I was beginning to feel as if I was living two lives. When I was at the Craines’, all I could think about was Ghost Cat, and Kennedy Graham, and mysterious meowing sounds, and strange phone calls. When I was at home, all I could think about was Uncle Joe. I’d gone to the library to try to find out a little more about Alzheimer’s disease, and what I found out made me feel sad.

The disease is kind of a mystery, so far. Nobody knows exactly what the cause of it is, and nobody knows how to treat it, either. It’s a degenerative disease, which means that it usually just keeps getting worse and worse. I felt so bad for Uncle Joe. I hoped he wasn’t too aware of what was happening to him. I knew he’d had a long, full life, and I knew the people at Stoneybrook Manor would take good care of him. Still, it was really sad.

Saturday was going to be Uncle Joe’s last day at our house. Mom and Dad were going to be out all morning. The people at Stoneybrook Manor had asked them to come in for a conference before they brought Uncle Joe back. The doctors and nurses wanted to know everything Mom and Dad could tell them about his condition and his state of mind.

Jessi had come over to help me baby-sit that morning. I was glad. She’d never met Uncle Joe and this would be her last chance. Also, I hadn’t been able to spend much time with her lately, and I’d missed her.

“I loved A Wrinkle in Time,” she said, as soon as she walked in the door. “I just finished it this morning.”

I’d told her about that book as soon as I’d finished it, because I knew she’d like it as much as I did. It’s great having a best friend who loves to read. We’re always recommending books to each other, and we have so much fun talking about them. There’s something special about reading a great book and then discussing it with someone you like; it makes you appreciate the book — and your friend — in new and interesting ways.

“Wasn’t it great when Meg was with Aunt Beast?” I asked. “That was one of my favorite parts.”

“Mine, too,” said Jessi. “And then when she figured out how powerful her love for her family could really be.”

Just then Uncle Joe wandered into the hall where we were still standing. He gave Jessi a quizzical look. She glanced at me, suddenly nervous, but then she got hold of herself.

“Hello, Mr. Pike,” said Jessi. “My name is Jessi Ramsey. I’m glad to meet you.” She smiled, but didn’t stick out her hand to shake his. I’d told her about Claud’s experience and she’d obviously remembered it.

Uncle Joe nodded to her. He didn’t smile, but he wasn’t frowning, either. “I believe I’ll go to my room now,” he said to me. “I’ll pack my belongings and I may also take a short nap.” He still sounded as formal and polite as the day he had arrived. And, apparently, he still hadn’t learned my name. Now I at least knew why.

“Okay, Uncle Joe,” I said. “Let me know if I can help you with anything.”

He nodded again. “You’re very kind,” he said. Then he turned and left.

I watched him walk away. Then I raised my eyebrows at Jessi. “Very kind?” I said. “That’s the first time he said anything like that.”

“He doesn’t seem so bad,” Jessi replied. “I mean, he didn’t say anything nasty, and he didn’t seem confused or anything.”

“He has his good days and his bad days,” I said. “But he’s never really nasty, exactly. Just … just not very tactful, I guess.”

“My grandmother was kind of like that,” said Jessi. “I used to think she thought that because she was old she didn’t have to be polite anymore. She’d say the most hurtful things, like ‘My, haven’t you gotten fat,’ to my mother, or ‘Losing your hair pretty quickly, aren’t you?’ to my father. It used to make me so mad. I felt like saying mean things back to her, about her wrinkles and stuff. But then, after I’d spent some more time around her, I figured out that she only said those things because she wasn’t comfortable making small talk. She didn’t know what to say, so she’d just say the first thing that came into her mind. She didn’t mean to be nasty or rude.”

I thought for a minute. “It’s pretty easy to make snap judgments about people’s personalities, isn’t it?” I said. My family had been so ready for the Uncle Joe Dad had described that the real Uncle Joe had been a shock. But maybe we still didn’t know who Uncle Joe truly was. Finding that out would take time, and that was something we didn’t have. I realized that we’d probably never get to know him now.

Boy, I was really having some heavy thoughts! But it’s hard to get too philosophical in the Pike household. Someone usually interrupts you.

“Hi, Jessi!” shouted Nicky as he ran into the hall. “Guess what?”

Jessi smiled at him. “What?” she asked.

“We’re almost ready for the Pike Olympics!” he said. He grabbed her hand and started to pull her along. “Come see!”

She looked back at me and gave a helpless shrug. I followed as Nicky led us into the rec room. “Oh, my lord!” I said, when I saw what my brothers and sisters had done to the place. There were upturned chairs in the middle of the room. The rug had been rolled up and Margo was walking along it as if it were a balance beam. The couch pillows were strewn all over the floor, and some were in towering piles.

Byron grinned at Jessi and me. “Neat, huh?” he said.

“Neat” was not exactly the word that came to my mind.

“We’re going to have an obstable course!” shouted Claire.

“Obstacle,” corrected Jordan. “Obstacle course. And it’s not for you, Claire. That event’s only for older kids.”

Claire pouted.

“But you get to do the hopping race!” said Vanessa, trying to cheer Claire up. “And you’re a really, really good hopper. I bet you’ll win.”

Claire looked a little happier.

“Why are those pillows all piled up?” asked Jessi.

