Karen's Big Move

by Ann M. Martin

  “It is hard to pedal in this wind,” I said. “Can I go back now? You could all go on without me.”

  “I am sorry,” said Mommy, “but I cannot let you go back by yourself. Chicago is a big city. You cannot go outside without an adult.”

  “Boo and bullfrogs,” I said.

  “Soon we will stop for a picnic,” said Mommy. “I packed deviled eggs, just for you.”

  “I am not hungry at all,” I said.

  Mommy was quiet for awhile as she pedaled beside me. “Maybe you are feeling homesick,” she said. “Maybe it is because we are not very busy this week. Once you start going to your new school, you will not have as much time to think about things.”

  I wished Mommy had not brought up the subject of my new school. Suddenly I felt much worse.

  “Come on,” said Mommy. “How about catching up with Seth and Andrew? They will wonder what happened to us.”

  I pedaled harder, to please Mommy. But I was not having fun on the bike ride. I did not want to have any fun. Not in Chicago.

  That afternoon, we went to a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Andrew and I wore the Cubs caps that Sam and Charlie had given us. It was a close game. The Cubs won. Andrew cheered and cheered.

  “Did you like the game, Karen?” Seth asked me on the way out of the stadium.

  “It was all right,” I said.

  Mommy and Seth looked at each other. I could tell they were beginning to worry about me. That was fine with me. I hoped they did worry. Maybe if they were worried enough, they would even decide to send me home.

  As soon as we got back to the apartment, I checked my E-mail. I had not received anything from Hannie or Nancy that day. And nothing from my big-house family either. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten about me already. I sat down to write some letters. Mommy poked her head into my room.

  “Who are you writing to?” she asked.

  “The big house,” I said.

  “Oh. You can tell Sam and Charlie about the Cubs game.”

  “No, I need to ask Kristy about Scout. I need to ask her how her obedience class went.”

  Mommy watched me for a long time. Finally she left me alone. After I sent E-mail to Kristy, I wrote letters to Hannie and Nancy. Soon it was time for bed. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Andrew was already at the sink. He was still wearing his Cubs cap with his pajamas.

  “That was a cool game, huh?” he said.

  “If you like baseball,” I answered. I spit my toothpaste into the sink. Then I went to my room and climbed into my bed. Andrew knocked on the wall between our bedrooms. He liked to do that every night now, before we went to sleep.

  “Good night,” he called to me.

  “Good night,” I called back. I stared at the big pink canopy hanging over the bed. I did not like that canopy anymore. I just wanted to be back in my own big-house bed.

  A Long Morning

  On Friday, Seth started work. That left Andrew and Mommy and me alone in the apartment. Mommy did not plan any sight-seeing trips for us that day. When I woke up, she was already busy in the kitchen.

  “I think I will make a big pot of soup,” she said. “That way, I can put some in the freezer. Would you like to help me, Karen?”

  “No, thank you,” I said. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and went back to the computer. There was still no mail for me. I decided to write some more letters. Andrew appeared in the doorway.

  “Hey, Karen,” he said, “maybe we could fly my kite today.”

  “We cannot go to the lake without an adult,” I replied.

  Andrew ran into the kitchen to talk to Mommy. Then he ran back to me.

  “Mommy said she might be able to take us to the lake this afternoon,” he said.

  “I think I am busy this afternoon.”

  “Busy?”

  “I have a lot of letters to write,” I said.

  “Well, when are we going to fly my kite, then?” asked Andrew.

  “Maybe never.” I knew I was being a meanie-mo. But I was not feeling very well. In fact, I was starting to feel sick. I did not understand why my friends in Stoneybrook had not sent me any more E-mail. They had promised to write every day. I checked my mail again.

  Finally! There was a letter from Nancy.

  “Karen,” asked Andrew, “do you want to play el train with me? We could make the train out of blocks. We could make a tall track too.”

  I turned around and looked at Andrew. I did not know I was going to shout, but that is what I did.

  “Can’t you see that I am busy?” I yelled. “Please do not ask me to play anymore. I have a lot to do.”

  Andrew backed out of the room. I did not mean to hurt his feelings, but I wanted him to leave me alone. When he had left, I read Nancy’s letter.

  Dear Karen, it said. Vacation is fun, but I cannot wait for Monday. I miss school! I hope Ms. Colman reads us another chapter of Black Beauty right away. Are you going to finish reading the book by yourself? I love learning about working animals. It is soooo interesting.

  I turned off the computer and walked into the kitchen.

  “Mommy,” I said, “I want to go back to that bookstore. I need to buy a copy of Black Beauty.”

  “We cannot go right now,” said Mommy. “I am in the middle of making soup, and that will take at least a couple of hours. I will take you to the bookstore this afternoon. How does that sound?”

  “I guess it will have to be okay,” I muttered.

  Andrew tugged at my sleeve.

