What in the world will we say to this family to encourage them? The token must have made a mistake on this one. We’re just a bunch of kids from Virginia.
“Good morning. Namaste,” says the man who opens the door of the little house. He is holding a shiny-faced little girl with bright black eyes and black curly hair. She is smiling, happily chewing on a cookie.
“Namaste, Sanjay,” says Neena.
Sanjay opens the door wide, inviting us into the living room. We squeeze past him and take seats on the small couch and a plastic chair set up in the room. He shouts some Hindi words toward the back of the house, and a woman in a green wrap enters. She hugs Neena, and then reaches out to each one of us to shake our hands.
“Sanjay and Grace, this is Zoe, Celeste, Derek, Jacey, and Doug. And this young man is Arcade.”
Why did you announce me separately? And why do I get my own chair in the corner when everyone else has to share a space on the couch?
Grace disappears, and I wonder if her sadness mixed with our intrusion is too much for her.
“We can come back later,” I say to Sanjay. He holds up a finger and disappears, leaving the happy little girl in our company. She looks over our group and begins to giggle.
“You are sooooo cute!” Celeste goes over to the little girl and swoops her up. “You have the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen!” She rocks her back and forth, and the girl offers her a bite of her cookie. When Celeste opens her mouth to take a bite, the girl pulls it back.
“Ha! She got you!” Derek slaps his knee. Celeste gives him a glare, but then looks back at the little girl and laughs.
“I think you’ve met your match,” Zoe says.
“Can I take you back to Virginia with me?” Celeste hugs her tight and swings her around the tiny room.
Soon, Sanjay and Grace reappear. Grace is holding a tray with bottled water and packaged cookies. “Please.” She holds the tray out to me. “Have some refreshment.”
Refreshment?
I take a water bottle and cookies. When I do, I notice that the tray is white, with other colors inlaid.
Marble from India!
Grace moves around the room with the serving tray. When everyone has something, she walks back out of the room and returns with another full tray! She sits down next to her husband. The little girl sits on Celeste’s lap and plays peek-a-boo with her.
Sanjay speaks in English. “Thank you for coming.”
“We are sorry about your loss,” Zoe says. She can barely look him in the eyes.
“Yes. We are very sorry,” Doug says. I notice he has not taken any cookies, just water. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
“It means a lot to us that you have come to sit and visit.” Grace reaches up with her scarf and catches a tear dripping off her chin. She looks over at the little girl. “Shiny likes you,” she says to Celeste.
“Shiny! That’s a perfect name for her.”
“That is what we thought when we saw her for the first time.” Sanjay waves at his little daughter.
“What is it like in . . . Virginia?” Grace asks. “I have never been there.”
She sits back and listens intently as each one of us tells her about our favorite things in Virginia. There is gentle laughter, especially when Derek tells about how green the landscape is when you water it correctly. And when you avoid breaking off sprinkler heads, causing visors to fly and yards to flood.
Jacey explains about how she and her family own a bakery. “One time a lady from India came and taught me how to make naan.”
“Naan?” I don’t have a clue what that is.
The comment sends Grace back to her kitchen, and she returns with the marble tray filled with a basket of tasty flatbread.
“Oh, yeah. Naan is the bomb!” Doug grabs two pieces and downs them in seconds.
“Do you have animals?” Neena asks. She seems in no hurry, simply at peace enjoying the conversation with new friends from around the globe. I feel the exact same way.
“I have a dog named Loopy,” I answer.
Shiny laughs and tries to say it. “Ooopy.”
“Yes! He’s a little chocolate-colored furball. And he slobbers a lot. I’m sorry he’s not here.”
“Ooooooopy!”
Grace and Sanjay laugh.
Something tells me this little girl is going to bring joy to lots of people in her life.
An hour or so goes by. We have eaten through two serving trays of cookies and two baskets of naan before Neena finally stands. “We would like to pray with you before we go.” We form a circle and bow our heads. “Arcade, would you be so kind to say the prayer?”
