Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

  But Denise is much bigger than me, and stronger too. “Sheila Tubman,” she said, pulling me out, “what do you think you’re doing?”

  “It’s going to rain,” I told her. “I’m just getting ready for it. I don’t want to get wet like the rest of you. So just leave me alone. I like it under the hay.”

  “You’re really funny,” Mouse said.

  “No I’m not,” I told her. “I’m interesting, that’s all.”

  “You can say that again,” Mouse laughed.

  “Anyway,” Denise said, “I don’t think it’s going to rain. The storm seems to have passed.” She pointed to the sky. “You see . . . the moon’s out over there.”

  I looked up and saw that she was right. There was a big, full moon! I kept my eyes shut for the rest of the ride. I wasn’t taking any chances. If a werewolf ran out of the woods I wasn’t going to be the one to see him!

  Finally, we made it back to camp. I was never so happy to see Daddy in my life. “How was it?” he asked. “Did you have lots of fun?”

  Mouse answered. She said, “It was great fun, Mr. Tubman. Just great! Wasn’t it, Sheila?”

  I tried a smile. “Oh sure,” I said. “Great.”

  Now that I have been on one hayride, I don’t think I will be in a hurry to go on another.

  This afternoon I am going to take my swimming test. I hope it rains. I hope it rains and pours until we leave here. But when I checked the sky the sun was shining. And when I turned on the radio and listened to the weather report there was no rain forecast.

  So I hope I get sick and the doctor says I can’t go in the water for ten days. But I feel fine. Except for my stomach, which keeps jumping all around.

  So I hope that when I get to the pool this afternoon Marty won’t be there. And no one will be able to find him. Then I will never have to take my swimming test!

  But when we got to the pool Marty was there, waiting for me. That’s when I knew there was no getting out of it. I would have to take my Beginner’s Test and if I drowned, I drowned! It was better not to think about it. Besides, chances were I wouldn’t drown. Marty would probably save me. But if he had to jump in and save me in front of everyone, that would be as bad as drowning. Maybe even worse!

  When I was in my suit Mom said, “Good luck, Sheila. And please don’t be nervous.”

  “Me . . . nervous?” I said. “Ha ha. That’s really funny.”

  When Marty saw me he called, “Hi, Sheila. All set?”

  I didn’t answer him.

  “Okay, now here’s all you have to do,” Marty said. “First you’ll jump in and swim across the deep end of the pool. Then you’ll tread water for two minutes.”

  I don’t know who Marty thought he was fooling. If he expected me to jump in and swim across the deep end of the pool he was even nuttier than I thought. He was more than nutty. He was even more than crazy! He was also stupid, dumb, and an idiot!

  “Are you listening to me?” Marty asked.

  “Oh sure,” I told him. “I’m listening. But you know I can’t swim across the whole pool!”

  “Yes you can,” Marty said.

  I folded my arms and gave him one of my best stares.

  “You’ve got to try, Sheila. That’s all I ask. You just can’t give up without trying.”

  “Who’s giving up?” I asked. “I can swim. You know that. You’ve seen me.”

  “Okay,” Marty said. “So I know it. So now I want you to prove it to everyone by swimming across the pool.”

  “Maybe I just don’t feel like it.”

  “Look, Sheila, there’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of. If you can’t make it I’ll be right there to help you.”

  “I am not afraid!”

  “Then prove that you’re not! Jump in right now and start swimming. I know you can make it. I have a lot of confidence in you.”

  I didn’t answer him.

  “Please, Sheila. Please try . . . for me.”

  I liked the way Marty said that. But when I looked across the pool the other side seemed ten miles away. “You promise nothing bad will happen?” I asked.

  “I promise,” Marty said. “Word of honor. I’ll even clear this section of the pool while you take your test.”

  “Do I have to keep my face in the water the whole time?”

  “No, you can swim any way you want.”

  “How far is it across? About a mile?”

