Katy knew that the children who came to live with Miss Albrecht in Schellberg at a social worker’s insistence weren’t “just fine.” They’d either been neglected or mistreated and desperately needed someone to care for them. She couldn’t imagine why Jewel would be taken from her home if things were safe for her, but she sensed it was better not to explore the reasons.
“What about your dad?”
Jewel’s eyes scrunched. “What about him?”
“Do you miss him too?”
Jewel crossed her arms over her chest and stared across the yard. “Don’t know him. He was outta my life before I was born.”
Katy flinched. She knew how it felt not to know a parent. She hadn’t had a chance to get to know her mother. Not really. She touched Jewel’s arm. “I’m sorry, Jewel. It must be hard for you to be away from your mom—especially since she’s all you’ve got.”
Jewel stared at Katy for a moment as if confused. Then she shrugged, and her expression hardened. “Yeah, well, I’ll survive.” She rolled her eyes again. “If I can live with the Nuss nuts, I can survive anything.” She yawned. “Man, I’d love to skip out today and just sleep the day away…” Suddenly she grabbed Katy’s arm and pulled her behind the tall cedar trees that grew on either side of the school’s doors. She leaned close, her eyes snapping. “Kathleen, wanna have some fun?”
Katy licked her lips, nervous. “Like what?”
“Like taking off. Goin’ somewhere. We could take a city bus or a taxi to my mom’s place. She’s always got good snacks in the cupboard—not the healthy stuff Mrs. Nuss keeps in the house.” Jewel made a face, and then she waggled her eyebrows. “It’d be great. A day of no school, no rules, just hangin’ out and doin’ what we want to. How ’bout it?”
Katy’s stomach turned a funny flip-flop. Choose wisely, my Katy. “I don’t know, Jewel…”
Jewel huffed. “Come on! Do you always have to be so perfect?”
Do you always have to be so weird? Annika’s barb flashed through Katy’s mind. “I’m not perfect…and I’m not weird!”
“All right then.” Jewel tossed her backpack against the brick wall, well behind the bushes. “Put your stuff there and let’s go. We’ll be back before the end-of-the-day buzzer so you can catch the bus home.”
“But won’t we get in trouble?” The school’s rule book said kids needed permission from a parent to miss school. She knew Dad wouldn’t give her permission to run off with Jewel.
Jewel rolled her eyes and released another mighty huff. “C’mon, Kathleen. Think about it. An entire day of freedom.”
Katy thought about the Amish rumspringa—the chance to explore. Surely one day wouldn’t hurt anything.
Suddenly Jewel let out a mighty sigh. She folded her arms over her chest and gave her squinty-eye look. “I should’ve known you’d be too much of a goody-goody to do anything fun. Little Miss Perfect…”
The mocking tone was Katy’s undoing. She stomped her foot. “I can too have fun. Let’s go.” She dropped her backpack next to Jewel’s.
Jewel’s face broke into a huge smile. “Really?”
“As long as we’re back in time for me to catch the bus home.” Katy conscience pricked, but she pushed the feeling aside. Jewel needed the company or she wouldn’t have invited Katy to come along. She was doing Jewel a favor.
“Great!” Jewel grabbed Katy’s arm and herded her toward the far corner of the parking lot. “We’re outta here!”
“Thanks, mister.” Jewel tossed a ten dollar bill over the seat at the taxi driver then climbed out of the car’s backseat. Katy followed and stood at the curb, looking around at the neighborhood. Trepidation made her pulse race. The houses were small and sad looking with peeling paint, broken windows, or trash-strewn yards. Sometimes all three.
Jewel bounded onto the cracked sidewalk and looked back at Katy. “Well, come on.”
Katy hesitated. “What is this place?”
Jewel laughed, but it sounded brittle. “This is home, girlfriend.”
Katy swallowed. Jewel preferred this over Shelby’s neat house and well-kept lawn? Across the street, a dog started to bark and someone hollered at it to shut up. The dog yelped and then fell silent.
Jewel plunked her fist on her hip. “You gonna stand there all day, or are you comin’ in?”
Katy stepped onto the sidewalk. “Which one is yours?”
