by Karen Rispin
Ahead of me the singing had stopped. Suddenly the path tipped almost straight up in front of me. I grabbed for a root and began to climb. Muthoni's feet slipped and scrambled in the muddy path above me. Amy's flashlight waved wildly around. She was trying to climb, shine the torch ahead so she could see, and shine it behind for Muthoni and me, all at once. The slippery steep climb went on and on. It got darker and darker.
For a minute I was in pitch black. I grabbed for a branch, missed, and started to slide backwards. Digging in frantically, I caught my balance. Muthoni and Amy didn't know I'd fallen. Amy's flashlight got further and further away. Calling for help was baby stuff, I thought, frowning. I tried to claw my way back to the path. My right foot slipped, and suddenly I was tumbling downhill.
My hand hit a little bush. I caught hold and hung there, panting. More people were coming up the path. It was no use. I'd have to yell. I could feel the bush pulling loose from the dirt. Frantically I called, "Quick, somebody, shine a flashlight!"
There was a circle of light on the path, but it didn't swing toward me. "Shine the light!" I yelled.
"It's Anika. Shine it for her, Sabrina! She's way down the hill," somebody said. It sounded like Kristi.
The bush came loose entirely, and I started sliding. I grabbed wildly and caught a vine. Thorns drove into my hand. I sucked in my breath to keep from yelling and held on.
"Are you OK, Anika?" Kristi yelled, stopping on the path above me. I was too busy holding on to answer.
"Sabrina! Shine it on Anika!" Joan said in a shrill voice. "Mr. James said we were supposed to help each other! We should help even if she is a thief. It's Kristi's money that was stolen and Kristi is helping!"
"Give it!" Kristi's voice said, sounding angry. "What you're doing is stupid!" There was a scuffling sound, and the flashlight waved wildly.
"Get your hands off me, Kristi Askin!" Sabrina said, panting. The flashlight started up the hill. "I'm not wasting my batteries on that thief Anikat! She should have brought her own flashlight," Sabrina yelled, sounding farther and farther away as she climbed on up the path away from me.
Balanced on one foot that had a good grip in the dirt, I stood there in the dark with my heart pounding. My hands hurt, but I didn't dare let go of the thorn vine. Hearing Joan call me a thief again hurt even worse than the thorns. She and Kristi had stood up for me. I couldn't believe it.
Some eighth-grade boys came up behind Kristi. "What's going on?" Tom Hunter asked.
"Anika fell down the hill, and Sabrina wouldn't even shine her flashlight so we could get her up!" Joan said. She said it really loud.
"Are you OK, Anika?" Kristi called again.
"Yeah, except my hands are full of thorns," I called back, trying to sound normal.
I could hear more kids coming up and stopping. I wished I could disappear. It seemed like the whole junior high was standing on the path shining flashlights in my eyes. I gritted my teeth and tried to claw my way up to the path. Light in my face from flashlights made everything look blurry and even darker. I stumbled and started sliding backwards into the ravine again.
Suddenly Darrel Anderson yelled from the back of the bunch of kids, "Get the flashlights out of her eyes, you idiots! Hunter, go down and help her. Use your brains!"
The flashlights flicked out of my face and onto the ground. Already I had almost stopped sliding. I sighed with relief and reached for a rock to balance myself. Ow! That drove the thorns in deeper. I sucked in my breath and started again to scramble up. There was a cascade of loose dirt. Tom Hunter and another eighth-grade boy grabbed my arms and lifted me onto the path.
"You OK?" Tom Hunter asked, letting go of me.
"Yeah, thanks," I muttered, wishing I could disappear.
Joan's high voice cut in, "She said her hands were hurt."
Why couldn't Joan be quiet for once, I thought. I wanted everybody to quit staring at me. I put my hands behind me and said, "I'm OK, let's go."
I wasn't thinking, because there were kids behind me on the path too. One of them shone their flashlight straight onto my hands.
"Gross! Her hands are all bloody and full of thorns!" one kid yelled.
Suddenly I felt mad and mean. I hated being cornered in front of everybody. I held my hands out in front of me for everyone to see and said, "I tripped and started sliding. Sabrina wouldn't shine her flashlight so I had to just grab at anything. I grabbed one of those vines full of razor hook thorns. It's all her fault!" I yelled the last part.
