Free Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn Page B

and reluctantly gave her permission. "But you must sit quietly. It's not wise to overexcite yourself."
    I started to run toward the car, but Mama stopped me. "Wash your hands and face first, and comb your hair." As
I pulled away, she called after me, "Don't forget your neck—it's positively gray with dirt."

    Alone in the bathroom, I stared into the mirror over the sink. Who was I looking at? Andrew or Drew? The boy on the lawn had been wearing my jeans, my T-shirt, my running shoes. I was wearing his clothes. I'd whistled for his dog the way he would have. I'd called his mother "Mama" as naturally as I'd once called my mother "Mom." If I stayed here long enough, would I sink down into Andrew's life and forget I'd ever been anyone else?
    No, no, no. Splashing cold water on my face, I reminded myself I was just acting a part. When I won the marble game, the curtain would go down on the last act. I'd be Drew again and Andrew would be Andrew—for keeps. Till then, I'd call Mrs. Tyler "Mama" and Mr. Tyler "Papa," I'd think of Hannah and Theo as my brother and sister, I'd whistle for Buster, I'd do whatever my role demanded.
    Outside, a horn blew and Theo yelled, "Andrew, hurry up or we'll leave without you!"
    Yes—I'd even ride in a genuine Model T.

Chapter 12
    From her seat beside John, Hannah saw me running toward the car. "It's about time, Andrew. We've been sitting here perishing of heat."

    Hannah didn't look like she was perishing of anything. She'd changed her clothes and piled her hair on top of her head. Her face and hands were clean. No one would have guessed she'd spent the morning playing marbles.
    Mama made room for me in the backseat, and I squeezed in beside her.
    "Now don't go too fast, John," Mama said. "And be careful of the curve at the bottom of the hill. Sometimes Mr. Pettengill's cattle get out and block the road."
    "Yes, ma'am." John cranked up the engine. The car shook and trembled and made a series of loud popping noises before it began to roll down the driveway, picking up speed as it went.
    "Hooray!" shouted Theo. "Hooray!"
    "Heavens to Betsy," Mama cried, "slow down, John. Do you want to kill us?"
    Leaning over the seat, I estimated we were going all of ten or fifteen miles per hour.
    "It's a good thing there aren't more motorcars on the road," Mama said. "If everyone drove like you, we'd never make it to town in one piece."

    Hannah gave her mother an agonized look. "Mama," she whispered, "John knows how to drive."
    Glancing over his shoulder, John smiled at Mama. "I was in St. Louis last week," he said. "I must have seen twenty or thirty cars in less than an hour. Uncle Hiram says it's all nonsense—in a couple of years, people will come to their senses and go back to a good old reliable horse and carriage. But I believe cars are here to stay."
    Mama sighed and shook her head. "You'll never see my Henry driving one," she said. "He agrees with your uncle. It's a silly fad."
    "How about you, Mama?" Theo bounced on the seat. "Wouldn't you like to have a motorcar?"
    "Certainly not," Mama said firmly.
    In Riverview, we stopped at Larkin's Drugstore for a cold drink. Leaving the rest of us to scramble out unaided, John offered Hannah his hand. Although I'd just seen her leap out of a tree as fearless as a cat, she let him help her.
    At the soda fountain, Hannah took a seat beside John. In her white dress, she was as prim and proper as any lady you ever saw. Quite frankly, I liked her better the other way.
    I grabbed the stool on the other side of Hannah and spun around on it a couple of times, hoping to get her to spin with me, but the only person who noticed was Mama. She told me to sit still and behave myself. "You act like you have ants in your pants," she said, embarrassing me and making Theo laugh.
    While I was sitting there scowling at Theo in the mirror, John leaned around Hannah and grinned at me. "To celebrate your recovery, Andrew, I'm treating everyone to a lemon phosphate—everyone, that