"ripple rooter" is the title of this chapter. It's a metaphor for the fate of a person, and it's also the name of one of the characters in the novel. The narrator tells the story of how he came to live in the neighborhood. He's been there for a while now, but he doesn't know anyone there anymore. He thanks the narrator for coming with him so he didn't feel like he was stuck out with the other kids. He tells the narrator that he's perfectly healthy, and thanks him for giving him so much of his time. He wonders if they're the same illness, or if they have the same disease. He also wonders if Clouse, who was the prime suspect in the kidnapping back in the day, could have committed the crime with his weakened body, but no one tried to find out if he was innocent. He asks the narrator if his mom is doing well, and the narrator tells him that she seems to be doing well. He says that he has no money, no power, and no friends to help him. He wishes he could go out tomorrow, so he can get the things he wants. He wants to know if they can skate together, so they can see when he wants to change his stance. The two of them try to figure out if they are skating well for the first time, and if they could stand if they wanted to. He feels that his legs are starting to stiffen up after he falls, and he wonders if she's afraid of anything.
"ripple rooter" is the title of this chapter. It's a metaphor for the fate of a person, and it's also the name of one of the characters in the novel. The narrator tells the story of how he came to live in the neighborhood. He's been there for a while now, but he doesn't know anyone there anymore. He thanks the narrator for coming with him so he didn't feel like he was stuck out with the other kids. He tells the narrator that he's perfectly healthy, and thanks him for giving him so much of his time. He wonders if they're the same illness, or if they have the same disease. He also wonders if Clouse, who was the prime suspect in the kidnapping back in the day, could have committed the crime with his weakened body, but no one tried to find out if he was innocent. He asks the narrator if his mom is doing well, and the narrator tells him that she seems to be doing well. He says that he has no money, no power, and no friends to help him. He wishes he could go out tomorrow, so he can get the things he wants. He wants to know if they can skate together, so they can see when he wants to change his stance. The two of them try to figure out if they are skating well for the first time, and if they could stand if they wanted to. He feels that his legs are starting to stiffen up after he falls, and he wonders if she's afraid of anything.