“What, oh, sorry Tim. Yeah, I am going to call her, uh, tonight,” Maggie said tentatively.
Tim didn’t look convinced. “But I really am. Really and truly,” she huffed. “OK?”
“Yes, but why don’t you c-c-call her now?”
“It’s too early.”
“It’s n-n-not early. It’s 1:15 in the afternoon.”
“She may be sleeping.”
“She’s not sleeping. Again, it’s 1:15 pm. Call, it’s been over a month.”
“OK, OK, but you’re an annoying friend, you know.”
“I know. But the emphasis is on friend. So c-call.”
“OK,” she said very quietly, sounding nervous. “But you wait here.”
Maggie went into the house. She saw her Mom was sitting at the kitchen table and typing away busily. Then she slowly climbed the stairs to her room. Her legs felt like lead. Her stomach was queasy. She felt like she was about to walk the plank. What if she hates me? she thought. And as she reached for the phone.… it rang!
“Maggie?” said the voice.
“Molly? Is that you?”
There was a few moments of awkward silence, and then the floodgate opened.
“I’m sorry Maggie it was all my fault the whole stupid thing and I know you didn’t want to do it and I made you do it and it’s my fault I got hurt and I wanted to call you but I felt bad that I let you take the blame and I wouldn’t blame you if you never spoke to me again but you’re my best friend and I really miss you and I’m sooooo sorry.”
Then… Molly hung up.
“Hello, Molly, hello, are you still there?”
No Molly. Just a dial tone. Maggie stared at the phone with her mouth open, not quite sure what to think or do. In spite of the hangup, however, Maggie was feeling pretty good. I guess Molly doesn’t hate me, after all, she thought. Now how do I explain this to Tim?
*****
“So, Maggie, are all your friends looney?” asked Tim. “I know that I am, but it sounds like your friend Molly might be barking at the m-m-moon looney.”
“Well, if all my friends are looney, what does that make me?” Maggie demanded.
“It makes you kind, very k-k-kind.”
*****
So there they were. Standing right outside of Molly’s house, getting ready to knock, when Molly’s Dad walked up behind them.
“Haven’t seen you around in a while, little lady,” he said. He called all the girls little lady.
Maggie resisted a sudden impulse to say, And that’s because I was afraid of you, big hairy scary guy. Instead she said, “Hi Mr. Morgan. This is my friend Tim. We came to see Molly. Is she home?”
“Hello young lad,” said Mr. Morgan, shaking Tim’s hand so briskly it shook his entire body. Tim managed a grimacing smile.
Life was so much easier for Mr. Morgan since he had decided he would no longer try to remember people’s names. All of Molly’s friends were either little lady or young lad.
“Sure, she’s in her room. Go on up, but you’d better bang on her door. Molly is watching TV, talking on the phone, playing Mega-Splat on her computer, and listening to a CD. She’s bored, the poor little thing. And Maggie,” [Oh my, thought Maggie, he does know my name!] “Molly explained to us what really happened that day. I’m sorry if it seemed like we blamed you because… well, we did blame you. Please forgive us.”
“That’s OK, Mr. Morgan,” said Maggie. Then she poked Tim, they looked at each other for the briefest of moments, and ran quickly into the house and up the stairs.
There was no need to knock, as the door was open. And while Molly was on the phone, all her other gadgets were off. Even her computer.
“But I don’t want to go,” she told the phone. “I want to stay here.”
Apparently, the phone was not impressed with her argument, because after listening to it Molly whined, “But there’s nothing ever to do there. It’s boring, boring, boring.”
Yet again, the phone did not appear impressed.
“Can we at least bring Bernie and not board him? Yes? Great!” Ah, the phone was giving in.
“And this year can I… bring a friend?”
Molly looked up and saw Maggie and Tim standing outside her room. Her face broke into a luminous smile. She waved them in and mouthed the words just a minute.
“Well, can I bring a friend or not?” she said again impatiently, then added, “Please, please, please, please, please.”
Finally, “Yessssss!” Seems the phone was a real pushover.
Then Molly said, “Listen, gotta go. Bye. Love you.” Oh, how she loved that phone!
