Interrupted Read Free Page B

into place, then sat back to admire my work. Purple and yellow and burgundy splashes of color filled the little flower bed.
    “Ouch,” Sam said under his breath.
    I looked up to catch him grimacing at his hand. But when he saw me watching him, he quickly hid it behind his back.
    “Let me see,” I ordered, holding out my hand.
    He paused a moment before pulling his arm out and showing me his palm. I gasped. It was covered with red welts and cuts.
From pulling my weeds
.
    I cleared my throat and dropped his hand. “You’d better come in and get some medicine for that.”
    Sam followed me into the house. “Up on the counter,” I commanded. Sam climbed up and perched on the cold countertop, watching me silently.
    I rinsed his wounds with cool water and rubbed some of Mama’s salve on them. Then I bent beneath the sink and pulled out some clean rags, ripping one into shreds so I could wrap it around Sam’s hand.
    “You’re not like most people, are you?” Sam’s voice sounded curious.
    “I don’t know. I haven’t met most people.” I bit my lower lip. “There,” I said, patting the poorly bandaged hand. “All done.” I looked over my work, feeling like a saint.
    I looked up to see Sam staring at me.
    “What?” I asked.
    “You’re awful pretty, Allie,” Sam whispered.
    I gave him a little smile, feeling too charitable at the moment to be annoyed. “Good-bye, Sam,” I said instead. “And thank you for the help with the pansies. They don’t look as bad as I thought they would … you know, with you helping and all.” I cleared my throat.
    Sam jumped off the counter and shook my hand with his good one before walking out the door. “Good-bye, Allie.”
    I rolled my eyes before going back out to the garden.
    I opened my notebook and smoothed down the fresh page. Even without looking up, I could tell Mama was watching me from her seat in the armchair.
    June 18, 1939
    Well, today was a wonderful day. Mama and I worked in the garden and made pancakes and cleaned the kitchen floors together. Mama is so happy; it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.
    “What are you writing?”
    I looked up, surprised by the coldness of Mama’s tone. She was glowering at me, the light extinguished in her blue eyes.
    “Nothing, Mama.” I lifted the journal so she could see. “I’m just writing in my diary.”
    Mama wrapped her favorite blanket around her tightly and pursed her lips. “What are you writing about?” Her voice began to grow tense. “Are you writing about me, Allie? What are you saying about me?”
    “Mama, calm down.” I reached out a hand toward her. Her eyes widened as she flinched away. My hand suddenly felt cold and empty, suspended in the air. I clenched my fist and let it drop.
    I read aloud what I had written. But by the time I lifted my head, Mama was staring at the clock on the wall, her face expressionless.
    “Allie?” she asked after a few moments.
    “Yes?”
    “Can we go on a picnic tomorrow? Invite that boy, Sam. Tell him to go on a picnic with us tomorrow.”
    “Yes, Mama.” I looked down.
    Mama stared at me. “Call him now. He might forget.”
    I sighed and reached for the telephone on the table.
This is going to be embarrassing
.
    Sam answered. “Hello?”
    I fidgeted with my skirt. “Um, hello. This is Allie Everly.”
    There was a pause. And then, “Oh, hi, Allie!”
    My face reddened. Thank heavens he couldn’t see
that
over the telephone. “Mama wanted me to call and invite you on a picnic tomorrow. By the pond, I guess. She’s packing a lunch and everything.”
    “That sounds like fun.” Sam’s voice grew excited. “What time are you having it?”
    I glanced at Mama, who had fallen back asleep. “Probably at noon.”
    “Great!” There was an awkward silence. “Okay. See you tomorrow, Allie.”
    The line clicked dead. I sighed and placed the telephone back on the retriever. Mama snored lightly from the sofa.
She looks …
    I gulped down the liquid in my