You drank hot water from a chipped mug. It was so boiling, that it would have scalded my tongue. But you loved it. I loved the Eggo waffles that I’ve never had without you; for me they are only there in your warm house, with the rain pouring behind the large window, as it often does in Olympia. I remember your soft freckled hands, the skin loose and wrinkled, but still strong, patiently untangling my wet hair with that purple comb I loved, as we looked at Ranger Rick magazines, and pictures of Mom’s diving days. You answered my millions of questions, and read me thousands of books in your rich voice, on that green plaid couch, that has since been moved from your house to mine. I curled in your lap and your loud laugh shook your large frame along with my small one, making me giggle and fold myself deeper into your well-cushioned arms until I could feel your heart against my wiry back. I didn’t know then, that someday soon that heart would fail. I wish you could see me now, Grandma, see my life and how I’ve grown. I want to show you the work that I’ve done, and together we could read the poetry that I’ve come to love. But you were gone too soon. Gone before I could say goodbye, gone before you could truly see the granddaughter you barely knew. Sayre White,13Missoula, Montana
July/August 2007
Ellie’s Market
“Alexandra! Alexandra!” came the excited voice of my younger cousin Clara from the hallway. “You get to take Max and me shopping for Halloween costumes!” I smiled at her seven-year-old excitement as I stepped out into the crisp autumn air, filled with leaves in a hurry to get to the ground. Halloween was coming, and that meant lots of shopping to be done, and that meant I would get to go to my second favorite place in the world: Ellie’s Market. A delicious aroma of pumpkin spice wafted out as I pulled open the door and the cheery jingling of bells met my ears. I had arrived at my second home, and at the counter was my best friend, Cecil, who owned Ellie’s Market with his brother Harry You couldn’t exactly romp and play with Cecil the way two kids would, and that is what many people remember doing with their best friends, but in a way Cecil was even better. He was almost like a grandfather. Oh yes, I had other kid friends, but hanging out with Cecil was fun. Today I greeted him and hurried off to help Clara and Max with their costumes. As I went through eccentric old hats and frilly dresses, looking for just the things to perfect princess and scarecrow costumes, I thought of all that Ellie’s Market meant to me. True, it was only a little larger than my school classroom, and the building was slightly rickety and old, but for such a small place, the number of wonderful memories it held for me and so many others was amazing. Even not so wonderful memories seemed special, like six years ago, when I was six and had come in bawling because of a cut on my knee. Cecil had found a bandage, and the rest of the afternoon had consisted of cocoa, books, and hugs. I had never taken the time to watch the whole sunset before, but now I was entranced Ellie’s Market is a hodgepodge of everything… For one thing, Ellie’s Market is like a community club. Nearly everyone in the neighborhood above the age of six months has been there, and most people visited at least three times a week. The clothes section wasn’t big, but it wouldn’t have been there at all if Cecil and Harry weren’t so friendly. People had wanted to help Ellie’s Market, so they would donate their old-but-gently-used clothes for Cecil to sell, and pretty soon these donations got so large they turned into a whole clothes section! It’s especially helpful for Halloween; you never know when you’ll find the perfect thing, and knowing Cecil, if he finds it first, he’ll save it for you. Our neighborhood was great already, but Ellie’s Market really brought us together. In Christmas season, my family bought our Christmas trees there, when the trees were kept in the empty gravel lot behind the store. In January we could usually do with a new umbrella, and at least five kids drop in every day to buy a little candy. In Ellie’s Market, there’s not only candy, but food, clothes, games, and sometimes a little silverware. Once in a while, Cecil brings in joke-shop items, like a can of “nuts” that a fake snake popped out of when you opened it. The walls are covered with kids’ artworks and in a place of honor by the door is a picture of Ellie, Cecil and Harry’s grandmother. I stare at her a lot in her silver frame on the wood-paneled wall. She died a long time ago so I never knew her, but she looks kind and wise and full of stories to tell—like Cecil. I think Ellie would be proud of him if she could see him now. The floors make a pleasant creaking sound, like trees shaking in the wind. The wooden shelves, tables, and metal racks aren’t in perfect order, but there’s a sense of neatness to them. I can’t quite put a finger on it, but something about all this makes the atmosphere friendly and welcoming. * * * When I got home from school the next day, I scurried over to Ellie’s Market to quickly buy some hard candy to suck on while I did my homework. As I reached the corner, I looked up and saw a big neon-yellow sign posted across the door. I only got a glimpse of the word SALE! before a big truck screeched to a stop in front of me and blocked my view. Good! I thought. A sale! But when I reached the door and read the sign, my heart stopped. Ellie’s Market was having a closing sale? Was it a Halloween joke? Ellie’s Market couldn’t be closing! No way. It had to be a prank. Cecil was inside sweeping the floor— the bare floor. It seemed that Cecil and Harry’s friends had come in and cleaned them out of items. Only a few of the familiar racks remained that I was so used to seeing heaped with clothes, and most of the artwork was gone. I gulped and barely managed to choke out, “Cecil?” He looked up. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he said sadly. “I didn’t want you to be sad for too long.” “You’re—closing?” “Yes. Harry and I will still be here—you know where we live. But the store won’t. “Hey! Cecil! A little hand back here?” called Harry from the back of the store. “Watch the sunset,” Cecil said quietly. “It’s beautiful.” Then he turned and left. It couldn’t be happening. Ellie’s Market had made up a big part of my life—it couldn’t just close! I sat on my bed and sobbed. Gone? My favorite hangout and my second favorite place in the whole wide world was gone? I didn’t answer when my mom called for dinner, and my homework lay neglected. Even Max and Clara couldn’t cheer me up. I wanted to be alone. It was a week before I remembered what Cecil
