I thought about the stuff I’d put in my keepsakes bag. Some photos. A spelling bee trophy. A bunch of nature books. My teddy bear. A clay statue of Crenshaw that I’d made when I was in second grade. My worn-out copy of A Hole Is To Dig. I thought about Crenshaw and the surfboard. I thought about the purple jelly beans. Mostly, though, I thought about the signs I’d been noticing. I am very observant, which is a useful thing for a scientist to be. Here’s what I’d been observing: Big piles of bills. Parents whispering. Parents arguing. Stuff getting sold, like the silver teapot my grandma gave my mom and our laptop computer. The power going off for two days because we hadn’t paid the bill. Not much food except peanut butter and mac and cheese and Cup O Noodles. My mom digging under the couch cushions for quarters. My dad digging under the couch cushions for dimes. My mom borrowing toilet paper rolls from work. The landlord coming over and saying “I’m sorry” and shaking his head a lot.
