Amelia Bedelia Digs In

by Herman Parish

  “It’s easier to learn the basics on land first,” said Roger. “Then we’ll do a wet run, groms.”

  “What did you call us?” asked Alice.

  “Grommet. Grom for short,” said Roger. “It’s not an insult. It’s slang for a young surfer, like you two. Let’s go, groms!”

  Amelia Bedelia and Alice carried their boards out to the beach and put them down on the sand. Roger set his board in front of theirs, so they could see what he was doing. Jason headed off into the waves with his surfboard while Finally dug a hole in the sand.

  “That skinny line running down the center of every surfboard is called the stringer,” Roger said. “Stand in the middle of your board, your left foot forward, right foot back. The stringer should run right under the arches of your feet.”

  Amelia Bedelia did just what he said. When she looked over at Alice, it was like seeing a mirror image of herself. Alice was standing with her right foot forward and her left foot back.

  “Alice, the way you’re standing is called goofy foot,” said Roger. “Switch your feet.”

  “Can I stay like this?” asked Alice. “I learned how to snowboard this way. I’m used to it.”

  “Roger!” said Roger.

  Alice laughed and kept her right foot forward, her left foot back.

  Amelia Bedelia laughed and kept her left foot forward, her right foot back.

  “Okay. Here’s my secret to being a good surfer,” said Roger. “Gather around.”

  Amelia Bedelia and Alice hopped off their boards and started walking toward Roger. Amelia Bedelia tripped, landing flat on her face and getting a mouthful of sand.

  “Amelia Bedelia, you don’t have to attach the leash to your ankle yet,” said Roger. “We’re on land. Your board won’t float away.”

  “Yeah, I’m the goofy foot, not you,” said Alice.

  Roger stretched out on his board, on his stomach.

  “The key to surfing is being able to pop up on your board,” said Roger. He placed his hands on the board, on either side of his chest.

  “First, push up,” he said, doing a push-up and holding it for a second.

  “Then pop up,” he said, scooting both feet forward and tucking them under his body.

  “Then look up,” he said, looking straight ahead.

  “Now stand up, but stay low.”

  Roger repeated the whole thing in one swift motion.

  “It’s almost like dancing,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Very smooth,” said Alice.

  “Your turn,” said Roger.

  Amelia Bedelia and Alice lay facedown on their boards.

  “Push up. Pop up. Look up. Stand up,” said Roger. “Think up! Like surf’s up!”

  The girls were a little ragged, but they did it.

  “Excellent! Again!” said Roger. “Push up. Pop up. Look up. Stand up. Once again. Push up. Pop up. Look up. Stand up. Again! Looking good, groms!”

  Amelia Bedelia wished she’d counted how many times they did Roger’s Pop-Up Torture Test. Her leg muscles were screaming for mercy.

  “Now you’re getting the idea,” said Roger. “But this time, pop up as fast as you can.”

  “If I pop up one more time, I’m going to throw up,” said Alice.

  “We just came from lunch,” said Amelia Bedelia. “Corn dogs.”

  “Got it,” said Roger. “I don’t want you getting sick or getting sick of surfing before you catch your first wave. Let’s head into the water.”

  With tiny waves lapping against their ankles, Amelia Bedelia and Alice followed Roger into the ocean. Finally raced back and forth along the frothy edge of the surf.

  “Which ankle does the leash go on?” asked Amelia Bedelia.

  “The right one,” said Roger.

  “Which ankle is the right one?” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Your right ankle is right, because your right foot is back,” said Roger. “Otherwise you’ll get tangled in your leash.”

  Alice attached her leash to her left ankle.

  “Good thinking, Goofy,” said Roger. “These waves are ankle busters. But you can practice popping up.”

  “Do surfers exaggerate everything?” asked Alice.

  “If possible,” said Roger.

  Amelia Bedelia giggled. Then Alice giggled. Then they both started to laugh.