My heart pounds. This isn’t like earlier in the meeting. I can’t use others’ words for this! This has to come from the heart. I wait a second, and then open my mouth.
“Dear God, thank you for our new friends, Sanjay, Grace, and little Shiny. Please comfort them during this difficult time and bring them joy in the days and weeks to come. Keep them healthy and filled with hope. And bless them for their generosity. Amen.”
For a few moments, there is only silence, except for sniffling coming from our whole Virginia crew. I’m afraid to look up. When I do, I see Grace and Sanjay smiling at each other. And then Shiny yells, “OOOOOOOOOOPY!” and it makes everyone laugh.
Neena leads us to the door to leave, and Grace puts her hands out to stop us. “One moment, please.” She disappears again and comes back . . . with gifts!
“Oh, no, we couldn’t . . .” A tear rolls down Zoe’s cheek.
“You must,” Neena says. “It brings them great joy to give.”
Grace unrolls the balls of fabric she has carried in, which turn into scarves, each one a different color. She speaks to each one of us personally and explains why she picked specific colors for each of us.
“Zoe is pink, for beauty and love. Celeste, red, for strength and dignity. Green for Derek, so that he will have luck with the sprinklers and the grass in Virginia. Brown for Doug, the color of naan, and orange for Jacey, one of the colors in a beautiful sunset.” Grace then wraps a gold scarf around my neck. “Because of your heart. Thank you for visiting us today, Arcade.”
I am at a loss for words. I’ve never experienced such hospitality and generosity from people in my life.
“Thank you. It’s been an honor,” I manage to say, putting my palms together and nodding my head. “Namaste.”
“OOOOOOOPY!”
We all laugh as Shiny and her parents escort us out and wave goodbye, grateful and smiling in spite of their sadness.
Neena is the fastest walker I’ve ever met. And I don’t know if it’s because it’s so hot and humid, or if it’s that we’re so full of naan, but none of us can keep up with her. Another cow walks by, and then a chicken runs across the path, causing us to stop and fall further behind.
“Should we run?” Jacey asks. “I don’t want to get lost in India.”
Right as she says that, the Triple T Token returns to my chain. It shines through my shirt and lights up the gold scarf that is wrapped around my neck.
“I think we can stay right here.” I feel the sprinkling of glitter on my shoulders. “Our elevator has arrived.”
CHAPTER 25
Above and Beyond
The ride back to Virginia was peaceful—no bumping around.
“Around was a good choice.” Zoe played with the pink scarf around her neck. “I wish we could have stayed longer.”
Me too.
Soon, the doors opened and we stepped out behind the little village house at Forest Games and Golf. Laser lights flashed in the distance, and techno music blared over the loudspeaker.
“Who’s up for hole eight?” Doug picked up his club and ran down the hill.
Jacey wrapped her orange scarf around her shoulders. “I feel a little silly playing mini-golf after our . . . experience.”
I scanned the scenery. The windmill course looked so much better at night, when you couldn’t really see th
e damage that had been ignored for so long.
Why hasn’t Mr. B fixed the place up? He must have lost hope. That’s the only explanation.
The token blazed heat. I reached up to touch it.
Or maybe he lost . . . this.
“Are you coming, Arcade?” Derek was now down the hill, along with Zoe, Celeste, and Doug. Jacey stood there with me, checking out the surroundings.
“Hey, Arcade. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
I cleared my throat. “Well . . . I was thinking that this whole place is a mess. How hard do you think it would be to fix it all up, not just the windmill?”
Jacey squealed. “That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking! It would be hard to do it anonymously, but if we get Jackson and the other teen staff from Forest Games and Golf involved, it’s possible. I don’t know how we’ll keep Mr. B away from here, but we’ll figure it out.”
“Hmmm. We might need a spy in a rocking chair.”
