"Help has arrived," he said kindly. "The kitchen or the dining room?"
"We'll let you decide," Virginia said calmly, looking forward to her husband's reaction. Tim's response was all they could hope for. He proclaimed with delight that his own office could never compare to Nikki's.
They ate with much thanks and fellowship, and as Virginia had predicted, they made an early night of it. They rose early, however, and worked steadily for the next two days.
Tim did handyman repairs, changing light bulbs and checking locks. He gave the furnace a good going-over and also did some work on the kitchen and bathroom sinks. After a huge list was compiled and purchased at the grocery store, the women continued with boxes of books, linens, and dozens of odds and ends.
Nikki spent some time with her computer and fax machine, and by the time the Warburtons took their leave, Nikki was well and truly settled. She said goodbye
75to them but without a hint of sadness. Their visit had been a complete surprise, and she had enjoyed every moment, but it was time to return to her writing.
Two weeks later, Nikki sat back in her chair and rubbed her throbbing temples. She had been writing nonstop for days. It was time to take a break. Late summer in Vermont was very beautiful, but Nikki was missing it. She had a deadline to meet on this manu script, but right now she had to have a rest. As it was a warm day, she was already dressed in shorts. She saved her current work on the computer, went for the walking shoes in her bedroom closet, and headed out the front door, the key in her pocket.
The house in which Nikki had grown up sat on a long stretch of road that sported only three homes. The road dead-ended into a beautiful meadow filled with maple trees and pines. That land belonged to the next house up the road. It was a huge white sprawling place with two stories and a large wraparound porch. The third house, another large structure, was out on the main street that led into town.
As a child she had played in the valley with the other children who lived on the street, but now she didn't know who owned the other homes. She began to walk toward the valley but wondered if someone might think her trespassing; one never knew these days. With that she started up the road, head bent against the wind, and forced her mind to empty itself of all but the Lord. She was thinking of His attributes, naming them
76 one by one, when a small voice interrupted her reflection.
"Hello."
Nikki pulled up in surprise. She was on the far side of the large white house, nearly halfway down the road, when she turned to find a small girl.
"Hello," Nikki said right back, a friendly smile on her face.
"What's your name.'' the little person standing off
the road asked, cutting right to the chase.
"I'm Nikki. What's your name."
"Petra. I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." Nikki's smile widened, knowing it would do no good to remind the child that she had initiated the conversation. Instead she said, "I think you're very wise not to do that, but if your mom will let you, you can come and visit me. I live in the small house at the end of the road, beyond the picket fence."
Nikki watched her eyes shift down the road and back to her before saying goodbye. She could almost feel the child's eyes on her, but she didn't look back; neither did the child speak again. Nikki walked swiftly all the way up the road and back. It wasn't much of a workout, but it helped remove the webs from her mind and kinks from her neck. By the time she reached the big white house again, the child was gone, but Nikki thought about her as she went back to work, figuring she must have been about five or six, a little young for the books Nikki wrote, but still such a fun age.
Back at her desk, Nikki shifted her mind back onto the screen in front of her and read the last line of type.
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With that she was immersed in the story again and didn't take a break until hours after dark.
"Hello," the woman on the other end of the phone line offered tentatively, "I'm looking for Nikki Brinks."
"This is Nikki Brinks."
"Oh, Nikki, it's Shelly Marks. Do you remember
me?"
"Of course I do, Mrs. Marks. How nice to hear from you." Shelly Marks was the mother of an old friend of Nikki's, one who had gone to high school with her.
"Well, dear, I hope you'll think so after I tell you why I called."
She sounded so worried that Nikki chuckled softly. "What can I do for you?"
"It's such late notice, Nikki, and I haven't seen you for years. I'm just so afraid you'll feel I'm taking advantage."
"That'snice of you, Mrs. Marks. I appreciate that,
but if I can't help, I'll be the first to tell you." "You'll be completely honest?" "Yes, I will."
"Well, it's like this. You may remember that we have a small pet fair and contest every year, and, well, it's tied into the town's annual Maple Days celebration. Our vet, Dr. Borden, always does the judging, but the poor man has just been kicked by a cow and has broken his leg."
"How painful. Is he going to be all right?"
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"Yes, but he'll be laid up for several days, and he's in a good deal of pain."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Is the fair soon.'' Nikki had had her nose to the grindstone and had not been
reading the local paper.
"This Saturday."
Today was Thursday, but Nikki didn't have to look at her calendar to know she had nothing scheduled.
"It's such late notice." Mrs. Marks was still apologizing.
"As a matter of fact," Nikki replied, "short notice is sometimes easier. What would you want me to do?"
"It's just for fun, Nikki," she began to explain. "The children bring their pets--we always see quite a variety--and you need to judge and award the first-, second-, and third-place ribbons."
Nikki saw more than Mrs. Marks was saying. She didn't have a pet when she was growing up, but there was a vague remembrance of this event. As arbiter, she would be expected to judge equally between dogs and goldfish, cats and pet turtles. It wasn't impossible, just
challenging. She did, however, have one question. "Why me, Mrs. Marks."
