Katy's New World

by Kim Vogel Sawyer

“You’re welcome.” He patted her arm and then pointed to her plate. “Now finish eating so we can get you to the bus on time.”

  Katy could hardly wait to tell Shelby she might be able to start attending the Bible study group. She met up with Shelby in the hall on the way to their first class, but before she could say anything, Shelby grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

  “Kathleen, can you keep a secret?”

  Katy nodded.

  Shelby steered her from the middle of the milling throng to the edge of the hall. They inched their way toward class. “Jewel’s sixteenth birthday is two weeks away. My family’s planning a surprise party on November six, and you’re invited.”

  Katy stared in amazement. Ever since Shelby had telephoned her dad out of concern for Jewel, Jewel had alternately ignored and sniped at Shelby. There were times Katy wondered how Shelby maintained her sanity, having Jewel living under her roof. “That’s really nice of you.”

  “Well, a girl only turns sixteen once, and we want it to be special. Especially since she won’t be able to spend her birthday with her mom.”

  Despite Jewel’s unpleasant behavior, sympathy still welled when Katy thought about how Jewel’s mother chose to let Hugo stay in her house rather than have Jewel move home again. “I’ll ask my dad if I can come. Your dad will probably have to call him, though.” Even though her punishment was ending, Katy hadn’t yet earned back her dad’s trust. That would take more than two weeks.

  “I’ll have him do that. But remember, Kathleen—don’t mention it to Jewel!”

  Shelby and Katy joined Cora, Bridget, and Trisha at lunch. Shelby filled them in on the plans for Jewel’s party.

  Cora squealed. “Oooh! Fun! Will it be an overnighter?”

  “Will you invite boys?” Bridget asked. “If it’s Jewel’s party, she’ll expect to have boys there.”

  Katy almost giggled. Bridget’s question sounded like something Annika would ask. Annika probably wouldn’t like it if Katy told her she and Bridget had something in common. Annika still resisted any mention of high school and the people Katy spent time with each school day.

  “We’re inviting the youth kids from church,” Shelby said, “girls and boys both. So there’ll be boys.”

  “Not the boys Jewel would want.” Bridget raised one eyebrow. “Are you sure this party is for Jewel, or is it for your family?”

  Katy glanced across the lunchroom and spotted Jewel sitting with a group of kids Cora had tagged “the skaters.” One of the boys draped his arm around Jewel’s neck and whispered something in her ear. She laughed and pushed him away, but her smile never wavered. Katy wondered if Bridget was right. Jewel would probably rather have her friends at her party than Shelby’s friends.

  Shelby puckered her lips for a moment, then she shook her head. “The party is for Jewel—to help her understand that she’s a part of our family now. If everyone who comes includes her and makes her feel welcome, maybe she’ll finally start to settle in with us. You know, really become part of the family.”

  “I hope it works,” Bridget said, but her tone didn’t sound very hopeful.

  “It will.” Shelby picked up a french fry and used it to point at each of the girls in turn. “And all of you will help. You’ll all be there with presents and smiles and complete acceptance no matter how awful she acts. And we all know she can act pretty awful.”

  A mumble of agreement went around the circle of girls. Katy leaned forward. “I’ve never bought a gift for a…” Would the girls be offended? “A worldly person. I don’t think Jewel would like any of the things I’d buy for one of my friends in Schellberg. What should I get?”

  Cora waved her hands. “Oh, oh, Kathleen! If Jewel was Mennonite, what would you get her?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

  Katy raised one shoulder. “Well, sixteen’s a big year. A girl is finished with school by then…usually…and she’s old enough to start attending the community parties with the other unmarried people. Which means she can start accepting the attention of a young man. So on her sixteenth birthday, people get her things for her hope chest.”

  “Hope chest?” Trisha pressed her fingertips to her bodice and looked at her front. “You mean she starts hoping her chest gets bigger?”

  Bridget and Cora squealed with laughter. Shelby smacked Trisha’s wrist. “Be serious.”

  “I am serious,” Trisha said, her eyes wide. “I don’t think they’re ever going to show up!”

  Katy bit her lower lip and looked away. Talking about a person’s attributes wasn’t polite conversation.

  Shelby whacked Trisha again, but she laughed. “I mean it. Knock it off.”

