Max and I

Chapter Four

It was on breakfast the following week on No School Day, and I was reaching for my egg toast.

The phone rang loudly, and it signaled for Mom to leave the table.

In a few moments, I heard Mom speak. "At around lunch? Should I make lunch for her too?"

"Sure," said the other woman. I could faintly hear her.

Of course. It was Annemarie. She was bringing Wayne to our house.

The adoption. My bones began to get cold. I didn't want the stranger in my house, in my house forever.

"Mom...?" I said tensely.

Mom got off the phone for a second. "Yes, Margaret, are you hungry?"

"No, I don't want Wayne. She's a complete unfamiliar person to this household. You're doing bad things to me."

"Meg, just be quiet for a little while. I need to get back to Annemarie and the arrival."

That was it. No more. I knew that she wouldn't ever talk about that subject again.

Wayne came late, and Anne didn't even stop in to say hello. Wayne was carrying a big bundle and she was having trouble.

"Hi, Meg! Meg! Meg!! Meg!!!" Wayne screamed in delight.

I dropped my apple out of surprise.

"What about me?" I asked. "Am I cool or something?"

"Meg, I cannot believe it is you!" Wayne said again.

"All right, all right." Mom folded her arms. "Let's be a little quieter and please get acquainted with the new house."

"This is a very big house," said Wayne.

"No it isn't," I said, quite meanly.

"Meg, don't say that. You know how someone feels without a family, and when they live in a small room. Our house is very large compared to her's. Right, little cutie?"

"Yes, of course." Wayne smiled.

I led Wayne down the hallway and she put her bag near her bed. I showed her how everything worked in the bathroom.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" exclaimed Wayne. "How can I ever thank this awesome family?"

"It was nothing, Wayne," I said. "It was really easy to make this room the way it is."

Wayne immediately lay down on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. She didn't speak for a long while. Then she began. "I didn't like my little room in the orphanage, but I will always remember Bambini, my friend. I'll never see her again. She's in that house forever I think."

"You are lucky to have a great family like us," I said, partly lying, because I didn't really know how everything would be.

"I'm hungry," said Wayne. "What lunch do you have?"

"Rice and a crispy rice bar," I replied, wondering what Wayne's reply would be.

"Yuck. I'm going to eat my yum sandwich right in my room." She opened a small lunchbox compartment and got out a plastic Zip-lock bag. The bag had a sandwich with peanut butter and fluff inside. "Now that's what I call yum," Wayne pointed.

"Oh, looks really good," I began to lie. I knew Mom would never let me eat anything like that. But I knew the rules of modesty, so I didn't spoil Wayne's appetite.

"What do you have for lunch in the orphanage place?" I asked.

"Well, usually a little 'light' fruit yogurt or a PJ or PBJF," replied Wayne. "For breakfast I have an egg and French toast. For dinner I like macaroni, Peter's Style."