  Marty laughed. “It’s only forty feet.”

  “It looks like ten miles to me,” I said.

  “It’s not. Tell you what . . . I’ll count to three. Then you jump in and start swimming. I’ll walk along the side of the pool and if you have any trouble I’ll pull you out.”

  “You’ll really be near me?”

  “Yes. I told you that. Now get ready.”

  I stood at the edge of the pool.

  Marty counted. “One . . . and two . . . and three . . . jump!”

  I didn’t move.

  “What are you waiting for?” Marty asked.

  “I wasn’t quite ready,” I told him. “Let’s try it again.”

  “Okay. Here we go. And one . . . and two . . . and three . . . jump!”

  I held my nose and jumped in. When I came up I looked for Marty. He was right where he said he’d be. “Swim . . . swim . . .” he called.

  I started. First I tried blowing bubbles, but I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere. So I kept my head out and swam like a dog. That way I could see what was going on. And I could keep an eye on Marty to make sure he followed me all the way across.

  Every time I looked up at him he yelled, “Go, Sheila, go!”

  I swam past the low diving board. Then past the high one. And then I started to get tired. I couldn’t get my arms all the way out of the water. And my legs didn’t want to kick anymore. I looked up at Marty.

  “Go, Sheila, go! Don’t stop now!”

  Marty was wrong. The pool wasn’t forty feet across. It was really forty miles. I never should have tried it.

  “Go . . . go. . . .”

  Why didn’t he just shut up? When I raised my head and looked straight across the pool, who did I see waiting for me but Mouse and the twins. They were yelling “Go . . . go!” just like Marty. I wanted to tell them to stop. That I would never get to their side. This was very stupid. Soon I would be dead. Why didn’t Marty pull me out? What was he waiting for? Couldn’t he see I wasn’t going to make it?

  I tried to say, “I can’t make it,” but it came out so soft he didn’t hear me.

  He said, “That’s it. Keep on going. . . .”

  I can’t . . . I can’t . . . I thought. Then my hand touched the ladder.

  Mouse and the twins were cheering and jumping up and down. Marty was yelling, “You made it! You made it! I knew you would!”

  It was true. I swam across the deep end of the pool and I was still alive! I really and truly did it! I tried to climb up the ladder, but Marty bent down and said, “Now all you’ve got to do is tread water for two minutes.”

  “No . . . no . . . let me up!”

  “Relax, Sheila. You can do it. Just tread for two minutes.”

  Treading water is pretty easy. It’s just like riding a bicycle except you aren’t on one. But I was so tired. I wanted to go to sleep.

  Marty was holding a watch. He talked to me the whole time I was treading. He said, “That’s it, Sheila. Only one more minute to go. And what’s one little minute?”

  When we got down to the last couple of seconds Marty counted out loud. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. . . . Hurray! You did it! You did it!”

  I climbed up the ladder and Marty put his arms around me. Then he gave me a big kiss right in front of everybody, but I didn’t m
ind. My mother ran over and wrapped me up in a towel and Mouse and the twins dragged a lounge chair to me.

  “I really did it?” I asked over and over.

  “You sure did,” Marty said.

  “How about that?” Never mind that Mouse and the twins are already working on their Advanced cards. Never mind that Libby is practically a Junior Life Saver. Never mind that I will never dive like Betsy Ellis or stand on my hands under the water. I can swim. I proved it to everyone, including myself! I am Sunny Tubman, girl swimmer! I am Super Sheila the Swimming Wonder. I am . . . I am . . . I am. . . .

  “Sheila . . .” I heard my mother say. “Are you all right?”

  I think I nodded.

  Then another voice laughed and said, “She’s asleep. That’s all.”

  I think it was Marty. But I couldn’t even open my eyes to thank him.

