Free It's a Little Haywire by Elle Strauss Page A

I
know she’s right but I can’t help but feel anxious. I reach out to
scrub Daisy’s neck and wish I were her. No worries. No
disappointments. Just sleep all the time. Food and water delivered
daily. Such a lucky dog.
    Mikala pokes me in the side with her
pointy finger. “Look!”
    Two blocks away down Maple Avenue are
the shapes of two men walking. One with a pony tail and droopy
shoulders and the other with flaming red hair.
    “They came.” Now that I can see them, I
don’t know what to do with myself. I jump up and run over to where
Gramps and Mrs. Pershishnick are drinking tea in the shade.
    “Gramps, they’re coming. What do we do
now?”
    Gramps and Mrs. Pershishnick get up and
take over. They know exactly how to act.
    “Welcome, gentlemen,” Gramps says.
They shake hands and then Gramps shows them the rows that need
weeding. I do my part and weed a row along with them. I feel good.
Especially seeing Mr. Joseph alive and well. He works hard and as
time goes on, his shoulders straighten out and he holds his head up
higher. I’m bubbling with happiness. It does feel good to do good!
    Afterwards all six of us sit at the
picnic table for a meal of soup and buns. And when Gramps finishes
giving thanks, we say “Amen”, and this time I don’t skip out.
    We chat like it’s just a normal day. And
for the first time I see Mr. Joseph smile.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
    Owen True – The Thankful
     
     
    NEW PEOPLE CAME EVERY DAY after
that. Joe from the garage, Don Chan and his wife, Mikala’s mom and
sisters. Even Mayor Sanderson. Plus quite a few people I didn’t
know. Soon Mr. Joseph was
showing them what rows needed tending.
    And on Friday, a column of dust follows
a silver BMW driving slowly down Maple Avenue.
    “Dad!”
    “Hey, Owen,” he says after he gets out.
He gives me a sideways hug and rubs his knuckles on my head.
    “You’ve grown!”
    “Well, it’s been nearly a month.”
    “It has, and I sure missed you.”
    “I missed you too, Dad.”
    And a weird thing happens in my chest.
It gets all tight and...sad. Because I have to say good bye to all
my new friends.
    Dad takes in all the activity in the
garden. So I tell him about my idea and how Gramps’ garden is
helping the people of Hayward with the recession. I don’t tell him
about the angels. Not yet.
    His eyebrows move up and down and he
nods his head. “I’m impressed, Owen. Nicely done.”
    All that sadness poofs away and is
replaced by pride. A good kind. Dad is proud of me.
    That night I say good-bye to Mikala.
    “It’s been a great summer, Owen True,”
she says, a little sob escaping her lips. “Because of you.”
    “I would’ve died a thousand boring
deaths, if it weren’t for you, Mikala.”
    We both kick at the ground with our toes
and I shove my fists deep in my pockets.
    Then Mikala throws her arms around me,
nearly knocking me off balance. “Let’s not go the whole year
without talkin’, okay?”
    So, since Mikala doesn’t have a
computer, we agree to write each other the old fashioned way. With
paper and pens, envelopes and stamps.
    Saying goodbye to Gramps isn’t any
easier, and I find my own little sob creeping up my throat.
    “Gramps?” I throw myself into his tall
body. “I’ll miss you.”
    “I’ll miss you too, big guy.”
    Dad has all my things loaded up. “Time
to go, Owen.”
    I never thought I’d ever feel sad to
leave Haywire. Oh heck.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    Owen True – The Winner
     
     
    I AM HOME IN THE CONDO living with Mom
and Arthur. They are always joking and teasing each other and me,
and it’s good to have them back. I’m in seventh grade now in my
private school which my mom drives me to everyday. When I go up the
steps in my crisp uniform, I can’t help but think of Mikala taking
the bus over the bridge into Edson to school.
    And wondering what she’s wearing. I sent
Gramps my allowance and told him to get Mrs. Pershishnick to go buy
Mikala new clothes for school, but not to tell her