The Double Dabble Surprise
Page 3
“I know, honey. So did I.” Mother hugged Abby close. “Let’s pray about it, okay?”
Abby nodded.
Later, she walked to school by herself. It was a good time to talk to God alone.
After supper, Mrs. Roop sat in the living room with Abby’s parents. They talked for a long time.
Mrs. Roop visited Abby’s room first. She closed the door and sat on the bed. She smelled like roses. “I like your green and yellow wallpaper. It’s lovely.”
Abby felt like a jitterbox.
Mrs. Roop asked questions about Sung Jin and Choon Koo.
“Choon Koo is Jimmy now,” Abby said. Why doesn’t anyone pay attention?
Mrs. Roop asked more questions. They made Abby even more jittery. “How would you like Sung Jin and Choon Koo, uh, Jimmy to be your brothers?”
“What about our sisters?” Abby asked.
“We’ve located them,” she said. “The girls are still in Korea. Your parents will have to file papers again.” She paused. “But the boys are happy here.”
It sounded like a question without a question mark.
Abby wished she was alone in the secret place.
She couldn’t wait for Mrs. Roop to leave.
Bath time. Jimmy was yelling. Ever since the first night in America, Jimmy hated baths. Father gave him one anyway. Jimmy squealed louder and louder.
Maybe he’s scared, thought Abby. She searched for her old plastic duck. She found it in a shoe box in her closet. Knocking on the bathroom door, Abby showed the duck to her father. “Will this help?”
Quickly, the squealing stopped.
After his bath, Jimmy brought the drippy duck to Abby.
“Keep it. It’s yours,” she said.
Jimmy hugged the duck.
Abby wanted to hug him, but she didn’t.
Later, Sung Jin asked Abby if they could visit Stacy’s puppy.
“We’ll go after school tomorrow,” Abby promised.
Sung Jin was grinning. Really grinning.
Abby wondered what it would be like having Sung Jin for a brother. But at bedtime, she prayed for her sisters in Korea.
ELEVEN
“School’s out for Thanksgiving!” shouted Abby on the way to Stacy’s house. She rang the doorbell. Sung Jin waited beside her on the snowy porch.
Soon the door swung wide. Stacy was carrying Sunday Funnies. His little splint looked like a toy.
Sung Jin stroked the puppy. “Better?”
“He’s much better” Stacy said. “Thanks.”
“I had puppy long, long time,” Sung Jin said.
“In Korea?” Stacy asked.
“Before orphanage.” Sung Jin’s eyes looked sad again. “My puppy look like this.”
Abby felt sorry for Sung Jin. Everything he loved was in Korea.
He pulled out the shiny round tag. “I keep this?”
Abby saw the Korean marks on it. “What does it mean?”
“Hang-bok. In English, my puppy’s name mean Happy.”
Stacy smiled. “Just like Sunday Funnies. Good times, happy times.”
Sung Jin giggled. The giggling didn’t bother Abby today. She was glad to see Sung Jin having a good time. They played with Sunday Funnies until time for supper.
Later, after dishes were done, Abby sneaked to her father’s study. She tapped on the door.
Abby held her breath. “I’ve decided something, Daddy.”
“What is it, Abby?” He leaned back in his chair.
“I want us to adopt Sung Jin and Jimmy.” Abby’s eyes filled with happy tears.
“Bless your heart,” her father said. He stood up and kissed Abby’s cheek.
“And . . . I have an idea,” said Abby.
Her father grinned. “What is it?”
“A double dabble Thanksgiving surprise!”
“It is?” he said, playing along.
So, it was settled. Tomorrow, Sung Jin and Jimmy would have a big surprise!
Early Thanksgiving morning, Abby helped Mother shine silver—knives, forks, and spoons. She set out bowls for the boys’ kimchi, and plates for the turkey.
Sung Jin helped Abby with the decorations—pilgrim boys and girls. A pair for each end of the table.
