bangs.
Mr. Jackson stood and watched until everyone was in bed, then said, "For Pete's sake, get back to sleep!" and left, slamming the door.
"That man washed out my mouth for swearing!" hissed Tianna. "I'll kill him!"
"Shhh!" half the people in the room shushed. I lay in the dark, as stiff as a board, wishing I was back home with Mom and Daddy.
For breakfast the next morning we had birdseed. Well, it was really hot cereal, but it looked like birdseed, so that's what we called it. I like it. It's bumpy and warm in your mouth and tastes kind of like nuts.
Tianna picked up a spoonful and let it drip off in little globs. Then she did it again, lifting her spoon even higher.
"This stuff is gross!" she said, blobbing her spoon up and down on the top of her cereal. "I can't believe you're eating it."
Lisa giggled. "That's what I thought, too," she said, taking a bite from her bowl. "Actually, it's not as bad as it looks. It's better than glue or fingernails."
"They feed you glue and fingernails?" Tianna said in a squeak.
We laughed, and I said, "Wait and see."
Tianna had made me late for breakfast. She wouldn't get out of bed, and when she finally did she just pulled some clothes on and didn't brush her hair. It was a good thing I'd read Galatians 6:2 like Mom had suggested, otherwise I probably would have just left.
The first verse of the chapter had been talking about what to do when somebody else was being bad. It said we should gently try to help them do right. Then it said, "Share each other's troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord's command."
"Come on, Tianna, brush your hair," I had said. "Your mom can't see you here, and it's Sunday."
"Mind your own business," she had snapped and headed for the door.
Lisa, Muthoni, and Amy had saved us a place at their table, so it could have been worse.
After breakfast we walked up to Sunday school. The sun was shining, and I looked up at the dark green hill high above us. The bright edge of a white cloud showed above the top of the hill. It was so pretty against the deep blue sky. I spun and walked backwards to look at the valley. The wind blew the ends of my now-short hair into my face.
Amy giggled. "This wind makes me feel like I have no hair."
I laughed and shook my head so my hair flew around. "My hair's like a horse's mane," I said, running and picking my feet up really high like I was trotting.
"Race you to the fig tree," Muthoni yelled, and took off at a dead run. I quit trotting and tore after her. Her thin brown legs flashed, and she beat me by two steps.
Muthoni and I were still laughing and breathing hard when we went in to Sunday school. Lisa, Tianna, and Amy came in a couple seconds later when we were already singing, "Praise the Name of Jesus." I liked that song and I sang with all my might. "He's my rock…" My hands stung from the clapping. "He's my fortress, he's my deliverer, in him will I trust…"
I remembered how God had kept Lisa and me safe several months before. We'd been swimming in the ocean and had gotten caught in Mida Creek, a very strong current that can grab you and carry you away from shore before you even know it. We'd been carried pretty far—I could still remember how scared we were. But God had been watching over us, and we made it to shore, and back home, safely.
I looked over at Lisa, and she saw me and grinned. Then I looked at Tianna. She was just standing there with her mouth shut. For a minute I thought she was just being mean. Then it hit me that she probably didn't know any of the songs.
As soon as the song was over, Miss Garrett stood up to teach. She's a bossy old lady with legs that look like cigars. Once she gave Darren Brown a demerit for chewing gum. "We have a new student in our class this morning," she said, "but before I introduce her, I'm going to ask her to go and brush her hair." There was a shocked silence, and I slid way down in my seat. Nobody moved.
"Well," said Miss Garrett, glaring at Tianna. "Are
Mr. Jackson stood and watched until everyone was in bed, then said, "For Pete's sake, get back to sleep!" and left, slamming the door.
"That man washed out my mouth for swearing!" hissed Tianna. "I'll kill him!"
"Shhh!" half the people in the room shushed. I lay in the dark, as stiff as a board, wishing I was back home with Mom and Daddy.
For breakfast the next morning we had birdseed. Well, it was really hot cereal, but it looked like birdseed, so that's what we called it. I like it. It's bumpy and warm in your mouth and tastes kind of like nuts.
Tianna picked up a spoonful and let it drip off in little globs. Then she did it again, lifting her spoon even higher.
"This stuff is gross!" she said, blobbing her spoon up and down on the top of her cereal. "I can't believe you're eating it."
Lisa giggled. "That's what I thought, too," she said, taking a bite from her bowl. "Actually, it's not as bad as it looks. It's better than glue or fingernails."
"They feed you glue and fingernails?" Tianna said in a squeak.
We laughed, and I said, "Wait and see."
Tianna had made me late for breakfast. She wouldn't get out of bed, and when she finally did she just pulled some clothes on and didn't brush her hair. It was a good thing I'd read Galatians 6:2 like Mom had suggested, otherwise I probably would have just left.
The first verse of the chapter had been talking about what to do when somebody else was being bad. It said we should gently try to help them do right. Then it said, "Share each other's troubles and problems, and so obey our Lord's command."
"Come on, Tianna, brush your hair," I had said. "Your mom can't see you here, and it's Sunday."
"Mind your own business," she had snapped and headed for the door.
Lisa, Muthoni, and Amy had saved us a place at their table, so it could have been worse.
After breakfast we walked up to Sunday school. The sun was shining, and I looked up at the dark green hill high above us. The bright edge of a white cloud showed above the top of the hill. It was so pretty against the deep blue sky. I spun and walked backwards to look at the valley. The wind blew the ends of my now-short hair into my face.
Amy giggled. "This wind makes me feel like I have no hair."
I laughed and shook my head so my hair flew around. "My hair's like a horse's mane," I said, running and picking my feet up really high like I was trotting.
"Race you to the fig tree," Muthoni yelled, and took off at a dead run. I quit trotting and tore after her. Her thin brown legs flashed, and she beat me by two steps.
Muthoni and I were still laughing and breathing hard when we went in to Sunday school. Lisa, Tianna, and Amy came in a couple seconds later when we were already singing, "Praise the Name of Jesus." I liked that song and I sang with all my might. "He's my rock…" My hands stung from the clapping. "He's my fortress, he's my deliverer, in him will I trust…"
I remembered how God had kept Lisa and me safe several months before. We'd been swimming in the ocean and had gotten caught in Mida Creek, a very strong current that can grab you and carry you away from shore before you even know it. We'd been carried pretty far—I could still remember how scared we were. But God had been watching over us, and we made it to shore, and back home, safely.
I looked over at Lisa, and she saw me and grinned. Then I looked at Tianna. She was just standing there with her mouth shut. For a minute I thought she was just being mean. Then it hit me that she probably didn't know any of the songs.
As soon as the song was over, Miss Garrett stood up to teach. She's a bossy old lady with legs that look like cigars. Once she gave Darren Brown a demerit for chewing gum. "We have a new student in our class this morning," she said, "but before I introduce her, I'm going to ask her to go and brush her hair." There was a shocked silence, and I slid way down in my seat. Nobody moved.
"Well," said Miss Garrett, glaring at Tianna. "Are
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