  “When a wave comes that you want to ride,” said Roger. “Paddle as fast as you can until it’s right behind you. Then pop up, pushing your board down into the water and scooting your feet under you.”

  They practiced popping up five more times.

  “You got it,” he said. “Here’s a tip that took me forever to learn: do not look down at your board. It’s there. Otherwise you wouldn’t be floating. Look straight ahead. Look at where you want to go.”

  Jason jogged down the beach carrying his board. He grabbed Finally’s leash and scratched her ear. “Sorry about these puny waves,” he called. “Tomorrow morning we’ll head to Point Pointless.”

  “Pointless?” said Alice. “That doesn’t sound promising.”

  “It was called the Point,” said Roger. “But during the winter, the point of land fell into the ocean during a big storm. It may be pointless, but now it has the best surf.”

  “I just hope it isn’t the Point of No Return,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  Tap-tap-tap. There it was again, a glasspecker tapping at her window. Amelia Bedelia knew she was dreaming, but that glasspecker kept tapping, as annoying and persistent as its cousin, the woodpecker.

  Amelia Bedelia sat straight up in bed. “That’s Jason,” she said. She jumped out of bed, ran to the window, and opened it before Jason could tap again.

  “Surf’s up,” said Jason.

  “I’m not,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Jason, do you ever sleep?” asked Alice from the bottom bunk. “Go away or we won’t vote for you for mayor.”

  There was a knock at their door.

  “You guys awake?” said Amelia Bedelia’s father. “Jason is outside.”

  “We know, we know,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Time and tide wait for no man,” said her father.

  “Dad, we’re girls,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  Alice got out of bed like a stiff-legged zombie.

  “Oh! Owww! OHHH! Ouch! Owwie!” she cried.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Amelia Bedelia as she climbed down from the top bunk. “OH! OWWIE!”

  Every muscle was sore from all that popping up!

  Jason and Roger were waiting in the kitchen.

  “What’s up?” said Roger.

  “You’re up. We’re up,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “I’m barely up,” said Alice.

  “Surf’s up,” said Jason. “I brought you wetsuits.”

  “Are you serious?” said Amelia Bedelia. “We’re freezing and you want us to put on wet suits?”

  “They’re made out of rubber,” said Jason. “You’ll be way warmer.”

  As they walked to Point Pointless in their wetsuits, Amelia Bedelia kept glancing at the ocean. The waves were huge, crashing so loudly that it was impossible to hear anything else. It was pretty, though. And the sky was pink.

  “We’re in luck!” yelled Roger. “There’s a storm way out at sea, making the waves bigger than usual. Plus the tide’s coming in. Later today these might be the biggest waves of the summer!”

  Amelia Bedelia was not ready for this. It reminded her of the one time she had tried skateboarding, and ended up crashing into a fountain at the park.

  “Just do what I do,” said Jason, waxing her board after she’d attached her leash. “Follow me.”

  Amelia Bedelia copied him. She did a perfect duck dive, getting past the incoming waves. The four of them gathered offshore, bobbing in a lineup. It was quieter now, and almost peaceful.

  Amelia Bedelia looked at the beach. The seagulls were swooping, other surfers were arriving, and the lifeguards manned their big chairs. Roger took off first, then Alice.


  “You’re up,” said Jason. “I’ll follow you.”

  Amelia Bedelia started paddling like mad. She felt a wave lifting the back of her board, pushing her in the direction of the beach. Putting everything into her pop-up, she found herself in a crouch, staring at the shore. Surfing! Was she really surfing? She looked down at her feet on the board. . . .

  Amelia Bedelia dragged herself through the front door just as her parents were making breakfast. Even though she never drank coffee, Amelia Bedelia liked the way it smelled when it was brewing. It smelled like home.

  “Are you okay, sweetie? Where’s Alice?” asked Amelia Bedelia’s mother.

  “Still surfing,” said Amelia Bedelia. “She’s with Roger and Jason.”

