The Tiger Rising

Her words sounded the way all those things made him feel, as if the world, the real world, had been punched through, so that he could see something wonderful and dazzling on the other side of it.

I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” Sistine said, “home of the Liberty Bell, and I hate the South because the people in it are ignorant. And I’m not staying here in Lister. My father is coming to get me next week.” She looked around the room defiantly. “Well,” said Mrs. Soames, “thank you very much for introducing yourself, Sistine Bailey. You may take your seat before you put your foot in your mouth any farther.” The

cock his head this way and that. Called him Cricket, on

Did Rob make it?” Sistine asked Willie May. “He did,” said Willie May. “It looks alive. Is it like your bird that you let go?

As they walked back to the Kentucky Star, Rob thought about what Willie May had said about the tiger rising on up. It reminded him of what she had said about his sadness needing to rise up. And when he thought about the two things together, the tiger and his sadness, the truth circled over and above him and then came and landed lightly on his shoulder. He knew what he had to do.

He must, he realized, know somewhere, deep inside him, more things than he had ever dreamed of.

Hey, disease boy!” Norton shouted. “We know what you got. It’s called

tiger eating Norton and Billy Threemonger and then spitting out their bones.

The three of them walked through the woods in silence. Sistine and Rob chewed Eight Ball gum,

How come you don’t have a phone?” Rob shrugged. “Ain’t got nobody to call,

And Rob knew then that he had picked the right person to tell.

Rob sat out on the curb in front of the motel room and waited for Sistine to come back from using the phone.

Rob was dismayed to see that she was still wearing his shirt and jeans.