  Trisha sighed. “Okay, okay. Sorry, Kathleen. So what’s a hope chest, anyway?”

  Katy turned back. The girls did appear interested, so she explained, “In our community, when a girl becomes a teenager, she starts learning to keep house and to be a good wife and mother. She usually has a trunk or chest, called a hope chest, where she keeps things she’ll use when she moves into her own home—linens, pretty dishes, quilts…things like that.” Katy’s favorite items in her hope chest were lovely embroidered table runners and dresser scarves, hand-stitched by Gramma Ruthie.

  Cora’s mouth hung open. “That’s totally cool! I want a hope chest!”

  Trisha laughed. “You aren’t Mennonite.”

  “Okay, so I wanna be Mennonite!”

  Trisha laughed again.

  Katy said, “I’m pretty sure anybody can have a hope chest. You don’t have to be Mennonite.”

  “Sweet.” Cora flashed a smile around the table. “I’m gonna ask my mom for a hope chest for my sixteenth.”

  “Good,” Shelby said, shaking her head and grinning at Katy, “but we still haven’t answered Kathleen’s question about what to get Jewel. Let’s help her out, guys.”

  Immediately, the girls began tossing ideas at Katy: jewelry, a beaded cami, funky socks, hair ornaments, CDs…Katy’s head began to spin. Dad wouldn’t let her buy any of those things! She held up both hands to bring an end to the flood of suggestions.

  “I’ll come up with something. Thanks.”

  The remainder of the day, thoughts of Jewel’s upcoming party held Katy’s attention. Would Dad let her go? What should she bring for a gift? Shelby wanted the party to be a way to let Jewel know she had friends and a place of belonging. Even if Dad said she couldn’t attend the party, Katy wanted to give Jewel a special gift.

  On the bus, Katy finally settled on an idea, but she’d need help from Aunt Rebecca. She pressed her forehead to the bus window. She’d finally been given freedom from going to Aunt Rebecca’s shop every day. Did she really want to go there again? Then she thought about Jewel’s face when she’d said, “How would you feel if your mother chose something like him over you?” And she knew she had to ask Dad for one more day with Aunt Rebecca.

  Dad’s eyebrows shot up when Katy climbed into the truck and immediately asked if he would take her to Aunt Rebecca’s. “I thought you were going to do laundry.”

  “I can still do it after supper. Some of that stuff could wait until Saturday.”

  He sat with his hand on the gearshift. “What do you need at Aunt Rebecca’s?”

  Katy sucked in a big breath. She hoped Dad wouldn’t tell her no. “Remember Jewel from school?” Dad frowned. Katy hurried on. “She turns sixteen in two more weeks. I want to make something for her—something special. And I need Aunt Rebecca to help me.”

  “You’re doing this for Jewel?” He sounded worried. And confused.

  “Yes. I’m not going to get into any trouble. I just want to give her a gift that tells her…well, that she’s special.” Katy gave Dad her best imploring look. “She’s had a rough life, Dad. And I just think she needs somebody to be extra nice to her. Besides, didn’t Jesus teach that whatever we do for the least of these, we also do for Him?”

  For a long time Dad sat and looked into Katy’s face, his expression unreadable. Finally he nodded. “All ri
ght, Katy.” He put the truck into gear and turned it around. “I’ll pick you up from Rebecca’s shop after I’ve finished the milking.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” Katy settled back in the seat and smiled. Maybe Dad was starting to trust her again…at least a little bit. Dad pulled up outside Aunt Rebecca’s shop and Katy hopped out. “I’ll see you later!” She skipped across the wooden walkway and entered the shop. “Hi, Aunt Rebecca.”

  “Katy…” Aunt Rebecca paused in cutting off a length of blue floral fabric. “I didn’t know if you were coming in today. I didn’t set aside any work for you.”

  Katy stood on the opposite side of the tall cutting table and rested her fingers on its edge. “I’m not here to work. I came to talk to you about a special project. I want to make a friendship quilt—not a full-sized one, but one that could hang on a wall. Can you help me figure out how much fabric I need and help me choose some pretty patterns?”

  Aunt Rebecca smoothed her ribbons behind her shoulders. “Why certainly, Katy. Do you have a particular color scheme in mind?” She headed toward the shelves that held upright bolts of cloth.

