Uncertain Summer

  “How did it get here? I lost it over by the abandoned car.”

  “Bigfoot could’ve hand delivered it to you,” Shawna said. “I wonder if she’s the mother of the baby I saw?”

  Neither was past the point of possibility. Nothing seemed past that point anymore.

  Gramps had been lucky to find the pearl the first time, and it seemed even luckier the way I mysteriously found it the second. I still can’t explain how it got there to this day.

  “Let’s get you to the hospital,” Gramps said. My legs wobbled as we walked to the VW Bug.

  Having just spent time at the dentist office, the last thing I wanted to do was head to a hospital, but if I wanted to keep my finger and not have some awful infection from the cut, I knew I had to go. I should never have poked fun at Dierk’s finger.

  Shawna gagged when we passed what remained of the pile of guts. Emmett put his arm around her until the color came back into her face, and then he kicked a bag of rock salt that was on the ground.

  Gramps shook his head in disbelief. “I had no idea Swamp Sam was so off his rocker.”

  I held my injured hands up in the air to minimize the throb that happened with each step I took. Would Tim have reached for my hands again had they been okay?

  When I stopped obsessing over wanting him to, my delusional mind went back to the pearl and the soulfulness of Bigfoot’s eyes. My voice was less scratchy when I said, “We should refocus Team Bigfoot.” I shared how I wanted to do what I could to protect the animals and conserve their habitat.

  “We could give a portion of the proceeds from our cookies. I can make up other Bigfoot-related recipes,” Emmett said, reminding me of Mama when she got excited about one of her auditions.

  The rest of my team was willing to shake on this, but well, they had to settle for a light fist bump with my left hand.

  29

  “Everdil sits shotgun,” Emmett insisted. Gramps helped buckle me in.

  I nearly passed out from the comfort of the car seat and the exhaustion from the experience as Gramps drove to the emergency room in Marshall.

  “I’ve been giving this a lot of thought,” Shawna said. “Tea bags, chicken fat, candy canes, and prunes.”

  “I got this one!” Tim said, intercepting Emmett. “Roasted chicken with a nasty, chunky mint sauce.”

  “I’d eat it,” Gramps said, smiling. “Prunes are good for an old man like me.”

  The Ingredients Game stopped as soon as Shawna’s phone got coverage. First, she called the police, telling them about how Swamp Sam had trapped me after I discovered that he’d been mutilating animals and stuffing costumes. Either the connection was bad or the police didn’t believe her because she repeated herself a couple of times. She kept the part about Bigfoot helping me out of the conversation.

  Emmett borrowed the phone from her afterwards and called both Mama and Papa to fill them in. I was fading in and out but could tell he wasn’t giving them the full version of what had happened which was probably for the best because they were going to flip out.

  “They’ll meet us at the emergency room,” he told me after he passed the phone to Tim.

  Tim updated his dad on the situation. “Yes, sir, I’m sorry for the mess. Yes, sir, I understand.”

  After Tim hung up, he handed the phone over to Shawna. “I’m grounded for the next week for the mess we left in the kitchen,” he said. Given how junky their house was, I’m surprised his dad cared so much, but rules were rules. I for one was done breaking so many of them.

  That wasn’t the end of the many phone calls. Shawna rang her dad and talked to him for what seemed like a while trying to help Papa out with some of the legal trouble between him and Dierk. “Your dad should be able to get paid for what he deserves and maybe even more,” Shawna said after hanging up. “Dad said he’s looking forward to me coming home at the end of the summer, but I’m not sure what to do. Mom and my grandma need me, and I’m not sure if Dallas is my home.”

  Emmett and Tim pleaded for her to return to Uncertain, and Shawna watched me carefully for a reaction as if she wanted my blessing or something. “You have to do what’s right for you and your family, but I hope you stay.” I wasn’t lying. We were all imperfect stooges, and I hoped we could return to normal, even if it was a new normal between all of us. “Thanks for trying to help out Papa,” I added. Shawna and I had a lot more to talk about, but it would have to wait until I recovered. Tim, too, for that matter.

  The trip to the emergency room is nothing more than blips of memories, especially after I was taken back and the nurses hooked me up to an IV and the doctor ordered some pain meds. You’re not supposed to have many people with you at the emergency room, but the staff made an exception for my friends and family since they considered me a celebrity. I do remember telling the story about what happened several times—to my parents, the hospital workers, and to some police officers that arrived, and to one reporter.

  Even Mr. Nash showed up at the hospital, and when he saw Tim, he said, “I’m proud of you.” The way he looked at Tim reminded me of the picture in Mr. Nash’s office, only Tim was the one now dwarfing his dad. That and he didn’t wear a monkey costume these days.

  Other reporters requested to talk to me, but Mama insisted I needed my rest. She was right, and it probably wasn’t long before I drooled a big old puddle in front of everyone. I can’t be sure because Emmett never gave me a hard time about it.

  Shortly after the ER trip, the sheriff found Swamp Sam at a drug store buying a first aid kit after he’d planted the second costume around Old Stagecoach Road. I’d like to think he was buying the first aid kit to help me fix my finger. Regardless, he’ll be spending a lot of time in the slammer. I hope he gets the help he needs. By the way, he denied digging the pits. Just like the pearl, no one is really sure what to think about it. Only Chuck Norris could find the answer. Chuck Norris could stand at the bottom of a bottomless pit if he wanted to.