"Because many of the children love to read your books." The older woman's voice grew warm. "A few of the teachers told me they were ecstatic when they heard you'd moved back into town."
There were times when Nikki was still surprised at how well-known her work was becoming, and this was one of them.
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"Do you need to think about it, Nikki?'' Mrs. Marks had misunderstood her silence. "I would understand."
"Not this time, I don't. I'd be glad to help out.""Wonderful."The word was breathed with fervent relief. "The judging begins at one o'clock. Will
that work for you?"
"Absolutely."
The remainder of the conversation covered where the competition would be held and who would be there to assist her. Nikki took some notes, thinking it sounded like fun. As soon as the ribbons were awarded, her duties would be over. Nikki hung up, still thinking it sounded like an adventure but also a little curious as to just what she'd gotten herself into.
Pine Tree's community center was a beautiful structure. Just five years old, it was a far cry from the small gymnasium they had used when Nikki was a child. A spiral of excitement filling her, Nikki climbed from her car and started toward the door. She walked down the hallway that led to the auditorium, already able to hear the sound of many voices and theoccasional bark of a dog.
She opened the front door, stepped inside, and was delighted to see she'd been wrong about the organization. Animals and children were everywhere, but with a few moments of observation, she could see that there wassome order. It looked as if small pets--turtles, mice, rats, and such--were lined up along the left wall. In front of the stage were the cats, and to the right were
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the dogs. Nikki stood taking it all in until she saw Shelly Marks headed her way.
"Nikki," she calle
d and then embraced her warmly. "Thank you for doing this."
"It's my pleasure. Where do I start."
"Over here on the right with the dogs. You'll need to pick ribbons for each group."
"So in this first line I.judge dogs only against dogs?" "That's right. We changed the old rule a few years back. Against the stage are bunnies and cats, and then on the left it varies widely. I will tell you that we do have a few extra ribbons, so we can do a tie if you really can't decide. Anyone who doesn't place in the top three receives a purple ribbon for participation. Oh, there's my husband at the microphone now. He's ready to get things started." Nikki followed Mrs. Marks as she moved toward her spouse.
"Okay, folks, we're ready to get started now. If I could have a little quiet, I'll give you some instructions. Stay in line until our judge has seen all of the pets and dismisses your section with the raise of her hand." Nikki watched Mr. Marks smile and glance her way and tried not to blush when it became clear that he was going to introduce her.
"For those of you who haven't heard, I guess I should mention that Doc Borden is laid up with a broken leg, but Pine Tree's own published author, Nikki Brinks, has agreed to fill in for us." Mr. Marks paused."Weknow Doc will be back with us next year, and we appreciate him, but it's no contest as to which judge is prettier."
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BEYOND THE PICKET FENCE
As the room erupted with laughter and a few wolf whistles, Nikki felt herself go red from the neck up. She couldn't stop herself from wondering how in the world she could have been tempted to move back.
"Okay, now," barked Mr. Marks, restoring order. "After your section has been judged, you can move around some, but don't bother the other animals that are still waiting for Nikki. Let's all give Nikki a nice big welcome and get ready for a great time."
When they applauded, Nikki waved her hand briefly and started toward the first dog in the line. The next 20 minutes passed in what felt like seconds. She watched dog tricks, heard the dogs' names, and met all their owners. Nikki made notes on the pad Mrs. Marks had given her concerning every animal before moving on to the cats. Again she made notes as she met animals and owners alike. Doing her best not to look ahead, Nikki was surprised to come to the end of the second line and find her neighbor, a small rabbit in her arms.
"Well, Petra. I didn't know you had a pet." The little girl nodded. "It's a rabbit." "I see that. Does it have a name.''
"Fluffy," Petra told her, and Nikki wrote the name on her pad.
"And what is your last name, Petra."
"Swann."
"Is the bunny a boy or a girl?" Nikki asked as she wrote.
"I think it's a girl."
Again, Nikki made a note. "Do you take care of Fluffy yourself, Petra.
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She nodded and shifted the small scrap of gray fur a little closer to her chest. Nikki smiled at her, nothing unusual--she'd been smiling at children since she arrived--but this one was special.
Nikki asked a few more questions about Fluffy, thanked Petra, and then turned to go up the lefthand side of the room. The first pet was in a deep cardboard box on a small folding table. Nikki stepped up to the box, a smile on her face, but visibly started and gasped when she saw what was inside.
"A snake!" She tried to recover her smile, even as her skin crawled. "Your pet is a snake."
"Yes,"the little boy standing behind the box spoke confidently. "His name is Brutus."
"Brutus," Nikki repeated, sounding winded even to her own ears. She took a moment to compose herself and forced her eyes into the box. A shiver ran over
her, but she still asked the little boy's name.
"Theo Swann. Petra is my sister."
"Oh, how nice, Theo, uhm, tell me, what type of snake is Brutus?''
"He's a ribbon snake."
She wrote, but her hand shook noticeably. Again she made herself look into the box, and the snake chose that moment to slither his tongue out and move a little. Nikki felt transfixed with horror until she realized Theo was talking to her.
"He eats mice mostly, and I take care of him myself."