  Katy trailed behind, tapping her chin with her finger. “I think something bold—bright and happy.”

  Aunt Rebecca stopped and pulled out a bolt of sapphire blue fabric with deeper blue squiggles. The pattern reminded Katy of streamers sailing through the air. “Like this?”

  Katy clapped her hands together. “Yes! That’s perfect! It’s cheerful, and it’s jewel-toned!” She giggled even though she knew Aunt Rebecca wouldn’t understand that she’d just made a little joke. “I’ll use the blue, and that yellow, this pink…and that green.” She slipped the bolts from the shelves and stacked them in Aunt Rebecca’s arms. “Will that be enough?”

  “You’ll need a light color to form the center of the block where you’ll do the writing.” Aunt Rebecca bobbed her head toward another shelf. “I suggest white rather than ivory cotton. With these bright colors, ivory will look dirty.”

  Katy retrieved a bolt of white cotton and followed Aunt Rebecca to the cutting table.

  “How many blocks will your quilt have?”

  Katy counted off the girls by flipping her fingers upward—Shelby, Trisha, Cora, Bridget, Jewel, and herself. “Six.”

  Aunt Rebecca frowned at the stack. “Well, then I would suggest either putting one of these fabrics back and making two blocks out of each remaining fabric, or selecting two more colors and making one block of each fabric.”

  Katy looked over at the shelf. After a moment’s thought, she chose orange and purple fabrics. She couldn’t stop smiling. This quilt would be as bold as the girl who would own it!

  Aunt Rebecca punched several numbers into the little calculator that sat on the corner of the table and figured out how much of each fabric Katy would need. Then she sketched a pattern on a piece of graph paper and wrote the instructions for cutting the fabric into pieces to form the blocks. Less than an hour after entering the shop, Katy had everything she needed to begin creating Jewel’s friendship quilt.

  “Thanks so much, Aunt Rebecca,” Katy said. Her time with her aunt this afternoon had been pleasant, and she coupled her thanks with a big smile.

  “You’re welcome. Now,”—she punched in a few more numbers on her calculator—“that all adds up to forty-two dollars and sixty cents, including tax.”

  Katy’s smile faded. She’d become so used to working to earn fabric for dresses, she’d forgotten about paying the bill. “I—I don’t have any money with me.”

  Aunt Rebecca’s brows pulled down. “Well, Katy, I know I usually pay you for your work, but I can’t pay for the past two weeks. That was a part of your punishment.”

  Katy didn’t need the reminder. She nodded miserably.

  Her aunt fingered the edge of the pink fabric. “I tell you what…I’ll put this on a tab, and we’ll let you ‘pay it off’ by working the next few Saturdays. Is that all right?”

  “Oh, thank you!”

  The little bell above the door jingled. Katy turned to see Annika and her sister Taryn enter the shop. Taryn said, “Hello, Mrs. Lambright. We came to choose some fabric to make Dad a couple of shirts.”

  “I’ll be glad to help you, girls,” Aunt Rebecca said. “Let me package up Katy’s friendship quilt fabrics, and then I’ll be right with you.”

  Annika’s lips tipped up in a knowing smile. “A friendship quilt?”

  Katy’s heart turned a somersault in her chest.

  Chapter Nineteen

  An idea—a bold idea—filled Katy’s mind. Depending on how it was accepted, her friendship with Annika would either be strengthened or shattered, but she had to ask.

  “Aunt Rebecca, can Annika and I go in the back room to talk for a minute?”

  Aunt Rebecca’s brows lowered briefly, but she nodded. Katy grabbed Annika’s hand and tugged her through the curtained doorway that led to the workroom. She fluffed the curtain back in place over the door opening and spun to face Annika.

  “I have a really big favor to ask you.”

  Annika folded her arms over her chest. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, asking me for a favor when you’ve practically ignored me since Caleb’s party. But then—” Her expression turned smug—“I guess with your punishment, you really couldn’t spend time with me, could you?”

  Katy stifled a sigh. In Schellberg, everyone knew everybody else’s business. Of course Annika would be aware of the trouble Katy had gotten into at school. She licked her lips. “No, I couldn’t. But…honestly, Annika, you haven’t exactly been seeking me out, either. Not since I started school. And…I miss you.”

