by Sandra Smith
“I am not a little girl! I’m thirteen. Tell me everything. I’m a part of this now. It’s why I’m here. Trinia Nelson visited my friend!”
“You’re right.” He went quiet, pensive. “We’ll figure it out,” he said at last. “Everything will be fine.”
Arturo had eventually shown up, deciding perhaps, if he didn’t interrupt my Dad and me we could quite possibly talk all night.
“Oh my gosh,” I said when he told me what time it was, “poor Chief!”
“The Chief left long time passing,” he said.
“Chief left?”
“Sure, why not? Don’t we arrived to where we are going?”
I guessed he was right.
“He tell me you should stay at Jenny Jakeo’s house and I with Grandpa Ezra’s family.”
The giant question mark on my face must have shown.
He laughed heartily. “You been talking all day Lily. I meet lot of friends.”
I looked at my father, wondering, of course, why I had to sleep at the home of strangers.
“I’m sorry, Lily, but they are right. I only have one bed here. You’re welcome to the couch, of course, but you will be more comfortable staying in a bigger place with girls your age. Everyone here is very nice. And if you are staying a while, and based on what’s happened, I think you are, it would be good to start getting to know people.”
“But …”
“Is right, Lily. You still can speak with your papa every day, but this place, no there is room for you. The Chief already—mm—how you say— arrange.”
“Made arrangements?”
“Yes, made arrangements.”
He walked over to my father and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Gardener. I don’t hear much about you, but I can say you have a daughter very wonderful.” They shook hands.
“Yes, I do,” my dad replied. “And it seems she has a good friend in you. I look forward to getting to know both of you better.”
“I, also.” He turned to me, “Let’s go.”
“Now?”
“Yes, is time for dinner. A special meal is plan in meadow. You, too, Mr Gardener.”
As we approached the meadow, I heard many voices rising together in song. I couldn’t make out the words, but the depth of emotion and the way groups of voices split into parts and wove in and out of the whole was beautiful. When we got within view of the clearing, I beheld a sight I’ll never forget: a vast living circle of villagers who had gathered and were holding hands; the circle was ever growing, as more and more people arrived and joined. When it grew too big and unwieldy, a large woman broke out and took one strand of people with her, forming a new inner circle. The two circles, one within the other, stood singing. Upon our arrival, we too, were swallowed into the rings of song. I realized the song was in two, maybe three, languages. I soon caught the chorus in English and began to sing along. It was something to do with rain. Rain down, rain down. Rain down love? Rain down love on your people? I wasn’t sure …
All I know is, it was beautiful: the song, the trees, the faces and voices. I felt small and insignificant, but warmly and completely loved. I closed my eyes, lifted my face up in the dusk and squeezing the hands of Arturo and my father, drank it all in.
I had made it. Home at last.
END OF BOOK THREE
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BOOK FOUR
Keeper
SEED SAVERS
S. Smith
Coming in 2015
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you to Cy for not insisting I get a real job.
Thank you to Tracy and Anita for the continued support in liking my books and for reading the early versions and making suggestions. And for giving the books away as gifts and sharing on Facebook.
Thank you to Mark for reading and recommend-ing, and to Mom and Dad for their quiet support.
Thank you to all my friends and fans who let me know you are Seed Savers fans—especially Andi and Rita. It’s how I keep going when the doubts hover around me.
To Valerie, who always tells me, “Write the next book!”
And thanks to my nieces, nephews, and the school children I’ve met. I love answering your questions and receiving your notes!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S. SMITH GREW UP ON A FARM with a tremendously large garden. She maintains that if you can’t taste the soil on a carrot, it’s not fresh enough. Although she now lives with her husband and three cats in the city, she still manages to grow fruits and vegetables in their backyard.
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