Needle and Thread

by Ann M. Martin

  “What great idea?” asked Nikki.

  “Min was telling Ruby and me how every Halloween she dresses like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz and Gigi dresses like Glinda. So I thought maybe the three of us and Ruby could be Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow.” She glanced over her shoulder again. “We need someone to be the Wizard,” she added. “I wonder who that could be.”

  Robby glared off into the distance.

  “But,” said Nikki, “I don’t know if I can dress up. Like I said.”

  “It’s okay. It was just an idea.”

  “If I can, though,” Nikki went on, “Mae will probably have to come trick-or-treating with me. I couldn’t leave her behind.”

  “Mae could be Toto!” cried Olivia.

  “Well …” said Nikki.

  “Do you really think you might be able to come?” asked Flora.

  “Maybe.”

  “We don’t want you to get in trouble,” added Olivia.

  Nikki let out a huge sigh. “If I’m going to ask about this, I’ll have to do it very carefully. I’ll talk to Mom first.” She sighed again. “The problem is that Mom can’t really stand up to my father.”

  “I’m back!” said Lydia. “Robby, your mother’s leaving now. She said your dad will be home in two hours. Guess what. We get to start dinner. What do you want to make?”

  Robby brightened. “Can we have pizza?”

  “Frozen pizza? Sure. We’ll make a salad, too, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Lydia sat on the lawn with Olivia and Nikki and Flora. Every so often a maple leaf drifted to the ground. Lydia sniffed the air. “Smells good,” she said. “Isn’t it weird how you can actually smell the seasons? You know — how spring smells different from summer, and autumn has its own smell, and winter smells like snow, even though snow doesn’t have a smell?”

  “Mmm,” said Flora.

  “Robby, come join us.” Lydia patted the ground beside her.

  “All right.” Robby left the steps and plopped onto the grass between Nikki and Lydia.

  Around them, Ruby and Lacey and Henry and Jack and Travis and Mathias and Alyssa ran and shouted and laughed.

  “A firefighter needs a hose!”

  “I know what we can make your flame hat out of — felt.”

  “Who has a wand? I need a wand!”

  “Maybe I should be a princess instead. That way, I would get to wear a crown and oh, oh! I could wear my ballet slippers!”

  Robby looked seriously at Lydia for several moments. At last he said, “Lydia, could you please not call me a kid? Or talk about baby-sitting?”

  “Okay,” said Lydia. “But, Robby, won’t you tell me what’s wrong? You never minded when I sat for you before.”

  “That was when I went to high school. Now I go to the little kids’ school again. It just … makes me feel like a baby.”

  “Oh,” said Lydia. “I see.”

  “Are you going to go trick-or-treating?” Robby asked her.

  “Well … no.”

  “Are you going to wear a costume?”

  Lydia looked at the ground and flushed. “Um, I don’t know. I got asked to this Halloween party. But I’m probably not going to go.”

  Flora glanced at Nikki and Olivia, and Olivia raised her eyebrows.

  “Okay, here’s the thing, Robby,” said Lydia. “Halloween is a fun holiday. You should do whatever you want. If you want to get dressed up, you should. If you want to go trick-or-treating, you should. Don’t worry about what other people think.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” muttered Robby.

  “Not really,” replied Lydia.

  “Flora! Flora! Can you sew me a flame hat?” cried Alyssa as she ran out of Olivia’s house. “Ruby said you’re really good at sewing.”

  “Can you sew a penguin head?” asked Travis.

  “I’m going to need a tail,” said Jack.

  “I’ll try anything,” said Flora.

  When Ruby Northrop entered a room, people usually noticed. Ruby was used to this and made the most of her entrances. On the day of the auditions for the school play, Ruby strode through the door of her classroom, smiling.

  “Hi, Ruby! Hi, Ruby!” called several voices.

  “Hello!” Ruby waved to her classmates.

  Ava Longyear, who was already seated at her desk, jumped up and ran to greet Ruby. “The auditions are today. Are you really going to try out for the biggest part?”

  “Yup,” said Ruby. “I definitely want to be Alice Kendall.”

