Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie (7 page)

“A little,” she said.

“What's it like?” I asked.

She thought for a second.

“My teacher was named Mrs. Mosley,” she said.

“She didn't like my handwriting.

She thought it was too messy.”

“Oh,” I said.

I thought about my handwriting.

It was pretty messy, too.

“And I think we wrote reports in third grade,”

Natalie said.

“About famous people.

I remember writing one on Neil Armstrong.”

“Who's that?” I asked.

“The first person to walk on the moon,” Natalie said.

I tried to think of someone famous to write about.

But before I could,

we saw Val.

She was wheeling her bag

up the path to our building.

“Val!” we called, waving. “Val!”

Val waved back

and then turned

and wheeled her big bag right across the street

and over to our stand.

“What a nice way to spend the day,” she said.

“Can we check for Bibi's letter?” I asked.

“Just in case?”

“Sure,” Val said.

“But I didn't see it earlier.”

Then she dug through her bag

and we looked at every 2C letter

but again

no letter from Bibi.

I started to get grumpy.

Then Natalie said,

“Let's get Val some lemonade.”

And I poured a cup for Val.

She tried to give us a nickel.

But Natalie said,

“This lemonade is free for Val.”

“Let's add that to our sign,” I said.

So on our sign

under LEMONADE, ONE NICKEL

I wrote in big letters

FREE FOR VAL.

Val laughed

and thanked us

and wheeled her big bag back across the street

to deliver the rest of her mail.

My mom had to work late the next day.

My dad did, too.

So Natalie stayed late.

And that was bad.

It was bad because

Natalie ran my bath

and checked the water

and checked it again

to make sure it wasn't too hot.

Just like Bibi.

When Bibi stayed late.

And,

before I got in the tub,

Natalie turned back my covers

so my bed was all ready for nighttime.

Just like Bibi.

When Bibi stayed late.

And

I could tell

I could just tell

that after my bath

Natalie planned to read to me

and tuck me in

and kiss me good night

and wish me sweet dreams

and turn down the lights

and tiptoe down the hall.

Just like Bibi.

When Bibi stayed late.

But

Natalie

was not

Bibi.

And

I

wanted

Bibi.

So when Natalie said,

“Your bath is ready,”

I said,

“I don't need a bath.

I'm very clean already.”

Natalie looked surprised.

She thought for a minute

and said,

“At least wash your face and hands.”

“Fine,” I said.

I washed my face and hands

and went in my room.

Then Natalie pulled open my pajama drawer

and said,

“Would you like to pick out some pajamas?”

“No,”

I said.

“I'm not sleeping in pajamas tonight.”

Then I slammed that drawer shut.

I had to sleep in something,

so I opened my shirt drawer

and pulled out the very top shirt

and put it on

and turned to Natalie

and said,

“Good night.”

“Goodness,” Natalie said.

She pointed to the pajama drawer.

“We don't slam drawers,” she said.

“Please try again, more gently.”

“Fine,” I said.

I tried again.

“Are you sure you'll be comfortable in that shirt?”

she asked.

“I'm sure,” I said.

“I could read you a bedtime story,” she said.

“I'll read to myself,” I said.

I got a book

the first book I saw

and climbed with it into my bed.

It was a very big book.

I opened it

and started to read.

That very big book had very long words

that I didn't understand.

But I kept pretending to read.

“Well, then,” Natalie said.

“Good night.”

She dimmed the lights

and closed the door

and went off down the hall.

I waited a minute.

Then I dropped the book on the floor

and put my face in my pillow.

I closed my eyes

and decided

to move

to Florida.

The next morning

Natalie pretended

that last night wasn't bad.

She came in

and slipped off her shoes

and put down her bag

and smiled at me

like she always did.

And then she said,

“Good morning.”

“Good morning,” I said back.

I hoped she really wasn't mad.

About that drawer.

And the bath.

I couldn't tell if she was.

And I didn't want to ask.

Then I had an idea.

“I'll brush your hair for you,” I said.

Sometimes I brush my mom's hair.

And my best friend Pearl's hair, too.

They like it.

“Okay,” Natalie said.

I ran to my room

and got my brush.

Which is blue.

My favorite color.

I brought it back to Natalie,

who sat on a chair

and took out her ponytail

and let her hair touch her shoulders.

“Don't worry,” I said.

“I'll brush very gently.”

Then I brushed her hair very gently.

The way my dad brushes mine sometimes

before he goes to work.

When I had brushed it all, I said,

“What's your favorite color?”

And she said,

“Green.”

So I ran back to my room

and got all of the green barrettes I could find.

All three.

Then I made little braids in her hair

and clipped green barrettes at the bottom.

One braid behind each ear

and one down the middle in the back.

“You look beautiful,” I said.

She did.

She looked beautiful.

I let her keep those green barrettes.

And she wore them

on those braids

one behind each ear

and one down the middle in the back

the whole rest of the day.