Sara, Book 3 (12 page)

C
HAPTER
22

S
ara sat quietly in the tree house, waiting for Annette and Solomon. She knew Seth wasn’t coming. It felt awful to Sara that
she had adjusted to not expecting him. She never wanted to adjust to Seth’s absence.
Boy, am I in a bad mood,
Sara thought.

“Are you up there?” Sara heard Annette’s voice from down below.

“Yeah, come on up,” Sara replied.

Annette climbed the ladder and stretched out on the floor across from Sara. Neither girl spoke.

Sara laid on her back with her head next to Annette’s. “Well, Annette, you look about as ornery as I feel.”

“I only hope I don’t look as ornery as
I
feel,” Annette said, laughing as she said it. “Sara, what’s wrong with us? This isn’t like us.”

“Well, I think we were so sure that we had figured out where we were going to get a rope to practice on that it was like,
everything was cooperating with us, just like Solomon says. And then it was like, “Oh, Mrs. Wilsenholm, may we use the big
rope hanging in your barn to learn acrobatics on?
No, you may not, girls. And just to make sure that you understand that you may not, I’m going to have the whole barn knocked down!”

Both girls began to laugh.

Solomon silently glided down onto the tree-house floor.
Hello, girls!

Both girls sat up. “Hi, Solomon,” they said.

It is important to realize that things are never working against you. All things are working for you at all times.

“It did seem like things were working for us at first. I mean, it was amazing that we would run into Mrs. Wilsenholm right
after I remembered the rope in her barn. But then—”

Things are always unfolding for your benefit, girls—if you will allow it. Everything that you are asking for is always being answered. There are only three parts to this wonderful equation of creation: One: Ask. Two: The Universe always answers. Three: You must be in the receiving mode. You must be a vibrational match to what you are asking for or you cannot let it in.

You see, girls, when you decide, from the evidence you have collected, that things are not working out for you— in that very moment you are no longer letting it in.

“But Solomon, the whole darn barn was gone!” Sara blurted, and then she laughed. Annette laughed, too.

Solomon smiled.
And if that barn were the only avenue through which your well-being could flow, you might have reason to be upset, Sara. But since there are endless avenues through which your well-being flows, being upset about the barn door closing, only keeps all other doors closed as well.

Not only does the Universe have the ability to answer anything that you desire, but everything that you desire is always being factored in. Just remember that anytime you are feeling negative emotion, you are, in that moment, not letting it in. You are not in the receiving mode. And, do you know, your not being in the receiving mode is the only thing that ever keeps you from anything you desire?

“Wow!” Annette exclaimed. “That’s big!”

Yes it is, Annette. It can be of value to pay attention to those wonderful signals that negative emotion offers.
In other words, when you feel negative emotion, just stop and softly say to yourself, “I’m doing it now. Right now, I’m doing that thing that I sometimes do that keeps me from receiving the things that I desire.” Then laugh, and reach for thoughts that put you more in the receiving mode.

“So Solomon, you’re saying that unless we do that thing we do that keeps us out of the receiving mode, then everything we
desire will then happen?”

Yes, indeed. Annette. You ask; the Universe answers—and all you have to do is let it in.

“That seems easy enough.”

“Yep,” Sara replied. They felt so much better.

“So, Sara, let’s make a pact with each other that we’ll be extra aware of letting it in. I want to always be in the receiving
mode.”

“Me, too.”

“We need to tell Seth, too. I really miss him.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

The girls looked at each other. They had just stepped
out
of the receiving mode—and they both knew it.

“I’m doing it now,” Sara said.

“That was fast!” Annette said. “Almost as fast as we decided to always be in the receiving mode, we were
out
of the receiving mode. And now I’m doing it again.”

“This is hard.” Sara laughed. “I’m doing it
now!”

The girls looked at each other. “Solomon, you make it sound simple to be in the receiving mode,” Annette said, “but it’s not
that easy to do.”

