Amazingly her new ball didn’t get lost in the long grass, but once it did land in the chicken pen. Sophie had to shoo away the hens and rescue it quickly before they pecked it to bits.
“Got to go now, kiddo,” Henri said. “Got a baseball practice with the guys down at the park before supper.”
Sophie went around to the front of the house where she could practise bouncing her ball on the concrete landing at the bottom of the porch steps. She marvelled at how well it bounced.
“Bet it could bounce right over the roof,” she said to herself. She threw her ball onto on the landing really hard and, sure enough, it bounced onto the roof. Sophie heard it land, then roll down the shingles. She ran to the edge of the house to catch it, but it stopped. Craning her neck, she still couldn’t see it. It must have gotten caught in the eaves trough. It was her brand-new ball and she’d already lost it!
Sophie knew if she went in and told Maman she would get no sympathy whatsoever. But what about the ladder Maman had used to rescue Zephram from the cherry tree? She could use that to rescue her ball.
The ladder was in the backyard leaning against the wall beside the chicken pen. Sophie dragged it around to the front of the house and placed it against the clapboards. It didn’t quite reach the eaves, but once she was at the top of the ladder, she was sure she could stretch up and grab her new ball out of the trough. A Star Girl rescue!
Up the ladder she clambered. It got wobblier and wobblier the higher she went, but she kept going right to the top. Hanging on to the house, she cautiously stood on the top rung and tried not to shake. She had to stand on tiptoe to reach the eaves trough. She couldn’t see inside, but she could feel around with her fingers. It was filled with slimy leaves and twigs. Yuck! But her ball must be there. She couldn’t lose it on the very first day it arrived.
She grasped the eaves trough with one hand and, with the other, felt along as far as she could reach. Yes! There was something round and hard. It must be her ball. In her excitement she kicked at the ladder, which came away from the house and fell over with a loud clatter. She grabbed the edge of the roof and held on for all she was worth. She was stranded!
Sophie squealed and swung her legs in the air. Her foot touched the drain pipe, so she wrapped one leg around it. It didn’t feel very steady, but she prayed that it was strong enough to hold her.
She heard Maman and Grand’marnan coming out to the front door to see Madame Coté off. “Help!” Sophie cried.
“You must come and visit again very soon,” Maman was saying to Madame Coté.
Sophie couldn’t hold on much longer. “Maman!” she spluttered. “Help me! Help!”
Maman scrambled down the steps with Grand’mamnan and Madame Coté behind her. They all turned their faces up and stared at the roof.
“Sophie!” Maman exclaimed. “Oh my, Sophie! What in the world are you doing way up there!”
“M-my new ball!” Sophie wailed. “Hurry! I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”
“Hang on tight!” Maman said. “I’ll come up and get you.” Grand’mamnan and Madame Coté helped her pick up the ladder and lean it against the house.
“You climb up and we’ll hold the ladder steady for you,” Madame Coté said.
“Hurry, Maman,” Sophie muttered. She clung to the edge of the roof, digging her fingernails into the shingles.
Maman scrambled up the ladder. “Let yourself down now,” she urged.
Sophie pulled her leg away from the drain pipe and, with her toes, cautiously felt her way to the top rung of the ladder. Maman was holding on to her back, so she let go of the roof and stepped down.
“There. I’ve got you,” Maman murmured.
Sophie’s fingers were numb and her legs trembled, but she managed to climb down after Maman. When they got to the ground, her mother shook her head and sighed heavily. “Sophie Marie Rita LaGrange! I just don’t know what I’m going to do with you. I’ve never known a girl who got into so much trouble.”
Sophie hung her head. Her knees were really shaky, but the solid ground felt safe. How could Star Girl be so strong and agile and never get into any kind of trouble? She surely had a long way to go before she could be anything like her. But at least she had rescued her Star Girl Super Bounce Ball. She slipped it into her pocket and squeezed it tightly.