  “I didn’t know she knew how to surf,” said her father.

  “She snowboards—that’s like surfing,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Just add a mountain with snow,” said her father.

  “Alice doesn’t strike me as the surfing type,” said her mother. “But still waters run deep.”

  “Mom, we were in the ocean,” said Amelia Bedelia. “There was nothing still about that water.”

  “Isn’t it fun to hit the beach at dawn?” asked her father.

  “It was until the beach hit back,” said Amelia Bedelia. “I was doing great, and then I looked down. Splat. I went face-first into the sand, skinned my knees, my elbow, my—”

  “Oh, sweetie,” said Amelia Bedelia’s mother. “Let me see.”

  “Sounds like you already had surf and turf for breakfast,” said her father. “How about eggs and bacon?”

  “Thanks, Daddy,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “What kind of eggs do you feel like?” asked her father.

  “I’m feeling scrambled,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “You look it,” said her father. “Keep your sunny side up while I get cracking.”

  Amelia Bedelia’s father went to work, pulling breakfast together while Amelia Bedelia took a quick turn in the outdoor shower to rinse the sand off. Then her mother put on a few Band-Aids. At last Amelia Bedelia snuggled with Finally and drank hot chocolate. She was just tucking into her eggs when Alice staggered in. Amelia Bedelia’s father cracked a couple more eggs.

  “Pearl called while you were out,” said Amelia Bedelia’s mother. “She’s taking a quick sail around the bay this afternoon. She was wondering if you two would like to come along.”

  Even though she was totally exhausted and sore, Amelia Bedelia perked up. She’d been looking forward to this moment and dreading it at the same time. She liked both Alice and Pearl so much. But what if they didn’t like each other? What if they didn’t get along? Amelia Bedelia had heard the saying “Two’s company and three’s a crowd.”

  That afternoon, after a long nap and a little lunch, Amelia Bedelia and Alice headed down to the marina where Pearl kept her boat.

  “There she is!” Amelia Bedelia said to Alice, pointing out the tall girl with the curly blond ponytail standing on the pier.

  “Pearl!” yelled Amelia Bedelia. “Hi! It’s great to see you! This is my friend Alice.”

  “Hi, Alice,” said Pearl. “Welcome to the shore.”

  “Weird. I just noticed you guys are the same height,” said Amelia Bedelia. “So you can see eye to eye.”

  “I sure hope so,” said Pearl.

  “That would be great,” said Alice.

  Having two best friends sure takes work, thought Amelia Bedelia as the three girls climbed aboard Pearl’s sailboat. But with Pearl and Alice, it was worth it. So far, so good!

  “Alice and I went sailing every day for eight weeks at camp,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  “Lucky! Well, in that case, you two can take over while I relax,” said Pearl. She leaned back, looked up at the sky, and said, “Red sky in morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight.”

  “What happens if there’s a red sky in the morning like today, and there’s also a red sky at night?” said Alice.

  Good question, thought Amelia Bedelia. She looked at Pearl, wondering what seafaring wisdom she would impart. Pearl knew a lot about sailing and being on the water.

  “There’s only one thing to do,” said Pearl. “Stay home and hide under the covers.”

  When they finally stopped laughing, Pearl said, “Hand me that line, please.”

  “This one?” said Amelia Bedelia, handing it to her.

  “Why that one?” asked Alice.

  “A line is a piece of rope with a job to do,” said Pearl. “The job of this line is to hold us to the pier on Blackberry Island.”

  Pearl made a loop and then tied a knot to hold the loop and gave it to the girls to examine.

  “This is a bowline,” she said. “That loop will never slip and never get tighter. That’s why it’s used to rescue people.”

  “In case you didn’t hide under the covers in time?” said Alice.

  “Like us,” said Amelia Bedelia.

  The annual Beach Ball was coming soon. Amelia Bedelia’s aunt Mary and her new husband, Bob, decided to have a cookout at their new home on Blackberry Island before the festivities kicked off.

