Free Seven Kisses in a Row by Patricia MacLachlan

Seven Kisses in a Row
    The morning sun came through the window curtains and made lace designs on Emma’s bed. She got up and went to her parents’ bedroom.
    â€œIt’s morning,” she called through the door. “It’s time for divided grapefruit with a cherry in the middle.”
    There was no answer.
    Emma opened the door and looked in. She had forgotten. Her mother and father were away for five days. Her father was an eyeball doctor, though he called it something else. He and her mother had gone to an eyeball meeting. Her aunt and uncle were sleeping in her parents’ bed. Uncle Elliot with his face in the pillow and Aunt Evelyn with her mouth open.
    Emma walked over to the bed and stood there. It wasn’t fair, Emma thought, for her parents to go away and leave her with an aunt and uncle she hardly knew. Maybe they didn’t know any children. What if they didn’t like children? They probably didn’t know anything at all about night lights and bad dreams and telling two whole stories before bedtime and no eggplant cooked in tomatoes. Emma leaned over to examine Uncle Elliot. He looked just like her father except that his hair wasn’t disappearing like her father’s. He was making funny noises into his pillow.
    â€œ Plah, oosh, plah, oosh .”
    Emma went around the bed to study Aunt Evelyn. She had lots of curly hair and pierced ears: one earring in one ear and two in the other. Emma frowned. That wasn’t even.
    â€œIt’s time for breakfast,” said Emma.
    Aunt Evelyn closed her mouth and opened her eyes.
    â€œLater,” she said.
    â€œI’m hungry now,” said Emma.
    Aunt Evelyn didn’t answer. She was asleep.
    Emma went over to Uncle Elliot.
    â€œGood morning,” she said cheerfully.
    Uncle Elliot made one big oosh ing sound into his pillow.
    â€œI’m hungry,” said Emma.
    â€œ I’m tired,” said Uncle Elliot.
    Emma frowned again.
    â€œWould you give me seven kisses in a row?” she asked. “Papa always gives me seven kisses in a row in the morning.”
    Uncle Elliot said nothing. He was asleep.
    â€œ Plah, oosh, plah, oosh. ”
    Emma went to the kitchen for something to eat. The cereal boxes were empty. Her big brother, Zachary, had eaten breakfast. Emma made three peanut butter and toast sandwiches. The peanut butter melted on the toast and ran down her chin.
    She knocked on Zachary’s door. He had his earphones on.
    â€œIt’s morning,” said Emma. “Uncle Elliot is oosh ing and Aunt Evelyn’s ears aren’t even. They’re asleep. And I want divided grapefruit with a cherry in the middle.”
    â€œI hate grapefruit,” said Zachary. “I don’t even like to touch it.”
    â€œMay I come in?” asked Emma.
    Zachary shook his head.
    â€œI’m writing a note to my girl friend, Miranda,” he said. “And listening to my Morris Fibley record. It’s private. Come back later.”
    Emma went downstairs and whispered awhile to her dog, Wayne. He turned over so Emma could scratch his stomach, but soon he fell asleep and twitched his legs, chasing a dream. He was not good company.
    Emma ate four more pieces of toast and two apples and wished she had a parrot. She had read that parrots could talk and laugh. And that’s what Emma wanted to do. Talk and laugh. Since she didn’t have a parrot, she decided to run away. Just so everyone would know, she wrote a note:
    Dear Aunt Evelyn, Dear Uncle Elliot (and Zachary, too) ,
    When you wake up I will not be here. You did not make me devided greatfruit with a cherry. You did not give me seven kisses in a row. Papa always gives me seven kisses in a row. You did not let me listen to your Moris Fibly record. He sings flat anyway .
    Emma found an old letter written to her father so she would know how to end the note. She wrote:
    Fond regards to the family ,        
    Emma