Jewel charged across a yard of hard-packed dirt with forlorn tufts of dried grass poking up here and there. “This one.” She kicked a beer can out of the way and hopped onto the cement square that served as a porch. “Hope Mom left the door unlocked.” She twisted the doorknob, but the door didn’t budge. “Locked. Figures.” She smacked the door with her palm and then shrugged. “Oh, well. We can get in through the bathroom window. C’mon.”
Katy trailed Jewel to the back of the house. Jewel stood on a cinder block and wiggled a window until it screeched upward. “Give me a boost.” Automatically, Katy grabbed Jewel’s foot, and Jewel pushed off. She fell through the open window then called from inside, “Go to the back door—I’ll let you in.”
Katy considered returning to the curb and flagging down a taxi. But how would she pay for it? Gramma Ruthie’s admonition—Choose wisely—ran through her mind. She wished she’d listened to it earlier instead of giving in to Jewel. But now it was too late.
“Kathleen! Where are you?” Jewel sounded aggravated.
Katy trotted around to the back of the house. Jewel held a door open. She gestured for Katy to come in, and a big grin lit her face. “Just like I said—nobody here. We’ve got the place to ourselves.”
An unpleasant odor attacked Katy’s nose as she stepped over the threshold. She fought the urge to hold her nose. Dirty dishes with spoiling food littered the countertops, and a trash can in the corner overflowed onto the floor.
Jewel stepped past the mess and started flinging open cabinet doors. “Aw, c’mon, Mom, I know you’ve got something good somewhere. She always keeps, like, Twinkies or Doritos on hand…Yeah!” Jewel spun around with a half-empty bag of cheese curls in her hand. “Perfect!”
Katy wrinkled her nose. Cheese curls this early in the morning? Besides, the smell killed any appetite she might have had. But she followed Jewel into a dark, cluttered living room. Jewel threw herself onto the couch and picked up a small box from a scarred end table. “Sit down, Kathleen.” She pointed the little box at the television set and pushed a button. The television blared to life.
Katy backed up quickly and stopped in the doorway. From where she stood, she couldn’t see the television screen. If she took even one step forward, the picture would be in her line of vision. Her toes twitched inside her sneakers. This was her rumspringa—should she take a peek? Just to see what she was missing?
She tipped her head and listened. She heard some kind of loud argument between a man and a woman, both of whom were using language that made Katy cringe. She inched backward. Maybe listening would be rumspringa enough.
Jewel patted the sofa and opened the bag in her hand. “C’mon, Kathleen. Have some cheese curls and chill out.”
“I—I better not.”
“You gonna stand there all day? ’Cause the point of skipping school was to relax, right? You can’t relax standing up.”
“I know, but…” Katy flipped her hand toward the television.
Jewel stared at Katy. “Are you really serious about that not watching TV stuff?”
Katy nodded.
“Well, okay then. Suit yourself.” Jewel popped a cheese curl in her mouth. “I guess you can go sit in the kitchen. Snoop around for something else to eat, if you want.” She wiggled into the sagging couch cushions and aimed her gaze at the television screen.
With a sigh, Katy returned to the kitchen. She pulled out a vinyl-backed chair and sat. The nauseating smells made her stomach churn. Seeing the television had to be better than sitting here, breathing in the awful odor of spoiled food. She rose to join Jewel, but just then the
back door slammed open and a man stepped into the kitchen. Lank hair straggled over his ears, and dark whiskers dotted his face. He wore a stretched out T-shirt that didn’t quite cover his belly. He looked frightening. Although she wanted to flee, she froze in place as the man locked gazes with her.
He dropped a bulging plastic bag onto the closest counter, kicked the door shut, and hitched up his blue jeans. “Who’re you? And how’d you get in here?”
Katy stared at the man, unable to answer.
He stomped forward three steps. “I asked you a question, girl.” Then he looked toward the doorway that led to the living room. “You alone here?”
Katy shook her head wildly. Her ribbons slapped against her neck. “I—I’m here with Jewel.”
“Jewel?” The man scratched his chin. “That so…?” He ambled through the doorway, and Katy followed him. Jewel glanced over at the man, and her face went white. She sat straight up. The man leaned forward and slapped a button on the TV. Silence fell. Placing his hands on his hips, he grinned at Jewel. “Well if my little Jewelly didn’t come home. C’mere, darlin’, an’ give me a big ol’ hug.”
