Scout

 

            “Come on, Charles!”

            It was a freezing cold Monday.  We didn’t have a ride.  A little five-year old boy peddled behind me.  I’m Lillian Allison Lander – I prefer Lilly.  Charles is my five-year old brother.  I am older and in fifth grade.  They call me “Ohio girl.”  I have brown curly hair, blue eyes, freckles and clear braces.

            It was the third week of school and Charles’ third week as well in first grade.  He is small, has brown chocolate eyes and a plop of hair on his head.  We were riding our bikes to school - Charles on training wheels.  He was dragging behind my new 2006 mountain bike with purple steel and the best steering you could get.  His little blue bike took forever to keep up.  He finally peddled next to my bike.

            “Have you ever seen a trannasaurus Rex?” he asked, trying to say the words.

            “It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex.”

            “Well, have you?”

            “No, and I don’t plan to.”

            “Have you seen a person as big as a whale?” he said, spreading out his arms and trying to balance.

            “No, but maybe Mother has,” I joked.

            “Really?”

            “No”

            “You lied!”

            “I joked.”  I smiled at his round face.  “You should probably head over for Mrs. . . What’s her name?”

            “Alexandergrandsinsen,” he said as we just got to the school.  It was a tongue twisting last name.  “We call her ‘Mrs. A,’” he replied, looking up at me.

            “Oh!” I exclaimed as we tied our bikes to the rack.  Our school is called Jackson Hill Elementary.  Our mascot is a cardinal.

            “Bye, Charles, I love you,” I screamed as the little boy got farther and farther.  I turned around and saw my best friend, Dory.

            “Hey,” she greeted.  I could hardly even recognize her.  She wore a blue beanie, a scarf that went up to her big red cheeks, a big poofy purple jacket, a hood, long poofy pants, blue striped mittens and blue boots.  Her red curly hair was streaming down her face.  All you could see was her big green eyes and long strawberry eyelashes.  I looked tiny compared to her.

            “Dory, is that you?” I asked, squinting.

            “Yeah.”  Her voice was hard to understand under her thick scarf.

            “How are you?” I asked, still looking at all the clothing.

            “I’m poofy!” she exclaimed.

            “I can see that.  Why all the clothing?”

            “My mom,” she answered, rolling her eyes.  “You’re lucky your mom doesn’t care what you wear.”  Just then the bell rang.

            “See you in class, Lill!” she called, walking to Room 36.

            “Bye,” I cried.  Dory and I have been friends ever since kindergarten.  Charles and Dory’s little brother Jack are friends too.  As I walked to Room 33, snowflakes poured down and tickled my face.  I looked up and saw a red cardinal.  He looked so beautiful in the snow.

            You see, I used to chase that particular cardinal.  I called him “Scout.”  I didn’t feel like chasing him today.  Once I brought him in the house.  I did get in trouble.  At first I thought of Cherry as a name because he looks like a big red candy cherry in the blue sky.  And when he was flying by a cloud, he looked like a cherry on top of vanilla ice cream with blueberry sauce.

            “Not today, Scout,” I called out to the beautiful bird.

            He turned his head, looking at me with his black eyes.  He chirped and flew on my shoulder.

            “I have to go to class,” I smiled, petting his head.  He looked at me and flew off.

            “Bye, Scout,” I cried.  He chirped and was out of sight.

            When school was over I met Charles at the bike rack.  He had a black eye.

            “Charles, what happened?” I frowned while touching the purple skin.

            “Second grade boys,” he answered quietly.

            “We should probably stop by Nanny’s.  She’ll fix you up,” I said, smiling at the idea.  Nanny is my mom’s mother.  She has blue eyes and her gray hair is always in a tight bun.  She likes to wear yellow dresses and she smells like daisies.  Her voice is warm and cheerful.  Charles hardly agreed but we went anyway.

            When we finally got to the red and white house, we plopped our bikes on the ground and ran inside the white gate.  Charles knocked a tiny knock, but Nanny heard anyway and answered.

            “Hey children – Charlie, Lillian!  Come in, come in.  Oh, Charlie got a boo boo.  Let’s clean that eye,” she said in her cheerful, Italian accent.  As Nanny’s blue eyes stared at Charles and as she iced the purple skin, I looked around the neat house.  There was a brown rocking chair sitting in a corner, red and white furniture was everywhere, including the red and white sofa I was sitting on.  A Christmas tree was up with unique ornaments and lights twisting up the tree.  Nanny always put her Christmas decorations early.

            “Hey Nan, I saw Scout today,” I said, thinking of the beautiful bird.

            “How was he?”

            “He was good,” I replied, thinking about the cherry on the ice cream sundae.

            “Eh, Lillian, don’t do what I think you are thinking,” she moaned.

            “Nan, how do you know what I’m thinking?” I wailed.

            “Ugh!  Lilly, just don’t do it,” she pleaded.

            “I didn’t say anything!” I cried, “How do you know what I want to do?”

            “I’m your grandmother!  I know you’re too much like me!”

            “Oh, Nan!  I love you,” I cried.

            She hugged me.  Charles was sitting at the table, his legs swinging back and forth.  “Nanny, do you know what Lilly’s thinking?” he questioned with his eyes big and brown.

            “I think so, Charlie,” she answered, staring at me.

            “Then what is she thinking?” he replied.

            “I think she’s going to snatch that bird,” she answered, still staring.

            “I am not!” I objected.

            “Lillian, did I ever tell you about a lost dog and me?” she asked.

            “No,” Charles answered for me.

            “Well, her name was Sandy.  I brought her home.  I did see her collar, but I didn’t want to take her to the owner.  So I said to myself, ‘If someone took me from my family and friends, how would I feel?’”

