Reference no: EM133830366

Assignment

Beyond the yellow ruffled curtains, Kelly could see the bare branches of two elm trees, thin black arms framing the seeming emptiness of the winter sky. If she pulled the curtains closed, shutting out the bleakness, she would be trapped again in the too familiar, brightly colored bedroom, its floral bedspread and dainty white dressing table straight out of a mail-order catalog.

She closed her eyes and lay back on her bed. The view out her window was of no more use to her than the English book that lay face down on her desk. Nothing was going to inspire her to write a poem. Nothing. Her parents had chosen this weekend, of all weekends, to leave her and Robbie in charge of the house. True, he and Evelyn were leaving her alone, but the room was almost too quiet. She might as well be downstairs with the blaring radio and the barking dog. She could get as much accomplished.

Sighing, she got up from the bed. All right, she thought, frowning at her reflection in the dressing table mirror. It's your own fault. What are you going to do about it?

She picked up a brush, furiously snapping the brush through her auburn hair until it stood out from her head in a frizzy, electric-charged cloud.

"Ludicrous," she said, addressing her reflection. "A comic spectacle."
"Who are you talking to?"
Kelly jumped, startled, and turned around. Her nine-year-old sister, Evelyn, was standing in the doorway.
"Did you ever hear of knocking?" demanded Kelly, smoothing back the wild hair with one hand and holding up the brush with the other.

Evelyn looked up at Kelly, her lower lip trembling and her eyes threatening tears. "You usually let me come in."

"I'm sorry," Kelly said. "You just startled me, that's all."
"Oh." Evelyn flounced over to the bed, sitting down on it and smiling as she smoothed her dress. "Can I stay?"
"Why not? It won't make any difference."
"What do you mean? What are you trying to do?"

"Write a poem," Kelly said. She looked at the little girl, sitting so primly in her spotlessly clean dress, her white anklets neatly folded and unwrinkled. Evelyn had been blessed with their mother's smooth brown hair and blue eyes. The perfect child, Kelly thought. If only she had an intellect to match her curiosity.

Why?" asked Evelyn.

Kelly sighed, flopping the hairbrush onto the dressing table. It landed with a loud clunk.

"Uhmmm," Evelyn said, rubbing her right index finger against her left one and raising her eyebrows.
Kelly picked up the brush and set it carefully back into place. "It's all right. It didn't damage the paint."
"Why are you writing a poem?" persisted Evelyn.
"Because it's required," Kelly said. "It's my English assignment. It's due tomorrow. First period."
"Oh," Evelyn said.

Oh, Kelly thought. Yes. it's that simple. Of course.

I know a poem." Evelyn said.

"A poem?"

"Yes. I don't mean nursery rhymes and baby stuff. Robbie taught it to me."

"That's nice," Kelly said. Robbie! she thought. Why hadn't she realized it before? He was a genius at English, and he had been in the same class only a year before. He could help her if anyone could.

"Don't you want to hear my poem?" asked Evelyn pathetically.

Kelly glanced at the clock, an absurd little French provincial miniature with red rosette trim and pedestal legs. It read seven forty-two: she had forgotten to wind it again. "What time is it?" she asked.

With a brisk movement like a soldier's salute, Evelyn produced the wristwatch that she had received for Christmas the year before and had not once misplaced or forgotten to wind. "Twelve fourteen," she announced.

"No wonder I'm hungry," Kelly said. "Let's go downstairs."
"But the poem???"
"Oh, all right. Let's hear it."

Evelyn beamed and stood up, her posture perfect and her hands behind her back, looking, Kelly thought, like Amy in Little Women. She suppressed a smile.

Evelyn began a monotone recitation. "'The little toy dog is covered with dust-"'

"'-but sturdy and staunch he stands,"' interrupted Kelly. "Eugene Field." you know?"

"I just knew."
"But it's a beautiful poem."
"Heart-rending," Kelly said tartly. She felt a stab of remorse and took her sister's hand, smiling.

Evelyn snatched her hand away. "I'm not six."

"Of course not," Kelly said. "Evie, I'm sorry. I'll listen to your poem."

"You don't have to. You have more important things to do." Evelyn left, closing the door behind her. Kelly heard the soft thud of another door closing. Evelyn had gone to her room.

Kelly picked up her English book and smoothed the pages, debating whether to reread the chapter on prosody, and decided to talk to Robbie instead. She went downstairs.

Robbie, seventeen and smug in his temporary role as head of the household, smiled up at her from his easy chair. His completed calculus assignment lay on a table beside him. "Did you decide to make lunch?" he asked.

"Did I what?"
"Decide to make lunch," repeated Robbie. "It is noon, you know. Past noon, in fact."
"I'll make a can of soup."
"Why don't you make some sandwiches to go with it?"
"On one condition," Kelly said.
"What condition?"
"That you help me with my homework."
"What? Help you? You're supposed to be an honor student."

Kelly looked down at the calculus assignment, avoiding her brother's eyes. "I have to write a poem. "

"You don't have to," Robbie said. "If you can't, you can't. I'm certainly not going to write it for you."
"I'm not asking you to. I just thought you might give me a little advice. An idea to work with or something."
"Don't you remember what the teacher told you?"
"No. I only remember one thing she said."
"Which was?"
"'Let your subconscious emotions spill out onto the paper."'

Robbie laughed. "For a teacher like that you want to produce a poem?"

It's an assignment. I have to do it."