  “Ooh, the worst witch,” said Ava.

  “But that’s just the thing. She wasn’t a witch at all,” said Ruby, who had read the script for the play several times and had listened carefully when Mr. Lundy talked to her class about witches and witchcraft in New England in the 1600s. A handful of women and a couple of men, Ruby learned, had been tried and even executed as witches for nothing more than talking in their sleep, making an unfortunate comment, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And this had happened right here in Camden Falls! Alice Kendall wasn’t one of those people, since she was a made-up character. But the things that happened to her in the play were the sorts of things that happened to people accused of practicing witchcraft in colonial Camden Falls. In the play, Alice Kendall is the neighbor of a man named John Parson, whose two young children have recently died of the flu. When Mr. Parson’s cow also dies, and he then recalls that one day he dropped and broke a china plate just as Alice was walking by his window, he begins to suspect that she’s a witch.

  His suspicions grow when he passes Alice in her garden one day and hears her talking to herself. John then notices a large crow, which he calls a “familiar,” perched on the roof of the Kendalls’ house. This is the beginning of Alice’s troubles. Her family is shunned, and eventually Alice is executed after a supremely unfair trial, to Ruby’s way of thinking. One witness says he saw a crow follow Alice Kendall across her yard. Another says that one day when her husband was ill, she asked to borrow some grain from the Kendalls. Alice Kendall said they had no grain to spare and the next day the woman’s husband took a turn for the worse. These incidents are cited as further evidence of witchcraft.

  Ruby’s mind wandered as she lost herself in the world of seventeenth-century Camden Falls.

  “Ruby?” said Ava. “Earth to Ruby.”

  Ruby blinked. “Sorry. I was thinking about Alice Kendall.”

  “Why would you want to play a witch?” asked Ava. “That’s not a good character.”

  “Yes, it is. It’s the best kind,” said Ruby. “Alice was accused of something she didn’t do. That’s a great role for any actor.”

  “But in the end she dies.”

  “I know. I’ve always wanted to do a death scene.”

  Ruby sensed that if her sister could hear her, she wouldn’t approve of what Ruby was saying. Not at all. Flora’s mind was a complicated muddle of experiences and memories and thoughts that swirled around like the whirlpool above a drain. If Flora heard the words “death scene,” her mind would immediately turn to the car accident and the death of their parents. But Ruby was able to put things in separate compartments in her mind. The death of her parents was sorted into one spot, the death of a fictional witch into another. And Ruby desperately wanted the chance to cough and gag and fall down onstage before an entire auditorium full of people.

  The sound of clapping hands drew Ruby’s and Ava’s attention to the front of the room.

  “Good morning,” said Mr. Lundy as he stood up from his desk. “Find your seats, please, people.”

  Ruby slid into her chair, stuffing several books and a small china crow into her desk as she did so. Ruby had a large collection of china animals at home and she had brought the crow to school that day for good luck. She knew that a crow had gotten Alice Kendall in trouble, but she felt her crow might be a good-luck charm.

  Ruby was thinking how lucky she was to live in the twenty-fi
rst century, when it was okay to carry goodluck charms and to like crows without being accused of witchcraft, when she heard Mr. Lundy say, “Ruby? Are you with us?”

  Ruby straightened up. “Yes.”

  “Good. Because I was talking about the three hundred and fiftieth birthday festivities, and I know they’re of interest to you.” (Ruby nodded.) “Now, as you know,” Mr. Lundy went on, “there are plenty of birthday events that you can participate in. The town will be holding an exhibit of art and another of photographs, and each will include work done by students at Camden Falls Elementary. Also, the auditions for the school play will be held this afternoon.”

  Ava raised her hand. “Ruby’s going to try out for the part of the witch,” she said, and Ruby smiled at her teacher.

  “For the part of Alice Kendall?” asked Mr. Lundy.

  Ruby nodded. “I think I would make a very good witch,” she said.