He pointed to the pilgrims. “Who?”
“They’re pilgrims. They came to America long ago. They wanted freedom to worship God.”
Sung Jin looked puzzled. “Worship?”
Abby understood. Sung Jin had never heard the story of the first Thanksgiving.
She drew a picture of pilgrims sailing the ocean in a big boat. “God kept the pilgrims safe when they came to America,” she said. She made the waves swish around her boat.
“After a long winter, the pilgrims had a feast. They shared food with their new friends.” Abby drew a long table with stick figures sitting with folded hands. “Here’s how they worshipped God on the first Thanksgiving. They said thank you in a prayer.”
Sung Jin’s eyes grew wide. “I learn new things in America.”
“I’m learning new things, too,” Abby said. About me, she thought.
Mother came over to the table and looked at the drawings.
Sung Jin touched the pilgrim girl. “Abby, best sister. She tell first Thanksgiving story.”
Abby felt warm inside.
Carly and Jimmy came in just then.
“The Cul-de-sac Kids are outside. They want to see Jimmy and Sung,” Carly said.
Abby and Sung put on their jackets and hurried outdoors.
Dunkum bounced his ball on the snowpacked porch. Jason slid around trying to steal the ball.
Stacy stomped the snow off her feet. Sunday Funnies limped on his splint. Stacy picked him up and cuddled him.
Eric pulled Dee Dee on his sled. “Happy turkey day,” he called.
Sung turned to look at Abby. There was a question in his dark eyes. “Turkey day?”
“Some people call it that because we eat turkey,” Abby explained. “But the most important thing is to give thanks to God.”
Eric pulled the sled up the driveway. He handed a bag of sweet tarts to Abby. “These are from my grandpa, for after dinner.”
“Where’s mine?” Jason asked, licking his lips.
“No snitching,” Dee Dee hollered.
Jason groaned and rolled his eyes.
Dee Dee’s nose wrinkled up at him.
Mother peeked out just then. “Family meeting time.”
“Goody,” Carly shouted.
Abby hoped the meeting was about adopting the boys. She couldn’t wait to give them her big surprise!
TWELVE
Abby sat next to her father in the living room.
“Something important has happened,” he began. “We are going to adopt Sung Jin and Choon Koo.”
Abby clapped her hands. “Yip-p-e-ee!” she shouted.
Jimmy and Carly jumped up and down.
“We stay here?” Sung Jin asked.
“You certainly do,” Father said. “We are very proud to adopt such fine boys.”
Abby glanced at her mother. She was smiling, too.
“Sung Jin needs an American name,” Mother said holding the family Bible. “We like the name Shawn.”
Abby did too. It sounded something like Sung.
Mother wrote his new name in the Bible.
Jimmy leaped off his chair. “I am Jimmy. Yes?”
Mother laughed.
Father set Jimmy on his knee. “You are Jimmy Hunter.”
Abby couldn’t imagine any other name for him. She couldn’t even imagine having more sisters. Not now.
“Bows come down,” Jimmy said.
Father looked puzzled. “What does he mean?”
Abby knew. “He means the bows on their bedroom curtains.”
“Yes,” said Jimmy. “All girl things come down.”
Mother nodded. “All frills must go. You and Sung, er . . . Shawn can help us change your room to look like a boy’s room.”
Jimmy da
nced a jig.
Shawn tossed his silver dog tag in the air. “Yes!”
Abby went to get the camera. Her father took pictures of all the kids.
“There’s a surprise for you,” Abby whispered to Shawn.
“Surprise?” Shawn’s dark eyes sparkled.
“After dinner.”
At the table, Father said to join hands. Everyone bowed heads for a Thanksgiving prayer.
When Amen was said, Shawn spoke up. “I say thank you to God for new family. Big thank you.”
Abby smiled at him across the table.
After dinner, Abby met her father in his study. “Are we ready for the you-know-what?”
He hugged her. “It’s just the right time.”