As soon as the words were out, I knew it wasn't all Sabrina's fault. It wasn't her fault that I fell. It wasn't even completely her fault that I'd grabbed the thorny vine. That first bush could have had thorns too. So what, I thought angrily. She's a turkey anyway!
There was dead silence while I stood there with my cut hands held out in the light. Then Joan added, "Kristi tried to get the flashlight away from Sabrina, but Sabrina wouldn't give it!"
Suddenly I was shaking, and I was still mad. My hands looked horrible. Now that I could see them, they hurt worse, too. I clenched my teeth and looked straight at Kristi. "I didn't steal your money either, Kristi. Didn't you notice Sabrina went straight to my drawer and found it? She stole it herself to get me in trouble."
Kristi didn't answer.
Lisa appeared beside me. "If you want to go back, I'll come with you. Darrel said he would, too."
I shook my head. I wasn't going to miss this hike, sore hands or not. I started climbing again. I couldn't climb as fast without using my hands. Lisa and Darrel Anderson stayed with me. A bunch of people passed us. Some were talking about Sabrina, and what they said wasn't nice.
I listened to them as they passed us and felt odd. I felt weird inside when I thought of how I'd blamed Sabrina in front of everyone. The longer we hiked, the worse I felt about it. God wanted us to love our enemies.
Suddenly I sucked in my breath. He'd taken the blame for our sins. Now I was getting blamed for something Sabrina did. Boy, I never thought before how hard it was. It really hurt to take the blame for something you didn't do! I remembered what Pastor Isaac had said. He'd said we should trust God to look after us instead of trying to do it ourselves. I felt worse and worse about blaming Sabrina in front of everyone.
Lisa and Darrel and I got up to Lookout Point almost last. Still, it was awesome to stand there in the dark with the wind on my face. The lights of the school were spread out way down below us. The glitter of stars stretched across the wide, dark night sky. Longanot was a dim silver shadow. The climb was worth it just to be here, high up, in the huge wild African night.
My hands were really hurting by the time we got back to the dorm. I guess Joan or somebody had told Mrs. Jackson, and she was waiting for me. She took me straight into their house and started picking the big thorns out of my hand. The house smelled of macaroni and cheese. The hurting and the smell seemed to go on forever.
I sat stiffly, refusing to cry as she picked and picked and picked at my hands. I watched her and bit my lip as she sat bent over my hands. Finally I blurted, "Mrs. Jackson, I didn't steal Kristi's money. Really I didn't."
She looked up at me and put down the needle. "Mr. Jackson and I had our doubts that you'd stolen the money. That's why there haven't been more consequences. I didn't realize that you were still stewing about it"
"It's hard when people think you're a thief," I said and ducked my head.
I wanted to blurt out that Sabrina had stolen it, but blaming her had made me feel rotten before and it was like tattling. I shut my mouth. Tears came into my eyes, and they weren't just from how much Mrs. Jackson was hurting me, pulling the thorns out. It wasn't fair!
Finally Mrs. Jackson put something on my hands that felt cool and bandaged the worst cuts.
"Trust God, Anika," she said, putting her hand on my arm as I went out the door. "Even when we make mistakes, he knows the truth, and he loves you."
"Sometimes it doesn't seem like it," I said. I ran down the hall so she wouldn't see me cry.
Everybody else was already asleep. I lay there for a long time in the dark, feeling my hands throb and throb.
"So, is it my fault if Anikat is dumb enough to grab a razor thorn vine!" somebody yelled. I struggled awake and blinked against the morning light. My eyes felt like they were full of glue.
Sabrina was standing by the door of the room already dressed. The other kids were surrounding her.
"You could have at least shined your flashlight!" Kristi said.
Joan's shrill voice cut in, "Yeah! Anika could have fallen down the ravine and died, and it would be your fault, Sabrina Oats!"
"So then there'd be one less dweeb in the world!" Sabrina said, tossing her head.
"Not unless you were dead!" Lisa yelled after her.
Sabrina spun back and said, "You just want the cookies her parents send her. That's why you're her friend, Lisa Barnes." She whirled on Kristi and yelled, "I don't get why you're standing up for her. She stole your money!" She tossed her head again and left.