9
As the weeks of fall passed, Sophie grew to love her new school. She especially enjoyed working with the grade sixes in science. Sister Blanche was really keen about animals, so they did a long study unit about frogs, toads, and other amphibians. Sophie brought her collection of pet frogs to school where, with some turtles, they lived happily at the back of the classroom in a big aquarium filled with mossy branches and rocks.
She had caught another frog in the ravine, and Monsieur Croak looked so happy to see the new frog that Sophie thought they must be related, maybe even brothers. They surely looked a lot alike with their flapping mouths and the dark brown stripe that extended from their nostrils, through their eyes, and down to their armpits. She decided to call the second frog Monsieur Croak Two. She and Ronnie looked in Sister Blanche’s Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians and found out that they were Pacific tree frogs.
Almost every day Sophie and Ronnie brought in fresh moss and tender leaves that they gathered from the woods behind the church or down in the ravine for the frog habitat. They often saw the small round prints of deer hoofs near the creek, and sometimes they even caught a glimpse of a deer or two, melting away into the underbrush.
One day Sister Blanche announced they would be starting a new unit in science. “We’ll be studying electricity and you’ll be building electric motors,” she told the class.
Sophie grinned. That sounded like fun.
“We’ll need the back tables for our experiments,” Sister Blanche said, “so that means we’ll have to find a new home for our frogs and turtles.” She looked at Sophie. “Does anyone have any ideas?”
Sophie put up her hand. “We could move them to the ravine. That would be a great place for them.” She knew Maman wouldn’t welcome them back home.
Sister Blanche nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
After school Sophie and Ronnie, and his little sister Melissa, put the frogs and turtles into jars and carried them to the ravine. It was a warm, sunny day, although it was already November. It smelled damp and woodsy near the creek. The water wasn’t as high as it had been earlier in the fall, so it was easy to get across on the stepping stones. Even Melissa made it across without getting her feet wet.
On the other side there was a green bush and a large fern. Sophie stopped. “How about here?”
“Looks good to me,” Ronnie said. They opened the jars and put them on the ground under the fern. The frogs hopped out and were soon lost in the bushes.
“Goodbye, Hoppy,” Melissa said.
“Goodbye, Monsieur Croak and Monsieur Croak Two,” Sophie said. A sadness passed over her. “I’ll try to come and visit you every day,” she whispered.
The turtles took longer to waddle out of the jars, but soon they, too, had vanished into the underbrush.
“Don’t you think they might be cold and lonely here all by themselves?” Melissa asked.
“They’ll love it here,” Sophie said, trying to reassure herself as much as Melissa. “I know if I were a frog or a turtle the ravine is exactly where I’d like to live.”
Ronnie nodded and they silently followed him up the steep trail and out of the ravine.
The rainy weeks went by quickly. Sophie kept waiting for winter to arrive, but that year it snowed only a couple of times and the snow didn’t last long enough to go sledding or even to build a snowman. Sophie’s brothers complained that it didn’t even get cold enough to freeze the ponds so they could go skating and play hockey. Papa was happy, though, because he could build roads throughout the winter.
Sophie’s hair finally grew back, and Maman got better at giving the whole family haircuts with her Super Clip Clippers. She
had found an article in a Chatelaine magazine that explained how to cut hair and studied the article carefully before she tried her hair-cutting skills again, this time on a very reluctant Henri.
“Now, we mustn’t rush these things,” she said as Henri settled on the stool. “Put your head down and I’ll start in the back.” She turned on the Super Clip Clippers and slowly cut the hair on the back of his head. Then she consulted the magazine article again and moved to the sides and the top. When she was finally finished, she asked, “Now, Sophie, what do you think?”
“Looks pretty good to me,” Sophie had to admit. “As good as the haircuts he usually gets at Monsieur LeBlanc’s barbershop.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Henri said, brushing stray bits of hair off his freckled nose. He pulled off the towel and then jammed on his baseball cap and made for the back door.
“Be back in time for supper,” Maman called after him.