When the World Becomes a Flame
Josh watched all the heads bouncing up and down as he hiked down the trail. He was on a Boy Scout hike with his small troop through the large forests in California. This would most likely be their last hike for a while because they were going to go skiing in the mountains for a few weeks. He had been a Boy Scout for two years now and loved the long outdoor hikes they had during the summer. Now it was mid-October and the troop was growing tired of hiking all the time, and looking forward to the skiing and snowboarding they were going to do. Josh looked down at his uniform filled with pins and badges of all sorts that he had earned these last two years. He looked up at the gray sky with birds flying in a flying V formation. He watched the trees filled with reds, yellows, and oranges. Josh loved the outdoors, the animals, the smell, and especially the feeling of adventure it gave him. Josh’s troop decided to take a short water break near a few small stumps on the side of the dirt path. Josh was happy about the rest. He enjoyed hiking but grew tired easily. He sat at one of the stumps next to his best friend, Eric, who was an expert on birds. Josh took a large gulp from his large water bottle he had brought. The cold water instantly quenched his thirst. Eric took out his binoculars and started scanning the sky for any sort of bird. When the troop leader, Bill, stood up and announced that it was time to start the hike again, Josh picked up his backpack and placed his cap back on his head. Eric, still searching for some kind of hawk, slowly stood up. “Come on,” said Josh to Eric, “you’re going to trip, not being able to see where you’re going.” “Josh, there’s a big fire going off a little ways from here!” said Eric in a panicking voice “One more second,” replied Eric excitedly. “I think I just saw the golden hawk in that tall tree!” “Really?” asked Marc, the brainy kid of the troop. “They’re supposed to be really rare this time of the year.” Marc searched the cloudy sky for the bird. “I don’t see it anywhere!” “Time to go!” shouted Bill, who had assembled all the other scouts on the road. He started walking and the boys ran to catch up. Josh was second to last in line. Eric, still having his binoculars up watching for the golden hawk, kept bumping into him. “Sorry” said Eric for about the twelfth time in the last ten minutes, “I can see the hawk, but it keeps circling around in the sky so I have to keep my eyes on it at all times.” “That’s OK,” said Josh, looking back at the watchful Eric. “Just be a little more careful, OK?” Eric didn’t answer. “Eric, did you hear me?” questioned Josh, turning back to see his friend had stopped far back, looking above the tall trees. “Josh, there’s a big fire going off a little ways from here!” said Eric in a panicking voice. “I think it could be a forest fire.” “We’ve got to tell Bill now!” Josh said quickly in a hoarse tone, filled with nervousness. Josh started off in a sprint with Eric close behind him. Almost all the way to Bill, Josh and Eric started yelling, “Bill, Bill, there’s a big fire going on in the woods! It looks like it’s pretty big by the looks of the smoke!” * * * Bill immediately stopped and halted the hikers. “Where is the fire?” questioned Bill, while grabbing the binoculars from Eric. The boys pointed in the approximate direction, and Bill turned the binoculars towards the area that their fingers pointed. “Well,” started Bill, quietly concentrating, “I don’t see anything.” Bill adjusted the binoculars silently with his large hands. He put the binoculars back to his kind, concerned face again. “Oh my gosh you’re right!” screamed Bill, jumping backwards on the ground. Bill told everybody what he had seen and told them how they were going to handle the situation. “So,” Bill was saying to the troop, “we have to be calm and not panic about this. There is a ranger station about ten miles from here. They’ll help us get out of here, but we’ll have to be fast, so let’s get going.” The troop started out quickly for the ranger station. Everybody was dead quiet as they walked briskly along the trail. They took a minute break every ten minutes or so to conserve their energy. The whole troop could now see the towering smoke shooting up into the sky like an endless tower of black and gray. Must be from all the dry weather we’ve been having lately, thought Josh to himself as he trudged behind Marc. They were about halfway to the station, but the smoke was coming closer and closer every minute, and the kids were beginning to feel nervous and scared. Bill kept urging them to go faster. The troop was now jogging slowly down the path, all the time looking over their shoulders expecting a fiery blaze to be right behind them. Then someone behind Josh started screaming, “I see the fire. I see the fire!” Everybody glanced behind them, looking at the torch of fire coming at them far behind them. Eric started to cry, which people didn’t see him do very often. Bill ran back to the end of the group and screamed, “Run!” The boys took off across the trail as if the world was coming to an end. Bill was running behind them making sure no one got left behind. “Only two more miles,” he shouted as they passed a sign. The fire was only about a mile and a half behind, but they could see it easily through the smoke-filled sky. The boys ran faster and
