5th Grade Freak-out
Page 7
Chapter 7 – Lizboa Gets a Phone Call
One afternoon during free time, Miss Caty popped her head out of her study, and said to Esther: “Esther, please get Lizboa Gordon and bring her to my study.”
Esther nodded, and went to where Lizboa of course would be: the tennis court, playing against Alice. She called from the spectator’s bench: “Hey, Lizboa, you’re to go to Miss Caty’s study immediately.”
Lizboa fumed angrily, throwing her racket down, “Why does she have to see me at such an awkward time, just as I’m practicing tennis? Did she say why?”
Esther shook her head, and said, “Anyways, I think you’d better hurry up. I can play against Alice for the time-being.” Lizboa rolled her eyes and reluctantly went to Miss Caty’s study.
Lizboa knocked on the door. The voice that she had so often heard sternly for misbehavior said: “Come in!”
Lizboa flung open the door, and found Miss Caty saying into the telephone, “Just wait a moment please. Lizboa has just come in.”
Miss Caty turned to Lizboa. “Lizboa,” she said. “Your parents have telephoned me and would like to talk to you.”
Lizboa thought of her dear parents, and ran to the telephone.
“Hi,” said Lizboa softly, though this simple word was filled with joy.
“Hello,” said the deep voice over the telephone. “How are you doing, Lizzy?”
“Oh Daddy – you’re back from Africa! Oh, Daddy, I haven’t talked to you for ages.”
“Well, I’ve missed you too. I didn’t get to see you off to boarding school. It’s nice, isn’t it? A big upgrade from Olympian Sports School!”
“Well, it’s nice. Daddy – just why did you call me? You could have easily written and told me that you were back.”
“It’s your Granny, Lizzy. She was ill before you left, and couldn’t see you off for the flight to McJone’s.”
“Yes, I remember. She was having trouble with her sight.”
“We had a diagnosis from Doc yesterday. She has cataracts.”
“Oh – are you serious, Daddy? Really, truly … oh, Granny! Are you calling me to tell me to go back and see her?”
“Doc said that he could perform surgery and cure her. But the problem is, Lizzy, we’re a poor family, and we’re almost broke after we borrowed from other people all the money to get you to McJone’s. I’m not saying that you can’t stay there, you can, it’s a good school and I want you to be educated well.”
“But then how are we going to cure Granny? We can’t just leave her to be blind…”
“The sum of money depends on you, my dear. There will be a scholarship exam by the American Education Department that will give the winner free admission for six years in the senior part of the school, and fifty thousand dollars cash. Lizzy, for your Granny, work for that exam, win it please, and give the money back to us so that we can pay for Granny’s medical fees. And if you do, we won’t need to save and scrape each year to pay your school fees.”
“But that’s so iffy!”
“You’ll try, won’t you?”
“I will, of course. But daddy, you know I’m no good at academics. Is there a sports scholarship?”
“No, not this year; there will be one next year. But then will be too late. Your Granny’s situation is critical!”
“All right, I’ll try, for Granny.”
“Bye! Go and start to study for the exam. It will be held the day after tomorrow.”
“What? That soon? I thought it would be held sometime next month!”
“It’s the day after tomorrow. Better start studying! Bye!”
Lizboa’s hand trembled as she put the phone back to the receiver. Miss Caty smiled warmly at her, encouragingly, hopefully. Lizboa walked quietly out.
Lizboa thought, I could try for the exam if it were next week or sometime then, but the day after tomorrow! I have no guarantee that I’ll pass, let alone win the scholarship!
Lizboa ran up the stairs to the common room and saw a notice about the scholarship:
Math Scholarship! Fifth Graders~
Do you want 50 000 dollars?
Do you want six years of free admission at McJone’s?
If so, try for the scholarship – 16th of May!
There will be a written test, and an oral arithmetic test.
Lizboa remembered the time she had excelled while Mrs Sullivan had given her a punishment test, and how she had done amazingly well. She was quite good at oral arithmetic, even though she never tried hard.
I can do well on the oral bit, but the written test will be much harder than the tests we take! This is a SCHOLARSHIP! How am I going to pass? She thought, burying her head in her hands.
It’s for Granny! She thought. I must find some way to win this scholarship! But seriously, I won’t be able to win it!
Then a cold, creepy, but easy thought went through her mind. No! That’s wrong, she declared in her mind. It’s plainly wrong. I can’t do that. But besides that, there’s no way I can help Granny. No, I can’t do it, it’s dishonest, and it’s plain cheating! I can’t go and snoop for the papers and read them and memorize the answers!
A little voice in her mind said: Lizboa, this is for your Granny! Don’t you love her? Won’t you do something to help her see again? If you don’t cheat, she’ll be blind! She’ll be blind because her only granddaughter doesn’t love her and care for her enough to try to win a scholarship that can save her sight!
Lizboa shook her hair back, and said, “Very well then! That’s what I’ll do!”
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