hears the cries of the world,” Pearl said hopefully. “Surely she’ll hear ours and help us all get back home.”
Pearl took off running toward the statue.
“Well,” Felix said, “it wouldn’t hurt.”
Reluctantly, Maisie walked with Felix down the path.
When Pearl saw them, she grinned.
“I should have been asking her all along,” she said.
From her pocket, she pulled out the small jade box that Felix had given her.
“I carry it everywhere,” she added. “Remember, Felix? You said that no matter where I went, I could take this little box filled with the earth from home with me?”
“May I see that?” Maisie asked Pearl.
Pearl handed the box to her, and Maisie held it tightly in her hand, closing her eyes and concentrating hard.
When she opened her eyes again, she looked around, clearly disappointed.
“I thought…,” she began.
“Did you think you could pray to her and openyour eyes and be home?” Pearl teased.
But Maisie looked at Felix and said, “Yes. Well, I hoped.”
“It doesn’t work that fast!” Pearl laughed. “You’re getting as bad as Amah. Next thing I know, you’ll believe a magic rabbit lives on the moon.”
Maisie’s eyes took in the statue in front of her: the flowing, green robe, the willow twig in one hand, and the vase dripping dew in the other. Even though she didn’t believe in all this Chinese superstition, maybe praying to Kwan Yin would help. It wouldn’t hurt, she decided.
She took a deep breath and thought as hard as she could, “Kwan Yin, do you hear me crying to go home?”
The stone face stared back at her.
When they got back to the boardinghouse on Bubbling Well Road, Mrs. Sydenstricker was waiting anxiously outside for them. As soon as she saw them turn the corner, she smiled and ran to meet them.
“Pearl! Wonderful news from your father!”
Pearl’s eyes glistened with joy. “We’re going home!” she said. “Finally!”
Felix saw Mrs. Sydenstricker’s face fall. Shereminded him of his own mother when she was about to disappoint him.
“Pearl,” Mrs. Sydenstricker said, putting her hand on Pearl’s arm. “I’m sorry. It’s time for us to go to our real home.”
“Real home?” Pearl said.
“He’s booked us passage on a steamship to San Francisco,” Mrs. Sydenstricker said.
“San Francisco?” Pearl said, her eyes darkening.
“Yes!” her mother said. “And from there on to West Virginia.”
“America isn’t home,” Pearl said angrily.
“It is,” her mother said. “It will be, Pearl. I promise.”
Maisie felt like she was listening to her own mother right before the Christmas party when she’d been complaining about not having any friends in Newport.
You will soon, sweetie,
she’d said.
I promise.
Her words hadn’t made Maisie feel better. Not really. How could a mother promise something that seemed impossible to get?
Still, Maisie said to Pearl, “I never thought I would feel at home anywhere except New York City. When we moved to Newport, I was totally miserable. I hated it. New York was my home, not that awful place.”
“And now you’re happy there?” Pearl said, knowing the answer.
Maisie hesitated.
But Felix jumped right in. “I love Newport now, Pearl,” he said. “At first, I was unhappy there. But before I knew it, I had friends and I fell in love with the harbor and all the sailboats there.”
Mrs. Sydenstricker smiled at him gratefully.
“It’s taken me longer,” Maisie said. “But slowly I’m getting used to it. Maybe I’ll always miss our old apartment and the streets around that neighborhood. Maybe I’ll always want the sounds of the city outside all around me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not warming up to Newport.”
“See, Pearl?” her mother said. “They know exactly how you feel.”
At that, Pearl’s eyes flared with anger.
“I want to go to Zhenjiang. That’s my home!”
She didn’t wait for her mother or Maisie or Felix to answer. Instead, Pearl ran off,
Pearl took off running toward the statue.
“Well,” Felix said, “it wouldn’t hurt.”
Reluctantly, Maisie walked with Felix down the path.
When Pearl saw them, she grinned.
“I should have been asking her all along,” she said.
From her pocket, she pulled out the small jade box that Felix had given her.
“I carry it everywhere,” she added. “Remember, Felix? You said that no matter where I went, I could take this little box filled with the earth from home with me?”
“May I see that?” Maisie asked Pearl.
Pearl handed the box to her, and Maisie held it tightly in her hand, closing her eyes and concentrating hard.
When she opened her eyes again, she looked around, clearly disappointed.
“I thought…,” she began.
“Did you think you could pray to her and openyour eyes and be home?” Pearl teased.
But Maisie looked at Felix and said, “Yes. Well, I hoped.”
“It doesn’t work that fast!” Pearl laughed. “You’re getting as bad as Amah. Next thing I know, you’ll believe a magic rabbit lives on the moon.”
Maisie’s eyes took in the statue in front of her: the flowing, green robe, the willow twig in one hand, and the vase dripping dew in the other. Even though she didn’t believe in all this Chinese superstition, maybe praying to Kwan Yin would help. It wouldn’t hurt, she decided.
She took a deep breath and thought as hard as she could, “Kwan Yin, do you hear me crying to go home?”
The stone face stared back at her.
When they got back to the boardinghouse on Bubbling Well Road, Mrs. Sydenstricker was waiting anxiously outside for them. As soon as she saw them turn the corner, she smiled and ran to meet them.
“Pearl! Wonderful news from your father!”
Pearl’s eyes glistened with joy. “We’re going home!” she said. “Finally!”
Felix saw Mrs. Sydenstricker’s face fall. Shereminded him of his own mother when she was about to disappoint him.
“Pearl,” Mrs. Sydenstricker said, putting her hand on Pearl’s arm. “I’m sorry. It’s time for us to go to our real home.”
“Real home?” Pearl said.
“He’s booked us passage on a steamship to San Francisco,” Mrs. Sydenstricker said.
“San Francisco?” Pearl said, her eyes darkening.
“Yes!” her mother said. “And from there on to West Virginia.”
“America isn’t home,” Pearl said angrily.
“It is,” her mother said. “It will be, Pearl. I promise.”
Maisie felt like she was listening to her own mother right before the Christmas party when she’d been complaining about not having any friends in Newport.
You will soon, sweetie,
she’d said.
I promise.
Her words hadn’t made Maisie feel better. Not really. How could a mother promise something that seemed impossible to get?
Still, Maisie said to Pearl, “I never thought I would feel at home anywhere except New York City. When we moved to Newport, I was totally miserable. I hated it. New York was my home, not that awful place.”
“And now you’re happy there?” Pearl said, knowing the answer.
Maisie hesitated.
But Felix jumped right in. “I love Newport now, Pearl,” he said. “At first, I was unhappy there. But before I knew it, I had friends and I fell in love with the harbor and all the sailboats there.”
Mrs. Sydenstricker smiled at him gratefully.
“It’s taken me longer,” Maisie said. “But slowly I’m getting used to it. Maybe I’ll always miss our old apartment and the streets around that neighborhood. Maybe I’ll always want the sounds of the city outside all around me. But that doesn’t mean I’m not warming up to Newport.”
“See, Pearl?” her mother said. “They know exactly how you feel.”
At that, Pearl’s eyes flared with anger.
“I want to go to Zhenjiang. That’s my home!”
She didn’t wait for her mother or Maisie or Felix to answer. Instead, Pearl ran off,
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