by Kline, Suzy
“I was practicing my part for Georgie Porgie.”
“You were suppose to PANTOMIME ONE KISS, like this ...” Mr. Cardini made fish lips and a funny puckering sound. “SmmmmmmACK!”
“I guess I got carried away.”
“Yes, you did. You actually kissed Song Lee on the cheek.”
Harry flashed his pink gums, and made his bushy eyebrows go up and down. I could tell he was thinking about his scene with Song Lee.
“It’s not funny, young man.”
I colored hard on my get-well card. I didn’t want Mr. Cardini to think I was listening.
“So, I want you to write a letter of apology to Song Lee, and say that it will NEVER happen again.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have anything to say to me?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cardini. It won’t happen again.”
“Good.”
“I’m finished, Mr. Cardini,” I said, handing him the get-well card.
“How colorful! I’m sure Miss Mackle will be very pleased.”
“Can we visit Miss Mackle at the hospital ?” I asked.
“No, Doug. You are not an adult. Only adults are allowed on the fourth floor. I’m sorry.”
I made a face. It wasn’t fair.
When I looked over at Harry he was busy writing. “I’ll wait for you outside,” I said.
Harry jumped out of his seat. “I’m done!”
Mr. Cardini looked at the letter as he pulled on his moustache.
“You’ll have to change the last part. It’s a little strong,” Mr. Cardini said, trying not to smile. “‘From’, or ‘sincerely’ is better.”
Harry took out his Tyrannosaurus rex eraser and started erasing so hard he made a hole in his paper. When Mr. Cardini blew the ends of his moustache up, I knew he was trying to keep his temper down.
“There,” Harry said, handing him back the paper.
“Okay, Harry. You can go,” the principal said. “But I expect very good behavior tomorrow. It’s the last day before vacation. I want it to be a happy day, not a horrible day. Is that clear?”
Harry nodded as he listened.
“Miss Mackle won’t be happy when she finds out you had to stay after school.”
“You’re going to tell her?” Harry’s eyebrows shot up high.
“I have to report the whole day.”
Harry’s eyebrows sank down low. I could tell he was working on an idea.
When we were walking home in the snow together, Harry said, “Last Christmas my grandfather was in the hospital. I felt bad. My mom let me make him a gift and put it under the tall Christmas tree in the hospital lobby. They have someone dressed up like Santa Claus who delivers the gifts to the patients on Christmas morning.”
“Neato!” I said.
“So, I’m making Miss Mackle a gift and taking it to the hospital tomorrow after school.”
I put my arm around Harry as we stomped and squished some snow with our boots.
CRUSH! CRUNCH!
CRUSH! CRUNCH!
When Harry knows he’s been bad, he tries to make up for it by being good.
The Horrible Christmas Gift
“Jingle Bells!
Jingle Bells!
Jingle all the way ...” Mr. Cardini was singing by the record player as we walked into class.
“I love the way your mother fixed your hair!” Mary exclaimed.
“Thank you,” Song Lee replied. “We wear hair like this in Korea for happy occasion.”
“Do you celebrate Christmas in Korea?” Mary asked.
“Many people do. We have a big family feast. Many relatives come and we eat many dish of food.”
“What is your favorite?” I asked.
Song Lee grinned. “Mandduguk.”
“What’s that?” we asked.
“Meatball soup.”
“Mmmmmm,” Harry and I said.
“Blaaaaaugh,” Sidney groaned, falling on the floor and rolling over dead.
We all stepped over him except Harry. Harry stepped on Sidney’s behind.
“OUCH!”
“He’s not dead,” Harry said.
“Let’s go see what Ida is doing,” Mary said.
Everyone walked over to the writing corner. Ida was tapping her pencil and humming something. “I got it!” she exclaimed.
“Got what?” we asked.
“I just made up a song we can sing to Miss Mackle after school.”
“We can’t visit her,” I said. “Mr. Cardini told me so. You have to be an adult.”
“I know that!” Ida said, standing up. She waved her paper in the air. “We can sing this outside her hospital window.”
“Like carolers!” Mary exclaimed.
Mr. Cardini walked over and examined the refreshment table. “Look at all these goodies! Marshmallow Santas, candy canes, cheese and crackers with olive and pimiento happy faces, frosted cookies, fortune cookies, whoopie pies! Mama mia! Magnifico!”
Everyone laughed. Sometimes Mr. Cardini spoke in Italian.
We went up to the principal as he admired the challah bread.
“Mom braided that,” Mary said proudly. “She braids bread just like she braids my hair.”
“Ah!” the principal replied. “Exquisite !”
“Mr. Cardini,” Ida said. “Could you Xerox the words of my song? Some of us who live near the hospital want to go and sing it outside Miss Mackle’s hospital window after school.”
