same room back then, but Ma could whisper so slow and quick, I couldn't hear a word of it. But the pitch of it said she didn't take to the idea at all. And whatever had Pa going to town on a Saturday didn't please her any.

As Pa stepped outside, I heard Ma say, "He won't be sleeping in this house."

Who did she mean? The jingle of tack and the rumble of the wagon said Pa headed out for town so I wouldn't see him until noon to know just who Ma meant. Months in bed had made me half-crazy. The idea of not knowing itched in my brain until I was ready to scream.

"Pa taking on hired help?" I called out to her.

"No." The quick snip of her voice and the way she punched at the dough in the bowl I heard knocking against the table told me just how mad she really felt.

"Who's he bringing back then?"

"No one I've approved of."

"Would I approve of him?"

She fell silent for a bit, then I heard her snuffle in a breath -- she'd been crying.

"Ma?"

I heard her step toward my room, but she didn't come in. I could see the shadow she cast across the doorway, her shoulders stooped, her head bowed. Made me feel thin. She whispered, "He's bringing home a boy."

I didn't understand. She'd already said he wasn't bringing home a farmhand. "What boy?"

"An orphan boy."

Could've been neck deep in snow for how cold I felt right then. I'd heard tell of those orphan trains that brought in city kids to be picked out of a herd on a church stage and brought home like a new steer. The Campbells got a new son that way after their boy was taken by the measles, but I wasn't dead.

"He adopted a son?"

Ma rushed into the room, her face shiny with tears. "No. Not a son. Just a boy to help around here."

Held my breath like it'd keep me from bursting.

"Nathaniel, your father and I have only one son. We'll always only have one." She tried to brush my hair, but I swatted her away.

"I'm not Pa's son anymore. He hasn't so much as said how do."

She folded her hands in her lap. "He has his eye on you, Nate. Comes in and watches you nights."

"He does?"

She nodded, pointing. "From the doorway."

"When it's dark and he can't see me."

Ma shook her head. "Nathaniel, Pa just needs another set of hands around the place. This is the only way he could afford it."

Funny. A steer you'd have to pay for, but a boy you could adopt for free. Not worth much.

Worth. That was his name. John Worth. He stood in front of my bed all bit up by mosquitoes and scratching through a new suit. Pa didn't buy him that, did he? The kid wouldn't even look at me. He just stared at the floor.

Pa turned him roughlike to face the bed. "This is our son, Nathaniel." Looking over my head, instead of at me, Pa said, "Nathaniel, this is John Worth."

We mumbled our hellos, then Pa turned him around to march him out of the room. "I'll show you the lay of the land around here."

Ma stood in the door, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes dead set on the boy, just pouring out the hate like she did every time she set eyes on Verna Crawford, the woman who said she'd watch over Missy while Ma and Pa worked down at the thread factory.

Missy choked on a piece of bread. Died while that woman was doing piece work for a shirtwaist factory. And all that woman could say was, "I've raised nine children and didn't none of them choke when I put them down with a little bread to chew."

Ma near about tore that woman's face off before Pa dragged her out the door. The whole of it froze me to the spot, felt like a ghost standing there staring at that woman bleeding on the floor, the drawer she'd had Missy sleeping in dropped sideways behind her, empty except for the old pocket of Ma's apron Missy kept with her.

Mr. Crawford shooed me out the door and closed it behind me. Don't know how long I stood in that hallway before Pa came to collect me.

This time Pa had turned me into a ghost, sitting there staring at the spot on the floor where John Worth had stood.

But I wasn't going to let that no account city boy bury me alive. I'd show Pa just what I could do. Since Doc Kelly had finally cut me loose from that contraption, I could start moving around a bit, building up the strength in my leg.

The thing looked evil wrong. My left thigh had shriveled up to be as thin as my right shin. My left shin looked no bigger than the bones inside it. Had a big purple scar where the bone broke through the skin. And the whole leg burned like wildfire when I so much as curled up a toe. And shake. That thing shook like a leaf in the wind. Not that the rest of me did much better. I'd been moving my arms, my right leg, and turning my body best as I could to keep up the muscles, but you can't do much with your left leg trussed up.

Had the strength of a butterfly. Near about passed out just swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. "Take her easy there, son." Doc Kelly ran to sit next to me. "You rush this and you're liable to just break the leg again."

"Heaven forbid," Ma gasped, covering her mouth.

"We won't let that happen, Mary Eve."

Wouldn't much happen if I didn't get stronger, but I couldn't do a bit that day except fall back into the bed and let sleep take me off. I dreamed of birds. Pigeons all clustered up on a ledge clucking away like only pigeons can, but the noise continued even after I opened my eyes in the darkness of night. Took me a bit to figure out I heard crying, someone crying on the other side of my bedroom wall. But the only thing back there was the lean-to where we kept the wood for the fireplace. Then I remembered Ma's words, "He won't be sleeping in this house."

She had that boy sleeping in the lean-to like a dog. Well, as far as I was concerned, that's where he belonged.

Copyright © 2004 by A. LaFaye

Continues...

Excerpted from Worthby A. LaFaye Copyright © 2006 by A. LaFaye. Excerpted by permission.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1416916245
• ISBN 13: 9781416916246
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160