“We’re doing it now,” Both girls said at the same time.

“Well, the good news is, we can tell when we’re not in the receiving mode. That’s something. And if we can
feel
when we’re
not
in the receiving mode, we’ll be able to tell when we click back into it.” Sara said.

“There must be all kinds of things we talk about that keep us in the receiving mode. And when we
are
in the receiving mode, everything we want can come.”

It’s wonderful, when you think about it, girls: Good things—all the good things that you could ever want— are making their way into your lives. And all you have to do is let them in.

“I’m good with that,” Annette said.

“Yeah, me too.” Sara said.

Be playful about it,
Solomon advised.
It will be great fun for you to be aware of when you are in the receiving mode. It’s fun to observe others, too. It is really rather easy to tell if someone is in the receiving mode or not. Well, I’m off. I’ll be seeing you.

Annette and Sara watched Solomon lift off the tree-house floor and fly high into the sky. “Do you think Solomon always sees
us?” Annette asked, softly.

“Yes, I think he does.”

“Doesn’t that bother you? I mean, if he sees everything . . . ?”

“Well, at first, I was bothered. But after a while I realized that Solomon loves me. His feelings for me don’t seem to change
no matter what I’m doing or how I’m feeling. And so, now, instead of worrying about what he might think of me, I just feel
good because I know he loves me. He loves you, too, you know.”

Annette smiled. “Yes, I know.”

C
HAPTER
23

N
early a month passed, and Sara and Annette did their best to pay attention to the way they were feeling. Both girls were getting
very good at staying in the receiving mode.

“Sara, I heard that your cat got run over yesterday,” teased Annette.

“Oh, well, it’s probably for the best,” Sara answered, in fun. “I’ve heard that flat cats are very popular now.”

“I also noticed that Pete’s Drugstore burned down last night.”

“Oh, well, that’s probably for the best,” Sara answered. “I’ve been eating far too many candy bars, anyway.”

“I heard your little brother ran away from home.”

“Then it’s true! The Universe
is
answering my every desire,” Sara replied. “My world is now complete.”

Annette laughed. “Seriously, Sara, we’re getting pretty good at this, don’t you think?”

Sara had to agree. With far less trouble than she would have ever believed, she had discovered that it was really quite easy
to find thoughts that feel good. Especially since so much depends on feeling good.

When Sara found herself missing Seth, she would quickly turn her thoughts to remembering an especially fun time or imagining
one in the future. When she caught herself worrying about Seth’s wounds not healing well or about his parents forbidding him
to come to the tree house, she would try to remember that all good things are coming. And since Sara and Seth and Annette
were all asking, and since the Universe is answering, then it was only a matter of time before they would all be back in the
tree house together again.

“Let’s play a game,” Annette said enthusiastically.

“Okay,” Sara agreed, having no idea what kind of game Annette was thinking about.

Annette laughed. “Oh, Sara, I do love you. You are such a good friend. You’re up for anything, aren’t you?”

Sara smiled. She could tell by Annette’s enthusiasm that she knew she had a good idea. And Sara trusted Annette; Sara couldn’t
imagine Annette suggesting anything that wouldn’t feel good. “What game?”

“The eavesdrop game.”

“The what?”

“The eavesdrop game.”

“I’ve never heard of that one.” Sara laughed. “Did you just make it up?”

“Yes.” Annette grinned. “But listen, don’t you think it would be fun? We’ll go around town, you know, pretending to be minding
our own business, but we won’t be. We’ll be listening in on what people are saying.”

Sara looked at Annette. Sara had worked rather hard, especially lately, at minding her own business. This seemed like a pretty
weird game.

“We’ll call it the ‘Receiving Mode Game.’ We’ll just listen in and see if we think people are in the receiving mode of what
they want or not.”

Sara brightened. Now she understood what Annette was talking about. “So, it isn’t really like sticking our noses into other
people’s business. It’s more like gathering evidence of receiving?”