  Next week we are going home. Our summer in Tarrytown is practically over. In some ways I am glad. Such as I won’t have to listen for the Headless Horseman anymore. But in other ways I’m sorry. I will really miss Mouse. She’s promised to tell Bobby Egran that I never touched any of his models. But just in case he doesn’t believe her and decides to get me, Mouse will say I’ve gone to Australia and won’t be back.

  “I’ll visit you in the city,” Mouse said. “And next summer maybe you’ll come back to Tarrytown.”

  “But next summer we’re going to Disneyland,” I told her.

  “You’re really going?” she asked.

  “Well, we’re thinking about it. At least I am!”

  “Then I’ll think about it too,” Mouse said. “And maybe we can all go together.”

  “Now that’s a really good idea!” I said.

  Me and Mouse would love to be around when Libby says good-bye to Hank Crane. She is the star of his new movie. It’s all about a girl who sees every-thing upside down. Libby had to learn to stand on her head to get the feel of the part. She says someday Hank will be very famous and we will all be able to say we-knew-him-when. . . . Mouse and I don’t believe her.

  * * *

  Mom got the idea of having a Farewell to Tarrytown party. She told us about it after supper tonight.

  Daddy said, “That sounds like fun.”

  “Can I invite Mouse?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Mom said. “We’ll have the whole Ellis family.”

  Then Libby asked, “Can I invite Hank and Maryann Markman?”

  Mom said, “Sure. And let’s have Marty too.”

  “And the Van Arden twins,” I said.

  “And maybe Hank can bring a friend for Maryann,” Libby said.

  By that time Daddy and Mom were laughing and making up a party list.

  * * *

  The next few days we were all busy planning our Farewell to Tarrytown. Daddy said he would do the cooking on the outside grill and Mom said we’d set up tables and chairs in the backyard.

  At the last minute I remembered about Betsy Ellis and how she gets hives from dogs, but Daddy said she would be all right as long as she didn’t get near Jennifer.

  The day of our party started out cloudy and Mom was very disappointed. I thought if it rained we could get up a good game of indoor hide-and-seek. But by noon the sun came out and Mom cheered up.

  At two o’clock our first guests came—Mouse and her family. Betsy was dragging Ootch. But she had a new ribbon tied around him instead of the dirty old string.

  Right after that everyone started to arrive at once. The Van Arden twins, Maryann Markman, Hank and his friend Bucky Parker, who brought a bat, a ball, and a fielder’s mitt with him.

  Marty came last and for a minute I didn’t recognize him. It was the first time I saw him in clothes instead of a bathing suit!

  We spent the afternoon eating—hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecued chicken, and a bunch of stuff to go with it. Everyone took turns at the grill so Daddy didn’t have to cook the whole time. We all agreed that Hank Crane and Bucky Parker were the best cooks. They were the only ones who didn’t drop anything into the fire or burn up the rolls.

  Even Jennifer had fun. All of our guests stopped to say hello and tell her congratulations on her condition. Toward the middle of the afternoon she curled up in the shade and went to sleep.

  At six o’clock Mom brought out the watermelons. Me, Mouse, and the twins took our plates and went off by ourselves. When we finished eating Mouse said, “Now take three pits and stick them to your foreheads. Then give each pit a boy’s name, and the one that stays on longest is the boy you’ll marry.”

  I couldn’t think of one boy I might want to marry. So I named my pits Russ Bindel, Sam Sweeney, and Bobby Egran.

  After Mouse, Sondra, and Jane named their pits we all stood up and walked around with them stuck to our foreheads. As they dried they fell off. Sam Sweeney fell off me first, then Russ Bindel, which left me with Bobby Egran as the boy I would marry. And that was pretty funny because I don’t even want to meet him, let alone marry him!

  Then Bucky Parker started throwing his baseball around and pretty soon we divided into teams and started a game. Me, Mouse, Bucky, and Marty against Sondra, Jane, Libby, Maryann, and Hank.

  As soon as we got started Betsy burst into tears. “I want to play too!” she cried.