Jewel stood, but she didn’t move toward the man. Her expression turned sullen. “I’m not your ‘little Jewelly,’ and I’m not giving you a hug. Why’re you here, anyway?”
The man laughed. “I live here, darlin’, or did you forget?”
Jewel’s jaw dropped. “Y-you live here? But Mom said she kicked you out! She said she had to or she couldn’t get me back!”
“Aw, now, Jewel, you know your mom says lots of things…” He poked his thumb toward Katy. “So how’d you get hooked up with this little nun?”
“She’s not a nun,” Jewel snapped, “she’s Mennonite. And you leave her alone.”
The man gave Katy a head-to-toes-and-up-again look. “I’m not botherin’ her.” Then he swung toward Jewel again. “But why’re you here? That social worker let you go?”
“I came to see Mom.” Jewel tossed the bag of cheese curls aside. The contents bounced across the couch seat. She skittered past the man, her narrowed gaze pinned to him and her lips set in a grim line. She pushed Katy toward the back door. “C’mon, Kathleen. Let’s go.”
Katy didn’t hesitate. The girls hurried outside with the man following them. He held the back door open and called after them, “You don’t hafta leave, Jewel. Your mom’ll be back soon—don’t ya wanna stay and see her?”
“No, thanks!” Jewel escorted Katy around the house to the sidewalk. She kept glancing back, her breath coming in little puffs. She didn’t slow down until they reached the corner. “Okay,” she said, looking left and right before pulling Katy across the street. “There’s a park a few blocks over. We can hang out there until this afternoon. Then we’ll go back to school.”
Katy had to trot to keep up with Jewel. The morning air was cool, and she shivered in spite of her sweater. “Who was that man?”
Jewel grunted. “His name’s Hugo. He’s my mom’s…boyfriend.” Her steps slowed. “I can’t believe he’s living there. When Mom came to see me last week, she promised—” Jewel stopped abruptly. She balled her hands into fists and glared straight ahead. “I shouldn’t’ve believed her. I should’ve known, but I hoped…”
To Katy’s surprise, Jewel burst into tears.
Chapter Sixteen
As abruptly as Jewel started to cry, she stopped. Katy had never seen anyone grab control so quickly. Jewel pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets, took one shuddering breath, then whisked the tears away.
“Let’s get to that park before Hugo decides to come after us. He’s not exactly predictable.” She grabbed Katy’s arm and dragged her along.
Katy stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk, but Jewel didn’t slow her pace. They reached a rundown park with a few swings, a warped teeter-totter, and a rusty jungle gym in the middle of a square plot of grassless ground. Jewel ducked under the jungle gym and sat, leaning against one of the metal support bars. Katy didn’t want to sit in the dirt, but she decided it would be best to stay near Jewel. So she perched on a climbing rung and folded her hands in her lap. The chill from the iron bar seeped through her skirt and made her shiver. She hunched further into her sweater.
Jewel looked at Katy and laughed. “You look like a little old lady there.” She snorted. “Your clothes…honestly, call the fashion police! Too bad we couldn’t stay at my house. Would’ve been fun to dig out some of my stuff and dress you. You’re actually kind of pretty, even though you hide it with that whacked-out hat and granny dress.”
Had Jewel paid her a compliment? “Thanks…” She criss-crossed her sweater over her body as a cool breeze whisked past. “Are we going to stay here all day?”
Jewel made a face. “I know. It’s not what I planned. But Hugo…” She expelled a puff of breath. “I can’t stand that guy.”
Katy understood. Her few minutes with Hugo had left her feeling as though bugs crawled under her skin.
“Know what really ticks me off?” Jewel’s tone turned hard and her eyes narrowed to slits. “Mom knows I can’t come home until he’s out. Him and me…he…We can’t be under the same roof. The social worker told Mom, ‘Get him out and we can send Jewel home.’ But she lets him stay.” Jewel gritted her teeth. She turned to stare across the park. “How would you feel if your mom chose something like him over you?”
Katy shifted. The iron bar dug into her skin, making her legs tingle. She drew in a breath and whispered, “I know how it feels. My mom…” She gulped. “My mom left my dad and me. She left me behind.”
