1. Grab Bag
Nikki walks backwards, tilting her head way up to look directly at the sky. "Don't let me bump into anything," she says. She puts out her arms for balance. She does this kind of daredevil walk when she is feeling especially happy, especially satisfied. Deja walks alongside, watching her.
Nikki is in high spirits. She got the I Spy key chain out of Ms. Shelby's grab bag. Everyone wanted it last time, and no one picked it. Once a month, those who have stickers straight across Ms. Shelby's behavior chart get to reach into her grab bag, without looking, and pick out a prize. They have only ten seconds to take something out, during which time they have to furiously feel around for the prize they have their "eye" on, so to speak. The day before grab
bag day, Ms. Shelby always lines up the prizes on her desk for a full minute so her students can memorize their shapes and sizes. Then she drops them back into the bag with a sly smile and a little chuckle.
Almost everyoneâthe good kids at leastâhad their eye on that I Spy key chain with the miniature I Spy board encased in a tiny plastic globe. Part of the globe even twists to magnify certain sections. The items to find are listed in tiny print along the bottom of the picture. You have to slide the magnifying circle over the teeny words to see what you have to "spy." It is the neatest little gadget, Nikki thinks. Everyone thought so. Everyone reached into that canvas bag with thoughts of the I Spy key chain.
Deja hadn't gotten it. She'd gotten the hole puncher in the shape of a mouse. She admitted to Nikki that she'd searched and searched for the key chain, but then the ten seconds ran out and she grabbed what was nearest her hand. What was she going to do with a stupid hole puncher? she'd asked.
Nikki spins around like a whirlybird and then stops abruptly. She's spotted Mrs. Markham. "Hi, Mrs. Markham," she says to their corner neighbor, who's all decked out in a sun hat and gardening apron. Mrs. Markham is examining the undersides of the leaves on her
rosebush. Since Nikki stops, Deja has to stop, too.
"Hi, girls," Mrs. Markham says, straightening up. "Do you know that this Bermuda Mystery Rose is featured in the
Blue Island Rose Society Newsletter?
" She smiles down at them.
Nikki and Deja look at each other. They have no idea what Mrs. Markham is talking about.
"I'm pretty proud of it." She gazes at her flowers, beaming.
Nikki and Deja look at the rosebush, then back at Mrs. Markham.
"Congratulations," Nikki says finally.
"Congratulations," Deja says, following suit.
"Guess what, Mrs. Markham?" Nikki says.
"Oh, no," Deja says under her breath.
Nikki catches that, but ignores her. "I got the prize everyone wanted out of the grab bag today!"
"Say what?" Mrs. Markham asks, her eyes still on her roses.
"Ms. Shelby, our teacher ... She has this grab bag at the end of every monthâjust for the good kids. You have to put your hand in without looking, and you only have ten seconds to choose something, and I got the prize
everybody
wanted!"
Mrs. Markam frowns at a leaf. "How'd you do that?"
Deja sighs heavily. Nikki has already explained her success to Ms. Shelby, and then to the custodian, and then to one of the kids in Mr. Beaumont's class who was going by to get to the school bus. She has told her story to anyone who'd listen.
"See, I knew I was only going to have ten seconds, so I thought to myself,
Just feel for the chain. Just feel for the chain.
And that's what I did. I just concentrated on feeling for the chain. I swirled my fingers all around the bottom of the bag, 'cause I had a feeling it was on the bottom. And it was! I grabbed it before Ms. Shelby said, 'Time's up!'" Nikki has worked herself up into a bundle of excitement and is now grinning broadly.
"My, my..." Mrs. Markham says. "Well, good for you."
Deja nudges Nikki. "Come on. I gotta get home."
They say goodbye to Mrs. Markam and continue down Fulton Street.
Nikki is
Nikki walks backwards, tilting her head way up to look directly at the sky. "Don't let me bump into anything," she says. She puts out her arms for balance. She does this kind of daredevil walk when she is feeling especially happy, especially satisfied. Deja walks alongside, watching her.
Nikki is in high spirits. She got the I Spy key chain out of Ms. Shelby's grab bag. Everyone wanted it last time, and no one picked it. Once a month, those who have stickers straight across Ms. Shelby's behavior chart get to reach into her grab bag, without looking, and pick out a prize. They have only ten seconds to take something out, during which time they have to furiously feel around for the prize they have their "eye" on, so to speak. The day before grab
bag day, Ms. Shelby always lines up the prizes on her desk for a full minute so her students can memorize their shapes and sizes. Then she drops them back into the bag with a sly smile and a little chuckle.
Almost everyoneâthe good kids at leastâhad their eye on that I Spy key chain with the miniature I Spy board encased in a tiny plastic globe. Part of the globe even twists to magnify certain sections. The items to find are listed in tiny print along the bottom of the picture. You have to slide the magnifying circle over the teeny words to see what you have to "spy." It is the neatest little gadget, Nikki thinks. Everyone thought so. Everyone reached into that canvas bag with thoughts of the I Spy key chain.
Deja hadn't gotten it. She'd gotten the hole puncher in the shape of a mouse. She admitted to Nikki that she'd searched and searched for the key chain, but then the ten seconds ran out and she grabbed what was nearest her hand. What was she going to do with a stupid hole puncher? she'd asked.
Nikki spins around like a whirlybird and then stops abruptly. She's spotted Mrs. Markham. "Hi, Mrs. Markham," she says to their corner neighbor, who's all decked out in a sun hat and gardening apron. Mrs. Markham is examining the undersides of the leaves on her
rosebush. Since Nikki stops, Deja has to stop, too.
"Hi, girls," Mrs. Markham says, straightening up. "Do you know that this Bermuda Mystery Rose is featured in the
Blue Island Rose Society Newsletter?
" She smiles down at them.
Nikki and Deja look at each other. They have no idea what Mrs. Markham is talking about.
"I'm pretty proud of it." She gazes at her flowers, beaming.
Nikki and Deja look at the rosebush, then back at Mrs. Markham.
"Congratulations," Nikki says finally.
"Congratulations," Deja says, following suit.
"Guess what, Mrs. Markham?" Nikki says.
"Oh, no," Deja says under her breath.
Nikki catches that, but ignores her. "I got the prize everyone wanted out of the grab bag today!"
"Say what?" Mrs. Markham asks, her eyes still on her roses.
"Ms. Shelby, our teacher ... She has this grab bag at the end of every monthâjust for the good kids. You have to put your hand in without looking, and you only have ten seconds to choose something, and I got the prize
everybody
wanted!"
Mrs. Markam frowns at a leaf. "How'd you do that?"
Deja sighs heavily. Nikki has already explained her success to Ms. Shelby, and then to the custodian, and then to one of the kids in Mr. Beaumont's class who was going by to get to the school bus. She has told her story to anyone who'd listen.
"See, I knew I was only going to have ten seconds, so I thought to myself,
Just feel for the chain. Just feel for the chain.
And that's what I did. I just concentrated on feeling for the chain. I swirled my fingers all around the bottom of the bag, 'cause I had a feeling it was on the bottom. And it was! I grabbed it before Ms. Shelby said, 'Time's up!'" Nikki has worked herself up into a bundle of excitement and is now grinning broadly.
"My, my..." Mrs. Markham says. "Well, good for you."
Deja nudges Nikki. "Come on. I gotta get home."
They say goodbye to Mrs. Markam and continue down Fulton Street.
Nikki is
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