“Huh?”
“Oh. Miss Gertrude. She lives at the end of Derek’s street. I haven’t talked to her in a while, but I think she might help us.”
When we reached the break at hole ten, I gathered my team to talk about the possibility of fixing up the whole windmill course. “Take pictures of everything, and we’ll make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow.”
“Can we do that?” Zoe asked. “Do we have the resources?”
“Sanjay and Grace didn’t have much. And they went above and beyond with their generosity. I think with all of us working together, we can do it.”
“Operation ABOVE and BEYOND! I like the sound of that!” Jacey bounced up and down.
“We have to be careful, Arcade.” Zoe gave me the concerned sister, furrowed-brow look. Then she pulled me aside, away from the crowd. “I was there when Mr. B tried to take the token from you! This guy is dangerous. How do we know that he’s not just using the business as a front for some crime ring? What if we’re just helping him succeed at doing something rotten?”
“You have a point, and this time it’s not just on top of your head.”
Zoe pushed me. “Hey, I’m just trying to protect you, fish face.”
“Fish face? What kind of fish has a face like this?” I smiled and tilted my head to look like a model.
“Any fish that is lured by bait and then ends up with a hook in his mouth!”
“We’ll be extra careful,” I reassured her. “In fact, I was thinking about bringing in a grown-up to help us.”
“A grown-up? If we tell Aunt Weeda, she’ll just talk to Mom and Dad and then they’ll make us go bac—”
I put my hands out. “Not Aunt Weeda. I was thinking about Miss Gertrude.”
Zoe stopped and stared. “Ohhhhh.” Then she grinned. “That could work.”
CHAPTER 26
Miss Gertrude
Zoe and I went to see Miss Gertrude first thing in the morning. We snuck out of Derek’s house while everyone was still sleeping, walked around the back of the houses, through the Cimarron woods, up the steps to her back door, and knocked.
Nothing happened.
“Do you think it’s too early?” Zoe pulled out her phone to check the time.
“Nah. Older people are always up early. Maybe she didn’t hear the knock. Try again.”
Zoe knocked harder.
“I’m comin’! Don’t leave!” Miss Gertrude’s sweet voice rang through the door.
In a couple of minutes, she opened the door, wearing a multi-colored robe and bright pink slippers.
“Zoe and Arcade Livingston! I’ve been waiting for you!” She pushed open the screen and welcomed us in.
“You have?” The token on my chest jumped and plunked.
“Oh, yes! I’ve seen all you kids hiking out behind my house the last couple of days, and I was hopin’ you might stop by and say hello. Come, sit down, and tell me all about New York City.”
How does she know we moved to New York?
She led us into her small living room that was filled with antiques and pink-flowered furniture. The place smelled like sweet soap. A furry orange cat jumped in my lap as soon as I sat down.
“Goldie, do you like Arcade? You always know good character, don’t you?” Miss Gertrude sat down in a padded rocking chair that faced us and the large window in the front of her house.
I jolted when I looked outside. Her window looked right out at Mr. B’s silver truck, sitting in his driveway across the street.
“Is everything all right, Arcade?” Miss Gertrude’s eyes were focused on me. Then she looked down at my chest. The Triple T Token hung inside my shirt.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Might as well jump right into it.
“Miss Gertrude, do you know the man who moved in across the street?”
Miss Gertrude rocked a few times and looked out the window. “Do I know the man who moved in across the street?”
I suddenly felt like Doug was here.
“Do you know the man across the street?” Miss Gertrude had her hands clasped on her lap.
“Ummm. Not very well. What I do know is not good. He’s been following us, and he thinks I stole something from him.”
Miss Gertrude leaned forward. “Did you steal something from him?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then why are you worried?”
“Because he thinks I did.”
“Do you think you can prove to him otherwise?”