*****
So Molly and Tim finally met, and Molly was not much different than Tim had expected her to be. She sure was looney. But looney in a good way. She was bubbly and talkative and full of energy. And she was very funny. But honestly, a person could get worn out just sitting there listening to and watching her. Even with her foot in a cast, she bounced around the room like a kangaroo.
I bet she could play a game of tennis all by herself, thought Tim.
The girls resumed their friendship without skipping a beat. That’s the way it is with good friends. It doesn’t matter if you don’t see someone for a while. You just pick up where you left off, which is exactly what they did.
As the girls were catching each other up on their last few weeks apart, Tim listened and smiled. He had heard this little voice in his head earlier today, even as he had prodded Maggie to call Molly. That voice had said to him maybe Maggie will no longer have any use for you when she and Molly are reunited.
That stupid little voice didn’t know anything. Maggie would not be so shallow. That stupid little voice obviously didn’t know her as he did.
“So,” said Molly to Maggie. “Want to come with us to Aunt M&M’s house? You know, where the family goes each summer for a couple of weeks. We can call Aunt M, Auntie Em, like in The Wizard of Oz, and make believe Bernie is a really large Toto.… OK, too silly, but please come!”
Tim looked down at his shoes. The annoying little voice in his head was just clearing its throat to say something when Tim hissed at it, “Be quiet!”
“What?” said both girls in unison.
“Er, it will be quite a nice vacation,” he said. Good save, he thought.
“Hey, Tim,” said Molly. “Think you can come?”
“Don’t k-know. My Dad’s never even met you.”
(8 words)
“But he knows Maggie, right?”
“Well, yeah, b-b-but he… ”
(4 words)
“So, ask him.”
“Yeah, b-b-but… ”
(2 words)
“Just ask him.”
“Sure.”
(1 word)
Molly Morgan, master word smith, had wonderfully word whittled Tim down.
*****
“He said yes!” exploded Tim. “My Dad called Maggie’s Mom, Judy, and she assured him I would be perfectly fine. Nice people. Beautiful farm. Fresh air. Separate bedrooms. Aunt not too nuts. She sold it! But he still does want to meet your Mom and Dad first.”
So several day later they met. The meeting went well. Very well. It turned out that Tim’s Dad had known Molly’s Mom in High School. They had themselves a remember so and so and remember when this and that happened kind of time.
And also, Mr. Morgan’s wildman looks aside, it seemed oddly inappropriate for Tim’s Dad to be concerned about the safety of a kid who would be in the care of an accountant.
Chapter Five
The Morgans drove a mini-van. It was like riding in a plush little bus. It was so comfortable you could live in one of these things. It even had a tiny little TV and video player. The kids took refuge in the rear seat with Maggie roomily situating herself between her two friends.
At the moment each of them had on a pair of earphones and was listening to music. Each listening to his or her favorite artist. Shoulder to shoulder camaraderie with heads pumping up and down. Each
nodding at the others in appreciation of the great time they were having. The three of them looked like bobble-head dolls.
The trip was highlighted by a couple of rest stops for nature breaks and junk food. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, bless their chubby cheeks, were junk food freaks. But not so their daughter Molly, who insisted on ordering something healthy. When Tim asked her why, she said matter-of-factly, “Tim, I love my Mom and Dad, I really do, but look at them. Either one could be a poster child for elastic pants.” Her estimation of the situation was not a stretch!
“Yogurt please,” she said with determination.
Tim and Maggie each ordered a frozen yogurt. It was a good compromise. They were really torn by all the tempting food offerings, but were trying their best to support Molly.
Mr. and Mrs. Morgan each ordered a double-whopping, extra-cheesey, super-saucy, mammoth-burger. “And just the small fries with that, little lady,” Mr. Morgan said, as he patted his stomach. “Training for the Olympics, you know.”
*****
Aunt M, actually Mr. Morgan’s Aunt, lived six hours away. And for the last hour or so, the kids slept. Maggie’s head was kept upright by her friend’s heads resting on her shoulders.
