by Anna Alter
Emma turned around and looked at Fernando, and then the floor. “I don’t think I’m hungry anymore,” she said quietly. For the first time that day, Emma was not in the mood for a surprise.
“But we just got here.” Fernando frowned.
“I know,” said Emma, heading toward the door.
Fernando went to the counter and ordered a chocolate croissant to go. Then he ran to catch up with Emma, who was walking quickly back to 24 Sprout Street. “Maybe Mili will give you the surprise tomorrow?” he said, a little out of breath.
But Emma wasn’t listening. She walked with her paws in her pockets and looked at the ground.
She arrived at her apartment in a very serious mood. Emma never felt serious. It didn’t suit her. She just couldn’t understand what was taking so long. Waiting didn’t suit her, either.
—
The next morning, Emma opened her door a crack and peered across the hall. Then she went back into her kitchen and piled a large stack of cheese blintzes on a tray. One for every day Mili had been her neighbor.
She swung into the hallway, her blintzes bouncing cheerfully up and down. Today was a great day for a surprise.
She lifted her paw to knock. Apartment 2B was silent. Emma sighed.
But then she heard something. Pit-a-pat. She froze. Then she knocked again, this time as hard as she could, ba-BANG.
There was a little shuffling, then quiet. Emma waited, her heart thumping. She knocked a third time, BANG BANG. Then she heard slow, steady footsteps. The handle turned and the door opened.
Mili looked at Emma, then pulled a large set of headphones off her ears. “Hi, Emma! I almost didn’t hear you knock. Did you bring me clementines yesterday, and some tea?”
“Yes, that was me,” said Emma, waiting patiently for Mili to move aside and let her in. When she did, Emma followed her closely, looking around for ribbons or confetti. But everything seemed just as it usually was. They went into the kitchen.
Mili placed her headphones on the table. Emma set her tray next to them and sat down. Mili sat down, too.
“I’m so glad you’re home at last,” Emma began, plopping her paws on her lap. “Breakfast just wasn’t the same without you.” Then she sat up straight as an arrow and closed her eyes. “I’m ready now.”
“Ready for what?” said Mili, blinking.
“My surprise,” said Emma.
“What surprise?” asked Mili.
“The one you were planning for me yesterday, when you were out.”
Mili looked confused. Emma felt surprised, but not in the way she was expecting. Mili cocked her head to one side. “That’s not what I was doing.”
Emma felt another sinking feeling coming on.
“I was having me time,” said Mili.
“What is that?” asked Emma blankly.
Mili looked her right in the eye. “It’s time to myself.”
Emma thought of her long, lonely afternoon and frowned. “Why would you want to be by yourself?”
“It’s something I like to do,” said Mili. “Sometimes I put on my headphones, listen to polka music, and dance around the room. Yesterday I read a book about snorkeling, baked banana muffins, and made a list of all the people I wanted to visit.”
Emma was quiet for a minute. “May I see your list?” she asked.
Mili walked over to the counter, picked up a piece of paper, and handed it to Emma. At the top, it read, Go to Emma’s apartment and tell her you’re glad she is your new neighbor.
Emma brightened. This was the kind of surprise she had been hoping for. The serious feeling was gone.
“I’m sorry I didn’t answer the door when you came,” said Mili. “I was so busy with me time, I didn’t notice you knocking.”
“Do you think you might be finished with it now?” Emma asked, putting the list down on the table.
Mili nodded. “I am. Do you like polka?”
“I do!” cried Emma, jumping up from her seat.
Mili turned on the radio. When the music came on, around they went, arm in arm, like a helicopter seed spinning out of a maple tree.
It was Saturday and Fernando was late, as usual. He grabbed his sweatshirt, put on his sneakers, and ran out the door. Down the stairs he flew, then into the backyard. His neighbors were sitting around the picnic table for 24 Sprout Street’s weekly meeting.
