Jubilee

by Patricia Reilly Giff

  “About time.” He looked over his shoulder, grinning. “We have only a week to get our project ready.”

  He sounded as if I’d been gone a day at the most. He looked away. “How’s Dog?”

  I searched for an empty page in my cartoon book. Dear Mason, I wrote. I’m so glad you kept him for me. I know you miss him. I wish…

  “It’s all right.” He put his hand over my pen. “Really. I knew you’d come back.”

  I flipped through the pad to find the cartoon to show him and held it out.

  He stared down at it. “A leatherback. Really? Did you see…”

  I nodded.

  “If only I’d been there.” He broke off. “I’m glad it was you.”

  He studied the drawing. “It’s better than anything we could write,” he said, leaving a muddy fingerprint at the bottom of the page.

  But that was all right. That was Mason!

  And he was going on about the leatherback that had traveled so many miles in a few months. “Someday I’ll do that,” he said. “My brother and I. We’ve planned a big trip.”

  I must have looked startled.

  “We’re friends sometimes.”

  We walked to the library together and were surprised to see it open. Newspapers were spread out on the damp floor. We were the only ones there, except for the librarian, who was running around mopping windowsills and clucking over ruined books.

  We sat at a table, books on turtles and sea creatures piled high. Harry came in, racing for a back table, books on animals in his arms. Conor was right behind him. “We’re going to win the prize.”

  For the next hour or so, Mason and I scribbled notes about crabs that clattered over the stones near the old pier, and jellyfish that did a slow ballet around them.

  I heard the ferry horn; the boat was on its way back to the island. I touched Mason’s arm, pointing toward the window, and the water.

  “We’ve done enough for now anyway.” He gathered up our books and papers.

  Outside, I ran down the muddy path. The sun shone on the water, and diamonds sparkled in the gentle waves.

  I waited, and waved at Sophie and Travis. People began to come off the ferry. Their mother hurried toward them and hugged them.

  I climbed the ramp. Luckily, the ticket taker was nowhere in sight. I threaded my way around tables and chairs until I saw Gideon standing on the deck.

  He turned, surprised. But only for a moment. I stood in front of him, my arms out.

  My word was soft, but he heard it.

  “Yes,” I said.

  His arms went around me. “Oh, Red. Oh, Jubilee.”

  And I said it again: “Yes.”

  Thursday. Tonight was the night! Mrs. Ames and the parents were coming to school to see our projects. Ms. Quirk had scurried around with our class, setting everything out in the auditorium.

  The junonia shell was on a small table in front. “The gift of a lifetime,” she’d told me.

  Now, at home, we scurried too. I slipped into a new green dress, the color of my eyes and the sea on a warm day.

  Aunt Cora came out of her bedroom wearing her best blue dress and bent to push on heels. “They hurt.” She winked at me. “My feet must be growing. But this is a special night.”

  Gideon smiled when he saw me. “That green is a redhead’s color, for sure,” he said.

  We hurried to school. Who was going to win? Harry and Conor with their island animals? Or maybe Sophie and Jenna, who’d written about squirrels?

  It might even be Ashton and Maddie, with weird long-legged insects.

  But Mason and I had a chance. My cartoons were pasted up on the wall with explanations underneath, the only project with drawings.

  Maybe no one would notice a few misspellings, or a little mud, especially on the cartoon of the horseshoe crab. That one said I look tough, but I’m a gentle guy.

  “This is wonderful.” One father pointed to it.

  “Fun!” That was Sophie’s mom.

  Mason’s brother, Jerry, clapped him on the shoulder. “Not bad! Who would have thought?”

  Mrs. Ames clumped up to the stage and praised all of us.

  “Your teacher breathed new life into our school!” She smiled at Ms. Quirk. “And now, the winners!”

  Mason and I couldn’t look at each other. Pick us, please!

  But we weren’t the ones.

  Harry and Conor gave each other a high five as they went up the steps to receive their medals.

  Mrs. Ames held up her hand. “There’s something else I want to say.” She walked over to our project, taped up to the wall.

  Oh no! The misspellings! The muddy fingerprints! My crazy cartoons.

  She tapped one of my first cartoons: turtles sunning themselves on a log. She held it up. And then the leatherback.