Nikki nodded and made herself write.You've got to calm down, Dominique. Get a grip.
"How long have you had him?"
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BEYOND THE PICKET FENCE
"About six months."
Nikki glanced down to see the snake's tongue come out again but made herself stay calm.
"How often do snakes stick their tongues out, Theo?'' This time she really wanted to know.
Theo told her what he'd studied on the subject and gave a very thorough accounting. Nikki thanked him sincerely, made herself look once more, and moved on.
Had she but bothered to look, she might have noticed the man who stood in the corner between the children. His eyes had barely left her since she'd started the judging, and after watching her with the snake, he wanted to howl with laughter. But Nikki never did glance his way. She was too busy with the last part of the small-animal lineup.
At last the judging was finished. She completed her list and handed it to Mr. Marks.
"I have our winners," he spoke into the mike. The crowd came forward in a bunch. "When your name is called, come up and Nikki will give you your ribbon. Everyone will receive a participation ribbon, but we'll hand out the first-, second-, and third-place ribbons
first. You all did a great job, and I'm proud of you." "Okay, for the dogs, third place goes to..."
The list was disposed of neatly. There was one tie among the dog ranks, and Nikki watched in pleasure as little faces lit up and families cheered. Telling herself it was just because they were her neighbors, she'd been watching Theo and Petra Swann. She felt her heart swell over Theo's excitement about a blue ribbon, but she had to turn away from Petra's tear-filled eyes when the little girl realized that Fluffy had not placed.
84Mr. and Mrs. Marks rescued her by coming over to thank her for all her work. They pressed a schedule of events into her hands in case she hadn't seen the weekend's activities in TheSap,originally called theSaturday Ajernoon Paper,and invited her to join them if she came to the barbecue that night. Nikki thanked them, not sure of her immediate plans.
She climbed back into her car, wondering when she'd ever worked so hard. It had been emotionally exhausting. Cute as Theo Swann was, his snake came back to mind, and she couldn't stop the shudder. She started the car and went home, thinking she should probably get back to the computer for a few hours and then press her dress for church in the morning. After arriving home, however, she made the mistake of sitting in the overstuffed chair to sort through her mail. Too comfortable to move, she read her mail and dozed for the next hour, the computer forgotten.
Almost two weeks later, Nikki did a little dance as she watched the FedEx woman drive away. It always felt so satisfying to finish a book, especially if it wasontime. She'd been asking the Lord to help her hold her focus for the last week, and by getting plenty of rest and keeping at it, she had gotten the job done. She now felt free to take a little time off, maybe a week or so. To start off, she decided to work in her yard. Winter would be upon her before she knew it, and although it was still warm, the air had the feeling of autumn. The trees were still holding their leaves, but the flower beds
85
that had bloomed so lovely during midsummer were now dried out and ready to be cleared.
Nikki headed out to the garage for tools and started on the beds around the front door. She had a nice pile of debris in the wheelbarrow when she spotted the snake. For several seconds she was frozen with fear, but after a few moments of deep breathing, she slowly pushed off her knees and told herself to remain calm. She had no more hit the road, however, than she began to run. Tearing like a mad woman down the street, she shot onto the large porch of the huge white house and knocked as if her life depended on it.
The door wasn't long in opening, and Nikki began to thoughtlessly babble as soon as she saw the man inside.
"Are you my neighbor.'' Her ch
est heaved in her fear. "Yes, may I--" he began, but got no further.
"A snake! It's right by the house. I don't know what to do; I just wanted to clear the plants and there
it was, not big, but a snake! I don't know what to do." "Let me get Theo," the man managed to get in. "What if it's poisonous.'' "We'll be careful."
Leaving the door open, the man moved back inside. Nikki's eyes went back to her house as if she could see the snake from there. Not two minutes passed before the man was back, both Theo and Petra with him.
"Hello, Nikki," Petra said as if they were headed to a parade.
"There's a snake" was all Nikki could say, her voice still breathless.
86
"Theo will get it," she responded with confidence, following her father and brother off the porch. The man strode out confidently, the children with him, but Nikki hung back a little. In fact, they had to stop and wait for her at the picket fence.
"Where is it?" the man asked.
"There," Nikki pointed. "To the left side of the porch."
Theo stepped forward, and it took all Nikki had not to stop him.
"Here it is, Dad. It looks like a garter snake."
"I think you're right." The man had gone up right behind him.
With a long pole that Nikki hadn't even noticed before, Theo touched it. Nothing happened, so he tried again. Under his father's watchful eyes, the little boy bent and lifted the snake in his hand. He carried it out toward Petra and Nikki. Nikki had to stop herself
from stepping behind the little girl.
"It's dead," he said sadly.
"Oh." Nikki was surprised. She didn't know how she felt about that--a little sad because of Theo's face, but relieved for herself.
"Well, thank you for checking for me. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
"Not at all," the man replied, and Nikki finally looked at him. "I'm Dorian Swann, by the way."
Nikki shook the large hand that was held out to
her and introduced herself. "Nikki Brinks." "You're the writer."
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"Yes," Nikki said, but her mind was wandering. "Did you say Dorian Swann?''