  Since our team only had four and the other team had five we got Betsy. When it was her turn to bat all she did was stand there and laugh. Finally Marty called her out on strikes.

  I struck out swinging my first two times up but the third time around I hit a fly ball toward first base, which Libby dropped. Before she could pick it up I was safe at first. And that’s when I noticed Jennifer’s friend. He was running around in the bushes. He was practically next to me. I remembered the last time he saw me and what happened. So I stood very still and prayed that he would go away.

  “Why are you staring like that?” Libby asked me.

  “Jennifer’s friend is back,” I said. “Look. . . .”

  Libby turned around and saw him. She called, “Time out . . .” and dove into the bushes after the dog.

  Then a man came into our yard calling, “Mumford . . . Mumford . . . here, boy.”

  When Jennifer’s friend heard that he ran out of the bushes and barked like crazy. Jennifer must have recognized his bark, because she woke up and got so excited she wrapped herself around the tree. So Daddy had to unchain her and when he did she took off and ran for her friend.

  Mrs. Ellis hollered, “Betsy, get into the house . . . hurry, or you’ll get your hives!”

  The man kept saying, “I’m terribly sorry. Really, I am. I had no idea you were having a party. And I don’t know why he ran off like that.”

  My father introduced himself to the man and said it was all right about his dog. Then the man told Daddy his name was Cyrus Beldrich and his dog was Mumford.

  Mom gave Mr. Beldrich a big piece of watermelon and told him that Jennifer is going to be a mother and that Mumford is the father. Mr. Beldrich sat down saying, “Imagine that!” While he ate his watermelon Jennifer and Mumford sniffed each other.

  Mouse said, “Well, now the Egrans won’t have any trouble naming the puppies. They can make up combinations of Jennifer and Mumford.”

  “Like Jennimum,” Jane said.

  “Or Mumifer,” Sondra said.

  “How about Mumfy?” Mouse asked.

  “Or Jake!” Sondra laughed.

  “That’s not a combination of Jennifer and Mumford,” Mouse said.

  “But it sounds nice,” Sondra told her.

  “Which one do you like best, Sheila?” Mouse asked.

  “Oh . . . I think I’ll take Jake!” I said.

  Then we all laughed some more until I remembered that I was in the backyard with two dogs loose! So I ran for the house, calling, “I’ll get hives! I??
?ll get awful, huge, giant hives!”

  But when I got inside I thought about having a puppy named Jake who would be a much nicer, better dog than Peter Hatcher’s.

  Except of course that dogs don’t like me.

  So how can we possibly have one?

  Even if he is small and soft and his name is Jake.

  It is out of the question.

  But suppose Libby gets her own way?

  Oh well, I will worry about that when the time comes!

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  Superfudge

  1

  Guess What, Peter?

  Life was going along okay when my mother and father dropped the news. Bam! Just like that.

  “We have something wonderful to tell you, Peter,” Mom said before dinner. She was slicing carrots into the salad bowl. I grabbed one.

  “What is it?” I asked. I figured maybe my father’s been made president of the company. Or maybe my teacher phoned, saying that even though I don’t get the best grades in the fifth grade, I am definitely the smartest kid in the class.

  “We’re going to have a baby,” Mom said.

  “We’re going to what?” I asked, starting to choke. Dad had to whack me on the back. Tiny pieces of chewed up carrot flew out of my mouth and hit the counter. Mom wiped them up with a sponge.

  “Have a baby,” Dad said.

  “You mean you’re pregnant?” I asked Mom.

  “That’s right,” she told me, patting her middle. “Almost four months.”

  “Four months! You’ve known for four months and you didn’t tell me?”

  “We wanted to be sure,” Dad said.

  “It took you four months to be sure?”

  “I saw the doctor for the second time today,” Mom said. “The baby’s due in February.” She reached over and tried to tousle my hair. I ducked and got out of the way before she could touch me.