Chapter Nine

 

Our ancestors revered herons and notice how high up they fly, ‘where they behold forever, the countenance of God,’ wrote Rabanus Maurus

                                        — 100 Birds and How They Names by Diana Wells                        

 

 

                                              Chapter Nine

 

Monday, my whole life changed cause of that doggoned dance.

It’s Halloween. Mrs. Stankoski wants us to write about it. Everyone’s all plum happy about the assignment, including Gabrielle who’s chattering away in my ear. My mood’s flickering on the sour side to say the least. And my brain’s all hollowed out worse than inside of one of ‘em orange pumpkins. I ain’t glowing like her! I didn’t go to no dance! Suddenly, I had another idea about another holiday coming up.

Dear Diary

Pine Lake, Indiana

Halloween, 2005

 

Veteran’ Day

 

Woody’s a real live hero

As brave as they go.

Fought in World War Two

Awarded a purple heart, too.

Now he’s old in a scooter

Maybe ‘cause of a shooter.

On Veteran’s Day

Here’s what I’d like to say,

“I’m proud of men like him

Who’s lost a limb.

Don’t you see?

It’s just for folks like me.”

 

Soon as I was finished, I showed it to Mrs. Stankoski, asking her if Veteran’s Day was okay. She just nodded and smiled like she always done at my writing. Then Gabrielle grabs my journal. So I grabbed her journal. Fair is fair.

 

“You danced with Josh Kingsolver? Well, don’t that beat all!”

I was flabbergasted.

“Who’s Woody?” Gabrielle said, reading my poem.

“Remember the sad old man at the lake?”

But she wasn’t listening one bit, and acting plenty weird. First, she come to school in her new skirt she bought in Chicago. So kicking the soccer ball later at recess with her was plumb out. Second of all, she didn’t have no Yin Yang necklace on. That upset me more than anything; but I didn’t say nothing.

Later at recess, I noticed Gabrielle wasn’t the only one acting strange. None of them boys wanted to play ball games (except Jason Alexander and “Crusher” Dearth who was tackling each other with a football). Them other stupid-acting boys was hanging around Victoria’s attached-at-the-hip clique like they was magnets. Worse, Gabrielle had her eyes glued over in that direction.

“Oh, the handicapped guy,” Gabrielle said, all bored, after I mentioned Woody again.

“Didn’t you read my poem? He’s not just some ‘handicapped’ guy, he’s a W.W. II HERO! He was crying that day because his wife’s sick. I met him Saturday at the lake feeding ducks. He runs the woodshop in the Lakeside Nursing Home, and he’s as sweet as tea. I’m thinking about visiting him there after school. Wanna ask your Mom if you could come with me?”

“Are you crazy? “ Gabrielle squealed in that stupid mouse squeak. “Tonight’s Trick or Treat. Besides, he’s . . . well, you know.”

“What?”

“Okay, he doesn’t have any legs,” Gabrielle finally spit out.

“Lord Gabrielle, what’s the matter with you? It don’t matter none to me,” I snapped back, mad as a tick she was beginning to sound and act like all them other snobs.

For once Gabrielle was speechless, watching my temper flare up.

“You should have seen him cooing at them ducks, and speaking softly about his wife. Heck, Woody’s heart’s as big as Lake Michigan!” I said almost spitting in her face, irritated at her snobby attitude.

Then I noticed them pink, smeared-up lips.

“Gabrielle Gabbert, you got lipstick on?”

“Sooo…” Gabrielle said. Then she changed the subject. “And your mother will let you go over there by yourself?”

“I ain’t telling Mama. And don’t you tell nobody, neither.” Now I was changing the subject. “Your mother lets you wear lipstick?”

“I’ll wipe it off before I go home,” Gabrielle said real snippy.

From the looks of them clown lips, I was thinking she’d better wipe it off right this second, but I kept my thoughts private. Things was bad enough.

“You better not, Emma. You’ll get into trouble if you go over there.”

“Well, it’s my secret.”

“What’s a secret? Your baby necklaces?” Victoria blurts out, crashing into us, and yanking on my white half of the Yin Yang necklace. “At least Gabrielle ditched hers.”

“Ain’t none of your business,” I said, seething.

Then Victoria ran back over to her dumb friends. I wanted to punch her out.

Jennifer and Charisa chimed in teasing. That done it! Hot steam almost come gushing out of my eyeballs. I ran over to them brats, yelling into their made-up faces.

Gabrielle grabbed my arm, trying to calm me down.

Kids started shouting, “Cat fight! Cat fight!”

“ Let’s go inside, Gabrielle. It stinks out here.”

I was surprised. Gabrielle followed me, not saying a word.

“You danced with Josh Kingsolver?” I quizzed her again inside the school building.

“So. He’s nice. Besides, I think he likes me,” Gabrielle said softly, blushing.

“You and Josh Kingsolver! Now I suppose you’ll want to hussy-up to him and sit with him on the bus.”

“Emma June Johnson! You’re jealous. You should have come to the dance.”

“Who needs dancing with know-it-all Josh Kingsolver? And lipstick!”

 

Gabrielle sat with me on the school bus, not Josh. But things was tense.

“You’re going to get into trouble lying to your mother,” Gabrielle said making things worse. “Nanny says, “Lying is a sin you have to tell in Confession.”

“Well chiggers, I ain’t Catholic, okay?” I said sticking my tongue out at her.

I turned away sulking, watching endless rust and gold-colored leaves and bare-bone trees pass by my window. Blurred. The gears on the bus screeched. Right when I was fixing to tell her about my writing to my Daddy, Gabrielle acts all prissy. Lord, I thought she was different. Now I ain’t telling her nothing.