As the car pulled into the driveway and hit the gravel, the kids were awakened by the car’s vibration. From her window, Tim saw Aunt M smiling and waving. A moment later the Aunt appeared at the front door… and a moment later the Aunt appeared at the front door. What? There were two of them?
Yes, see actually they were twins, Milda and Matilda. Molly had never bothered to mention that she had two Aunts. Maggie had known, but Tim was shocked. Now he knew what Molly had meant by Aunt M&M… Milda and Matilda. It had not, apparently, been a reference to an Aunt who was as sweet as candy.
Tim pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. The two Aunts stood side by side. Identical… well... sort of. In spite of their uncanny physical resemblance, they were a Yin Yang pair of opposite personalities. One smiling sweetly and the other frowning sourly.
The happy one came gliding to the car and greeted and hugged everyone as they exited the vehicle. She grabbed Molly and Maggie by their necks and dragged them into herself while squealing “Oooh, I can’t believe how big you girls have gotten in a year. Come give your Aunt Matilda a hug.” As if they had a choice in the matter. Then she turned her attention to Tim. “And you must be Tim,” she said in a sing-song voice while shaking her finger at him.
“I-I-I guess I m-m-must,” stammered Tim. “It’s very nice to m-m-meet you ma’am.”
“Humph, the boy s-stutters,” spat Milda. “Hey, you get scared by something when you were a baby, maybe? A big spider? A bat? Were you hit by a bat?”
“I-I-I don’t know,” gasped Tim, who was now starting to feel very uncomfortable.
“Now hush Milda,” scolded Matilda gently, as she stared assertively into the eyes of her acidic sister. “This nice young man is our guest. Personally, I think stuttering is charming and gives a conversation a certain flair,” she said as she winked at Tim. By now Tim just wanted to dig a hole and jump in.
Thankfully, there was no need for that. In the nick of time the cavalry arrived, in the name of the Morgans and Maggie. They rallied around Tim by quickly changing the subject to, whew, long trip, let’s unpack, and by lugging their suitcases out of the van.
Mrs. Morgan, herself, played a key part in this strategy. She linked herself arm-in-arm with the Aunts and steered them towards the garden saying, “You must let me see what you’ve done with your roses this year.” Matilda smiled gladly, going into great detail about the many varieties of roses, and her hope of winning the 4-H Fair rose competition. Milda, on the other hand, kept glancing back towards the car and to the busy intruders.
After the ladies disappeared behind the house, Mr. Morgan, Maggie and Molly each came over to Tim and placed a hand on his shoulder. Nothing needed to be said.
*****
Later, at the dinner table, Maggie noticed that there were nine place settings, but by her count there were only seven people in the room. Then she also noticed that one of the chairs had a heavily cushioned seat and backrest, as well as wide padded arm rests. A moment later, accompanied by a boy about her age, a stooped and wiry old man came slowly shuffling into the room. At one time, he had been the farm supervisor. Now he was just a dear friend. His face was wrinkled gold and his hair was spun silver. He was short and his shirt and pants hung on him like a comfortable sweater. And when he smiled it was the most beautiful smile Maggie had ever seen.
“Hallo, hallo,” he said as he entered, his hand raised slightly and barely waving. It seemed more of a blessing being bestowed upon everyone than an actual wave. “Call me Manny. I am very pleased to meet everyone. You must all be hungry. We should eat!”
The boy standing at his side did not himself possess a particularly noteworthy smile. His was more of a cross between a sneer and a look of utter contempt. He was introduced to everyone as Horris, the son of one of Aunt Matilda’s friends. And he would be spending a few weeks on the farm at the desperate pleading of his mother… accompanied by a 500 dollar check. And right after his introduction, he silently slumped into his chair, took a video game from his pocket and started playing. Mr. Personality, he was not.
Then, to the surprise of Maggie and Tim, Milda fairly flew to help Manny seat himself at the table. And as she attended to him, her face appeared warm and gentle. Apparently, the mean Milda had been whisked away and an imposter had taken her place. How could this be the same cantankerous old woman everyone saw a few hours ago? It could be because this was a woman in love. Manny was her love.
Young or old, love is love and There is some good in everyone. These were two lessons served up that night at dinner.
