Cloudboy

By Craig Strete

Cloudboy was old enough to want to be older. He was old enough to want all sorts of things. But he lived in a house where things of any kind were in short supply. He dreamed that they had a shiny new refrigerator with a light that worked and a handle that wasn't tied with string. He imagined it would be full of lots of good things to eat.

He wished they had real store-bought furniture with soft cushions and all the legs it came with.

Mostly they sat on old lawn furniture they found along the road on trash pickup day. It was uncomfortable to sit on but at least it was very colorful.

His mother sometimes stuck her fingers in her ears when he wished and wanted all over the place.

She knew you could wish all day long but little ever came of it except night.

Even that didn't stop him from wishing and wanting.

Every day he wished for something new.

And nothing new ever seemed to come along.

But one day in the old shack next to their home a new neighbor moved in.

He was a tiny old man who walked with a stick and spoke in a loud voice because he couldn't hear very well. Everybody thought he was rich because he had not one but two new pickup trucks.

Cloudboy and his pet lizard wandered outside in hopes of meeting him. His lizard, Sandbaby, sat on his shoulder with his tail curled down inside his shirt.

Cloudboy had always wanted a dog. But dog food was expensive so that was out. His mother said Sandbaby could be a kind of dog that was good at catching flies. Flies came in the window for free.

The old man was sitting on an old rusty fender that had lost its car long ago. He seemed to be waiting for Cloudboy to show up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ReAnimus Press
• Release date: Jun 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215718094

Craig Strete

Craig Kee Strete is a Native American science fiction writer, noted for his use of American Indian themes.Beginning in the early 1970s, while working in the Film and Television industry, Strete began writing emotional Native American themed, and science fiction short stories and novellas. He is a three-time Nebula Award finalist, for Time Deer, A Sunday Visit with Great-grandfather, and The Bleeding Man.In 1974 Strete published a magazine dedicated to Native American science fiction, Red Planet Earth. His play Paint Your Face On A Drowning In The River was the 1984 Dramatists Guild/CBS New Plays Program first place winner.

Book preview

CLOUDBOY

by

CRAIG STRETE

Produced by ReAnimus Press

Other books by Craig Strete:

Burn Down the Night

Dark Journey

The Bleeding Man and Other Science Fiction Stories

A Knife In The Mind

The Angry Dead

The Mammoth Project

The Dinosaur Project

The Game of Cat and Eagle

The Bouncing Bride

My Gun Is Not So Quick

Death Chants

Paint Your Face on a Drowning in the River

When Grandfather Journeys Into Winter

The World in Grandfather's Hands

If All Else Fails

To Make Death Love Us

Dreams That Burn in the Night

Nobody Rides Forever

Strete Food

© 2023 by Craig Strete. All rights reserved.

https://ReAnimus.com/store?author=Craig+Strete

Cover by Nara Strete

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CHAPTER ONE

Cloudboy was old enough to want to be older. He was old enough to want all sorts of things. But he lived in a house where things of any kind were in short supply. He dreamed that they had a shiny new refrigerator with a light that worked and a handle that wasn’t tied with string. He imagined it would be full of lots of good things to eat.

He wished they had real store-bought furniture with soft cushions and all the legs it came with.

Mostly they sat on old lawn furniture they found along the road on trash pickup day. It was uncomfortable to sit on but at least it was very colorful.

His mother sometimes stuck her fingers in her ears when he wished and wanted all over the place.

She knew you could wish all day long but little ever came of it except night.

Even that didn’t stop him from wishing and wanting.

Every day he wished for something new.

And nothing new ever seemed to come along.

But one day in the old shack next to their home a new neighbor moved in.

He was a tiny old man who walked with a stick and spoke in a loud voice because he couldn’t hear very well. Everybody thought he was rich because he had not one but two new pickup trucks.

Cloudboy and his pet lizard wandered outside in hopes of meeting him. His lizard, Sandbaby, sat on his shoulder with his tail curled down inside his shirt.

Cloudboy had always wanted a dog. But dog food was expensive so that was out. His mother said Sandbaby could be a kind of dog that was good at catching flies. Flies came in the window for free.

The old man was sitting on an old rusty fender that had lost its car long ago. He seemed to be waiting for Cloudboy to show up.

That’s an ugly looking dog you got there, child, he said, his voice ringing through the bone dry air.

It’s not a dog. It’s a lizard, explained Cloudboy.

That would explain it. Why is your dog a lizard?

We can’t afford a dog. We can’t afford almost anything.

Cloudboy was puzzled by the old man’s style.

You were going to ask me why I called your lizard a dog? Well, I know everything. You are the wishing and wanting boy. I know everything, said the old man with a shake of his head.

Cloudboy wasn’t fooled or maybe he was.

Nobody can know everything.

The old man looked up at the clouds and then down at the boy.

I know everything and two other things besides. My name is SkySoBig and I am in the wish business.

Cloudboy snorted.

More like the big fat lie business, he said.

The old man cracked a big smile. That’s your problem child. You come from the DON’T BELIEVE IT TRIBE. Now me, I believe everything.

Says you, said Cloudboy.

That sounds like a dare, said the old man with a grin. Why don’t you believe something and see what happens.

This is a reservation. I stopped believing in anything, said Cloudboy sadly. Except flies, which come free.

You’ll never get a fancy pants refrigerator if you talk like that, said the old man. Go ahead, just tell me you believe in something and we’ll put it to the test.

Cloudboy scratched his head. How did the old man know he wanted a refrigerator? He shrugged. The old man probably was silly in the head from sitting too long in the sun.

Can’t think of anything? Ok, I’ll show you how it’s done.

The old man smiled and Cloudboy noticed that one of his front teeth was missing. SkySoBig looked up at the sky as if there was something up there to see.

I believe it’s going to rain but I take it back, I’m not serious, the old man said in a voice loud enough to scare a horned toad hornless. He looked up at the sky with distrust.

Cloudboy looked up where the old man was looking. The desert sun was blazing in a cloudless sky. Rain was weeks, maybe months away.

Cloudboy shook his head in disgust. The old man was just as hopeless a wisher and wanter as he was.

I believe it’s going to rain like I believe my lizard can talk, said Cloudboy.

The old man laughed so hard he almost fell off his car fender.

Cloudboy didn’t know if SkySoBig was laughing at him but he had had enough of silly old men who didn’t make sense. He turned to leave.

Sandbaby said, Don’t move. I see a fly.

Cloudboy jumped about two feet straight up in the air.

Sandbaby shrieked at him. You scared the fly! It was a juicy one!

Cloudboy just stood there with his mouth open.

The old man was laughing and wheezing and rolling all over the car fender.

His face was red and his eyes were watery and he was having such a good time.

Cloudboy turned his head and stared at the lizard. Sandbaby flicked his tongue out at him.

It’s a trick, said Cloudboy. "I read about it in one