  “I’m sure you’d do a fine job, but I’m not sure you’ll be able to try out for specific roles,” said Mr. Lundy. “I think everyone will be asked to read a few lines, and small groups will be asked to perform scenes. Then the roles will be assigned. In other words, after the director has seen you, Ruby, she’ll decide which role will be the best for you. Do you understand? You won’t be able to try out just for the part of Alice Kendall. And remember, kids in all the grades will be trying out for the play. Sixth-graders, too.”

  Ruby knew what Mr. Lundy was trying to say. It was just what Flora had said to her after the first day of school — that the starring role might go to an older kid, not a fourth-grader. But Ruby couldn’tpicture herself playing any part other than that of Alice Kendall, the poor, misunderstood, wrongly accused woman. So all Ruby said to Mr. Lundy was, “Okay.”

  The day of the tryouts, Ruby thought, was surely the longest since school had begun that year. She couldn’t pay attention to much of anything Mr. Lundy said, and by the afternoon she found herself seated in a chair right next to him — at his desk, facing the rest of the classroom. “Ruby,” said Mr. Lundy, “you’re about two steps away from not being allowed to audition. Please pay attention.”

  Ruby did so. And when class was finally dismissed, Mr. Lundy said to her, “Good luck, Ruby.”

  “Thank you!” Ruby shoved the china crow into her pocket and ran down the hall, as Ava and several other classmates called after her, “Good luck! We hope you get to be the witch!”

  The tryouts were to be held in the auditorium. When Ruby arrived, she found Flora and Olivia waiting for her.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “We came to watch,” said Flora.

  “To cheer you on,” added Olivia. “Are you nervous?”

  “Nope.”

  “Ruby never gets nervous,” said Flora.

  “That’s not true. Sometimes I get nervous.”

  “Hardly ever.”

  “Well, don’t fight about it,” said Olivia.

  “People! People! May I have your attention, please?”

  “That’s Mrs. Gillipetti,” said Olivia. “I think she’s going to be your director.”

  “Olivia and I will watch from back here,” said Flora. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks.” Ruby joined a crowd of kids that had gathered around Mrs. Gillipetti in front of the stage. Many of the kids, she noted, were fifth- and sixth- graders.

  “Good afternoon. I’m Mrs. Gillipetti,” said the director. “For those of you who don’t know me, I teach fifth grade here, and I’m going to direct the play. Please sign in,” she added, holding out a clipboard to be passed around. “Have you all read the script?”

  “Yes!”

  “I read it four times,” Ruby called out.

  “Wonderful,” said Mrs. Gillipetti. “Then you know that there are plenty of roles in the play. There’s Alice Kendall, of course, and the people in her family; there’s John Parson and his family; and there are all the people who participate in the trial, as well as other people who live in Camden Falls.” She paused and took in the crowd of kids. “I’m sure there will be a part for everyone who is here. Some parts are big, some are small, some are nonspeaking roles, but each part is important to the play.”

  Ruby frowned. The part of Alice Kendall, she thought, is surely the most important of all, and much more important than some townsperson who doesn’t even get to say anything.

  Mrs. Gillipetti picked up a stack of papers and handed them out to the kids. “These are some scenes from the play,” she said. “You’ll be reading them this afternoon. If any of you younger children can’t read yet,” she went on, looking at two tiny kindergartners, “your parents or older brothers or sisters may help you.

  “Please take a few minutes to study the lines. Then I’ll ask you to come up on the stage — sometimes one at a time, sometimes in groups — to read for me.”

  Ruby shot her hand in the air. “When will we find out what parts we’ve gotten?”

  “Next Monday afternoon,” replied Mrs. Gillipetti.

  Ruby swallowed. “Okay.” She felt for the crow in her pocket. Then she sat down in the first row of seats and studied the scenes. “Do we have to memorize the lines now,” she asked Mrs. Gillipetti, “or can we read from the pages?”

  “You may read from the pages.”

  Ruby was pleased to see that one of the scenes was between Alice Kendall and John Parson. She whispered the lines as she read them and paid no attention whatsoever to the other kids in the auditorium. When she heard Mrs. Gillipetti call her name, she ran onto the stage, pages in hand. “I’m ready,” she said.

