The True Gift (4 page)

Thomas shrugs. “A couple hundred dollars, I think. For Christmas money,” he adds.

“Two hundred,” says Liam. He takes Thomas's arm.

“Listen, Thomas. I'm going to save your calf. What's her name?”

Thomas shrugs again. “She doesn't have a name. We call her—”

“Brown Cow,” finishes Liam happily.

Thomas looks surprised. “Yes. How did you know that?”

I know what Liam is thinking. I start walking away. I walk on until suddenly Liam is beside me.

“Don't talk,” I say, loving and hating him at the same time.

Well, “hate” is a strong word. So is “love.”

One good thing, though: He doesn't speak all the way home through the falling snow.

Liam and I sit in his room, going through our money.

Charlie and Emmet sit on the bed, watching the counting closely, as if the money will turn into food. When it stays money, Charlie gets bored and turns over on his back, with his feet in the air. Emmet leans over to chew Charlie's chin.

Liam empties his sock. He has $67.50. I have $76.00.

“That comes to . . .” I begin.

“One forty-three fifty” says Liam, who is quick with numbers. “That isn't enough.”

“Maybe we could ask Mama and Papa, or Gran and Grandpa.”

Liam shakes his head. “No. I want to do this.”

“You are stubborn.”

“Yes.”

Liam goes to the window. “Maybe we could get jobs,” he says.

“What kind of jobs?” I ask. “We only have a few days left. And we don't know when the calf will be sold.”

“Brown Cow,” corrects Liam.

“Brown Cow,” I repeat. I would smile, but I do not feel happy.

Liam paces the room, thinking Liam thoughts.

“Maybe . . .,” I begin.

“Wait!” says Liam loudly.

I jump. Charlie and Emmet sit up.

Liam grabs one of his book bags and begins packing his books.

“Get that bag, Lily. Start packing.”

“But, Liam—”

“Pack!” says Liam loudly.

I've never heard him speak loudly before.

I pack.

“What are we doing?” I ask.

“The Already Read secondhand bookstore in town,” says Liam, as if I should know what he's about to do.

“What about it?”

Liam packs the last book.

“I'm going to sell my books,” he says.

My mouth opens.

Liam holds up his hand.

“Let's go. Can you carry that bag?”

I lift a bag with a dozen books in it.

“I can.”

Liam leaves the room with his bags of books. He doesn't look back at me. Charlie and Emmet jump down from the bed and follow. They don't look back at me either.

* * *

“Where are you going?” calls Gran.

Liam and I walk out on the porch lugging our load of books.

“We have an errand in town,” calls Liam. “We'll be home before dinner.”

“I'm going to drive you,” calls Gran. “There's too much snow.” She puts on her jacket and comes out with Charlie and Emmet. We all climb in the car.

“Don't worry,” Gran says to Liam, “I won't ask what you're doing.”

Liam and I smile.

We see White Cow outside the barn, turning her big white head to watch us drive by.

“Liam, these are your books. You love these books,” I whisper to him.

“If I can get a couple of dollars a book, we'll get Brown Cow and still have some money left over for Christmas,” he whispers back.

“I don't even care about Christmas presents anymore,” I say out loud, surprising myself.

“Me neither,” says Liam, grinning.

“Me neither,” says Gran in the front seat, making us laugh because we have forgotten she was there.

We park in front of the Already Read bookstore.

“Stay here,” says Liam.

He takes the bags and leaves us in the car. There is silence. Charlie and Emmet climb into the front seat with Gran.

“All right,” says Gran. “You are my captive, Lily.”

“You promised you wouldn't ask,” I remind her.

“I don't always tell the truth,” says Gran, making me laugh.

So I tell her.

Gran is very quiet.

“All for a cow,” she says softly.

“For all of us,” I tell her.

“Yes,” says Gran. “That's true.”

“Don't tell Liam I told you,” I say.

“I promise,” says Gran.

We both laugh because Gran has already said she doesn't always tell the truth.

We wait. A yellow Lab walks by and Charlie and Emmet howl.

We wait longer.

And then Liam comes out. He is carrying two empty bags and one with some books in it. He gets into the car.

“Okay” he says, smiling.

