WANDA WEIRD, page 9
This time, Kevin didn’t object about washing his hands.
“After we have our ice cream, I’m afraid it will be time to head for home,” Mom said. “It’s getting late and the zoo will be closing soon.”
“Did everyone have a good time?” asked Grandma as they sat down to enjoy their ice cream.
“I did! It was the funnest day I’ve had in a long time. And I liked learning things about all the animals.” Kevin said with his face full of ice cream.
“I had fun, too,” Wanda said. “It’s nice to have family time like this.”
After they finished their ice cream, Dad bought Kevin and Wanda each a bag of cotton candy and let them each choose a stuffed animal as a souvenir. Wanda chose a stuffed lion while Kevin chose a tiger.
“Just like we rode on the merry-go-round!” said Kevin, hugging his tiger.
“Thanks for taking us to the zoo and buying us the ice cream and stuff,” Wanda said, as she hugged her dad.
“It was my pleasure. I had fun today, too.”
“I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm feeling just a little bit worn out,” Mom said as they headed for their car and started for home.
“I'm a little tired, too,” Wanda admitted with a yawn.
“Me too,” said Grandma.
“It looks like we're a bunch of weary Weirs, aren't we?” Dad joked.
“Corny, Dad,” Wanda groaned, rolling her eyes.
“I'm not tired!” Kevin said, jumping around with excitement. “I'd like to go through the whole zoo again. And cook more hot dogs and have another picnic and eat more ice cream and ride the merry-go-round again. Can we come to the zoo again next Sunday? Huh, Dad? Can we?”
“No, not that soon, but we'll come back again another day,” Dad promised. “But now we need to head home.”
After they had been on the road for ten minutes, Grandma said, “Look who said he wasn't tired.”
Dad glanced in the rear-view mirror while Mom turned in her seat to see Kevin sound asleep with his head on Grandma’s shoulder. The car grew quiet as everyone seemed lost in his or her own thoughts. Wanda closed her eyes, wondering what her spring break paper should be about. Should she write about building a sandcastle in Florida with Misty? Or should she write about learning the hula in Hawaii? What about going to California? Her mind drifted as she thought about being in California.
She imagined that she was sitting in a restaurant with her family. And there, in a dark corner of the restaurant was a man who kept staring at them. Finally, the man got up and walked over to their table. He introduced himself as a famous Hollywood producer.
He looked at Wanda and said, “Miss, I have been sitting in this restaurant every day for months, looking for just the right girl to star in my latest movie. And from the moment I saw you walk in, I knew you were perfect for the part. With your beautiful hair and your sweet smile, you are exactly what I'm looking for. A goddess! That's what you are. A goddess! I must have you for my movie. I must! I will make you a star!”
“Well, golly, gee, I don't know,” Wanda stammered shyly. “Do you really think I could be a star? Me? But I've never acted in my life. Not even in a school play. I'm just a girl from a tiny little town in Wisconsin. I don't know anything about being a movie star!”
“But that is why everyone will love you! Picture it! A beautiful, sweet little girl from a small town makes it big in Hollywood. People love that sort of thing!” the producer said in an excited voice. “Soon you'll be making millions of dollars. You can live in a huge mansion with a swimming pool and a stable full of horses and a four-car garage. You can be driven to school by limousine. People will be waiting on you hand and foot. You can have everything your heart desires. I can make it all happen for you if you'll just agree to be in my movie. Please say you will,” the producer pleaded.
“Well, it might be fun. Tara would turn positively green with envy if I became a star. She'd stop calling me Wanda Weird and she'd want to be my friend. And I could laugh in her face. And just imagine! I could be famous! And I'd like to have my own stable of horses. And I could have a lot more cats and dogs, too. And a big swimming pool. And maybe I could have my own miniature golf course. And a bowling alley right in the house! That would be really awesome!” Wanda said, dreamily. Then turning serious, she said, “But nobody would sell a mansion to a kid, would they? And what about my friends and my grandma and my school back in Little Brook?”
“Of course, your family would come along, too.”