  “And after the bookstore we could go to the lake to fly my kite. Right?” he asked.

  I yanked my sleeve out of his hands.

  “I do not want to fly your stupid kite,” I said. I stomped back to the computer and plopped myself down in front of the blank screen.

  Oh, boy. It was going to be a long morning.

  Then it was going to be a long day.

  And then it would be a long weekend.

  But most of all, it was going to be a very long six months.

  A Very Bad Stomachache

  On Saturday, I still did not feel well. By Sunday, I felt really sick. I lay on the couch in the living room. I did not change out of my pajamas the entire day. Andrew brought his cars into the living room to play close by.

  “I guess you do not feel like flying my kite with me today, do you?” he asked.

  “I guess not,” I said.

  Mommy took my temperature. She shook down the thermometer and put it under my tongue.

  “You do not have a fever,” she told me. “What exactly feels wrong?”

  I held my stomach and groaned. “My stomach,” I said. “It feels terrible, really terrible.”

  Mommy brought me some chicken soup and let me eat it on the couch. Andrew watched me closely.

  The next morning I did not feel any better. Mommy came into my room to wake me for school.

  “I feel much worse,” I said.

  “That means you will miss your first day at your new school,” she said.

  “Oh.” I tried to sound disappointed.

  Mommy put her hand to my forehead. She looked at me worriedly. Finally she agreed to let me stay home.

  That morning I wrote E-mail letters to Hannie and Nancy and my big-house family. In the afternoon, Mommy told me she would read a chapter of Black Beauty to me. She fluffed up the pillows on my canopy bed and sat down. I settled back into her arm as she read from the copy of the book I had bought.

  “Karen,” Mommy said when she finished the chapter, “you seem unhappy lately. Is something bothering you?”

  I thought about telling Mommy the truth. I thought about telling her that I did not want to stay in Chicago, that I wanted to go back to Stoneybrook. But what if she got angry? What if her feelings were hurt?

  Andrew came into the room and climbed on the bed with us. I knew I could not talk to Mommy in front of Andrew. Andrew would be very upset if I did not stay in Chicago. I was his sister. And I had promised I would stay. If I left,
he would be all alone with Mommy and Seth.

  “Nothing is the matter,” I said. “I am just sick.”

  “Well, I hope you feel better tomorrow,” said Mommy. “I think you will be happier when you are busy at school.”

  I did not think so at all. I never, ever wanted to go to that school. I would stay sick until June if I had to.

  That night, when it was time for bed, Andrew knocked on the wall between our rooms to say good night. This time I did not knock back. Andrew appeared in my doorway.

  “Good night, Karen,” he said.

  I put my pillow over my head. I did not want to see Andrew or talk to him. I listened to the sound of his footsteps as he walked back to his room.

  After that, I lay in bed for a long time. I listened to the tinkling of my wind chimes and to the clanging, banging noises in our apartment building. When I was sure that Andrew was asleep, I got out of bed. I walked into the living room to talk to Mommy and Seth.

  “Mommy, Seth,” I said, “I have to talk to you. I have something important to say.”

  “Yes?” said Mommy. “What is it, Karen?” She took Seth’s hand.

  “I do not want to stay in Chicago,” I said.

  Mommy and Seth listened for a long time as I told them how unhappy I was.

  “Daddy said I could come back to the big house if I wanted to,” I said. “Do you think I could go back? Please?”

  “We know you have been unhappy,” said Mommy. “But if you go back, you cannot change your mind again. You would have to stay at the big house until we return in the fall.”

  “Does that mean I can go?” I asked.

  Mommy sighed. “We will miss you very much,” she said. “But we want to do what is best for you. So, yes, you can go.”

  That was very good news. I would have to call Daddy right away and tell him.

  But how would I ever tell Andrew?

  A Talk with Andrew

  The next morning when I woke up, I felt a lot better. I hopped out of bed. Andrew was already in the kitchen, eating his cereal.

  “Hey, Karen,” he said, “you do not look sick anymore. Is your stomachache better?”

  “Much,” I said.

  “Are you going to get ready for school now?”

  I looked at Mommy.

  “I am not going to school today,” I said carefully.

  “Then maybe we can fly my kite.”

  “I think that might be a good idea,” said Mommy. “The three of us could walk down to the lake. You two could fly the kite together.” Mommy winked at me. I knew she meant that that would be a good time for me to tell Andrew my news.

  After breakfast we walked to the lake. It was a clear, sunny spring day. The wind at the lake was just right for kite flying. Mommy sat on a bench and read a book while I helped Andrew get his kite in the air. I handed him the ball of string. Then I put my hand on my little brother’s head. I was not sure how to begin.

  “Andrew,” I said, “remember when I promised you that I would come to Chicago with you and Mommy and Seth?”

  “Yes,” he said, “and I am very glad you came.”

  I sighed. “Well, I think it was a mistake for me to move this time.”