“Do we go to Thomas's house?” asks Gran.

Liam looks at Gran and then at me. “You told her,” he says.

“She made me,” I say.

“Yes,” says Liam. “Let's go get Brown Cow.”

Gran drives to West Road faster than she usually drives. Liam laughs in the backseat, the first time he's laughed like that in a long time.

Gran turns at West Road and stops at Thomas's house. A covered truck is parked there with nothing written on the side.

Thomas is outside, and his father, and a man who holds a rope with Brown Cow
at the other end. Liam gets out of the car before Gran stops.

Thomas has been crying. His younger brothers are huddled behind him.

“You're too late, Liam,” Thomas says. “Too late. Papa sold her.”

“I'm sorry, Liam,” says Thomas's father. “But she is sold now.”

“But I'll pay you more money!” says Liam.

“Too late,” says the man with the rope. He pulls on the rope, but Brown Cow digs her feet in. “Come on,” he says crossly. “Come on!” He slaps Brown Cow on the backside, but Brown Cow backs up farther and makes a sad moo. The man reaches
inside his truck and takes out a long prod.

“Stop!” cries Thomas.

The prod has a hook at one end, and the man walks up to Brown Cow.

“You'll hurt her,” says Thomas loudly. One of his brothers begins to cry.

“Wait,” says Thomas's father softly.

Everyone stops and looks at him. Gran gets out of the car and stands next to Liam.

“I don't think I like you,” Thomas's father says to the man.

“A deal is a deal!” the man shouts.

“Well, hello there, Jake,” says Gran. She speaks as softly as Thomas's father.

“You!” says the man harshly “You again.”

“Yes,” says Gran. “Me.”

“This woman,” he sputters, “she bought a white cow out from under me a long time ago!”

“And I paid much too much money,” says Gran.

I look at Gran.

“My secret until now,” she says.

“A true gift,” Thomas's father says. “Its own reward. I'm sure that cow never thanked you.”

Thomas's father holds out the check. “You take this and leave,” he says to the man. “Now, please.”

The man stares at him, then at Gran.
He grabs the check, muttering, and gets in his truck. He starts his truck and drives off fast.

It is quiet.

Thomas puts his arm around Brown Cow.

Liam holds out the money. “This is for you,” he says.

Thomas's father takes it. He doesn't count it. “Thank you,” he says. “That was a good thing you did. I don't remember Thomas ever loving a calf this much.”

He looks at Thomas with his arm around Brown Cow.

“Thomas can visit this little animal whenever he wants?”

Gran smiles. “Anytime. Every day if he wants,” she says.

“Thank you,” he says to Gran.

Gran shakes her head. “It was them,” she says, meaning Liam and me.

“Mostly Liam,” I say. “He sold his books.”

Thomas's father swallows as if he might cry. He holds out his hand and shakes Liam's hand. “Merry Christmas,” he says.

Liam and Thomas and I walk Brown Cow up the road. It is late afternoon and the light slants across the fields.

“Brown Cow is happy,” says Thomas.

Liam smiles.

“White Cow will be happy soon,” he says.

Cars pass us on their way home or to market. The girl on horseback comes down the road.

“Hello, cow,” she says as she goes by.

“Hello, girl on horse,” says Liam, making us all laugh.

We pass the field with bright red barberry bushes. We pass a house or two, lights turned on inside. No one has curtains at their windows here, because it is the country. There is no one to look in, only deer and coyotes and once in a while a confused bear that comes out of winter hibernation.

We pass the little brook that flows under the road.

And then we can see the barn at Gran and Grandpa's house.

Grandpa and Gran stand on the porch. They have been waiting for us.

We turn up the long driveway and walk along the fence. Before we reach the gate, White Cow comes out of the barn. She sees us. She moos loudly, and Brown Cow moos back. White Cow runs down to the gate. I've never seen White Cow run before. She moos again and again, and Brown Cow answers her.

Thomas takes the rope from around Brown Cow's neck, and we open the gate.

Brown Cow rushes in, and White Cow begins to lick her all over. She licks Brown Cow for a long time.

And then White Cow lays her head on Brown Cow's head.

“A true gift, like Thomas's father said,” says Liam in the softest voice I've ever heard.