“But what about my friends? What about Misty? She’s my best friend in the whole world. What about her? And my other friends, like Holly and Ruth and all the others? What about them? And what about my teacher, Mrs. Nelson? I'd really miss her, too. No,” Wanda said, shaking her head. “I may not live in a big mansion, but I like my small town. And I like the house I live in. I don't think I'd like to live in Hollywood. Hollywood is a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there. My heart belongs back in Wisconsin and that's where I want to stay.”
“But you wouldn't have to live in Hollywood. You could live in a quiet community outside of Hollywood. You could even live by the ocean. And instead of studying geography in school, you could see it for yourself. You could travel all over the world. Wouldn't you like to go to Florida or Hawaii?”
“But my family is going to Florida in June. And I want to build a huge sandcastle with my friend, Misty.”
“What did you say, dear?” asked Grandma.
“Huh? What did you say?” Wanda asked, opening her eyes and finding herself in the car with her family.
“That's what I asked you. It looks like Kevin isn't the only one who fell asleep in the car. It sounded like you were dreaming about building a sandcastle in Florida.”
“I guess maybe I was, sort of,” Wanda said. “I was just sort of wishing that we could have gone to Florida over spring break instead of waiting until June to go. Tara Roberts is in Florida now and she'll probably come back from spring break with a great suntan, and she'll brag about her great trip. I hope it rains all week in Florida and spoils her trip,” she added, crossing her arms across her chest and pouting. “That will teach her for being so snooty all the time.”
Mom turned in her seat to look at Wanda. “Now, Wanda, you can't mean that,” she said gently. “I know that Tara and you aren't exactly friends, but you shouldn't wish bad things on other people even if you don't get along well with them.”
“I guess you're right, Mom. I'm sorry. I guess I didn't really mean it.”
“That's better,” said Mom. “Wake up, Kevin! We're home!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Spring break sure went fast, didn't it?” Misty asked Wanda after school the following Monday. “I was so busy with my grandparents that I didn't see much of you. I missed you. I’ve been noticing that you look different. You got your hair done! I like it. And your fingernails!”
“I got my toenails painted the same color. Do you like it? Mom said it’s called hot pink.” Wanda said, wiggling her fingers. “Mom and I had a spa day on Friday. Just her and me. It was so neat! And after that, we went shopping and Mom bought me this new outfit,” she added, twirling around.
“So, Wanda Weird, what did you do over vacation besides take care of that smelly little rat?” Tara asked, walking up and pointing her thumb at Minnie.
“She's not a rat! She's a guinea pig and she isn't smelly, either!”
“Well, I'm glad I didn't have to stay home all week to take care of her. I went to Florida! We had a beautiful hotel right by the beach. We spent day after day laying on the beach. Just look at my tan! Isn't it great? And look at you! Didn't you get outside at all this past week?” Tara asked, shaking her head. “Your skin looks so pale and pasty. Are you sure you're well? Maybe you got some disease from that filthy little animal.”
“Thank you for your concern about my health, but I'm feeling just fine.”
“Well, if you say so. You sure don't look very well. It's too bad that you couldn't go away for spring break. When we write our reports on our spring breaks, I bet mine will be the best one. I don't know what in the world you can write about. You must lead a really boring life, never getting to go anyplace or do anything,” Tara said, shaking her head in mock sympathy. “And always having to look after your dumb little brother. I bet I had the best spring break of anybody in the whole class.”
“I'm glad that you had a nice vacation. I had a good vacation, too. But not as good as yours, of course. I mean, you got to go to Florida! You are so lucky! You should have sent me a postcard or something,” Wanda said in awe. “But I suppose you were too busy. But that's great. I'm really glad that you had such a wonderful time over spring break. And that sure is a beautiful tan you have.”
“What? Oh, uh, gee, thanks. I uh, I have to go home now. Hey Olivia! Kayla! Wait up!” cried Tara as she hurried from the classroom.
“Good for you!” Misty told Wanda as they watched Tara rush away. “Sometimes, you can stop bullies in their tracks when you use kind words in return for their cruel words. I never saw anyone leave Tara so speechless before. Good job!”