  Alice and Amelia Bedelia were sailing over to the island with Pearl. While Pearl sailed, Amelia Bedelia and Alice practiced tying different knots, including a bowline.

  Amelia Bedelia’s parents, Jason, and Finally were riding to the island in a speedboat. Amelia Bedelia watched them fly by. Finally’s ears looked like furry flags, flapping in the breeze.

  Naturally, the speedboat beat the sailboat to the island. After tying up at the pier, the girls walked to the cottage. Aunt Mary was handing out glasses of homemade lemonade.

  “I’ll give you the fifty-cent tour before dinner,” she said.

  “Do you have change for a dollar?” asked Amelia Bedelia.

  “You can owe me,” said Mary with a laugh. She led everyone through the house, pointing out improvements and additions that had made the historic place cozy and livable again.

  “These floors are original to the cottage,” said Mary. “See how wide the planks are?”

  “These pieces of oak could be from an old ship,” said Bob.

  “That’s so cool,” said Alice.

  Amelia Bedelia was amazed to see all the changes. “Wow, this place was a wreck the last time I saw it,” she said.

  “Now it’s a jewel,” said Amelia Bedelia’s mother. “Honey, when can we get a second house?”

  “Right after we pay for our first house,” said Amelia Bedelia’s father.

  “Right you are,” said Bob. “A second home can be a money pit. This one has cost plenty. It’s a labor of love.” He put his arm around Mary, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

  Amelia Bedelia’s mother pointed at Bob and Mary. “See that?” she said. “They call that being romantic.”

  “Who is they?” asked Amelia Bedelia. “They who?”

  Amelia Bedelia’s father put his arm around Amelia Bedelia’s mother and planted a kiss on her cheek.

  “That’s a start,” she said.

  “Remember Bob’s niece, Anita? She was our architect,” said Mary. “She designed everything. She did a wonderful job.”

  “Want to check out my room?” said Jason, opening his door and inviting them in. All three girls shrieked at the huge windows.

  “Wow!” said Alice.

  “It’s like being on a boat in the bay,” said Pearl.

  “All you need is this,” said Amelia Bedelia, handing Jason the rolled-up piece of paper she was carrying.

  “Treasure Island!” said Jason, unfurling it. “I was wondering where this map was.”

  “You left it in your old bedroom,” said Amelia Bedelia. “But it belongs here.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve come to the last stop on our tour, the living room!” Mary was pretending to hold a microphone and making her voice sound louder than usual.

  Bob stopped what he was doing in the kitchen and came to join them
. “Take a look at our newest work of art,” he said, pointing at a huge gold frame above the fireplace.

  Amelia Bedelia whispered to Jason, “If it’s new, does that make it modern art?”

  Jason smiled, shaking his head. “No, it’s just new to us. It’s actually really old.”

  They all stared at the frame. Ornate carving surrounded a square space. In the center, mounted on ocean-blue velvet, was a crumpled piece of parchment. Its edges were tattered, one corner was torn, and a brown stain spread across the bottom. Everyone was quiet until Amelia Bedelia’s father spoke up.

  “Okay, Bob. I give up. Why did you frame a piece of trash?”

  “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” said Bob. “Isn’t that what they say?”

  “They’re back again!” said Amelia Bedelia. “But who are they?”

  “If I saw that on the street, I’d walk by it,” said Amelia Bedelia’s mother.

  “Mom!” said Amelia Bedelia. “That would make you a litterbug.”

  Her mother blushed. “You’re right. I’d pick it up and toss it in the trash,” she said.

  “Anita did some research before starting our renovation,” said Bob. “She was looking through old family papers when she stumbled upon that scrap.”

  “Ow!” said Amelia Bedelia. “Was she hurt?”

  “No, she was happy,” said Bob, smiling. “That piece of paper was scrunched up in the bottom of a box. No one thought it was important or paid any attention to it. That’s probably why it survived.”