Wishing for Sherbet - Part 2

Good Morning Friday Fiction Fans,
I don't know what it's like where you all live, but here it is cold, cloudy and wet. No snow just wet.


Wow! What a week. Did I say that last Friday? Here is the short version of my week. Last Friday night S & I babysat the kiddos. We made a train and went for a train ride but when one of the passengers fell off (on purpose) as we were going over a "canyon" we ended up playing "hospital."
Saturday was fun because I got my own laptop in the mail! Now I can get to work on laying out my books to get published!
Sunday was the usual things only Mom didn't go to church because of her cough.
Monday came and you know how Mondays are, don't you? You can't seem to get anything done that you were going to get done. Dad & I had to go vote absentee. Then that night we went to the roller skating rink with a bunch of friends from church and others. It was so much fun! I hadn't been to a skating rink for years and years! (That makes me seem old, doesn't it.) And in case you are wondering, I managed to not fall down once. :)
Tuesday was one LONG day. Dad & I had been asked to be election judges. So, we had to get to our polling places by 5:30 AM! And since it was a really poor turn-out, and we had to stay there until the polls closed at 7:00 PM, it was long. It was the kind of day when you have been sitting there waiting for someone else to come vote, and you think it's been at least 15 minutes since you last looked at the clock only to discover when you look again that it's only been 5 minutes. :} Oh, well. There were some fun times.
On Wednesday I got to stay home! I helped Mom catalog more books. We finished World History and over half of American History.
Yesterday I was busy in the morning, worked on my book in the afternoon, babysat the kids for a little while until we ate, then Dad & I left with J & M, Doodle Bug, Mr. N and Mr. Cov. and headed to the JCRCC. This meeting usually lasts an hour. Well, last night it was over 2 hours! I did sell a book. :)
And now here it is Friday again. We are not babysitting. I'm hoping to get more of my book laid out after I clean house. 


So, all of that said, I now give you the end of Wishing for Sherbet. Enjoy! And tell me what you think of it.

Wishing for Sherbet - The End

Inside all was quiet as the song ended, but before any of the quilters could think of anything to say, another song started. This one was more lively than the first and done in fine style though off key as the first one had been.

“A capital ship for an ocean trip

Was the Walloping Window Blind!

No wind that blew dismayed her crew,

Or troubled the captain’s mind.

The man at the wheel was made to feel

Contempt for the wildest blow-ow-ow,

Tho’ it often appeared, when the gale had clear’d

That he’d been in his bunk below.”

Then came the chorus where the singers broke into parts, and the old song was sung as loudly as could be managed.

Lila knew they sounded terrible and could hardly keep from laughing as she and Dottie tried to sing alto.

The singers weren’t allowed to get much beyond the start of the second verse for the front door was flung open and the quilters appeared on the porch holding their ears and begging them to stop.

“What’ll you give us if we stop?” Perrin demanded.

“Yeah,” put in two or three of the other singers. “We came to sing, so you’ll have to pay us to stop.”

There was a hurried consultation among those in the doorway and Amy Boatright offered, “Would some sherbet and coconut pineapple cake do?”

“I’ll quit for sherbet,” Lila laughed, thinking of her clouds and her wish of the day.

Before long the nine serenaders were standing, sitting or lounging around the room with their cake and sherbet. Lila had asked if there was any strawberry milk but none was to be had, so she ate her raspberry and pineapple sherbet. There wasn’t any other flavor, but she didn’t mind.

After several minutes had elapsed since the singers had received their pay, Cami, glancing around asked, “So, why did you all decide to come entertain us?”

“And who’s idea was it in the first place?” Janice Henrick added.

Lila grinned. “Perrin thought of singing,” she volunteered.

“That’s because we wanted to get in the house.”

Sil and Cami looked puzzled. “Then why didn’t you just go on in?”

“Door was locked and no key was to be found.”

“Did you try the front door?” Sil asked.

Perrin looked at Lila. She shook her head. “I never thought of the front door. We never use it,” she admitted licking her spoon. “But that’s okay, this sherbet was worth it.”

Everyone laughed at her expression then Perrin demanded to know where the key was.

“I took it to use as a quilt pattern,” Cami explained. “I didn’t know Sil would lock the back door.”

“I left the front door unlocked. At least I didn’t lock it, so it should be unlocked.”

Yawning, Perrin stood up and stacked his plate and bowl on the table with the other dishes. “Well, since you quilters will probably be here all night, I will take the moonlight singers and depart. Farewell, and thanks for the delightful snack.”

“Yes, thanks Amy,” Lila echoed along with the others.

Laughing, Amy replied, “You’re welcome. Good-night.”

Pausing on the porch, the nine friends held a short whispered conference, then, as they began to move slowly away from the house along the sandy shore, they began to sing:

“In the sky the bright stars glittered,

On the bank the pale moon shone

And ‘twas from Aunt Dinah’s quilting party

I was see-ing Nellie home. . .”

After bidding the Davidsons and Henricks good-night at their homes, Perrin and Lila continued across the dark island to their own house. The moon was casting a silvery light on the bay and the sound of the waves lapping on the sandy beaches nearby was the only sound to be heard.

Lila gave a small sigh as the black shape of their house loomed up before them. “Perrin,” she whispered in the hushed quietude which surrounded them. “Do you think the front door is unlocked?”

“I assume so,” he replied, turning into the picket gate which led to the front stoop. “I don’t think they would have kept the key if the front door was locked as well.”

Lila wasn’t too sure for she remembered locking it the first night their parents had been gone and knew that she, at least, hadn’t unlocked it. Her thoughts were interrupted.

“Oh brother!”

“What?”

“It’s locked.” Perrin dropped to his hands and knees and began to feel under the doormat to see if the key was there, for the shadow of the palm trees blocked the moon’s light quite well.

Standing still just off the stoop, Lila waited. What would they do if they didn’t have a house key? She really didn’t want to walk all the way back to the Boatrights nor did she want to sleep outside.

“Well,” Perrin sighed at last, slowly standing up and turning towards his younger sister. “I can’t find it.”

“What do we do now?” Lila demanded.

For a few minutes Perrin remained silent, thinking. “I don’t really want to walk across the island again. We could go stay at the Henrick’s but if Cami and Sil come home before morning and don’t find us, they’ll be pretty worried. If there was just some way to get in to the house . . .” his voice trailed away as he slowly began walking around towards the back of the house, Lila trailing after him.

“Lila,” he suddenly exclaimed, “did you leave your window open?”

“Yes,” she replied, wondering what her brother was thinking of.

“Stay here,” Perrin told her when they reached the porch. “I’m going to climb up the lattice work and take your screen out. Then I can get in and come unlock the door.”

“Are you sure it is strong enough?”

“We’ll soon find out,” was the cheery reply as Perrin began climbing up the rose trellis.

Scarcely breathing, Lila watched the dark form moving steadily upwards, heard the sound of the screen being moved and then a thud followed by a moan.

“Perrin?” Lila called, anxiously wondering what had happened.

“Your window doesn’t stay open very well,” came a muffled response. “Just hang on, I’ll be there in a minute.” Sounds of banging, scuffling and muttering disturbed the peaceful night but soon the kitchen light flashed on and the door was unlocked.

Hurrying inside, Lila gave a sigh of relief. “I really didn’t want to stay outside all night waiting for the girls to come home.” Then she added with a giggle, “but at least I got some sherbet.”

Comments? Thoughts?