“I guess I really am glad that she had nice weather. For a while, I was feeling so jealous of her because she got to go to Florida that I started wishing that it would rain all week. But I would have felt pretty bad if that wish had come true.”
“She didn’t even say anything about your hair. She acted like she didn’t even notice,” Misty said, watching Tara run for her bus.
“Ah, let her be that way,” Wanda replied, with a wave of her hands. “I don’t care. I had a pretty good vacation and I had a really special day with Mom and that’s all that matters. And you know what Kevin said when he saw my new hairstyle? He said that he didn’t know that sisters could be pretty. He thought we just looked like girls,” Wanda said, patting her hair.
“Hey, Misty! Wanda!” shouted Max as they were leaving the classroom. “What's worse than finding a worm in an apple?”
“Finding half a worm!” Wanda shouted back.
“How did you know?” Max asked in a disappointed voice, approaching the girls.
“Nearly every day during spring break, either your little brother was at my house playing with Kevin or Kevin was playing at your house. And I bet that every night Ralph was asking you riddles. Right?”
“Right,” Max agreed.
“Well, where do you suppose he got all those riddles? They came from a riddle book that Kevin checked out of the library. I read those kids riddles from that book so many times that I think I memorized every riddle in the book,” Wanda said. “And they probably memorized them all, too.”
“Oh, then I guess I won't bother asking you what's as light as air but the strongest man in the world can't hold it for ten minutes, huh?”
“Nope. No need to bother. I know that one, too,” Wanda said, smugly.
“I bet Misty doesn't know it though, do you Misty?” Max asked hopefully.
“Of course she does!” Wanda said, winking at Misty. “We're best friends. We tell each other everything.”
“Oh. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess,” Max said as he slowly walked away.
As they began walking to Kevin's classroom, Misty stopped and asked, “Okay, so tell me. I give up. What's as light as air and yet the strongest man in the world can't hold it for ten minutes?”
“His breath!” Wanda told her, giggling as they began walking again.
When they got to the kindergarten room, they heard Kevin and Ralph asking riddles to Mrs. Cooper.
“How much dirt is in a hole that's five feet long and five feet wide and five feet deep?” asked Ralph.
Mrs. Cooper opened her mouth to reply, but Mrs. Moe came to the rescue, telling her son, “Come on, Ralph. It's time to go. Stop pestering Mrs. Cooper with all these riddles. Max is already in the car waiting for us. You two have a dentist appointment at 3:45 and we don’t want to be late.”
“I do. I don’t like going to the dentist!” Ralph said, stamping his feet in protest.
“Like it or not, you’re going. Now come on! Let’s get going!” she said as she grabbed Ralph’s wrist and pulled him out of the classroom.
Mrs. Cooper let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't sure if she could stand to hear just one more riddle. She turned as Wanda and Misty came into the room.
“Here's your sister, Kevin,” she said. “Hello Wanda. Hello, Misty. Wanda! You had your hair done! It looks lovely!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Cooper,” patting her hair. “Mom and I had a spa day on Friday. It was fun. See? I got my nails done, too!” she added, holding out her hands for Mrs. Cooper to see.
“Well, isn’t that nice? After the day I just had, I think I could use a spa day myself,” Mrs. Cooper groaned. “Those boys seem to have learned a lot of new riddles during spring break.”
“Gee, I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Cooper,” Wanda apologized. “I guess it's sort of my fault. Ralph spent a lot of time at our house over spring break and they wanted me to read a riddle book to them over and over again. I can have my parents talk to Kevin and tell him not to disrupt class with his riddles anymore.”
“No, he didn't really disrupt class. He and Ralph were good enough to limit their riddles to playtime and recess. They did start telling riddles during rest period, but they stopped when I asked them to.”
“I'm glad to hear that, at least,” Wanda said. “Come on, Kevin, let's go home.”
As they started walking home, Misty said, “Okay, Kevin, I've been trying to do the math in my head and I don't know the answer to that riddle you just asked Mrs. Cooper. You know the riddle about how much dirt is in that hole. I’m usually pretty good at math, but I can’t figure this one out. So what's the answer?”