“Maybe. I . . . I mean, this doesn’t make any sense, but my friends and I would like to help him fix up his golf course. Do you know Forest Games and Golf? We’d have to do it anonymously, though. Since he’s after me and all.”
Miss Gertrude rocked some more and watched out the window. “So you’re trying to build a bridge to help restore the relationship?”
“Uh, I don’t know. I guess so.”
“Do you want me to help you?”
“Yes, please!”
“Would you like me to keep an eye on him? Keep him busy while you work?”
“That would be great. Do you think you can do that?”
“Do you think I can do that?”
I nodded. “I do.”
Zoe, who had been giggling under her breath during the whole conversation, spoke up.
“Miss Gertrude, do you have a phone?”
Miss Gertrude tipped her head toward an old pink dial phone with a long cord hanging on the wall. “Does that count?”
Zoe got up and copied the number that was printed on the center of the dial. “Yes. But we won’t be able to text you.”
“Text? You mean write notes?”
And that gave me an idea. “Miss Gertrude, can we call you when we’re planning to go to Forest Games and Golf? We can leave notes under your back doormat to keep you posted on what’s going on too. We don’t want Mr. B finding out we’re partners.”
Miss Gertrude laughed. “You think I can bend all the way down and look under my mat every morning?”
“We’ll put them under the flowerpot on the little table instead,” Zoe said. “Can you check it several times a day?”
Miss Gertrude nodded, got out of her rocking chair, and looked out the window. Mr. B had appeared and was walking across the street, toward her front door!
“Would you like me to start helping you right now?”
A jolt of adrenaline shot through me. “YES!”
Zoe and I ran toward the back door. Miss Gertrude called after us, “When you comin’ back to tell me about New York City?”
“Soon!”
With our hearts racing, we sat on the back steps and scribbled down our phone numbers on a scrap of paper. We anchored it under the flowerpot and ran out into the Cimarron woods, not stopping until we plunked down on some lawn chairs in Derek’s backyard.
“That was funny,” Zoe slumped in the chair, huffing and puffing.
“WHAT was funny? You’re crazy, girl! I didn’t find ANYTHING funny about it.”
Zoe gav
e me a smirk. “After Miss Gertrude sat down in her rocker, did you notice that she only asked questions?”
“No, she didn’t! She told us she knew Mr. B and that she would help us.”
“No, she asked us if we wanted her to help us.”
“She said I had good character.”
“No, she didn’t! She asked Goldie.”
“Really? She only asked questions? Wow! I like her. I’m glad she’s on our side.”
“Is she?”
“Is she what?”
Zoe pushed me over on the chair. “On our side?”
“She’s an old lady! She’s not a bad guy.”
Zoe laughed. “I’m just messin’ with you. But, remember, we can’t trust everyone, Arcade. So be careful!”
Doug came out the back door. “There you are! You all want some bacon and eggs? We got some cookin’ in the kitchen!”
CHAPTER 27
Building a Bridge
After downing a couple of pounds of bacon and finishing off all the baked goods in the house, we sat down around the table to make plans for Operation Above and Beyond.
“Let’s see your pics,” I said. We scrolled through everyone’s phone and took notes. The damage seemed worse on the special features of the course, like the windmill and the little house, while most of the benches just needed a fresh coat of paint.
“That last hole is whack,” Doug said. “The chain netting is broken so you can just walk up and throw your ball in to make a hole-in-one.”
“I think I can fix the net,” Derek said. “And we can all paint. The only tough job is getting that windmill set up. We need a crane for that. And there’s that suspension bridge on hole twelve.”
“Bridge? There’s a bridge?” I scrolled through my pics and saw no bridge.
“Well, there used to be a bridge that went over the creek,” Celeste said. “Now there’s just poles on either side and some dangling chains. I remember jumping on it and calling it the ‘bouncy bridge’ when I was a kid.” She scrolled through her pics. “I found this gold plaque on one of the poles. Check it out.”
Arcade and the Golden Travel Guide Page 10
