Melanie Martin Goes Dutch (23 page)

The museum game we're playing now is called Find a Bench and Sit Down Quick. Mom does not approve. She said, “How can you be more excited about sitting down than seeing paintings?”

Sometimes Mom just doesn't get it.

Signed,

at a restaurant (it's taking forever to pay)

Dear Diary,

Guess what happened before we left the Van Gogh Museum? I went to the
Dames
room and I was washing my hands, and a gold ring was just sitting by the faucet. I didn't want it to fall down the drain, so I put it on. It looked pretty good, but I could imagine the conversation I would end up having with Mom if I wore it out:

Mom: “Where did you get this?”

Me: “In the bathroom. It's pretty, isn't it?”

Mom: “Very. But it isn't yours.”

Me: “Someone left it. Look, it fits.”

Mom: “That's not the point.”

Me: “If I don't take it, somebody else will.”

Mom: “Not if we turn it in at the Lost and Found.”

I thought about it and figured I might as well slide the ring off my finger. So I did. Then I went outside and said, “Do you think this place has a Lost and Found?”

Well, we went there and the man took my ring as though it were nothing, as though I weren't making a personal sacrifice. He was all business, and at first I was half wishing I'd buried the ring in my pocket and ignored my dumb conscience. Finders keepers, losers weepers.

Then a young woman came flying over, all upset and frantic. She started talking a mile a minute in French, and she said she'd left her ring in the bathroom (Mom translated). The Dutchman handed her the ring and pointed to little old me. Well, she was soooo happy, she kissed me on both cheeks and said, “
Merci merci merci
” (Mare Sea Mare Sea Mare Sea), and explained
in French that the ring had been a gift from her grandpère (Grahn Pear), or grandfather. Then she thanked me one more time and dashed off.

Dad said, “Cupcake, you made her day.”

Mom just smiled.

Bestest,

Dear Diary,

When we got back from dinner, the phone rang. I answered. It was Cecily's mom! Her voice sounded very quiet and faraway and she said, “Hello, Melanie, this is Mrs. Hausner.” I didn't say anything. I just handed the phone over to Cecily. Afterward I realized I should have said, “Hello, Mrs. Hausner,” or “How are you?” or
something
.

I still feel bad that I hung up on her back when she was crabby and I didn't know why. I also feel bad that I
haven't said a word to her about being sick. When I came back from Italy with stitches in my eyebrow, Mrs. Hausner asked all about it.

Cecily is really happy now, and I'm happy for her. She said her mom told her that she is fine and that Cheshire Cat and Honey Bunny are fine too. “But you know what, Mel?” Cecily said. “I'd almost forgotten about them! When I'm at my dad's, I usually ask Mom about them, but this time, I didn't even think about Chesh or Hon-Bun. That's how worried I've been about my mom.”

“I bet you're relieved now.”

“You can say that again,” Cecily said.

“I bet you're relieved now,” I said again, and Cecily called me a dork, and we both laughed because I knew she was kidding.

“Cecily,” I said, “I know you're a private person and everything, but if you're ever really worried, you should tell me because I don't think I'm all that great at mind reading.”

“Okay,” Cecily said.

“Really,” I said. “I feel kind of bad that when we first got here, I wasn't, you know, more sensitive.”

“Don't worry,” she said, and I was actually glad that she said, “Don't worry.”

“You should tell me little stuff too,” I said. “Even no-big-deal stuff. Like when you got Caller I.D.” Then I thought that it wasn't exactly Cecily's fault that I kept hanging up on her mom, so I added, “And I'll try harder to listen better.”

Cecily nodded and yawned and went to brush her teeth.

Believe it or not, Mom and Dad and Matt are
already
fast asleep.

Right before going to bed, Matt said that brushing his teeth was extra easy because he doesn't have as many as usual.

Dear Diary,

Cecily is brushing her teeth and I just heard her spitting, and it suddenly dawned on me that every single one of us forgot about Matt's tooth!!!

What about the tooth fairy??? Do they even have tooth fairies in Holland? Or Dutch dwarves??! Did Matt remember to put his tooth under his pillow?

I just checked.

Matt remembered.

Oh God, I mean gosh.

His tooth is sitting there.

This is

Why?

Because if there is no tooth fairy in Holland, that would be hard for Matt to take. Can you imagine being six and a half and putting your tooth under your pillow and finding it still there the next morning? That would stink!

I have to do something. But what???

Mission accomplished!

I searched all my pockets and stuck all my coins under Matt's pillow. I don't even know how much money I jammed in there. I had a euro, which is the coin that works all around Europe. And I had a tiny old guilder and two dimes and one quarter. While I was shoving it all under Matt's head, he snuffled and mumbled something in a foreign language. Maybe Dutch! But he did not wake up.

I, Melanie Martin, just saved the day. Or night. Or morning.

Yay me! I feel kind of like that make-believe Dutch boy who poked his finger in the dike and stopped the flood.