Henry stood at the head of the table, looking squarely at Mili. “Since this is your first meeting,” he began, “I’ll explain how they work.” Henry rocked back and forth from his toes to his heels, and lifted his chin into the air. “First, someone raises their paw—”
“Ahem!” coughed Violet.
“Excuse me,” Henry continued, “someone raises their paw or their wing and brings up a problem. Then we brainstorm ideas to solve it and write them on the board.” Henry pointed at a tall chalkboard propped against a tree. “Next, we vote on the best one, and the answer with the most votes wins.”
Mili nodded solemnly, and Henry seemed pleased. Henry sat down next to Wilbur. Fernando squeezed in next to Henry.
“What do we have to discuss today?” asked Wilbur.
Violet raised her wing. “The paint on our building is starting to peel. I think it is time to repaint.”
Mili raised her paw next, eager to join in. “How about we paint it sunshine yellow?”
“Write it on the board,” chirped Violet.
Mili walked over to the chalkboard and wrote, Sunshine yellow, then went back to her seat.
Henry frowned. He cleared his throat and stood up again. “I like 24 Sprout Street the way it is,” he said, “a nice moss green.” He walked to the chalkboard and wrote, Moss green.
“Let’s vote!” cried Emma, clapping her paws excitedly. She loved a good contest.
“All for moss green,” bellowed Henry, raising his paw. He turned to Wilbur and gave him a stern look. Wilbur shifted in his seat, then raised his paw, too.
“All for sunshine yellow,” sang Emma. Mili and Emma raised their paws, and Violet raised her wing.
“Fernando,” whispered Violet, “you didn’t vote.”
Fernando had never thought much about the color of 24 Sprout Street. Sunshine yellow sounded nice. But so did a fresh coat of moss green. “I don’t know which to choose,” said Fernando. He looked at Henry, who glared back at him. Then he looked at Mili, who smiled a sunshine-yellow smile in his direction.
“It’s easy,” said Mili. “Just pick the color you like the best.”
Fernando smiled back at her and took a breath. Henry stepped in closer and furrowed his brow. Fernando stopped smiling.
“I don’t like either one the best,” said Fernando. “I like them both the same.”
Henry sighed. “You have to choose, Fernando.”
“Can I think about it?” he asked.
“Okay by me,” declared Emma, hopping up from the table. “I’m late to tai chi!” Emma picked up her bag and skipped down the sidewalk toward Maple Street. The meeting was over.
Henry looked at Fernando. “We’ll meet again tomorrow,” said Henry. “Try to figure it out by then.” He spun around and went inside.
Fernando sat at the table with Mili, Violet, and Wilbur, who was nibbling on a bowl of cashew nuts.
“Maybe you should make a pros-and-cons list,” said Mili, taking out her notebook and handing it to him. “First, you write pros on one side of the paper. That’s where you write all the things you like about a decision. Then you write cons on the other side. That’s where you put the things you don’t like. Then you see which list is longer.”
Mili patted Fernando on the back. Then she stood with Violet and Wilbur to go for a walk.
Fernando sat up straight and took out a pen. Under pro for sunshine yellow, he wrote, Mili will be happy with me. Under con, he wrote, Henry will be angry with me. Under pro, he wrote, New. Under con, he wrote, Different. This was turning out to be trickier than he’d expected.
Next, he made lists for moss green. U
nder pro, he wrote, Henry will be pleased, and under con, he wrote, Mili will be disappointed. He sighed and put the notebook in his sweatshirt pocket.
Fernando returned to his apartment and put on some music. It drifted through the air and lifted his mood. He did three pirouettes around the living room rug, landing in a dining room chair. He looked out the window and thought for a while. Outside, the yellow sunshine played on the moss-green leaves.
There was a knock at the door. Before Fernando could get up, Henry burst through. “Fernando!” cried Henry, bounding into the living room.
Fernando jumped to standing. “Hi, Henry,” he said.
