unzipped the change pocket and found two toonies and a loonie. Another five dollars!
And she had not even thanked Jess!
She leaped up and raced to the back door and, as the car backed down the driveway, she waved the wallet and called, “Thank you, Dr. Hart!”
The car stopped. Jess’s head poked out.
“Who is Dr. Hart?” she asked, laughing. “I don’t think she lives around here.”
Min got the giggles. They bubbled up in her and could not be squashed enough for her voice to come out clearly.
“Thanks, Jess,” she burbled, tears in her eyes and her cheeks burning with embarrassment and delight.
“You are entirely welcome,” Jess answered and drove away with a swoosh.
Min found the hat Jess had bought for her. It was bright red. She pulled it on, added coat and mitts and set out for downtown. She was about to try her hand at Christmas shopping. She wandered up Quebec Street, peering into every store she passed. She had been inside a couple of stores on the main street but had found nothing inexpensive and yet special. She had made herself a Christmas list. Jess of course, Mrs. Willis, Maude Motley …?, Toby, maybe, and Emily. Five presents to buy. She went into The Bookshelf first and saw a paperback dog book Toby would like if he didn’t have it already. She looked inside. It had just been published. She paid for it with trembling hands and left before she could be tempted to buy something for herself.
What next?
She saw a sign reading
TRINKETS AND TREASURES
and her spirits rose like singing larks. It sounded like the very place she needed. Trinkets, after all, were small and should not cost too much. Feeling shy suddenly, she opened the door carefully and eased her body through the crack.
“Hi there,” the woman inside said. “Where did you spring from?”
Min wanted to back out again until she saw the warmth in the woman’s smiling eyes.
“I’m Raymah,” she was saying. “You know what? I’ll bet I know you.”
Min began to shake her head when Raymah said, “You’re Min. I forget your other name. Jess Hart was telling me about you and how excited she is that you’ll be with her this Christmas. Also, the hat you are wearing came from this very store. She said she’d send you here.”
Jess must have forgotten, Min thought, but she smiled back at last. “Yes. I’m Min. And I want to get Jess a present,” she confided.
“Well, I can show you the things she picks up and holds and then puts down,” Raymah said. “These beeswax candles, to start with. And this Christmas tree decoration.” She was holding up a tiny pair of carved wooden shoes.
Min looked at the things. Then, on the counter, she saw a ceramic dog dish. On the side it said
YUM!
“How much is this?” she asked, touching it with one mittened hand.
“Eight dollars,” Raymah told her. “A friend makes them for me. But Jess doesn’t have a dog, does she?”
Next thing Min knew, she was pouring out the story of finding Emily and bringing her home. She was amazed at how easy it was to tell this Raymah all about the rescue, as though she, Min, had always been a chatterbox.
“For Emily, I’ll sell it to you for five,” Raymah said, putting the bowl into a bag. “How about a catnip mouse for Maude? You don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“No,” Min said, taking it from her. Then she found a little carved wooden angel with outstretched arms that she decided to give to Mrs. Willis. She spent all her money in Raymah’s shop except for the coins, and was on her way out when she caught sight of a pad of drawing paper with a box of pencil crayons propped invitingly beside it. She hesitated. Then she went back and asked Raymah how much they cost.
“How much have you got left?” Raymah asked, her eyes sparkling.
Min told her.
“This is your lucky day,” the woman said, putting the drawing things into a paper bag. “But it will cost you your last penny.”
Min was pretty sure Raymah was not telling her the
And she had not even thanked Jess!
She leaped up and raced to the back door and, as the car backed down the driveway, she waved the wallet and called, “Thank you, Dr. Hart!”
The car stopped. Jess’s head poked out.
“Who is Dr. Hart?” she asked, laughing. “I don’t think she lives around here.”
Min got the giggles. They bubbled up in her and could not be squashed enough for her voice to come out clearly.
“Thanks, Jess,” she burbled, tears in her eyes and her cheeks burning with embarrassment and delight.
“You are entirely welcome,” Jess answered and drove away with a swoosh.
Min found the hat Jess had bought for her. It was bright red. She pulled it on, added coat and mitts and set out for downtown. She was about to try her hand at Christmas shopping. She wandered up Quebec Street, peering into every store she passed. She had been inside a couple of stores on the main street but had found nothing inexpensive and yet special. She had made herself a Christmas list. Jess of course, Mrs. Willis, Maude Motley …?, Toby, maybe, and Emily. Five presents to buy. She went into The Bookshelf first and saw a paperback dog book Toby would like if he didn’t have it already. She looked inside. It had just been published. She paid for it with trembling hands and left before she could be tempted to buy something for herself.
What next?
She saw a sign reading
TRINKETS AND TREASURES
and her spirits rose like singing larks. It sounded like the very place she needed. Trinkets, after all, were small and should not cost too much. Feeling shy suddenly, she opened the door carefully and eased her body through the crack.
“Hi there,” the woman inside said. “Where did you spring from?”
Min wanted to back out again until she saw the warmth in the woman’s smiling eyes.
“I’m Raymah,” she was saying. “You know what? I’ll bet I know you.”
Min began to shake her head when Raymah said, “You’re Min. I forget your other name. Jess Hart was telling me about you and how excited she is that you’ll be with her this Christmas. Also, the hat you are wearing came from this very store. She said she’d send you here.”
Jess must have forgotten, Min thought, but she smiled back at last. “Yes. I’m Min. And I want to get Jess a present,” she confided.
“Well, I can show you the things she picks up and holds and then puts down,” Raymah said. “These beeswax candles, to start with. And this Christmas tree decoration.” She was holding up a tiny pair of carved wooden shoes.
Min looked at the things. Then, on the counter, she saw a ceramic dog dish. On the side it said
YUM!
“How much is this?” she asked, touching it with one mittened hand.
“Eight dollars,” Raymah told her. “A friend makes them for me. But Jess doesn’t have a dog, does she?”
Next thing Min knew, she was pouring out the story of finding Emily and bringing her home. She was amazed at how easy it was to tell this Raymah all about the rescue, as though she, Min, had always been a chatterbox.
“For Emily, I’ll sell it to you for five,” Raymah said, putting the bowl into a bag. “How about a catnip mouse for Maude? You don’t want to hurt her feelings.”
“No,” Min said, taking it from her. Then she found a little carved wooden angel with outstretched arms that she decided to give to Mrs. Willis. She spent all her money in Raymah’s shop except for the coins, and was on her way out when she caught sight of a pad of drawing paper with a box of pencil crayons propped invitingly beside it. She hesitated. Then she went back and asked Raymah how much they cost.
“How much have you got left?” Raymah asked, her eyes sparkling.
Min told her.
“This is your lucky day,” the woman said, putting the drawing things into a paper bag. “But it will cost you your last penny.”
Min was pretty sure Raymah was not telling her the
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