"I told you she was a jerk!" Lisa said.
Suddenly I realized that everybody but me was already dressed. I scrambled out of bed and grabbed for my clothes. I didn't want to miss breakfast.
Ow! That hurt my hands. They felt like lumps of wood inside a too-tight skin. Every time I moved my fingers it stung.
All that day everybody fussed over me. Kristi gave me a chameleon she caught. Joan gave me her cookie at lunch. More than once I saw Sabrina glaring at me out of red eyes. I could tell that she'd been crying. She looked angry and miserable. I tried to shut that out of my head, but it didn't work.
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Chapter Seven
During the next week my hands got better. People quit paying so much attention to me. The best part was that the girls in Jackson dorm had decided to talk to me. I got included in everything.
Muthoni got us to build another room onto the fort. It was harder this time because we had to get our own stuff to build it.
"Hey, I know," I said. "Let's dig down into the ground. That way we won't need to have so much stuff to make the walls."
Muthoni stared at me for a second, then grinned. "Hey, great idea! Let's ask the Jacksons for a shovel."
About half the kids ran toward the Jacksons' door. Amy and I started to mark off the ground. After a second Amy said, "Um… Anika, I'm really sorry I thought you were a thief."
I ducked my head and said, "It's OK, I guess."
Muthoni and the rest of them came running back.
"Pa Jackson said it was OK, but that we should fill it in after. He said nothing's ever going to grow up here under the pepper tree anyway," Muthoni said.
"Look, he even gave us two shovels," Joan cut in. She stopped and stared at us. "How come you look guys look so solemn?"
"Noth—," I started to say, but Amy interrupted.
"I was telling Anika I was sorry I thought she was a thief."
There was a little silence. I said nervously, "I didn't steal your money, Kristi, really I didn't!"
Kristi ran her fingers through her bangs and said, "Yeah, I believe you now. Sorry for being so rotten to you. It was in your drawer."
"And I bet I know who put it there!" Lisa said, dropping the shovel she was carrying with a thump.
"Sabrina is the thief!" Joan said. "I just know it. Look at what she did to you on the way up Lookout!"
"Well, at least we never let her into the fort,"
Muthoni said, grabbing a shovel and starting to dig. "Come on, you guys, get working. Lisa, you and me will dig. The rest of you throw the dirt out, or go find stuff to build with."
Sabrina stayed on her bed reading most afternoons. She wouldn't even look up when I said hi. Mostly I didn't say hi though. I tried not to notice her. I wished Sabrina and all the problems she caused would just disappear off the face of the earth. Seeing Sabrina looking so miserable was like a sore that wouldn't get better. It really bugged me when Lisa said nasty things to her. I always tried to leave. What was I supposed to do, anyway, I wondered furiously. She hated me.
I bit my lip. Saturday was field day. I wasn't going to let Sabrina wreck field day for me. A whole day of racing, jumping, climbing, and stuffing myself. I could almost taste the greasy cheeseburgers and the pop, chips, and candy that the big kids sold at the store.
Saturday dawned full of bright sun and blue sky. All the way up the hill to breakfast I skipped and ran circles around Lisa. The sun was on my face. Cool wind blew my hair. The birds were singing, and it was field day!
Lisa watched me spin. She laughed and said, "Anika Scott, are you ever weird!"
"And you're not?!" I teased back.
After breakfast David Stewart came dashing up to Lisa and me.
"Mom and Dad are here, and they brought chow for you guys!" he said and dashed back the way he'd come. The Stewarts live on our mission station. David, who's nine, was at boarding school like the rest of us.
"Wait, David!" I yelled. "Where are they? Where can we get it?"
"At the roundabout!" he yelled.
I started to run after him. "Come on!" I called back over my shoulder to Lisa. "Let's see what they sent."
I got there before her. Uncle Paul Stewart looked up from opening their car trunk. He grinned at me through his big red beard. "How's the mountain climber?" he asked, laughing.
He and I had climbed Mount Kenya together. I laughed and said, "OK."
A second later Lisa and I were heading back to the dorm with our chow. I'd gotten a bunch of oatmeal cookies and some money. Lisa had gotten brownies and even more money than me.