“I was just thinking,” began Henry, a little too loudly, “we don’t spend enough time together. Can I treat you to an ice cream at Sergio’s?”
“Okay,” said Fernando, following Henry out the door.
They crossed the yard and headed up Sprout Street. Suddenly Henry grabbed Fernando’s arm and pulled him to a stop. “Look at the sage in that hanging basket!” he cried, pointing at a house across the street. “Such a lovely shade of green, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” said Fernando with a shrug. He lifted his foot to keep walking, but Henry held on to his arm. “And that juniper tree over there! Such a soothing color, don’t you think?”
“I guess,” Fernando replied. “Could we go get some ice cream now?”
“Of course!” cried Henry, letting go of Fernando’s arm and marching ahead. Fernando hurried to catch up.
When they got to Sergio’s, Henry ordered pistachio for himself and mint chocolate chip for Fernando. “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked.
“Well, no,” said Fernando, wishing he could have had chocolate mud pie instead.
“Good,” said Henry. He handed Fernando his cone, and they headed back to 24 Sprout Street. This time, Henry didn’t stop to admire anything. They just ate their ice cream and walked quietly home.
Fernando returned to his apartment and took out the notebook. He added Henry will leave me alone to the pros list for choosing moss green.
He began to think about his new neighbor. “If I voted for sunshine yellow,” he thought, “I would make a good impression. Mili would think I was a cheerful sort of guy.” Under pro for sunshine yellow, Fernando wrote, Good impression.
“On the other hand, if I don’t vote for moss green, Henry will think I am a bad friend. I’ve been friends with Henry for a long time.” Under con for sunshine yellow, Fernando wrote, Bad friend. This was not making his decision any easier.
The next morning, Fernando got up early and went into the yard. He crossed the lawn and climbed onto a low branch of the oak tree, where he could get a good look at 24 Sprout Street. He studied the red roof tiles and the porch swing. He could see where the peeling moss-green paint left little chips in the grass near the blueberry bushes.
He glanced over at Henry’s window. Inside, Henry was bent over his writing desk. Then he looked up at the second floor. Mili was working on a painting. He thought he could make out the image of a small yellow sunflower on the canvas. He looked down at Henry’s apartment again. But now the window was empty.
“Hello up there!” a voice shouted.
Fernando jumped so high, he nearly fell out of the tree. He looked down at Henry.
“Lovely day outside,” Henry began, and took a breath.
“I know what you are going to say,” said Fernando, stopping him. “The leaves are a beautiful shade of green.”
Henry paused. He looked at Fernando, who gazed at his shoes. Then he put his paws in his pockets and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Fernando,” he said. “You should vote for what you like better. Voting for moss green would only make it a tie anyway. Then we’d have to flip a coin.”
“That’s true,” said Fernando.
Henry turned to go, then looked over his shoulder. “I’m going to get cookies for our meeting. What kind would you like?”
Fernando looked up. “Oatmeal raisin, please.”
Henry nodded. “Oatmeal raisin it is.” And he headed off down the street.
Fernando returned to his apartment and paced back and forth. He thought for a long time. Then he opened Mili’s notebook and wrote, under pro for moss green, Henry will know I forgive him. At last, he knew what to do.
Just then, Fernando caught a glimpse of the clock. “I’m late!” he cried, jumping up and running out the door. Everyone was sitting around the picnic table. Henry was at the end, putting cookies on a plate.
Fernando sat down. But before he could say anything, Henry stood up. “I would like to change my vote,” he said.
Mili gasped. Wilbur’s jaw dropped. Emma slapped the table with her paws.
“But moss green was your idea!” cried Violet.
“I know,” said Henry, “but I think it’s time for a change.” He winked at Fernando.
“Let’s have a revote!” shouted Emma.
“All for sunshine yellow!” called Violet.
Mili, Henry, Emma, Wilbur, and Violet raised their paws and wing. Fernando breathed a sigh of relief and raised his paw, too. Henry smiled and said, “So we all agree.” Then he walked over to where Fernando sat and held out the plate of cookies. Fernando picked one up and happily took a bite.