Jewel shot Katy a startled glance. “Huh?” Then she waved her hand. “Your mom died. That’s not the same thing. She didn’t choose death.”
Katy shook her head and slipped off the bar to sit on the ground. She looked into Jewel’s face. “My mom died four years after she left my dad and me. So she chose something…or someone…over me. I just don’t know what.”
“You’re kidding.” Jewel bent her legs and rested her elbows on her knees. “She just took off one day? Wow…”
Katy nodded. A lump in her throat kept her from saying anything else. For several minutes she and Jewel sat without speaking. Then suddenly Jewel lunged to her feet. She held out her hand. “C’mon, Kathleen. It’s no fun sitting out here. And I’m getting cold. I left my jacket at the house when Hugo surprised me. We might as well go back to school.”
Katy allowed Jewel to pull her up, then she brushed off the seat of her skirt. “Will we walk back?”
“Nah, I’ve got money for a taxi.” Jewel flashed a grin. “Mrs. Nuss needs to quit leaving her purse open on the table. Makes it too easy for me to help myself.”
Katy gawked at Jewel. How could the girl smile while admitting she stole from Shelby’s mother?
“Oh, don’t look so shocked, Miss Goody-goody.” Jewel sauntered down the sidewalk and Katy trotted along beside her. “I learned a long time ago nobody gives you anything. You have to take while the taking is good or you end up with nothin’.”
The tender moments of shared understanding with Jewel disappeared. Katy clamped her lips shut and chose not to argue. Biblical admonitions cluttered her mind, but she suspected Jewel would just roll her eyes at anything she said. Besides, how could she preach to Jewel about right and wrong when she’d just knowingly left school without permission? The reality of her choices slammed down on her.
They walked several blocks before Jewel flagged down a taxi, and the driver delivered them back to school. Jewel darted behind the bushes and emerged with both backpacks. Katy took her bag and slipped her arms through the straps while Jewel flung her bag over one shoulder and stood with her weight on one hip, staring across the schoolyard with a bored expression on her face. For some reason, even though they were in the same grade, Katy felt years younger than Jewel. Jewel possessed an arrogant confidence that aged her. The realization made Katy uncomfortable. She started toward the doors, but Jewel caught hold of her bag and pulled her back.
“So we’re going to sneak in?”
Jewel rolled her eyes. “Duh.”
Being sneaky was the same as lying—and didn’t the Bible teach that deceitfulness always led to trouble? Katy’s sins were multiplying. But she stayed with Jewel and waited until the bell rang.
“C’mon.” Jewel inched forward, peering furtively through the glass doors. When the hallway was congested with students, she darted forward, opened the door, and sauntered in to join the crowd. Katy followed, her ears burning and her legs quivering. They entered the cafeteria and got in line for a tray. Jewel flashed Katy a grin. “See? Piece o’ cake…”
Just as the girls turned with their trays to find a table, Shelby dashed up to them. “Jewel! Here you are. Did Dad find you?”
Jewel scowled. “Whaddaya mean?” She moved toward the nearest table.
Shelby followed with Katy close on her heels. “When you didn’t show up this morning, I went to the office and called Dad. I thought maybe you’d gotten sick or something.”
Jewel slammed down her tray and glared at Shelby. “You did what?”
“I called Dad,” Shelby repeated. She flicked a glance at Katy then faced Jewel again. “I thought maybe you’d gotten sick. But he said he’d dropped you off at school. Where’ve you been?”
Jewel plunked her backpack into a chair and released a loud huff. “Honestly, Shelby, can’t you stay out of my business? I don’t need you checking up on me. I don’t need you snitching on me.” Jewel whirled and stormed away.
Shelby looked at Katy. “I didn’t mean to tattle on her. I honestly was worried.”
Katy nodded. “I know. She had a hard morning. We went to her mom’s place and—”
“You went to her mom’s place?” Shelby stared at Katy with wide eyes.
“Uh-huh.” Katy fiddled with the ribbon on her cap. “She—um, she asked me to spend the day with her, and I—well, I kinda thought she needed someone to be with her.” Surely Shelby would see through that lame excuse! She hurried on. “But there was some man there—Hugo.” Katy shuddered, remembering the uncomfortable feeling that crept over her when Hugo came into the house. “We left right away.”
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