You'll find him。”
My dad led me around a corner； and as we proceeded down a hallway； the underlying
pungent part of the smell got stronger。 Like the place had
had years of Mystery Pissers； with no one quite neutralizing what had been tagged。
Down the hall was a small person hunched in a wheel…chair。 At first I thought it was a child；
but as we approached； I could see it was a woman。
She had almost no hair； and as she gave my dad a toothless smile； she grabbed his hand
and spoke。
My heart bottomed out。 The sounds she made were choked and lost on her tongue。 Nothing
she said was intelligible； yet she looked at my father
with such intensity—like of course he understood what she was saying。
To my plete surprise； he said； “You're absolutely right； Mabel。 It is today。 Which is why
I'm here。” He held up the grocery sack and whispered；
“I've brought him a little gift。”
“Gwa…aaal；” she said。 “How'd you know？”
She gurgled at him until he patted her hand and said； “I'm much too predictable； I'm afraid。
But he enjoys them； and…” He noticed her gaze shift
in my direction。
“Hoo haa；” she said。
“This is my daughter； Julianna。 Julianna； I'd like you to meet the extraordinary Miss Mabel。
She can remember everyone's birthday； and she has a
real passion for strawberry milkshakes。”
I managed a smile and whispered； “Nice to meet you；” but all I got in return was a suspicious
scowl。
“Well； we're off to David's；” my father said； then shook the bag。 “Don't spill the beans if he
happens by。”
I followed him to a bedroom doorway； where he stopped and called； “David？ David； it's
Robert。”
A man appeared at the door。 A man I would never have picked out as my father's brother。 He
was stocky； with thick brown glasses； and his face
looked puffy and pale。 But he threw his arms around my father's chest and cried； “Wobbad！
Yaw heew！”
“Yes； I am； little brother。”
I followed them into the room and saw that the walls were covered in a collage of puzzles。
They'd been glued directly to the walls and even up on
the ceiling！ It was cozy and fortable； and interesting。 I felt as though I'd entered a quilted
cave。
My father held his brother at arm's length and said； “And look who I've brought along！”
For a split second David looked almost frightened； but then my father said； “It's my daughter；
Julianna。”
David's face broke into a smile。 “Ju…weee…an…na！” he cried； then practically tackled me with a
hug。
I thought I was going to suffocate。 My face was buried as he squeezed the air out of me and
rocked from side to side。 Then with a giggle he let go
and flopped into a chair。 “Is mooy bwuf…day！”
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“I know； Uncle David。 Happy birthday！”
He giggled again。 “Fwank eoow！”
“We brought you a present；” my dad said as he opened the paper sack。
Before he had it out； before I saw the actual size； I remembered the sound it had made when
I'd shaken it in the truck。 Of course！ I thought。 A
puzzle。
Uncle David guessed it； too。 “A pule？”
“Not just a puzzle；” my dad said as he pulled it out of the sack。 “A puzzle and a pinwheel。”
Dad had wrapped the puzzle box up in pretty blue paper and had taped the red…and…yellow
pinwheel on as a bow。 Uncle David snatched the
pinwheel right off and blew。 First gently； then fiercely； in great spitty bursts。 “Ownge！” he
cried between blows。 “Ownge！”
Very gently Dad took it from him and smiled。 “Red and yellow do make orange； don't they？”
David tried to grab it back； but my father said； “We'll
take it outside later。 The wind will blow it for you；” and pressed the puzzle back in his hands。
As the wrapping paper fell in shreds on the floor； I leaned in to see what sort of puzzle my
father had bought him and gasped。 Three thousand
pieces！ And the image was simply white clouds and blue sky。 No shading； no trees—nothing
but the clouds and the sky。
My father pointed to a spot in the center of the ceiling。 “I thought it would fit just right over
there。”
Uncle David looked up and nodded； then lunged for his pinwheel and said； “Owsiiide？”
“Sure。 Let's go out for a walk。 Feel like going down to McElliot's for a birthday ice cream？”
Uncle David's head bobbed up and down。 “Yaaah！”
We checked out through Josie； then headed down the street。 David can't walk very fast
because his body seems to want to move inward instead
of forward。 His feet pigeon…toe and his shoulders hunch in； and he seemed to lean on my
father pretty heavily as we moved along。
But he kept that pinwheel in front of him； watching it spin； crying every now and then；
“Oange； oange！”
McElliot's turned out to be a drugstore with an ice cream parlor inside。 There was a red…and…
white…striped awning over the ice cream counter；
and there were little white tables and chairs set in an area with red…and…white…striped
wallpaper。 It was very festive…looking； especially for being
inside a drugstore。
Dad got us all cones； and once we were sitting down； Dad and David did talk to each other
some； but mostly David wanted to eat his chocolate
fudge swirl。 My father smiled at me from time to time； and I smiled back； but I felt
disconnected。 How many times had the two of them e here for
ice cream？ How many birthdays had my father celebrated with his brother like this？ How
long had he known Mabel and Josie and the rest of the
people at Greenhaven？ How could it be that in all these years； I'd never spent any time with
my uncle？ It was like my father had a secret life away
from me。 A plete family away from me。
I didn't like it。 Didn't understand it。 And I was getting myself pretty worked up about it when
David's cone crushed in his grip； causing his ice
cream to flop onto the table。
Before my dad could stop him； David picked up the ice cream and tried to cram it back onto
the cone。 But the cone was shattered and the ice
cream fell over again； only this time it landed on the floor。
My dad said； “Leave it； David。 I'll get you a new one；” but David didn't listen。 His chair shot
back and he dove after it。
“No； David！ Let me get you a new one。” My dad pulled him by the arm； but David wouldn't
budge。 He grabbed the ice cream and crammed it
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back onto what was left of his cone； and when the bottom part of his cone crumbled
pletely away； he started screaming。
It was awful。 He was like a two…hundred…pound infant； throwing a tantrum on the floor。 He
was yelling words I couldn't understand； and after a
minute of trying to calm him down； my father said； “Julianna； can you get him another cone？”
The man behind the counter scooped as fast as he could； but in that short time David
knocked over a table and two chairs with his flailing and
managed to smear chocolate everywhere。 The checkers and customers at the regist