Bud, Not Buddy

Bud enjoys his cleaning tasks at the Log Cabin. As he mops the floor with the use of a wringer bucket on wheels, he pretends a person is squished in the rollers when he wrings the mop; he also pretends he is a “squab” sailor on the submarine in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a book his momma read aloud to him. Bud remembers it as 20,000 “Leaks,” however, and tells the imagined Captain Nemo, “The squabs were only able to plug ten thousand of the leaks we have, that means we have ten thousand left […]” (198). The band members arrive and begin to warm up, and the lovely sounds of their instruments cause Bud to go still and listen. Mr. Calloway, Mr. Jimmy, and Miss Thomas arrive; Miss Thomas and Mr. Jimmy compliment Bud’s work, but Mr. Calloway only “grunts.” They join the band and continue improvising music. Bud cannot tell which beautiful instrument might be his favorite; the blend reminds him of a storm. When Miss Thomas begins singing, however, he favors her voice and questions why the band is not named for her: “While the rest of the band was being a storm, she was the sun busting through thick gray clouds” (202).