  Annika fingered the ribbons on her cap and looked to the side. She shrugged slowly. “Well…I guess I’ve missed you too…sort of.”

  The half-hearted reply didn’t exactly fill Katy with confidence, but she pressed onward anyway, hoping for the best. “I’d like to spend time together again. And I could really use your help with something.”

  Annika scowled. “What?”

  Katy drew in a deep breath. “Two weeks from now, one of the girls from school—her name is Jewel—will turn sixteen.”

  Annika took a step backward. “Is that the same Jewel who…?”

  Katy nodded so hard the ribbons on her cap bounced. She grabbed them and tossed them over her shoulder. “She’s the one. Annika, this girl…her life has been one big mess. I don’t think anyone, ever—not even her own mother—has treated her like she mattered.”

  Annika tipped her head to the side. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Well, remember when you told me I wasn’t telling people about God at my school?” Katy waited for Annika’s nod before proceeding. “I got to thinking about that, and I realized that I had a chance to make a difference. To maybe be a…I don’t know, glimpse of Jesus…to some of the kids there. And Jewel really needs it.”

  Annika moved closer to Katy. “But what does that have to do with me?” Her tone held a hint of impatience.

  “That fabric I just bought is so I can make Jewel a friendship quilt for her birthday. But I only have two weeks, and that isn’t very much time. Would…would you help me?” Katy held her breath.

  For several seconds Annika stood and stared at Katy with her face crunched into a frown. Finally she shook her head. “I don’t know this girl at all…”

  “I know, but you do know me, and I’ll tell her how you helped.” Katy skipped forward and caught Annika’s hands. “Think about it. If a girl she doesn’t even know is willing to help make her birthday special, don’t you think Jewel will start to realize that she is special and worthy of kindness? You could make a real difference in her life, Annika. Will you help me?”

  Annika looked at the ceiling for a moment. Then she looked into Katy’s face. “I still think you’re weird for doing all of this for some girl who got you into trouble, but…okay. I’ll help you.”

  Katy squealed and hugged Annika. “Thank you! I’ll give you the backing piece so you can embr
oider a Bible verse on it. You do such a neat job with embroidering letters.”

  A pleased grin twitched on Annika’s lips. “What verse do you want?”

  “Proverbs seventeen, verse seventeen: ‘A friend loveth at—’”

  “‘—All times,’” Annika finished in a whisper. Her chin began to quiver.

  Concern rose in Katy’s chest. “Annika, what’s wrong?”

  “Oh, Katy…” Annika gulped. “I haven’t loved you at all times.” She choked out a sob. “I’ve been jealous and mean. I’ve been a terrible friend. I’m sorry.”

  Katy grabbed Annika in another hug. “It’s okay. I know my going to school has been hard on you. I know I’ve changed…and that made our friendship change. But you’re still my best friend. You always will be.”

  The girls hugged long and hard. Then Annika pulled back and sniffled. She offered a wobbly smile. “Well, give me that fabric and some floss so I can get busy on Jewel’s verse.”

  Katy smoothed the finished friendship quilt across the foot of her bed and smiled at it. She nudged Annika with her elbow. “It looks good, doesn’t it?”

  Annika ran her finger over Shelby’s name, which was embroidered in bright blue thread in the center of a white square. The thread seemed to glow, offset by the vivid blue fabric that formed a frame around the white center. “It does. I’m glad we got it done in time.” She wiggled her fingers at Katy. “I’ve got calluses from the needle!”

  Katy laughed. “But we did it.” Every evening, the girls had met in Katy’s bedroom to work on the quilt. The quilt had helped mend her and Annika’s friendship in addition to creating a beautiful gift. The nine-inch blocks, set three-by-two, had a rainbow effect. Katy hoped Jewel would appreciate all of the time and effort that had gone into creating the quilt. “And now I better get it packaged.” She pulled a gift bag from under her bed. “Look what Dad let me get to wrap it in.”

  Annika sucked in a startled breath. “Oh, Katy, it’s perfect!” The gift bag boasted a large, arching rainbow studded with tiny rhinestones. “The bag is a gift all by itself. I hope she doesn’t throw it away.”