Katie Makes her Case

    Katie and her mother pushed their wheelbarrow in silence for several minutes. Then, to Katie’s great surprise, her mother began to speak. “Katie, tell me why you want to go to the library.”

         Katie swallowed. “I want to read books.” Her mother nodded.

       “We have books at home. Books that are appropriate for you.”

       “But we only have a few.” And you don’t let me look at all of them, she wanted to add.

       Her mother nodded. “Nevertheless, you have learned a great deal from our books.”

       “But I would like to know more.”  More than just plants she thought, but did not say.

       “Surely it is more that you would like to go there with this friend, this boy.”

Katie sighed and nodded.

       Her mother was silent for a moment. “This is something I cannot understand. It is difficult for me to see why you should desire so strongly to go to this library.  When I began to teach you – ”

       “Mother, are you home-schooling me?” broke in Katie, to her own amazement. She had never interrupted her mother before.

       Her mother looked incredulous.  “Am I…what?”

       “Home-schooling me.  It means that instead of sending me to school, you are teaching me at home. Like Brian’s mother did with Brian.”

       Her mother still looked astonished. “I am teaching you –  educating you. I am providing you with knowledge which will prepare you for a long, fulfilling life. An education which no school could possibly give you.”

       Katie saw genuine confusion in her mother’s eyes.  “Surely you do not want to go to school as well?”

       Katie gulped. Better not be too eager for too much, she thought, before she answered. “No, I only want to go to the library.” 

       Her mother was silent for a long time before she spoke again.  “Tell me about this…boy. This Brian.”

       Katie thought. “He’s…well, he’s not much like the other children.  He never walks with them in the morning. I don’t think they like him very much. Or perhaps he doesn’t like them. I think he is lonely.”

       “And why is that? Does he say that he is lonely?”

       “No, he never says it. But he is always by himself, and he is always eager to talk. He wishes that he were still at home with his mother, in her home school. But she has to go to work, he says, because his father was – he left them. They got dis- disforced.”

       “Divorced” said her mother.

       “Yes. And now he has to go to school. He and his mother don’t have a Christmas tree in their house either” she added hopefully. Perhaps her mother would find this reassuring. “And Brian’s mother will not let him watch something. Tell-a…”

       “Television” said her mother firmly. “The amusement of fools.”

       “Yes, his mother thinks it is bad for him.”  She did not add that Brian didn’t think it was bad himself and longed for a television that he could watch any time he liked.

       Katie’s mother seemed to be lost in thought. Finally she spoke.  “Katie, you may go the library. You may go one day a week, and you may spend one hour there. But I shall expect you to work just as hard in the garden as you do now, if not harder. If you give me your word that you will do this, I suppose it will not disrupt your education too greatly.”

       Katie was so surprised she could have burst out laughing. “Thank you!” she said instead. “Thank you so much!”

      Her mother’s smile looked forced.

A Visit from Brian’s Mother

        The next day, Katie stood eagerly by the front room window watching the children go to school. But Brian did not appear.  The next day, too, Brian was nowhere to be seen. The third day, she watched, disappointed, as the last child trudged up the road towards the school. She always waited several minutes after the last child had gone, just in case, but somehow she knew that Brian would not come.

       Then followed a week of no Brian. Two weeks. Three.  The joy she had felt when her mother told her that she could go to the library turned to despair.  And yet, every day she stood stubbornly by the window, willing Brian to come.  One day, just as she was about to give up, she saw a woman approach the house, stare at it for a minute or two, then, open the gate and start up their drive. The woman knocked on their door. Katie jumped up. Should she answer it? Her mother would be coming in at any minute…she walked across to the door, hesitated for only a moment, then opened it.

     “Katie?” said the woman with a smile. Something about her looked oddly familiar.

     “Yes?” said Katie, amazed.

      “Brian’s mom,” said the woman, smiling again.  “He’s been anxious that I get in touch with you, so I just thought I’d pop over for a second before work. Brian’s had the chickenpox, a really nasty case of it, too. Had to be in the hospital for a week, actually.”

       Katie’s mother had suddenly joined them at the door. “Oh, hello,” said Brian’s mother. “I’m Brian’s mother, Barbara Sorensen… you must be Katie’s…”. She held out her hand, and Katie was shocked to see that her mother and Brian’s mother were shaking hands. She had never seen her mother shake hands with anyone. “Brian’s been ill with the chickenpox -- I was just telling Katie --and he wanted so much to let her know that he hasn’t been able to leave the house at all.  He was afraid she’d think he’d deserted her. He’s talked so much about Katie. So I decided that I must drop in and put her mind at rest. So I could put his mind at rest, really.”

      Katie’s mother stared at Brian’s mother until Katie began to feel nervous. “Have the pustules completely dried up?” she asked suddenly.

       Brian’s mother looked surprised. “What? Oh – no, well, actually that’s the problem. Most of the – uh – blisters have, but he scratched the ones on his face so much that several got infected. Then the doctors thought that his brain had been affected so they put him in the hospital. He’s doing much better now, though he does look a fright.” 

       Katie’s mother nodded. “Wait. I will be right back.”

       Brian’s mother stared after her. “Well…” she said, “I hope Brian didn’t give you the chickenpox, Katie. They say it has an incubation period of about three weeks.  Two of his classmates came down with it, too. He was awfully afraid he might have given it to you, but you look fine.”

       “I’m sure I won’t get it,” answered Katie. “I don’t get sick.”

       Brian’s mother laughed gaily. “Lucky you, Katie!  If you can’t remember ever being ill, well, that’s really something!  I do envy your mother! Poor Brian, he just can’t stop catching flus and colds and what-not. What does your mom feed you?”

       Katie sighed. “Mostly roots, herbs, mushrooms and other vegetables.”

       Katie’s mother returned with two gauze-wrapped packages. “Mix this with boiled water cooled to body temperature,” she told Brian’s mother. “It should form a thin paste.  Apply it to the affected area and allow it to dry. Try to keep the boy from scratching; you must check to make sure that he allows the paste to remain on his face for at least an hour. After that, cleanse the area with lukewarm water.”

       She handed the next packet to Brian’s mother.  “This powder will relieve your headaches, and reduce the pain in your neck and shoulder. Take it before meals – it has an unpleasant taste, I am afraid, but I am certain that your discomfort is more unpleasant.”

       Brian’s mother looked astonished. “But how did you…? I’m sure I didn’t tell you…”

       Katie’s mother waved her hand dismissively.  “Any parent who has been nursing a child suffers from headaches and strains.  Leaning over a sickbed, shifting an invalid about – it all places great stress on the spine. At any rate, I am sure you will find them effective.”

       Brian’s mother smiled at her bemusedly. “Well, thank you very much. I know Brian will be glad to know that Katie hasn’t got the chickenpox. I’d better run now. Oh, wait, I almost forgot, Katie – he asked me if you’d like to go to the library with him when he’s better. He usually goes on Wednesdays, after school.”  She looked questioningly at Katie’s mother, and Katie held her breath until she saw her mother nod faintly.

       Katie tried not to smile too much. “Yes,” she said. “Tell Brian I’d like to go.”