  With the contest going strong again, I felt compelled to write everything down that happened, which hasn’t been easy for me. Team Bigfoot helped out some, though we’ve renamed ourselves the Team Bigfoot Bakers.

  It turns out that frosting cookies is good physical therapy for hand injuries. Plus it’s kind of fun. Shawna says it’s like giving flour a makeover. Anyway, I’m much better at using decorating tips than throwing them. We plan on designing some custom aprons, but for now, the boys and Shawna are rocking the cupcake aprons. They let me wear Mama’s boss apron. Mama says I’m quite the pastry artist.

  Business is good for Team Bigfoot Bakers, and twenty percent of the cookie proceeds go to a conservation fund that Mr. Nash started. He’s planning on presenting it at the fall Bigfoot conference. Shawna used her smooth talking skills, and now a few local shops carry our cookies besides the Uncertain Café. Emmett’s just about ready to launch a Bigfoot lollipop complete with chocolate Bigfoot “hairs.” Mama’s gotten a whole bunch of catering offers, and the touring business is going well for Papa and Gramps.

  A new necklace chain should be arriving in the mail soon. Mama made an exception about ordering it from a TV infomercial so I could wear the lucky pearl again. When Gramps first gave me Gram’s necklace, he said something about feeling rich despite the circumstances. He didn’t think I understood what he meant, but I can say with certainty that I do.

  Dear Ms. Everdil Jackson,

  Thank you for your submission and thank you for your patience. We have been overwhelmed with entries for the Cryptic Cryptid Contest, and unfortunately, no winner has been selected for this calendar year though we will be pursuing claims for future episodes on our show.

  Uncertain, Texas and Raleigh’s Tours seem like locations worthy of investigation to raise awareness. Please know that we read your story with great interest—so much so that we’ve forwarded your story to an editor in our mass media corporation’s publishing division.

  Best of luck and keep up your important mission!

  The Producers<
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  Cryptic Cryptid Productions

  P.S. We’ve sent word to our sister network, PoodieLand, to be on the lookout for an audition from chef enthusiast, Macy Jackson and her sous chef son.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The phrase “it takes a village” certainly applies to this book, and I’m indebted to so many wonderful folks for making this story happen. To the all-around amazing P.J. Hoover, I don’t know where this story would be without you or where I would be. Thanks to Tara Creel, E. Kristin Anderson, Kendra Friel, and Christine and Katie Marciniak for the helpful feedback. Andrea Cascardi, thanks for shaping the story and giving me the right push I needed. I’m grateful to Erszi Deak and Georgia McBride for their part in this book’s journey. My Lodge of Death fellow writing retreaters will always have a special place in my heart as will the Austin writing and book community in addition to the Hollins children’s literature community. Thanks for the book love, Margie Longoria, Kelly Milner Halls, and P.J. Hoover!

  I respect and admire you so much, Madeline Smoot! Thanks for giving this book a chance and for your hope and enthusiasm. I love that our friendship has spanned a couple of states and a couple of decades. It has been such an honor to work with you and Jeff Crosby. Jeff, your art is absolutely stunning, and I’m so incredibly honored that you said yes to illustrating the cover and the interior!

  Thanks to everyone at the Uncertain General Store & Grill for sharing stories and providing inspiration. Much appreciation goes out to the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy (now known as North American Wood Ape Conservancy) for helping me research Bigfoot.

  My family is wonderful beyond words! At the time I began drafting this novel, my mother was fighting for her life. She has overcome so many difficulties—her strength, generosity, and determination continually motivate me. My father’s love and strong work ethic also serve as a wonderful source of motivation. I could say similar things about my wonderful in-laws. Thanks for being so generous and supportive, Glen and Alfrieda! Zachary, Jill, Grant, and Seth—you all inspire me in more ways than you will ever know.

  Thank you to the nth for being such a wonderful sounding board and advocate, Michael. You are a wonderful husband, and I will always be thankful for your advice, encouragement, plus your enthusiasm for things like taking a long road trip to Uncertain, Texas to help me research and imagine where Bigfoot might’ve wandered. Ava, you were just a dream in my heart when I first started this project. Thank you for constantly showing me that anything is possible.

  While there isn’t enough space to thank everyone individually since this book took so many years to get right and to get in print, please know I’m incredibly appreciative. If I won a million dollar Bigfoot contest, I would want to reward you all for your love, patience, and kindness!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jessica Lee Anderson loves to write, and she enjoys imagining the possibility of the impossible. She is the author of Trudy, Border Crossing, as well as Calli. She’s published multiple chapter books for Rourke Educational Media to include such titles as Brownies with Benjamin Franklin, Case of Foul Play on a School Day, and Runaway Robot. She’s published fiction and nonfiction with Heinemann, Pearson, Seedling Publications, Six Red Marbles, and a variety of magazines including Highlights for Children. Jessica graduated from Hollins University with a Master of Arts in Children’s Literature, and previously instructed at the Institute of Children’s Literature and St. Edward’s University. She is a member of The Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels and hopes to be more sweetheart than scoundrel. She lives near Austin, Texas with her husband, daughter, and two crazy dogs.

  Visit www.jessicaleeanderson.com to learn more.