“Right! Where do you think we should go?” Annette asked.

“Pete’s Drugstore is a good place to start. There are always people at the soda fountain talking to Pete. And we can stand
behind the magazine rack, and they won’t even know we’re there.” Sara and Annette climbed down the ladder from the tree house.
“This is going to be great fun,” Sara said.

The bells on the drugstore door clanged as the door banged shut behind them, causing both girls to jump a little, as if they
had been caught sneaking in.

“Hello, kids!” Pete said, as he continued to put more candy bars on the rack near the cash register. “What can I do for you
today?”

“Oh, nothing, not yet anyway,” Sara said quickly. “We just want to look around.”

“At the comic books,” Annette added quickly. “We want to look at the comic books.”

“Well, you know where they are,” Pete said, as he opened another box of candy bars, paying very little attention to the girls.

Sara and Annette ducked behind the magazine rack. “Why do I feel so sneaky?” Sara whispered to Annette.

Annette laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “Because, you are.”

Both girls laughed.

“There’s nobody in here,” Sara said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place so empty.”

The bells on the door clanged again as three ladies entered.

“Let’s get a booth,” one of them said.

The booths were at the back of the drugstore stretched out along one wall. Sara and Annette peered from behind the magazine
rack. “Sit there! Sit there!” Sara whispered under her breath, hoping that they would sit close enough that she and Annette
could hear them.

Sure enough, a large woman squeezed into the first booth.

“Yes!” Sara said triumphantly.

“Shush!” Annette reminded her. “We’re undercover here.”

“My back is killing me,” the large lady said. “I don’t know what I’ve done to it. Doc says he can’t find any reason for it
to hurt so much. The x-rays don’t show a thing.”

Sara saw Annette take a notebook from her pocket. She wrote: “#1, focuses on what she doesn’t want.”

“Well, it will probably be better before you know it,” a bright voice offered. “Sometimes these things just go as quickly
as they came.”

Annette wrote: “#2, tries to influence #1 back into the receiving mode.”

“Not likely,” the large woman said. “Can’t remember when my back didn’t hurt. I guess I’m just going to have to get used to
it. Pain medicine doesn’t work either. To tell you the truth, I don’t think my doctor knows what in the heck he’s doing.”

Annette wrote: “#1 doesn’t seem to want to get into the receiving mode.” Sara laughed as she read, and covered her mouth with
her hand.

The waitress stopped by the table to take their order. Sara and Annette looked at each other. They were pleased to get such
good evidence already.

After the waitress left the table, Sara and Annette heard someone else begin speaking. “Elizabeth, did you tell Emily about
your surprise?”

Sara saw Annette write: “#3 changes subject. Feels better.”

“Not yet, but I was about to,” the bright voice said happily. “I got the job. I’m moving to the city!”

“The city?” the first woman asked. “Aren’t you afraid to move to the city all alone?”

“Afraid? Of what?” the bright voice said, a little less bright now.

“Well, you know how dangerous it is to live in the city. Don’t you watch the news? Terrible things happen in the city. Oh,
I’m worried about you. I hope you’ll be all right.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Liz said. “I’ll be fine.” But she didn’t sound fine. In fact, she sounded like a completely different person
than she had only a few minutes ago.

Sara read, as Annette wrote: “#1 wins. #2 now out of receiving mode.”

“Liz is always fine,” the third woman said. “Liz, you always do great, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Has anything
bad ever happened to you? No.” She answered her own question. “It hasn’t. Not ever! Liz, you lead a charmed life, and there
is no reason for that to ever change. You have a wonderful opportunity here, and you deserve it. I’m so happy for you, and
I just know you’re going to have a wonderful time. I’m so proud of you!”

Sara and Annette looked at each other. “Wow! What a blast of the receiving mode that was.” The girls were so amazed with this
barrage of positive words that, for a moment, they forgot they were hiding. Both girls stood up to try get a look at whoever
was spewing such wonderful words.