Henry reached into his desk drawer and took out a magnifying glass. He held it up to his eye and leaned forward. “Just as I thought,” he said out loud. He put the magnifying glass back in his pocket and picked up a small wooden post. Covering one end with glue, he placed it on the deck of a tiny wooden ship.
“That’s better,” he said to himself, sitting back to admire it. Henry hadn’t been building boats for long, but he felt he had a special talent for it.
He picked up a tiny mouse figurine and placed it carefully at the ship’s helm. Lifting the ship into the air, he moved it up and down as though it was bobbing along on the ocean. Henry imagined the waves crashing against its sides and the wind blowing the sail into a wide pillow. “One day, I should sail a ship so handsome,” he thought.
He walked over to the counter to set it down to dry. Halfway there, the post rolled off the edge of the deck, then fell, tik-tik, onto the floor. He picked it up and looked at it closely. “Broken,” he sighed, “and I don’t have any more pieces this size. I’ll have to go out for more supplies.”
He put his ship down and went outside. The leaves above him shifted in the breeze, sending acorns bouncing onto the ground ahead of him. He stepped over them and headed up Sprout Street to Maple, then turned left onto Elm. Two blocks later, he opened the door to True Blue Hardware.
“Morning, Henry,” said Mr. Ashby behind the counter.
“Morning,” said Henry with a nod, heading to the model-ships aisle. He walked back and forth, looking for the piece he needed. He looked up and he looked down. Then his eyes rested on a post in front of him.
“Aha!” he cried. He reached for the post. When he had it in his paw, his eyes wandered over to a crack in the display. There was someone moving behind it. And that someone looked familiar.
Henry walked to the end of the aisle and leaned around the corner. Behind the display stood Mili, balancing on her tiptoes and reaching for a small paintbrush above her head.
“Let me!” he called, striding toward her. He climbed up a small shelf, picked up the brush, then handed it to her.
“Thank you,” said Mili.
Henry beamed. “What are you painting?” he asked.
“My kitchen cabinets,” replied Mili. “My apartment needs a bit of color.”
Henry cleared his throat. “I am here for spare parts,” he said, puffing out his chest. “I am working on my ship.”
“Oh!” Mili cried, lighting up. “There is nothing I like better than floating out on the open sea.” She lifted her nose toward an imaginary horizon in the distance, as if she was staring at a great ocean.
Henry nodded, slouching a little. He had never been floating out on the open sea. Henry had never been much of anywhere.
&nbs
p; They walked to the register and paid Mr. Ashby for the post and the brush. Then the two headed back to 24 Sprout Street.
“When I lived in Hawaii,” said Mili, “sometimes I woke up before dawn and paddled into deep waters to watch the sun rise, just me and my boat. It was magical.”
Henry preferred to sleep in. He had never been up early enough to see the sun rise. And certainly not in a boat. But he couldn’t tell Mili that. “I know just what you mean,” he said, waving his arm toward the sky. He said it with such certainty, he almost believed it himself.
Mili stopped and turned to Henry. Her eyes were as wide and bright as the sea itself. “I would love to go sailing in your boat,” she burst out. “Let’s watch the sun rise tomorrow!”
It took Henry a moment to understand what Mili was asking. His stomach tied itself into a rope knot. He couldn’t bear to disappoint her. Henry swallowed and whispered, “Okay.”
By the time they arrived back at 24 Sprout Street, a plan was in motion. They would meet on the porch before sunrise to walk to the dock. They would bring raincoats in case of bad weather. Mili would make sandwiches.
“See you tomorrow!” called Mili as she went upstairs.
“Can’t wait,” squeaked Henry.
He went inside his apartment and sat down in front of his ship. The only creature that could possibly sail it was an ant. If Mili tried to climb inside, it would crumble into a million pieces. Henry had made a terrible mistake.