One Friday in early December, Sophie was helping Arthur with his paper route. She was still trying to save for a bike, but her savings were growing very slowly. When they came to the last delivery at LeBlanc’s, she noticed a sign on Sam’s Theatre next door to the barbershop, announcing Saturday’s matinee: It’s a Long Way Home starring Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger. Also showing was The Stellar Return of Star Girl.
“A Star Girl movie!” Sophie yelped. “I’ve got to see that! That’s tomorrow. And look, Artie, they’re having a talent contest, as well. First prize is twenty-five dollars! If I won that, I’d have enough money to buy that secondhand bike from Cap’s Bicycles.”
“Too bad you haven’t got any talent,” her brother said.
“I could sing.”
“Ha!”
“I could sing and you could play your harmonica! If we won, you could have half the prize.”
“What song do you know?”
“I know lots of songs. What song do you know?”
Arthur shrugged and started wheeling his bike up the hill.
“How about ’Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’?” she yelled at his back. “Everyone likes that one. I heard you playing it on your harmonica the other day and it sounded great.” She sang as she followed him up the hill, shouting out the words in her excitement.
“Okay, okay. You don’t have to screech. I get the picture.” He stopped his bike and looked back at her. “Twenty-five bucks, eh? That would be twelve-fifty each. Not bad for a couple minutes of work.”
“We’d have to practise, though,” she told him.
“But all the kids are going, Maman,” Sophie said at the supper table.
“There are so many rough boys around, Sophie. I don’t want you going to the movies alone.”
Sophie stared at Arthur, who was sitting across the kitchen table from her, mashing a glob of butter into his mound of potatoes. She kicked his knee, but he still didn’t look up. “Arthur said he’d come with me. Right, Arthur?”
He nodded. “Sure, sure. As long as we leave early enough so I can get my newspapers done on time.”
“And I could help you again. So can we go, Maman? Please.”
Maman looked at Papa, who was sitting at the end of the table. He shrugged and nodded slightly.
Sophie knew that meant yes, so she was already grinning when Maman said, “Well, I suppose so. But you have to promise to stay together the whole time.”
Sophie wanted to tell her parents about the talent contest. But what if she and Arthur didn’t win? No one had as strong a voice as she did. And no one could play the harmonica as well as Arthur. They had to win. Still, she decided to keep the talent contest a secret and surprise everyone. She imagined her family’s faces when she and Arthur announced it tomorrow at the supper table.
“First prize in the talent contest! What talented children we have!” they would say, smiling at Sophie and Arthur. They would probably ask for a demonstration and an encore, so Sophie would sing her song and Arthur would play his harmonica. Afterward they would both bow and everyone would clap and cheer as if she and Arthur were heroes.
10
“Restes tranquille!” Grand’maman grouched that night when Sophie tossed and turned in the big bed they shared.
“I’m trying.” But she was so excited about seeing a Star Girl movie the next day and about singing in the talent contest that it was really hard to be still and fall asleep. Her insides were all jumbled up. “Oh, you better watch out...” kept going around and around inside her head. Morning would never come.
When Sophie awoke, Grand’maman had already gotten up and left for early Mass at the church. Sophie bounded out of bed, pulled on her favourite plaid skirt and blue sweater, and rushed into the kitchen. Morning sunshine streamed in the window over the sink as Maman and Papa ate breakfast with Zephram. No one else was up.
“Where’s Arthur?” Sophie asked. “He should be up. We have to practise...er...get ready to go.”
“Go where?” Papa asked, sipping his coffee.
“You know. The matinee at Sam’s.”
“It’s not even nine o’clock yet, Sophie,” Maman said. “The movie doesn’t start until one o’clock this afternoon. Come and have some breakfast now. Papa, Zephram, and I are going shopping at the farmers’ market in New Westminster this morning, but Grand’maman will be home soon if you need anything.”
A few minutes later Arthur stumbled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses, and Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. Now all they had to do was practise.
Before they left, Papa gave Sophie and Arthur each a shiny quarter. “Here’s your allowance,” he told them.