  “Oh no it was not,” Andrew said quickly. “We are all together. We are having a lot of fun in Chicago.”

  “I am not having any fun,” I said. “And I think it would be much better for me to go back to Stoneybrook.” I took a deep breath. I looked Andrew in the eye. “In fact, I have decided to go back.”

  In the sky, the kite was jumping wildly in the wind. Andrew’s eyes welled up with tears.

  “No,” he said. “I do not want you to go back.”

  “I have already called Daddy,” I said. “I am going to leave in a few days.”

  Andrew dropped the kite string. I grabbed it up quickly. He threw his arms around my waist.

  “I will miss you,” he said.

  “I will miss you too. But we can talk to each other on the phone, and I can send you E-mail letters.”

  “But who will knock-knock on the wall with me when it is time for bed?” Andrew asked. Tears ran down his cheeks. He was sniffing hard.

  “Maybe I can knock on my wall at the big house, and you can knock on your wall here,” I said. “And somehow we will know that we are knock-knocking good night to each other.” That gave me another idea. “I know!” I said. “We can send each other knock-knock jokes. I will send you one every night at bedtime. You love knock-knock jokes. Hey, let’s make up some right now.”

  Andrew and I sat down on the bench. Andrew wiped his tears with his sleeve.

  “You make one up first,” I said.

  “Okay.” Andrew thought for a moment. “Knock knock,” he began.

  “Who is there?” I asked.

  “Andrew.”

  “Andrew who?”

  “Andrew Brewer!”

  That was not very funny, but it was Andrew’s idea of a knock-knock joke. Mommy put her arm around Andrew then.

  “Did Karen tell you her news?” she asked.

  Andrew nodded.

  “You know,” she said, “you and I and Seth will have each other while we are in Chicago. And Karen will join us as soon as we move back to Stoneybrook.”

  It had grown very windy, too windy to stay at the lake. We pulled in the kite and headed back to the apartment.

  I felt sorry to be leaving Andrew and Mommy and Seth, but I was very glad I would be going home. I still had to E-mail Hannie and Nancy and tell them my news. They would be so surprised!

  Home, Sweet Home

  My last days in Chicago went by very fast. Before I knew it I was on a plane heading back to Connecticut. Daddy picked me up at the airport and drove me to the big house. He pulled my suitcase out of the trunk and carried it up to my room. I carried Emily Junior’s cage.

  “I’m home!” I cried as I walked through the front door. Elizabeth poked her head out of the kitchen.

  “Hey, Karen,” she called. “Welcome back. I am so glad to see you.”

  Nannie rushed through the room. She stopped when she saw me and gave me a big hug.

  “Karen,” she said, “you are back! That is wonderful. Excuse me, please. I have to check on my chocolates.”

  Just then Scout bounded into the room. Shannon ran in behind her. The puppies rolled around together on the floor. Kristy came in with Scout’s leash.

  “Time for your walk,” she was saying. “Karen!” she cried when she saw me. She threw her arms around me and lifted me high. “It is great to have you back.”

  Kristy hooked Scout to her leash and headed outside. When she opened the door, Sam and Charlie burst in. They were tossing a baseball back and forth, playing keepaway from David Michael.

  “Hey,” said David Michael. “Give me back my ball. You know the rule. No balls in the house.”

  Sam tossed the ball back to David Michael. He ran past me and pulled my ponytail.

  “Hey, Karen,” called Charlie, “glad to be home?”

  He did not wait for an answer. He followed Sam up the stairs. Emily Michelle slid down the stairs past them on her belly. She ran toward me, her arms held wide. Elizabeth picked up Emily.

  “Glad to see Karen?” she asked. “Well, give her a kiss hello.”

  Emily Michelle smacked at the air.

  “Good girl,” said Elizabeth. “Now it is time for your bath.”

  Emily Michelle wiggled to get free as Elizabeth carried her off. I grinned. It certainly was busy in the big house.

  “Home, sweet home,” I said.

  I carried Emily Junior upstairs to my room. I had more unpacking to do. But first I would E-mail my family in Chicago and tell them I had arrived safe and sound. I had a special message for Andrew. It was a knock-knock joke I had thought up on the plane. I wrote out both his part and mine so Andrew would know exactly how the joke went.

  “Knock knock,” I wrote.

  “Who is there?”

  “Shirley.”

&n
bsp; “Shirley who?”

  “Shirley you must know that I miss you. Hope you come home to Stoneybrook very soon!”

  About the Author

  ANN M. MARTIN is the acclaimed and bestselling author of a number of novels and series, including Belle Teal, A Corner of the Universe (a Newbery Honor book), A Dog’s Life, Here Today, P.S. Longer Letter Later (written with Paula Danziger), the Family Tree series, the Doll People series (written with Laura Godwin), the Main Street series, and the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club. She lives in New York.

  Copyright © 1998 by Ann M. Martin

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition, 1998

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-06046-1