“He’s just that way,” Dini explains when Brenna looks puzzled. “He can’t help it.”
Of course, Armend Latifi has catered the event. It’s true that his smiles may be taken for aggression by those not in the know, but the well informed can see how happy he is.
Ollie and Alana serve the canapés and pakoras, fine cheeses, and curry puffs. Some of these recipes have come zinging around the world to the chef at Dolly’s request, courtesy of the baker Mr. Mani from that dreamy little town of Swapnagiri. Armend has accepted them graciously and added his own touches.
And oh yes, yes! Just look at that fountain in the center of the table, its spouts pouring rose petal milk shakes into the cups of those with fine taste.
Dini takes a plate of goodies over to Maddie, who can hobble around in her wide, flat shoe, but her foot hurts when she’s tired, so she’s sitting down now. They share curry puffs and little crackers with spicy dips, crispy pakoras with potatoes and onions and cheese. Naturally, every single dish is enhanced by a dash of chocolate.
“Where’s the cake?” Dad asks.
“Patience,” Dini tells him.
The cake will soon be ceremonially topped by the chef himself. Armend Latifi will apply its final garnish of fresh pink and red rose petals.
Brenna turns cartwheels between the moongates.
Then, “Who’s that?” Maddie says.
Dini wheels around to look. Who are these people in uniform? Wait, no. They’re not in uniform, not unless you count identical black suits and sunglasses.
“Is there a problem?” Ollie asks.
“Should we whisk Miss Dolly away to a safe place?” Tariq inquires.
“Hope they’re not taxwallas,” Soli mutters.
This is when the yes-yes-yes of the evening turns rapidly to no-no. It takes a choreographer of dances and a lover of fillums to see this turning point coming. Chef Armend is heading for the table, bearing a bowl filled with pink and red petals. He is intent on the ceremonial decoration of the cake that will honor his Nona. The suited people are heading for Dolly, who is standing by the table.
These suited people are on a collision course with Chef Armend.
“Watch out!” Dini yells.
Chef Armend lets out a howl of grief and rage and tries to grab at the bowl as it slips from his hands.
Too late?
No, no. Brenna to the rescue. She springs. She leaps. She flies over a bench and sails onto the grass on the other side, stretching to catch the bowl of rose petals.
Brenna reaches. She stretches. She catches the bowl.
It does not crash to the ground. It does not scatter over the shrubbery. Rose petals fly off the top, but most of the precious cargo is saved.
“Here!” Brenna gasps. She hands the bowl back to the chef. He bows in gratitude, too overcome to speak.
“Stunning!” Maddie yells. Brenna collapses on the grass, breathless. Dini runs and hugs her.
“Array, my darlings, what a brilliant number that was!” Mr. Soli Dustup is so moved he has to wipe his eyes.
The people in uniform present an invitation to Dolly to attend the Easter Egg Roll at the White House the following week! “The president sends his apologies for the mix-up about the catering,” they say. “Someone posted a message about it on the White House website, but it took a while to confirm the facts. The president hopes the catering problem was resolved.”
“Perfectly,” Dolly says. “Chickoo and I are doing a little trip to Hollywood after this, but we'll fit you in on our way back to India, right, darling?” Chickoo Uncle beams at her. “Next year I want you to invite this wonderful chef to the White House for your Egg Tumble.” She introduces Chef Armend, who cannot stop glowering with joy.
With silver tongs the chef heaps rose petals upon his masterpiece. Dolly cuts the cake. The applause is thunderous.
As the pigeons coo the evening down, Mr. Bayan announces that the first of two showings of the fillum is now being seated, and that those who cannot get in will have to wait their turn for the next round. No one minds. It’s all good. It’s all Dolly.
“Come on, my darlings,” says Mr. Soli Dustup, and Dolly’s near and dear ones enter the museum, along with the Indian ambassador and other distinguished guests. They find their seats, Dini with Maddie on one side and Brenna on the other.
The projector buzzes on. The movie lights flicker onto the screen. Happy sighs float up from the audience as they settle in to watch Kahan Hai Sunny Villa? or Where Is Sunny Villa? KHSV for short. Dini catches Dad beaming at her when he should be looking at the screen. Dolly and Chickoo Uncle smile at each other. Ollie and Alana do likewise.
How fine it is to watch a great movie with true friends and fans. The journey to bring Sunny Villa here to Washington has taken some strange turns, but this grand opening was worth every tense moment. Now Dini can see those moments for what they were. Change. That’s what. When yes turns to no and back again, or new to old and then to new once more.
Change makes people panicky. Change shimmers up the line between life and the movies before it settles back into the next new reality. But dealing with change is not so hard, really. All a slightly heroic person has to do is help out, watch out, and take the dance one step at a time.
Uma Krishnaswami has written many books for children, including The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, in which Dini and Dolly first light up the silver screen. Uma was born in India, and when she was young, she lived in a house named Sunny Villa with blinky-looking shutters, in a town just like Swapnagiri. Now Uma lives and works on fixing plots in Aztec, New Mexico, but like Dolly, she is all over the place. She also works for the Vermont College of Fine Arts, teaching grown-ups who write for children.
Abigail Halpin, who also illustrated The Grand Plan to Fix Everything, is an illustrator/graphic designer living in New England. She likes bright colors, all things retro, and sharp pencils.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2013 by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Abigail Halpin
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Book design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover
Jacket Design by Debra Sfetsios-Conover
Jacket illustrations by Abigail Halpin
The text for this book is set in Centaur MT.
The illustrations for this book are rendered in pen and ink with digital color.
0713 FFG
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Krishnaswami, Uma, 1956-
The problem with being slightly heroic / Uma Krishnaswami ; illustrated by Abigail Halpin. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Sequel to: The grand plan to fix everything.
Summary: Complications ensue with Bollywood star Dolly Singh premieres her new movie at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C., and super fan Dinni and her best frie
nd Maddie present a dance at the grand opening.
ISBN 978-1-4424-2328-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4424-2330-5 (eBook)
[1. Best friends—Fiction. 2. Friendship—Fiction. 3. Actors and actresses—Fiction. 4. East Indian Americans—Fiction. 5. Washington (D.C.)—Fiction.] I. Halpin, Abigail, ill. II. Title.
PZ7.K8975Pr 2013
[Fic]—dc23
2012006279
The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic Page 14