“O.K.,” I said. He motioned his hand and went into the house. “Boy, I sure do like Mr. Spencer,” Sophie said. “Va, he’s helped us kids a lot.” said. “We “You know that day I was playing with Sharon?” Sophie and he kept were bathing our dolls. Kirk was following me all around Mr. Spencer asking me to tie his shoes and I was getting real mad. Then stuff, so called Kirk over to his house and showed him all of his fishing Sharon and me could play alone. I sure like him.” water; A soft wind blew and the hem of my dress flopped into the gutter I might it. “Darn out. wrinkles the pulling tried then out it wrung I so +, , have known.” her oxSophie wasn’t listening to me, but instead, she was retying back go to have ever won't “Mama up. sat She tight. fit fords so the shoe her mouth. to the hospital, will she, Pat?’ Sophie put the blue beads up to “Just sometimes for therapy. But you can go with her there.” watch her Sophie sucked on the beads. It always made me nervous to but Dad told me not to say anything. He said those beads were that, I just her security of knowing that Mama would be back to stay one day. tried to ignore her when she did it. you I was thinking. It’s funny what you notice and think about when the are just sitting with nothing to do. Like the painted house“numbers on the out in curb; the neighbors rain bird that skips; the old scraps of Bread and middle of the street the neighborhood kids have left for the seagulls; guessing how much water the reservoir at the top of Swan Street holds. Mom Sophie and I sat there for at least a half an hour before Dad and finally came up the hill. It was about two months after Mom came home when we moved from hard for our two story house on Swan. We decided that it was just too beautiful a into moved we So house. that in stairs the all manage Mom to namnew house with no stairs at all. The street it was on hadn't even been to the ed, let alone not having any neighbors at all. We were very close blocks mountains now, and the only thing you could see for at least two down were fields of dirt and weeds. she Sophie hated it. She cried in her bed the first few nights because said her friends on Swan would forget her. the Kirk was too young to go to school, so he adjusted fairly well to idea of a change. One morning we were all sitting at the breakfast table. Dad got through eating and he said, “Come on, kids.” to Sophie’s brown doe eyes usually started watering because she hated and leave Mom; but this day was different. She just walked over to Mom sat on her lap with her arms around Mom’s neck. “Mama,” Sophie said. “Yes, Sophie,’ Mom said with her usual arched eyebrows and warm smile. “T never seen you cry before,” Sophie said. “so I’m not going to cry when I have to go to school. I’m going to be as brave as you were when you went to the hospital.” Mom kissed Sophie on the cheek then, Sophie got down and put on her sweater. I thought while she did it how warm I felt inside to know that Sophie understood now. Dad pushed Mom in her wheelchair over to the door so Mom could wave her special wave to Sophie. do 4 24 That's An Order by Louise Leicht Induction time had come for the ants at Picnic Table High School All the undergrads had to take RATC (Reserve Ants Training Cape) Oh, the moaning that went on that day. Nobody wanted to wear the ill-fitting uniforms, back-packs, or tof carry the tooth-pick bayonets. Their class time training began the next day. All the cadets sat down at Lie desk and the room was in general chaos. In strode Major Tactics. Tens-Hut!” he bellowed. Everyone stared at him in puzzlement. ba Wonder what language he is speaking?’ asked Herb to his ant friend od. “Maybe he come from a different ant hill.” whispered back Rod. “ *Tens-Hut!” the order came again. Ever 0 the general idea i dates ga veryone got Ti make or break these “The first thing we teach Three! Four! Repeat after me: Everyone nodded in silent “The second thing is that cadets, yet,” thought Major Tactics grimly. you in here is how to count. One! Two! One! Two! Three! Four! That’s an order.” agreement. you call your suporiors SIR. Nothi l arn ‘ but SIR. That’s an order you also bo” “What’s an order?’ asked Herb of Rod. _“T think that’s what you do when you go to a drive-in restaurant.” whispered Rod. Uwe will then proceed to divide you into squads, platoons, and companies” continued Major Tactics. 71 think SIR is going to like spliting us up” snickered Herb. “I will then assign the leaders” said Major Tactics. “I will pass out the stripes, discs, and stars to people I think are responsible enough to keep them. The rest of you will have to work your way up.” “Unfair! Unfair!’ echoed throughout the room. _ The next day class training began; the lessons in tooth-pick bayoneting; the snatching and storing of stolen foods; getting it back to home base; the waging of guerilla warfare against picnicers. _ Outside - marching; One! Two! Three! Four!; the push-ups; and standing at attention. . At the end of “The Ants go The Ants go The Ants go The little one And they all To the earth, the year, Major Tactics, with a swell of pride heard: marching, one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! marching, one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah! marching, one by one, stops to shoot his gun. go marching, down to get out, of the rain, BOOM boom boom. 25