Melanie Martin Goes Dutch

Melanie Martin Goes Dutch Read Free Page A

Book: Melanie Martin Goes Dutch Read Free
Author: Carol Weston
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    Well, Cecily and I climbed a tree so we could spy on everyone. She told me some more about the scary news. She said her mom had felt a little surprise lump in her chest.
    “Like a pebble?” I asked.
    “More like a pencil eraser, I think,” Cecily said.
    Cecily's mom got it x-rayed, then another doctorgave her a needle test. He said she has cancer, so now she's asking a different doctor for a second opinion. But she will probably have to have an operation. Cecily says cancer is when bad cells in your body multiply and have to be cut out or poisoned with chemicals or both.
    While Cecily was talking to me, Cecily's mom was talking to my parents. Cecily and I usually talk a lot, but our parents usually don't.
    We all left the picnic together. Cecily's mom kept stopping to throw away empty bottles that other people had littered. Mrs. Hausner is a big cleaner-upper. She loves Central Park and she hates trash.
    After we said goodbye, I asked my mom, “Is she going to be okay?” Mom said she thinks so and Dad told me not to worry.

Dear Diary,
    We fly to Europe on August 11. That's in exactly

Dear Diary,
    Cecily came over and Mom took us to Riverside Park, and Matt made us play Who Can Spit Watermelon Seeds the Farthest. Matt is good at it and Cecily is great at it and I stink at it. I don't know why I can't do it. Even when I concentrate and curl my tongue and spit them up and out, the seeds still land just a foot away.
    Mom asked Cecily how her mom is doing. Cecily said, “Okay, I guess.”
    Mom put her arm around her.
    Kind of sadly,

Dear Diary,
    You will never ever believe this!
    It is too good to be true!
    Guess who is going with us to Amster Amster Dam Dam Dam?
    Cecily!
    Cecily's mom scheduled her operation for when we would be away, because Mom said that while it might be hard for her to take care of Cecily during all the hospital stuff, it would be easy for our family to take care of her and we'd love to—in Holland! Mom got the idea when we were spitting out watermelon seeds, but Cecily's parents had to talk on the phone about it. Now they're buying Cecily a plane ticket!
    Instead of a family of four, we'll be a family of five!
    Cecily and I will be sisters!
    I'm so
    At dinner Matt said, “It's not fair that Melanie gets to take a friend and I don't.”
    He sort of had a point, so I just stared quietly at my meatballs.
    “Matt, Cecily's mom is sick,” Mom said.
    “If Lily's mom got sick, could Lily come with us?” Matt asked. He was eating his spaghetti in a really disgusting way. He doesn't twirl it, he loads up his mouth and then bites off all the extra noodles. He always looks like a mama bird with a beak stuffed with worms.
    “Matt,” Mom said, “let's be glad Lily's mom is not sick. We're taking Cecily along because it will help her mom, and it won't be that hard for us.”
    “That's what you think,” Matt said. “You have Dad, and Mel has Cecily, and I'll probably get lost again. Remember the Sixteen Chapel?”
    “The Sistine Chapel,” Dad corrected, then added, “This time we'll stick together.” (It was pretty bad when Matt got lost on our last trip.)
    Anyway, I just kept minding my own business, watching my meatballs. I have to admit, though, I'd probably be mad if Matt got to take someone and I didn't.
    Oh well! That's the way the meatball bounces!
    The rest of dinner was a big fat lecture from Dad about how we are privileged children and how we should appreciate our health and good fortune and not take it for granted and not get spoiled, etc. etc. etc.
    We promised we'd try.
    When Dad was done lecturing, Mom started in about table manners and how Matt should twirl his spaghetti or at least take smaller bites—like Melanie (hee hee).
    Your privileged friend,

    P.S. That's one of Dad's nicknames for me.
    P.P.S. Three weeks until Holland!

Dear Diary,
    Matt got hurt today. It was really scary. We were playing softball in the park. Matt was catcher and I waspitcher and the second grader

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