Free Tools of Ignorance: Lisa's Story by Barbara L. Clanton Page A

potatoes. “Like this?”
    Bridget nodded.
    “Okay.” Sam blew out a sigh as if steeling herself to eat octopus. She dipped the hot dog into the creamy white potatoes and took a bite. “This is surprisingly good.” She took another bite.
    Lisa laughed. “Hey, looks like you’re one of the family now.”
    “Cool.” Sam smiled. “Thanks for inviting me over Mr. and Mrs. Brown. My family doesn’t do anything special on Memorial Day.” Sam took a third bite of the hotdog-potato combination.
    “That’s too bad,” Lisa’s father said. “Sometimes we go up to Lake Birch, but I couldn’t borrow my buddy’s canoe this year.”
    “Maybe next year, honey.” Lisa’s mother patted his hand.
    “I hope so,” he said, “because pretty soon our oldest will be all grown up, off to college, and won’t have time for the rest of us. Right, Lisa Bear?”
    “Lisa Bear?” Sam laughed.
    Lisa reached around Bridget to smack Sam playfully on the arm. “Papa, come on. In front of company?”
    “What?” Her father asked innocently. “Oh, hey,” the tone of his voice indicated that he was changing the subject. “How’s Marlee doing? She pitched a little this week, right?”
    “Yeah. She’s all set to pitch against East Valley tomorrow.”
    Her father nodded. “Big playoff game against your biggest enemy, eh?” He looked at Sam and winked.
    Sam smiled back at him.
    Lisa narrowed her eyes and looked at Sam over Bridget’s head. “Why yes. Yes it is. Mom, why did you invite the enemy into our home?”
    It was Sam’s turn to reach around Bridget to smack Lisa. “Hey, was this food poisoned? That hot dog and mashed potato thing, that wasn’t an evil plot, was it?” Sam put both hands to her throat. “Arghh,” she groaned as if poisoned.
    Bridget and Lawrence Jr. giggled and grabbed their own throats. “Arghh,” they groaned with Sam. Lynnie smiled, but didn’t join in. Lisa looked at her parents and said with a laugh, “I think you have five children now.”
    Lisa’s mother and father laughed, and her mother said, “Yeah, I’d say Samantha fits right in. We’ll have to call her Samantha Brown from now on.”
    Sam beamed, and Lisa’s heart leaped at the sight.
    “Okay, Brown children,” Lisa’s mother playfully including Sam in the command, “let’s clean up the table and then we can play lawn darts.”
    “Lawn darts,” Lawrence Jr. shrieked. “Hurry up, you guys.” He scrambled off the bench of the picnic table and threw his paper plate in the metal trash can. He stood with his hands on his hips.
    Lisa grimaced at Sam. “Are you ready for lawn darts with two kids under the age of seven?”
    Sam’s eyes grew wide. “Where’s your catcher’s gear? We might need it.”
    “Really.” Lisa laughed.
    “Hey, you guys,” Sam said to Lisa’s sisters and brother. “I brought you all something.”
    “You did?” Lynnie stood up quickly and threw her plate in the trash can.
    “Yeah.” Sam smiled. “Let me go get the stuff from the car.” She stood up and pulled her car keys out of her pocket.
    Lisa looked at Sam with one eyebrow raised. “Do you need help?”
    “Nah, I’ll be right back.”
    Sam headed around the side of the house. Lisa looked at her sisters and brother and shrugged. “Make sure you all say thank you, okay?”
    They nodded, and Lisa busied herself cleaning up the table.
    Sam came back around the house with a box, set it on the table, and the entire Brown clan, including Lisa’s parents, gathered around.
    Sam pulled out a brand new Candy Land board game and handed it to Bridget. “This is for you. Maybe we can play this later. After lawn darts.”
    “’Kay,” Bridget said running her hand over the colorful box.
    “Say thank you,” Lisa’s mother admonished.
    “Thank you.”
    “You’re welcome, Bridget.”
    Bridget took the game box to the other end of the picnic table and asked her father to help her open it.
    Sam reached back in the box and pulled out a brand new