"Let's spend all the money today and completely pig out on junk food!" Lisa said. We headed into the dorm room to put the chow away.
Sabrina was in the room. She gave us a dirty look. Lisa stuck her tongue out at her and said, "You wouldn't believe the amount of chow we have! Right, Anika? Your parents never send you chow, do they, Sabrina?"
Sabrina ran out of the room away from us.
I squirmed but didn't say anything. Before long field day was in full swing. I didn't think about Sabrina anymore, or politics and Pastor Isaac. I didn't think about anything but field day.
"Come on, Anika! Jump! You can do it!" Lisa yelled. I swallowed and shifted my feet. It was broad-jump competition. The elementary school was divided into two teams. As soon as kids came to VCA they got put on a team. The teams were called Stanleys and Livingstones after two explorers who discovered Africa or the Nile River or something. Actually, I think Livingstone was a missionary. Anyway, I'd been on the team called Stanleys ever since second grade. This was my chance to win girl's broad jump. It was my third jump, and my last chance to win.
I shifted my feet again, put my toes on the starting mark, and ran hard toward the pit. Leaping into the air, I flung myself up and forward with all my might. Both feet out in front of me, I hit the sawdust and tumbled forward. Then I looked up to see how I'd done.
It looked good. Climbing out of the pit, I shifted uneasily as they measured my jump. When they announced it, Lisa whooped, and everybody started clapping. I'd done it. I'd won broad jump.
Next there was the fifty-yard dash. Sabrina,
Muthoni, and I were the three fastest girls in our class. Muthoni and Sabrina were both Livingstones. A bunch of kids who were Stanleys crowded around me. They kept telling me things to do to win. We headed for the track.
Sabrina was there before me. She glared at me and tossed her blonde hair back as she got on the starting line. Muthoni looked at Sabrina and rolled her eyes. Suddenly I almost wanted Sabrina to win. At least something would go right for her then. I frowned. No way was I going to lose on purpose!
"Go, Anika!" I heard Cheddy yell. "Take it for the Stanleys! We need this one!"
I set myself in the starting position and shifted my feet to get a better grip. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Muthoni doing the same thing. My breath stopped in my throat as I waited for the starter's gun.
Bang! The muscles
in my legs stretched as I leapt ahead. Blanking everything else out I drove toward the tape with all my might. Sabrina's shoulder was right in front of me. Suddenly her elbow jabbed out at me. She missed, but it made her lose stride. I leapt past her right at the finishing line. Muthoni was a stride ahead and beat both of us.
My lungs hurt as I gasped for breath.
"Good race!" Muthoni said, panting.
Kids had quit cheering now. Lisa's voice cut in loud and clear. "Mr. James, Sabrina tried to push Anika!"
I swallowed hard. I didn't want Sabrina any madder at me than she already was. "Shut up, shut up," I whispered, wishing I was close enough to make Lisa quit. Sabrina threw back her head and glared at me, then started to run off.
"Sabrina, stay here, please," Mr. James said. He looked at me. "Did Sabrina push you or interfere with you?"
I shook my head and said, "No, she never touched me." That was true anyway. She'd missed me completely.
Sabrina gave me a funny look and said, "I'm going to get a Coke." She ran off. I didn't see her for the rest of the day, not even at supper.
Next was boy's broad jump. Cheddy was supposed to be in it, so I stayed to watch even though Thomas Njerogi would probably win. It got to be time to start. The other boys were all there, but Thomas and Cheddy weren't. A couple of people ran to look for them. Just then I saw them standing by a big white Mercedes at the roundabout. I ran toward them.
"Thomas! Cheddy! It's broad jump!" I called as soon as I got close enough.
They didn't pay any attention. Running up, I said again, "It's broad jump, you guys."
Suddenly I realized there were two African men and a woman in the car. Thomas and Cheddy had been talking to them. I'd barged right in. I felt my face go hot.
"Come, Thomas, get in. It's time to go," one of the men said.
"Can't I just do this broad jump?" Thomas asked. I had the impression that he'd been arguing with them. Things felt tense.
"You will come now!" the man said, frowning ferociously.