  She picked up Mason’s papers. “ ‘Like our ferry, slow and heavy, the leatherback moves through the water,’ ” she read. “ ‘Schools of fish dart around the island. All on journeys.’ ”

  Mrs. Ames said, “Judith and Mason, you did such a lovely job.”

  I caught Mr. Kaufmann’s eye. He was smiling, nodding at us.

  Mason and I glanced at each other as parents clapped. Did Mason feel the syrup in his chest the way I did? I nudged him, then held out a cartoon I’d folded into my pocket.

  I’d drawn him in a messy shirt and uncombed hair. A ferry was coming toward him with a small golden retriever puppy on the deck. We belong together, Mason, said the blurb over the dog’s head.

  “Great-looking dog,” Mason said.

  Aunt Cora and Gideon came up to us. “A wonderful job,” they were saying.

  Gideon cleared his throat. “I’m bringing a dog from the mainland tomorrow. A surprise for you, Mason. Your mother knows. So does your brother.”

  And Aunt Cora said, “It’s what Jude wanted. She’s drawn a dozen pictures.”

  Mason and I grinned at each other. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then he smiled. “You’re a good friend, Jude.”

  —

  After cookies and juice in the cafeteria, it was late when I went to bed, but I wasn’t tired after such a wonderful night. I smiled at my saying “Yes” to Gideon.

  Maybe I’d talk more now, because I hadn’t done anything wrong. Not to Amber, or Sophie. Nothing had been my fault.

  I was sorry Amber couldn’t come to be with us. But she’d be here Saturday and Sunday. She’d stay with us and we’d tell her all about it.

  And so much had happened. Mr. Kaufmann might say, “You made it happen, Judith.”

  I hoped so.

  I fell asleep at last, thinking I’d draw all this for him.

  Two days later, I spun around in front of the mirror. My flowered skirt went to the floor. I loved the silky white top.

  The night before, at dinner, Gideon kept singing. “A happy day tomorrow.” He winked at me. “It’s my wedding day, a lucky day for Cora.”

  That Gideon! He always made us laugh.

  —

  It was almost time. Everyone would be there: neighbors, people from church, Gideon’s friends from the ferry, half my class, and Amber. She might be late, but we wouldn’t mind.

  I went into Aunt Cora’s room and put my arms around her. I breathed in her perfume and the sweet smell of her bouquet of roses on the dresser.

  “Today,” I whispered. “A jubilee.”

  My students have made such a difference in my life, and in my writing. As I wrote this story, I thought especially of Christopher, Donald, and Anna. I pictured Scott Liam at my door. After all these years, I still look for Michael Gaffney.

  How important my first class was! I remember all those long-ago students, and especially the four who made me love teaching: Sheldon Dreyfuss, Frank Noviello, John Sangimino, and John Wekerle. Shelly still keeps me smiling.

  I treasure the memory of Ughondi Freeman Grant every day, my dear laughing girl.

  Dr. Irving Rockoff gave hope and magic to our students; our friends
hip was warm and wonderful.

  I’m more than grateful to Wendy Lamb, my editor and friend, who works tirelessly on my books. I thank her assistant editor, Dana Carey, for all she does; she and I have a shared love of dogs. Kathy Dunn is always there for me!

  My family makes life worthwhile…especially Jim, who is everything to me.

  Patricia Reilly Giff is the author of many beloved books for children, including the Kids of the Polk Street School books, the Friends and Amigos books, and the Polka Dot Private Eye books. Several of her novels for older readers have been chosen as ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Books and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. They include The Gift of the Pirate Queen; All the Way Home; Water Street; Nory Ryan’s Song, a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction; and the Newbery Honor Books Lily’s Crossing and Pictures of Hollis Woods. Lily’s Crossing was also chosen as a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book. Her most recent books are Until I Find Julian, Winter Sky, Gingersnap, R My Name Is Rachel, Storyteller, Wild Girl, and Eleven, as well as the Zigzag Kids series. She lives in Connecticut.

  Patricia Reilly Giff is available for select speaking engagements. To inquire about a possible appearance, please contact the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau at speakers@penguinrandomhouse.com.