Abby called Shawn. She led him to Carly’s room. She slid the skinny door open to the secret place. She held her breath.
There was a fluffy puppy wagging its flouncy tail!
Shawn’s eyes shone. He sat on the floor and the puppy jumped all over him. He laughed so hard he fell backwards. The puppy stood on his chest and licked his face.
Carly and Jimmy came running. The puppy yipped at them.
“Goody!” said Carly. “Is she ours?”
“We adopted her,” said Abby. “But mostly she’s Shawn’s.”
“A good surprise,” said Shawn, giggling.
“I can think of two more good surprises.” First she looked at Jimmy, then at Shawn. “A double dabble surprise,” said Abby.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Beverly Lewis remembers waiting for the mail as a kid. She wrote lots of letters to pen pals and other friends. (Still does!)
Beverly and her younger sister, Barbara, had lots of fun with their neighborhood friends. They made “Mushy Goo-Goo”—a secret recipe that included a little water and lots of dirt. They dressed their cats in doll clothes. They hitched up Maxie, their Eskimo Spitz, to a sled and went to the store in a blizzard.
They even had a carnival to raise money for a Jerry’s Kids Telethon. And ended up in the newspaper, and later got to be on TV!
If you like books that tickle your funny bone, look for Beverly’s next books in the Cul-de-sac Kids series.
Visit Beverly’s Web site at www.BeverlyLewis.com.
THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES
Don’t miss #2
CHICKEN POX PANIC
Abby Hunter is planning a birthday cake her brother will never forget. Will she be able to keep it a secret from him? Or will her little sister's big mouth get in the way?
As the party day nears, Abby’s best friend, Stacy Henry, needs help solving a mystery. Abby goes broke playing detective. How will she buy the birthday stuff now?
Then, three days before Shawn’s party, he breaks out with chicken pox! Abby’s in a panic. One by one, the rest of the Cul-de-sac Kids come down with the itchy gitchy pox. What could be worse?
Also by Beverly Lewis
Amish Prayers
The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook
GIRLS ONLY (GO!)†
Youth Fiction
Girls Only! Volume One • Girls Only! Volume Two
SUMMERHILL SECRETS‡
Youth Fiction
SummerHill Secrets: Volume One • SummerHill Secrets: Volume Two
HOLLY’S HEART
Youth Fiction
Holly’s Heart: Collection One‡ • Holly’s Heart: Collection Two‡
Holly’s Heart: Collection Three†
SEASONS OF GRACE
Adult Fiction
The Secret • The Missing • The Telling
ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS
Adult Fiction
The Covenant • The Betrayal • The Sacrifice
The Prodigal • The Revelation
ANNIE’S PEOPLE
Adult Fiction
The Preacher’s Daughter • The Englisher • The Brethren
THE ROSE TRILOGY
Adult Fiction
The Thorn • The Judgment
COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER
Adult Fiction
The Parting • The Forbidden • The Longing
THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
Adult Fiction
The Shunning • The Confession • The Reckoning
OTHER ADULT FICTION
The Postcard • The Crossroad • The Redemption of Sarah Cain
October Song • Sanctuary (with David Lewis) • The Sunroom
www.BeverlyLewis.com
†4 books in each volume ‡5 books in each volume
From Bethany House Publishers
Fiction for Young Readers
(ages 7-10)
AstroKids ™
by Robert Elmer
Space scooters? Floating robots? Jupiter ice cream? Blast into the future for out-of-this-world, zero-gravity fun with the AstroKids on space station CLEO-7.
THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS
by Beverly Lewis
Each story in this lighthearted series features the hilarious antics and predicaments of nine endearing boys and girls who live on Blossom Hill Lane.
JANETTE OKE’S ANIMAL FRIENDS
by Janette Oke
Endearing creatures from the farm, forest, and zoo discover their place in God’s world through various struggles, mishaps, and adventures.