*****
And what a strange dinner it was. All the food presented that evening was white: white fish, egg white omelets, white potatoes with sour cream, white cabbage, and white bread. To drink, there was vanilla soda, and for dessert, vanilla ice cream topped with whipped cream. Even the plates and napkins were white. The knives and forks were, thankfully, stainless steel. If they had also been white, I do believe everyone would have run screaming from the table.
“No artificial or natural colors in our dinner tonight,” said Matilda proudly. “We eat only pure, wholesome white foods at least twice a week. It helps to cleanse the body of toxins. I read it in a book, you know!”
Well, this is new, thought everyone as they sat and stared at the strange blizzard that had fallen on the dining room table. Food so bright, everyone had to squint their eyes. Finally, as to clear away any snow, everyone grabbed a shovel and dug in. And perhaps out of shock, they ate quietly, no one saying a word.
Then Molly said, in her most serious and sincere voice, “Can someone pass the ketchup please?”
Mr. Morgan laughed so hard he almost choked on his cabbage. Even Milda gave up a little grin… well, almost.
Chapter Six
After dinner the adults sat on the front porch to sit, talk, relax, and digest. (In spite of the odd monochromatic nature of the food, it had been rather tasty). And anyway, sitting on the porch was a lovely way to end the day and the perfect place to begin planning the ones to follow.
Maggie, Molly, and Tim did not join them. There was still a bit of light hovering above the horizon, and much more exciting things to do than sit. For instance, go and visit the chicken coop. An experience Tim had never had. Maggie and Molly snickered silently. This would be fun—for the two of them at any rate.
They asked Horris if he’d like to join them, but he merely winced at the suggestion and sauntered away. What a guy!
Now as chicken coops go, this was a clean one, but it wasn’t exactly like walking through a pine forest.
The chickens started squawking and flapping their wings as soon as the kids entered the coop. It was the wrong time of day for people to be there. The birds knew it and were voicing their displeasure. Maggie and Molly smiled conspiratorially as
Tim cupped his hands over his ears and tried to pinch his nose off at the same time. But no use, with two ears and a nose he was short a hand. So he made a break for the door… for fresh air… to get away from the flapping… to get away from the squawking.
Once outside, Tim moved toward the house and stood sputtering under the bay window. The girls followed, trying hard to contain their smiles.
“Well, I hope the n-n-next time I see one of those crazy birds it’s fried and extra crispy,” snorted Tim.
“Oh, don’t be such a chicken, buck buck buck” said Molly. The girls practically fell down laughing.
“Listen,” said Tim. “That’s n-not… ”
But before he could finish his sentence they heard a loud thud and the sound of cracking glass, and right at their feet fell a Cooper's Hawk. She stared up at them, but there was no sign of life in those round little eyes. She had not seen the window and had flown full speed into its reflection. And now she lay there, motionless, under the horrified eyes of the three kids.
Suddenly, she blinked, and with labored breaths she spoke to them. “Go and get Manny,” she pleaded. “He can help me.”
The kids were stunned by what they just heard.
Then Maggie said, “Molly, g-g-go get help, and take Tim with you. I’ll stay here.” Tim’s face was as devoid of color as their dinners had been and Maggie was worried he’d collapse. She didn’t realize that she herself was looking mighty pale.
“No, I’ll stay,” said Tim. “I’ll s-s-stay.”
Molly nodded, and she ran for help as fast as she could.
*****
Everyone stood around the fallen female Hawk looking extremely concerned. The bird was alive, but one wing was badly broken and there were cuts and bruises on her head. Her eyes darted back and forth, and she was breathing rapidly. It was really quite sad. Cooper Hawks mate for life, and perhaps somewhere out there was a worried male Hawk desperately searching for her, and perhaps out there were young baby Hawks who were counting on her for their very survival. You know, sometimes so much can depend on something that is perceived as being small, insignificant, or ordinary.
The Hawk started squawking at them. At least that’s what it sounded like to everyone. Everyone except the four children and Manny. What they heard was, “Manny, friend of the wild, take me to the bridge by the moonbow. That is where I may be healed.”