“And don’t forget to stay with Arthur at the theatre the whole time,” Maman said, looking meaningfully at Sophie.
“Okay, Maman. See you this afternoon.” This afternoon when she and Arthur would be heroes, she thought. Rich heroes.
When their parents left, Sophie said, “Shouldn’t we have a practice now, Artie?”
“Sure, but I have to fix that flat on my bike first.”
But soon it was after twelve o’clock and they had to leave. On the way down the hill to Sam’s Theatre, Arthur pulled his harmonica out of his back pocket and, pushing his bike with one hand, played the harmonica with the other.
Sophie sang along. “Oh, you better watch out...” They practised all the way down the hill, each having a little solo, then harmonizing. Sophie made up some actions to go along with the song and even tried a few dance steps. Her voice was strong and clear, echoing between the houses all the way down the lane. They sounded great!
“We’ll win that talent contest for sure,” she said, picturing her new bike. Maybe after they won this talent show, they could enter other talent shows and she’d win enough money to buy a brand-new bike! She’d get that blue one she’d seen at Cap’s, the one with the shiny silver fenders, loud bell, and fat balloon tires like Elizabeth’s. Why hadn’t she thought of this before?
They joined the long, noisy lineup in front of Sam’s Theatre. The lineup was all kids, not one adult in sight. When Sophie noticed a bunch of rough-looking boys horsing around, she nervously moved closer to her brother.
“One child please,” she said when they finally got to the ticket booth.
“Fifteen cents,” the lady said. She was wearing thick pink lipstick that perfectly matched her pink sweater. Sophie wondered if she got the lipstick to match the sweater or the sweater to match the lipstick.
In the lobby a notice announced the talent contest would take place during intermission and anyone who wanted to enter had to sign up at the counter before the first movie began.
Sophie tugged on Arthur’s shirt and pointed at the notice.
“Right,” he said, then went to buy popcorn.
Sophie sighed and went to sign up alone. “We want to enter the talent contest,” she told the man at the counter behind the notice.
He peered at her above his glasses. “What’s your name? What’s your talent?”
“Sophie LaGrange and my brother, Arthur LaG
range. I’m going to sing and my brother’s going to play his harmonica.”
“Harmonica player, eh? Good, good. Now where do you two come from?”
“We moved here last spring from Montreal.”
“All the way from Montreal! So you’re a couple of French kids, eh? My, my! The contest will happen during intermission after our Star Girl feature. Come down to the stage then.”
Sophie found Arthur still in the popcorn lineup. Finally he got a brown paper bag overflowing with buttered popcorn and led the way into the back of the theatre. They found two seats near the aisle. The theatre was hot and stuffy and smelled like stale popcorn, but the seats were purple velvet and swung up and down. Soon the lights dimmed and the first movie started.
Sophie fidgeted with excitement. Star Girl in action! Star Girl, her favourite superhero in the whole world. And there she was, flying across the screen, her cape fluttering in the wind. Sophie clapped and cheered with the rest of the audience. Star Girl was so strong and fast and brave. Sophie wriggled in her seat. Everything was so exciting: the movie, the talent show. Maybe even a new bike!
Finally “The End” flashed across the screen and the movie was over. The audience clapped and whistled and cheered. Once again Star Girl had made the world safe for everyone.
The woman with the bright pink lips and sweater came onstage and announced into a microphone, “All the boys and girls who signed up for the talent contest, please come backstage now. We’ll be starting in two minutes.”
“That’s us, Artie. Let’s go.” Sophie tried to ignore the butterfies in her stomach and led the way down the aisle to the door beside the stage.
They walked up a set of narrow stairs and joined a bunch of other kids in a small stuffy area behind the long velvet curtains. Everyone was gathered around the woman with the bright pink sweater. Her lips looked thicker and pinker than ever.
“Now, boys and girls, pick a number from my box,” she said. “You are to go out onstage when your number is called.”
Criss Cross, Double Cross Page 7
