Free Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper Page A

awake. “I come to bid you good-bye, Mills family,” he said. “Much obliged for your hospitality, your friendship, and your food.”
    â€œAnd thank you for the stories, Mr. Oglethorpe. How about a cup of coffee and a biscuit for the road?” Stella’s mother asked.
    â€œWhy, yes, M’am. That’d be right nice,” SpoonMan replied, easing himself into a chair.
    As she poured his coffee, Mama asked, “You’re gonna stop by church services before you get on the road, aren’t you?”
    Stella smirked. Despite the late night, she knew that her mother would be extremely upset if any of them even thought about missing church this morning.
    â€œWell, now that you mention it, I suppose I will do exactly that, Miz Mills. Nothin’ better than a good sermon to send a man safely on his journey.” As her mother went to get the bread, he winked at Stella. “I shoulda left before dawn!” he whispered.
    Though the church was almost within walking distance, Papa always hitched Rudie, their mule, to the wagon for the trip to New Hope Church. It had been built some fifty years back, hidden in the woods, right near the river just in case somebody needed baptizing. About three-quarters of the colored families went to New Hope. The rest went to the Galilee Mountain Church, on the other side of town.
    Stella’s father helped her mother climb onto the seat up front, and Stella smiled. She loved it when her father was gallant like that.
    Jojo sat in the back with Stella, busying himself with a bag of marbles, sorting them by color and importance.
    â€œI will not see one single marble during the service, is that clear?” Mama warned without even turning around.
    â€œYes’m,” Jojo said, putting the sack into a pocket.
    Stella felt especially dressed up this morning wearing the new glass bracelet. She turned her wrist in the air, the purple jewels glinting in the sunlight.
    Even from a distance, Stella thought their church was the prettiest in the county. It had been freshly whitewashed that summer, and flowers circled the wooden cross that stood in the front. The cross was mighty unusual—it was crooked. It had been struck by lightning a few years back, and the pastor had said it was a sign from heaven, like a blessing, and that they ought to leave it just like that. And so they did.
    Stella waved as they passed her friends. Most of the families were either walking or riding in wagons. Only one had a car—Mrs. Odom and Claudia. But Mrs. Odom rarely drove it, not even to church. She kept it in her barn, covered with blankets.
    The Spencer family were walkers. The line of them stretched down the road for what seemed like a mile as all fifteen ambled toward the church. Mrs. Spencer carried Hetty, the youngest. Hannah, the oldest, who was eighteen, held the hands of the three-year-old twins Horace and Harold. The rest, in stiff-starched dresses and trousers, marched behind. They filled up two entire pews. The Mills family usually sat directly behind the Spencers.
    The thing Stella liked best about church was that it was not quite perfect. There was, of course, the cross out front. But also, the piano was always just a little off-key. The ladies in the choir weren’t always in tune. The building was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. The floorboards sagged, and the wooden pews had been rubbed smooth by all the bodies that had slid across them over the years. The pastor usually preached too long, and the hallelujahs sometimes got too loud. Well, amen anyhow, Stella thought.
    She spied Spoon Man at the far end of the very back pew and smiled to herself, pretty sure that he would be gone before the first song was over.
    After the songs and the prayers, Pastor Pattonfinally went to the pulpit to preach. His long white robe swirled around him, and the morning sun shone through the front window, so he almost appeared to glow. Stella giggled and