Wanda and Kevin looked at each other and grinned. “None!” they both cried.
“There's no dirt in a hole,” Wanda added.
“Oh yeah, why didn't I think of that?” Misty wondered, shaking her head.
“I learned lots of good riddles on spring break,” Kevin said. “Thursday was Ralphie’s birthday and me and Eddie got to spend the night at his house. And we were there all day Friday, too while Mom and Wanda were at the spa place. Ralphie’s brother, Max told us all kinds of riddles. I’ve got a riddle about birthdays. Want to hear it?” Without waiting for an answer. Kevin continued, “What do they serve at birthday parties in Heaven?”
“I don’t know,” Misty said, shrugging her shoulders. “What do they serve?”
“Angel food cake!” Kevin laughed.
“Speaking of birthdays, my mom’s birthday is next Friday. Dad always used to take her out for dinner and dancing on her birthday. I’d like to do something for her birthday, but what can I do?”
“Let’s ask my mom. Maybe she has some ideas,” Wanda said.
The girls found Mom working on her computer when they went in the house. “Mom? Misty’s mom has a birthday coming up and she’d like to do something special for her,” Wanda said. “Do you have any ideas?”
“I’m glad you asked. I’ve been meaning to talk to you both about that,” Mom said. "We’re having a surprise birthday party for her at four o’clock next Friday at the office. We have it all planned out with decorations and a catered dinner. We’ll also have pizza delivered from the Pizza Plaza. And how would you girls like to make the cake?”
“That would be so awesome!” Misty said as Wanda nodded in agreement. “That way, I get to do something for Mom myself.”
“It’s going to be a big surprise for your mom,” Wanda said to Misty. “She would never guess we’re giving her a party in the middle of the afternoon, during office hours. Dad says that’s one of the best parts about being your own boss. Any time you want to close the office a little early, you can do it and nobody gets mad at you.”
“Do I get to go to the party, too Mom?” Kevin asked hopefully.
“Of course, dear. You don't think we'd forget you, do you?”
“Hey!” cried Kevin jumping up from his seat on the couch. “I just got a great idea! I can tell my riddles at the party! I bet Mrs. Baker and her friends don't know very many riddles.”
“I think we could let you do that,” said Mom, smiling at him.
"Wanda, can you read me that riddle book one more time before we take it back to the library? I want to make sure I don't forget any of the best ones.”
“Well, it looks like the entertainment is all set,” Mom joked. “I guess there won't be any need to hire a comedian.”
“I'll be the come-ee-dan!” said Kevin, excitedly, jumping up and down. “Mommy, what's a come-ee-dan?”
“A comedian,” Mom corrected him, “is a person who tells jokes and funny stories.”
“And riddles?”
“Sometimes,” Mom said, smiling and nodding her head.
“Then that's me! I'm a come-ee-dan!” Kevin said gleefully, clapping his hands. “I can hardly wait to tell Ralphie that I'm a real come-ee-dan and that he's one too cuz he tells riddles, too. Come on, Wanda, read me the book again, please?”
Wanda sighed and said, “Okay, go get the riddle book and I'll read it to you again. But I think you probably have the whole book memorized by now. I've read it to you about a million times.”
Kevin happily ran back to his room to get the riddle book.
“Mom, do you really think that it’s a good idea to let Kevin ask his silly riddles at Mrs. Baker’s party? What if they don’t laugh? That would make him feel bad.” Turning to Misty, she asked, “What do you think, Misty? Would your mom be okay with Kevin asking his riddles?”
“I think Mom would like it. She adores Kevin and she doesn’t mind when he asks her riddles. I don’t know about the other guests, though. What do you think, Mrs. Weir?”
“Don’t worry. We’ll only let him tell five or six riddles. That will be enough to make him feel important. Misty, why don’t you and I start getting the invitations ready to mail while Wanda keeps Kevin busy with the riddle book?”
“Okay. And thanks for all that you and Mr. Weir are doing to help me and my mom.”