The principal quickly read Ida’s lyrics. “Bravo! Bravissimo!”
“MR. CARDINI!” we replied.
“Okay,” he said pulling on his moustache. “I’ll ask our secretary, Mrs. Fox-worth, to do it right away.”
When the girls returned to their seats, Harry started talking about his gift.
“You’re giving Miss Mackle a gift?” Mary asked.
Harry nodded.
“Did you wrap it?”
Harry shook his head.
“Did it cost very much?”
Harry shook his head.
“What is it?”
Harry shook his head again. Then he flashed his pink gums. “It’s a surprise.”
“Well, what does it look like?”
Harry thought for a moment. “It has ants on it, and spiders on it ...”
“HARRY! THAT’S A HORRIBLE GIFT!” Ida and Mary exclaimed.
“The teacher will love it,” Harry replied.
“She’ll hate it!” Mary said. “You can’t give Miss Mackle a horrible gift. It’s sad enough she has to spend Christmas morning in the hospital. She doesn’t need a horrible gift from you, too!”
“I’m putting my gift for Miss Mackle underneath the Christmas tree at the hospital after school whether you like it or not.”
Harry pulled out his library book and started reading about Tyrannosaurus rex. Everyone knew he wasn’t going to talk about it anymore.
Mary did at recess. The girls met by the dumpster.
“We have to stop him,” Mary said.
“How?” Ida asked.
“As soon as he puts his horrible gift under the tree, we wait behind a bush. We’ll tiptoe into the lobby and get his gift.”
“How will we know which one?” Ida asked.
“His gift isn’t wrapped, remember?”
Ida remembered.
“It will be the only horrible gift under the tree. I’ll bring a big bag and we can stash it in there. When we’re caroling, he’ll never know his gift is in my bag.”
Mary got Sidney to join their scheme, too. He was angry with Harry for stepping on his behind.
I was sticking with Harry. When we stopped by his house to pick up the gift, boy, was I surprised!
We carried it up the hill to the hospital, and into the lobby. Harry put it right next to the tree.
When we came out, the girls and Sidney were waiting for us.
“Before we start to sing for Miss Mackle, we want to see the hospital tree. It’s supposed to have beautiful decorations.
”
“Heh! Heh! Heh!” I said. I knew what they were doing. They were spying on Harry’s gift. They couldn’t wait to take it away!
As soon as they got inside the lobby, they saw Harry’s horrible gift. How could they miss it? It was big!
Mary’s eyes bulged. “Oh, Harry, it’s ... wonderful!”
“I love it!” Ida said.
“You draw little ants and spiders on it so nicely!” Song Lee said.
“You even spelled my name right!” Sidney said proudly.
We all stared at Harry’s gift.
It was an old wooden chair painted white. On the back he’d printed MISS MACKLE’S READING CHAIR in bright red paint. On the seat was a message: BEWARE : THIS IS FOR THE TEACHER ONLY!
Harry painted black ants and brown tarantulas crawling up and down the legs. Everyone’s name in Room 2B was somewhere on the chair.
“Mom helped me with the spelling,” Harry said.
“You were right, Harry,” Mary said. “Miss Mackle will love your gift!”
“Let’s go outside and sing my song,” Ida said.
And we raced outside by the hospital building and got out our sheet music.
“Hmmmmmm.” Mary hummed the right note for us.
“Remember,” I said. “The words go to the tune of ‘Jingle Bells.’ ”
We all nodded.
ROOM 2B
ROOM 2B
That’s the place for me.
We read books
We’re not snooks
And we write the best storie-ies!
Miss Mac-kle
Miss Mac-kle
We hope you hear our song.
Thanks for making class so neat,
In Room 2B we long... FOR ...
Miss Mac-kle
Miss Mac-kle
Come back to us real soon.
You’re the best
In the West,
So, here’s to our dear Room...
“2B!” we shouted at the end.
“That’s dumb,” Sidney said. “We live in the East. How can she be the best teacher in the West?”
“It has to rhyme,” Ida snapped.
“Who cares about the East or West! Where’s Miss Mackle?” Harry complained.
We all looked up and groaned. No one saw Miss Mackle. While we were moaning some more, Harry screamed, “IT’S HER!” Quickly he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
There on the fourth floor in front of the picture window was Miss Mackle. She was sitting in a wheelchair waving at us!
We all jumped up and down and waved back. “HI, MISS MACKLE!” we shouted.
Harry was so happy he stood on his head in the snow.
Mary hummed the note again. “Hmmmmmmmm.”
And we all began to sing Ida’s song.
The best sounds of Room 2B are the happy ones we make together.