“Find what you’re looking for, girls?” Pete shouted from behind the soda fountain.

“Yes,” Sara said, “I mean, no, not really.” The girls scampered out of the drugstore.

“Let’s wait here, Sara.”

“For what?”

“Don’t you want to get a closer look at them?

To see if we can tell who said what?”

“Oh, yeah, I do,” Sara answered.

The girls sat on the bench in front of the town’s only bank and waited for the three ladies to finish their meal. Then the
bells on the door of the drugstore clanged again as the three women came back out onto the street. They stood in front of
the drugstore for a few minutes, exchanging a few more words that Sara and Annette couldn’t hear, and then they went their
separate ways.

Then, one of them turned and walked toward Sara and Annette. She was a slender, happy-looking woman, wearing a pretty, bright-flowered
dress with a pretty purse slung over her shoulder. She walked, or rather floated, down the street, and as she passed Sara
and Annette, she said to them, “Well, girls, have you ever seen a prettier day?”

“No, ma’am,” Sara and Annette said at the same time.

“Me, too,” the woman said. “Aren’t we the lucky ones?”

“We sure are,” Annette said.

Sara watched as Annette made another notation in her book: “#3 still in receiving mode. Wants to pass it on to others.”

“Oh, darn it.” Sara and Annette heard a disgruntled voice coming from a car across the street. They weren’t surprised to see
the large lady from the drugstore. She was standing next to a car with the door open. Her sleeve seemed to be caught on the
door latch, and she was tugging at it awkwardly. “Well, now, I’ve torn my dress. That’s just great.”

Sara and Annette giggled softly to each other. Annette wrote in her book: “Things aren’t getting better for #1 yet. Still
not in receiving mode.”

“Look out!” someone shouted. Sara and Annette looked up to see an empty grocery cart rolling across the parking lot, headed
right for #1’s car. She sat frozen behind the steering wheel, helpless to do anything about it. She covered her face with
her hands, crying, “Oh no, my husband will kill me!”

As soon as Sara realized what was happening, she had started to run toward the cart, and she intercepted it just before it
reached the woman’s car. The woman sat tensed, waiting for the inevitable crash, and when it didn’t come, she uncovered her
face to find Sara smiling in her car window.

“Hi,” Sara said softly. “This cart almost got you.”

“Hey, lady, I guess it’s your lucky day,” someone who had witnessed the whole thing, called to her from the sidewalk.

“I don’t think so,” the woman said sarcastically. “I don’t
have
any of those.”

“Any of what?” Sara asked, thinking that the woman was talking to her.

“Any lucky days. My cousin (I just had lunch with her) talks about how lucky she is all the time. Oh, she’s just full of lucky
days. But not me. I don’t have lucky days.”

“Well,” Sara said timidly, “how about a lucky moment? Maybe you could just start there.”

As the woman looked at Sara’s sweet face, she felt her own tension lift, and she broke into a gentle smile. “You know, sweetie,
you may be right. Thanks to you, I certainly did have a lucky moment.”

“Well, you have a good day now,” the woman said, as she turned the key to start her engine. A song blared from her radio.
“Well, what do you know,” the woman said, looking at Sara. “That’s my favorite song.”

“Hey,” Sara laughed, “two lucky moments in a row. I think you’re on a roll.”

The woman laughed. “Well, perhaps you’re right. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

Sara crossed her fingers on both hands and held them up for the woman to see.

The woman laughed.

“I’m Sara,” Sara said, holding out her hand, as her mother had taught her, and shaking the woman’s hand.

“I’m Emily,” the woman said. “In fact, I have a card. Well, it’s really my husband’s card, but I’ve written my name on it,
too.”

Sara took the pretty card and nearly dropped it as she read it: “#1 in Home Repair.”

Oh, Annette, you’re not gonna believe this!
Sara thought to herself.