"One F isn't going to spoil your average."
"That's not the point. I'll know I failed."
"Pride," Robbie said, smiling angelically, "is a mortal sin."

"You're so perfect!" Kelly turned away abruptly, nearly tripping over Orphan, the dog, as she stormed out of the room. At the other end of the house, the phone began ringing furiously. Robbie leaned back in his chair, making no move to answer the phone, and Evelyn was nowhere in sight.

Kelly made a breathless rush to the kitchen but picked up the receiver just as the party at the other end hung up. "Oh, I give up," muttered Kelly, slamming down the receiver. She considered kicking the table leg but thought better of it and hugged Orphan instead, stroking him and burying her face in his orange fur. We're a pair of Orphan Annies, she thought. The phone rang again and she got up to answer it.

"Hamilton residence," she said. "No, I'm sorry, they're out at the moment.... No, sir, a church conference.... Yes, I'll take a message." She put down the telephone and found a pencil and paper, hastily scratching a message. "Yes, sir, I'll tell him.... Thank you.... Goodbye." She hung up.

"Who was that?" asked Robbie as she re-entered the family room.

She tossed him the notepad. "Someone for Dad from the office. Read it yourself."

"I would if I could decipher it." Robbie said. "Why don't you turn in that note and claim it's a poem? Your teacher will never know the difference."

Kelly glared. "Why don't you go play football?"

"Can't," Robbie said. "I'm baby-sitting. Speaking of babies, where's Evelyn?"
"Oh, I don't know. I hurt her feelings. She's probably still up there pouting."
" I'll go check on her," Robbie said.

"Thanks." Kelly returned to the kitchen, deciding to reward Robbie's unexpected magnanimity by making him tuna sandwiches instead of peanut butter. The telephone rang again and she picked it up.

"Hamil-oh, hello, Leah. Did you try to call earlier? ... I thought so.... No, not tonight. It's Sunday. My parents wouldn't approve. Besides, I still have that poem to write.... You have? Let me hear it.... That's priceless! I love it. I wish I had your gift.... No. I appreciate your generosity, but you know I can't do that. It's no better than copying Keats like Sally Jacobs said she was going to do.... Really, Leah. I'd rather have the F. Okay. See you tomorrow.... Oh, that would be great. If you're with me when I tell them they won't be so upset.... Thanks again. See you.... Bye."

"Good show," Robbie said as she turned around. "Now let's see you handle this as well." He handed her a piece of her own stationery bearing a message carefully written in a round, childish hand. "Dear Kelly," the note read. "I have desided to run away sense I am to much trubble. Ive gone to find Mommy and Daddy. Love Evelyn."

"Oh, no," Kelly said, looking wildly from the note to her brother and back again. "She can't. She'll freeze. Did she take her coat? What's missing? How did she get out?"

Through the window," Robbie said. "She tied her sheets together. I don't know if she took a coat, but her closet was open, so I guess she did."

"She doesn't keep her coat in her room. It would be in the coat closet." Kelly ran upstairs, throwing open a hall closet and grabbing three coats. She tossed one to Robbie. "Here. Let's go. You go left and I'll go right. No, wait. The yard is muddy. I'll check it first for tracks."

She pulled on her coat, grabbing Evelyn's from where it had fallen on the floor, and ran outside, leaving the door open for Robbie. The tracks led clearly northward. Half-running, she followed them up the sidewalk until she reached the street corner. The street had been cleaned and she could see no more tracks in any direction. She strained her eyes to see footprints on the other sidewalks but there were none.

She must have gone straight, Kelly thought. She's not tricky. She won't be thinking at all about where she's going. She'll be walking head down, with tears on her face. Oh, God, please help her. Forgive me....

She felt a touch on her shoulder and turned around. Robbie had come up behind her. His hand slipped into hers and they walked in silence, looking both directions for the small, familiar figure. They had gone about three blocks when they spotted her huddled beneath a leafless oak. Evelyn did not move as they ran toward her.

Kelly knelt beside her, smoothing her hair from her face. "Evie!"

Evelyn blinked and slipped wordlessly into Kelly's arms. "Thank God!" Kelly whispered. "Oh, thank you, Lord, Thank you!"

Here," Robbie said, snatching the little coat from Kelly's arm. "Put this on. You're absolutely blue."

He helped Evelyn put on the coat, buttoning it for her because her fingers were too stiff. "There," he said, smiling. "Good as new."

Evelyn looked up at him eagerly. "Could we have a pizza?"

"I'll tell you what," Robbie said. "I'll take you to a nice, warm pizza parlor and we'll leave Kelly all by herself so she can write her poem."

"No," Kelly said. "I'll think of a poem, and if I don't, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter," Robbie said. "I was wrong."

Kelly smiled. The poem was forming in her mind. "I'll call it 'Three Small Miracles,"' she said, and laughed at her brother's blank expression.

A. How might the story have been different if Kelly had talked to Leah before her sister came into her room?

B. Contrast the setting inside the house with the setting outdoors. In a few sentences explain how they are different. What sort of atmosphere does the setting for each place create?

C. What personality or character flaws do you find in Kelly? Get the instant assignment help.

D. What are her character strengths and how are her strengths revealed?

E. By the end of the story, after seeing typical sibling "squabbles," how do the siblings come together? What theme would you assign to this coming together? Then, identify a Bible verse relevant to the theme you establish and explain what lesson a Christian can learn from this short story and its theme.