Read Revenge of Cornelius for Free Online Page B

seen someone pass by in a
dark suit.
    "Is your dad here?" she
asked.
    "No. He left a little while ago," Alex
moved away from the faucet so that she could get her turn. He dried
his hands on the large towel nearby and scooted out of the
bathroom.
    "Meet me upstairs!" he cried, darting
up the winding staircase.
    "Okay!" Rosie yelled back, quickly
rinsing the few remaining suds from her hands.
    She too dashed out of the bathroom,
then stopped abruptly as blocking her passage in front of the
staircase was a tall man with white hair and a short distinctive
moustache. He was dressed in a black coat suit that appeared to be
older in style than what she was accustomed to seeing, and he wore
shiny, black shoes. He was distinguished-looking. It was the same
man she had seen when she and her mother were leaving the day
before.
    "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been
running." She lowered her head with guilt.
    The man slowly folded his hands in
front. "That is quite all right, little girl. I'm Mister Koney.
What's your name?" he asked.
    "Nice to meet you, Mister Koney." She
looked up again. "I'm Rosie. I'm just visiting today."
    "Nice to meet you , Rosie." He stepped
graciously aside with a nod—an invitation she took to proceed
upstairs.
    Alex was already in the process of
sifting through his toy box when Rosie stepped inside the room.
Let's play with my robot! His name's John. You want to?" he asked,
stretching out his hand with the twelve-inch tall robot suited in
military-like armor.
    "Yeah, that's cool!" Rosie gladly
accepted and straightaway twisted the twining mechanism at its side
and placed it onto the floor. They gleefully watched it march up
and down the room until it died down completely and Alex went over
to restart.
    Andrea heard the giggles upstairs
while she washed the dishes.
    "I brought my favorite doll," Rosie
said, reaching into her backpack. "Her name's Gina. Would you like
to hold her?"
    Alex frowned. "I'm a boy. Boys don't
play with dolls!"
    "Why not? I'm playing with your robot
and I'm a girl."
    "Boys and girls can play with robots,"
Alex thought to educate her.
    "Not girly girls…and I'm a girly
girl."
    "Who says?"
    "No one, but I think since I'm playing
with your toys, you should play with mine." Rosie was
pouting.
    "Okay, okay. I'll hold your doll for a
little while, but if my Mama comes in here, I'm giving her back."
He took the doll.
    Rosie smiled with a real sense of
achievement.
    After a while, she was on the floor
with the robot and a toy truck while Alex was sitting nearby
changing the doll's clothes. "These are like my Mama's—only
brighter." He pointed to the doll's chest.
    "How do you know?" Rosie
delved.
    "I walked into her room one day and
saw her getting dressed," the boy divulged.
    "Hurry and put on her blouse before
she catches a cold."
    "Okay. I wouldn't want her to catch a
cold. When I catch a cold, I feel so yucky." He quickly dressed the
doll.
    "Yeah. Me too. Take Baby out of my
backpack. I think he's getting a bit warm in there," Rosie
said.
    "Baby?"
    "Yeah. That's my teddy bear. Mom got
him for me on my birthday."
    Alex started searching for the
bear.
    "Hey, do you think your Mom or Mister
Koney would like to play with us?" Rosie asked.
    Alex stopped dead in his tracks. His
face turned flushed. "You saw Mister Koney?"
    "Yeah, downstairs. He seems awful
nice."
    "Oh."
    "What's wrong?" Rosie noticed the
sudden change of his demeanor.
    "Nothing." He placed Baby on a pillow
next to Gina, then climbed up onto the bed and went in a fetal
position.
    "Aren't you playing
anymore?"
    "I don't feel like it. I just want to
lie down for a while," Alex replied.
    "Are you sick?"
    "Uh, uh." He shook his
head.
    "Well, you kind of look sick. I'm
gonna call your mother. Mrs. Benjamin! Alex is sick!" she cried
from the landing.
    Rosie heard the thumping of feet
mounting the staircase. Andrea entered the room moments
later.
    "What's the matter?" She spotted Alex
in bed. "You're not feeling well, honey?"
    "I'm okay,