  “Okay. You’ll be reading the first scene with me. Take the part of Alice and I’ll be John.”

  Ruby drew in a deep breath, threw out her chest, and read her lines at full volume. “So everyone in the back row can hear me,” she informed Mrs. Gillipetti. At the end of the scene, Ruby said, “Could I please act out the death scene for you? The one from the very end of the play?”

  “But it isn’t on the sheet,” Mrs. Gillipetti said. “And —”

  “Okay, then just watch me die.” Ruby clutched at her chest with both hands. “Oh, ohhhhhh,” she moaned. She coughed twice (delicately, so as not to overdo things), staggered, and dropped to the stage. “See?” she said to Mrs. Gillipetti. “It’s understated but effective.”

  Mrs. Gillipetti pursed her lips, and even from the back row of the auditorium, Flora could tell that she was trying not to smile. “Ruby,” said Mrs. Gillipetti, “answer me this: Can you take direction? Because it’s important to be a good actor, but it’s just as important to be able to listen to your director.”

  Ruby stood up. “I can follow directions,” she said seriously.

  “Okay, then. That’s fine.”

  The audition ended two hours later, and Ruby ran to find Flora and Olivia. “Did you see me? Did you see me?” she asked breathlessly.

  “You were hard to miss,” said Flora, who then added, “but you did a really good job.”

  “Thank you. Oh, boy. How am I ever going to wait until Monday?”

  Flora had a feeling it would be a long wait for anyone who knew Ruby.

  An autumn afternoon on Main Street, thought Flora, was a very nice thing. She poked along after school on the following Monday, pausing to look in windows and to call hello to the store owners. She was enjoying herself so much that she passed right by Needle and Thread, thinking that Min would hardly care if she was ten minutes late. Flora didn’t often have an afternoon all to herself. But Ruby was at school, waiting to find out about the auditions for the play, Nikki had gone home to watch Mae, and Olivia was at her after-school Whiz Kidz class, making volcanoes and doing tricky math puzzles that mystified Flora when Olivia later tried to teach them to her.

  Flora sauntered into Ma Grand-mère and studied the array of pumpkin-shaped gingerbread cookies.

  “How about a free sample?” asked Lisa, a new kid behind the counter.

  “Sure!” said Flora. “Thanks.”

  She
nibbled the cookie as she peered into the window of Time and Again a few minutes later, noting that a copy of Understood Betsy had been added to the display.

  She poked her head into the post office and called hello to Jackie and Donna. And then, cookie finished, she made her way back to Needle and Thread.

  “Howdy!” called Sonny Sutphin, who had parked his wheelchair in front of the store.

  “Hi, Sonny.” Flora wished she had another cookie so she could offer it to him. She remembered the first time she had met Sonny, just a few days after she and Ruby had moved to Camden Falls. Min had made introductions, and then Sonny had wheeled himself away down Main Street. Nothing more had been said about him. Once, weeks later, Flora had asked Min on a warm evening, “Does Sonny live by himself? He’s almost always alone.”

  Min had replied, “Sonny is a very private person.”

  “But what’s wrong with him?”

  “Well, that’s Sonny’s business. It has to do with an accident, though.”

  Flora had sensed that she shouldn’t ask further questions. And she hadn’t.

  Now she regarded Sonny solemnly and said, “They’re giving away sample cookies at Ma Grand-mère.”

  Sonny smiled at her. “Thank you for the tip.” He looked down at his twisted feet, then back at Flora. “Where are your cronies today?”

  “My cronies?”

  “Your buddies. Olivia and Ruby and the other girl.”

  “Nikki,” Flora supplied. “They’re all busy.”

  “You helping out in the store today?”

  “Yup.”

  “Okay, then. See you later. Say hi to your grandmother for me.”

  Flora waved at Sonny as he eased away in the direction of Ma Grand-mère, then let herself into Needle and Thread.

  “There you are, sweetie,” called Min. “How was school?”

  “Fine.”

  “Good. Don’t get too comfortable because I have a job for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to take a package over to Mary’s house.”

  “Mary’s? Mary Woolsey’s?” Flora’s voice rose to a squeak.