            “So what did you do?” Charles asked anxiously.

            “I found the owner and gave her up.  She was as happy as a clown.  Don’t make my mistake,” she warned, “Scout’s happy free.”

            “Okay, let’s go, Charles.  Bye Nan.  Thanks!” I shouted.

            “Lillian, did you listen to me?” she asked, frowning.

            “Yeah!”

            “What was the story about?” she tested.

            “You and a dog.  Bye Nan.  Thanks again.”  And I shut the door.  On the other side, Nanny was shaking her head.

            “Crazy child.”  And she walked away.

            As Charles and I rode our bikes home, Charles asked so many questions.

            “Are you going to bring the bird home?  Can Nanny really read minds?  Did you listen to the story?”  He asked questions until we got home.  Mom was cooking dinner.

            “Hey, you’re late.  Can you help me with some pasta?”  Mom is pretty, like Nanny.  She has blue eyes, long eyelashes and curly brown hair.  She wears colorful clothes and jewelry.  She smiled a straight row of white teeth.

            “Charles, please get out the noodles,” she asked.  He went over to the cupboard and picked up the noodles.  I ran upstairs and went to my other brother’s room.  Calvin and I are twins.  The least thing we are is identical.

            “Calvin!” I shouted, “Where are you?”

            “In the attic,” he shouted back.

            Calvin has blue eyes, thick eyebrows and a neat set of brown hair on his head.  Our house is brown and white.  It has two stories, a basement, an attic and six bedrooms.  I rushed to the attic.

            “Cal!”

            He was sitting there in the dusty room.

            “Cal!  What are you doing?”

            “Finding pictures of ancestors,” he replied, smiling.

            “Cal!” I groaned.  Calvin is very interested in the Lander family.  I really don’t know why.  He’s been interested ever since he was four.

            “I found out our great, great grandfather owned an ice cream store,” he said, smiling.

            “Cal, when are you ever going to stop?” I exclaimed.

            “It’s who I am, Lilly.  You should be interested too.  Remember, we’re twins!” he babbled.  I rolled my eyes.

            “Calvin”

            “What?” he answered, annoyed.

            “I saw Scout.”

            “Scout who?”

            “The cardinal.”

            “Oh, him.  How was he?” he questioned, not even looking at me.  My brother and I are close.  Really.  He was just cranky that day.  He was usually interested in important things, not ice cream stores.  He was good.

            “What’s going on, Calvin?” I asked.

            “Nothing!”

            “You’re acting quite odd.”

            “Well, nothing is going on!”

            “Liar!”

            “I’m not lying!”

            I calmed myself.  Tears poured down my face.

            “You miss Dad.  He’s on so many business trips.  You always tear apart!” I wept.

            “Oh, be quiet, Lillian,” he snapped.

            “He called me Lillian,” I thought, “Something troubling him that he won’t reveal.”

            “Lilly!  Calvin!” 

I spun around.  “Charles!” I exclaimed, hoping he didn’t hear the whole argument.

He saw tears on my face and slowly walked toward me.  His lips pressed against my cheek and he gave me two butterfly kisses.  He wiped my tears and hugged Calvin and the little angel walked away.  Calvin and I looked at each other.  Charles always solved our problems.  We hugged each other with tears of happiness.

“Is something troubling you?” I asked cautiously.

“I do miss Dad,” he admitted.

I smiled and we headed down for dinner.

            The next day it seemed normal but not for long.  Calvin decided to ride his bike with his friends.  Mother was washing dishes and Charles was dragging behind me.

            “Charles, hurry up.  We’re going to be late!” I called, looking back at him.

            That’s when it all happened so quickly.  As I turned around to yell at Charles, a blue truck slammed against my bike.  I tried to scream but another car struck Charles.

            “Charles!” I screamed at the top of my lungs as I was in the air.  But I hardly got it out.  My helmet flew off and I hit my head hard with a “bonk.”  That was all the cars that came by then and the long “honk” still haunts me.  I lay there hopeless and sore and slowly passing out.

            “Charles, Mom, Dad, Calvin, Nanny, Dory – anybody, help!” I groaned.  At that time I saw a familiar face.

            “Scout!”

            He turned his head side to side and flew off.  He went to the nearest police car.  (They were unknowing of the accident.)  Instead of getting their attention, he snatched the tape recorder lying on the seat.

            “You stupid bird!  Give it back,” one policeman said.  The other one was just eating a turkey sandwich, in his own world.

            Scout flew back to us, the two pathetic kids who don’t look both ways while riding to school.  He pressed his little beak on the button.  That’s when I knew what the smart bird was doing.

            “Jackson Street.  Car crash.  Help!  Charles, are you okay?  Charles!” I screamed.  The boy had already passed out.

            Scout pressed the button and quickly flew away.  I looked at the injured boy and slowly passed out myself.

            Meanwhile, Scout pressed the button for the police and Mom.  They found us lying there and quickly brought us to the hospital.  I remember waking up in a small white room.

            “Mom, Calvin,” I paused, “Dad!”

            He kissed me.  “It’s okay,” his deep voice was calming.

            “Where’s Charles?” I questioned, shaking.

            Nobody answered.

            “Where’s Charles?” I repeated.

            “Lilly!”  I heard a faint sound next door.

            “Charles!”  He was okay.  Now I know nothing’s more important than family.

            We were lucky to be alive and not badly injured.  Scout saved us!  And Nanny was wrong.  But we all love the bird dearly.  As I saw him perched on the hospital window, I knew anything was possible.

 

THE END