I am going to get Levi’s letter and circle my answer. He deserves an answer to his question too. It doesn’t feel fair to make him wait any longer.
225
Dear Penny,
I survived my first day of school. Nobody warned me about school lockers. They are for keeping your school things in. Everyone gets their own locker, but they are almost impossible to open. At least I wasn’t the only one who was having locker problems today. Sitka couldn’t figure out how to open hers either. The principal had to help us.
I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to everyone this morning, but it was even harder than I thought it was going to be.
Daddy came in to wake me up this morning, but I was already awake. He came over to me in bed and bent and kissed my forehead.
After I got dressed, I went into the kitchen. Ellie was sitting in her bee chair still wearing her pajamas and holding Sweet Pea.
Wanna gave me a muffin and a banana to eat. I took a couple bites of each, but I wasn’t hungry.
When it was time for me to walk to the bus stop, Wanna put Angel Bones on a leash and we walked outside. Daddy pushed Ellie in her bee chair and stopped next to Wanna and Angel Bones. I was the last one to leave the house.
Ellie started to cry. She asked me to please stay. I told her that I would be gone for a little while, but then I would come back. I asked Ellie to think of a good trick that we could teach Angel Bones when I came home from school. Ellie didn’t stop crying but she promised me that she would take good care of Angel Bones while I was gone.
Wanna and Daddy hugged me goodbye. Then they wished me good luck.
I looked them both in the eye and said—
Thank you.
Daddy and Wanna held on tight to each other when I turned to walk away.
As I walked to the bus stop, I could hear Angel Bones barking at me to come back.
I didn’t have to walk far.
I saw Sitka waiting at the bus stop with her new backpack. She looked nervous. As soon as I was next to her, she held my hand and she kept holding it until the bus arrived.
The bus made a loud eeking noise when it stopped in front of us and another swishing noise when the bus door opened up. We climbed the stairs inside.
Levi was already on the bus. Sitka and I sat down next to him. I was in the middle. I took Levi’s letter out of my pocket and handed it to him.
He looked worried and pushed the letter into his backpack.
I tried not to look at all of the other children sitting on the bus.
Sitka held my hand again and the bus started moving.
I turned to look at my family behind me. They were all standing next to the willow tree and waving. I waved back, but I don’t think they could see me anymore.
On the way to school, we passed the covered bridge and then I saw the lake shining in the early morning sun.
I am tired. It has been a long day, and I have to do it all over again tomorrow. I promise that I will tell you more about school soon.
Oh—I do want to tell you one more thing…about Levi’s letter…
I circled—Yes ok.
Goodnight, Penny. Sweet dreams.
About the Author
Diane René Christian is an award winning short story writer turned novelist. Her work has appeared in various print and electronic publications. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two daughters.
An-Ya and Her Diary Page 18