“That’s for the leapfrogging event,” explained Adam.

Jessi nodded. “I see,” she said. She looked around the room. “Maybe we ought to move this lamp out of the way,” she said, picking up a ceramic lamp.

“Good idea,” I replied. I scouted the room for other breakable items, and ended up putting a mirror and two framed pictures into the closet along with the lamp. I turned the TV to the wall. You might think I was being a little overcareful, but you never know with my brothers and sisters.

“Let the games begin!” I said, as soon as the room seemed Pike-proof.

What a scene. This was no orderly Olympics. At least three events were going on at any given moment, and at least four kids were yelling, “Mallory, Jessi! Look at me!” My head was spinning. I watched Jordan leapfrog neatly over a huge pile of sofa cushions. Nicky followed behind him, but Nicky’s leap wasn’t quite so neat. He sprawled on the floor, surrounded by the pillows.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m great,” he answered. “That was totally cool. I want to do it again.” He piled up the cushions again and took another running leap.

Claire and Margo were hopping around the room. They were supposed to be hopping on one foot, but neither of them was all that great at it. They kept switching feet, and occasionally hopping on both feet. Vanessa was the judge for that event. “Good, Claire,” she called. “Nice hopping. Okay, Margo, one more time over the course and you’re done. Whoops! That’s all right. We can pick up those magazines later.”

The room was full of noise and activity, and I was totally caught up in it. Suddenly I felt Jessi’s elbow in my ribs. “What?” I asked. I looked around frantically. Then I saw him.

Uncle Joe was standing in the doorway.

“Uncle Joe!” I said. “Did we disturb you? I’m sorry. I —”

But Uncle Joe just held up a hand and shook his head slightly. He was watching Adam go through the obstacle course. And I saw — or at least, I thought I saw — a tiny smile on his lips. But before I could get a better look, he’d turned and left the room.

“We better cool it,” I said to Jessi. “I mean, he didn’t yell at us or anything, but —”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she said. “This is a pretty noisy activity. And it’s his last day. We should make it a nice quiet one for him.”

“Okay, kids,” I shouted. “Olympics are over for today.”

Big groans.

“You can do it again tomorrow, but right now we’re going to do something a little quieter,” I said, thinking quickly. “We’re going to — we’re going to have a coloring contest!”

“Yay!” shouted Margo. She loves to color.

Vanessa looked at me skeptically. “A coloring contest?” she asked.

“Right,” I said. “Everybody has to draw a picture of our family, and we’ll give the winning picture to Uncle Joe. He can put it in his room at Stoneybrook Manor.”

I don’t know where I got that idea, but it worked. The room quieted down right away as everybody rummaged around for paper and crayons and markers. Once the kids were busy drawing, Jessi and I put the couch back together and sat down to talk. I filled her in on the latest news about Ghost Cat, and she told me about the production her ballet school was rehearsing for. It was great to catch up.

“All done!” said Claire, bringing her picture over to me. “That’s Mommy,” she said, pointing at a figure with wild, curly hair, “and Daddy, and you, and Vanessa —”

“Beautiful picture,” I said, before she had a chance to run down the whole list of names. She beamed. Then, one after another, Vanessa, Margo, Jordan, Adam, and Byron brought us their pictures. They were all terrific.

“Where’s Nicky?” I asked, suddenly realizing he was gone.

“I don’t know,” said Adam, “but here’s his picture.” He picked up a drawing that had been left on the floor. “Look,” he said. “This one has Uncle Joe in it.”

Sure enough, Nicky’s picture included a blue-suited, spectacles-wearing figure. “That’s great,” I said. I made up my mind right away to tell Nicky he’d won the contest. But where was he? “I wonder where he went?” I said out loud. “Let’s look,” I added to Jessi. “You guys can stay here and draw some more if you want.” Jessi and I walked down the hall and checked the kitchen and the dining room. No Nicky. Then I heard giggles from the living room. I gestured to Jessi, and she followed me to the doorway. We peeked inside.

There was Nicky — sitting on Uncle Joe’s lap! Uncle Joe was holding a white handkerchief that was folded to look like a mouse. “Nice little mousie,” he said, stroking it. Then he made it run up his arm, just like a real mouse. Nicky laughed.

“Do it again, Uncle Joe!” he said.

Jessi and I looked at each other wide-eyed. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Then Uncle Joe glanced up and saw us. “Young Nick here reminded me about this old trick,” he said. “I’d forgotten all about it.”

Nick! He’d actually remembered somebody’s name!

I was speechless.

“I see that you’re shocked to see me doing this,” said Uncle Joe. “I know I’ve been rather quiet for the past weeks, and I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m quite set in my ways, and it’s difficult for me to be around so many people.”

“That — that’s okay,” I said. “I understand.”

“I’m sorry that I must be leaving you just as I’m beginning to become accustomed to your family’s ways,” he said.

I was amazed. Claudia had been right! It was just a matter of the Pikes getting used to Uncle Joe, and of him getting used to us.

The rest of the day flew by. I can’t say that Uncle Joe turned into some jolly Santa-like person, but he did show us another side of him. He pulled a nickel out of Margo’s ear. He did string tricks for the triplets. He let Claire try on his glasses. He even read several of Vanessa’s poems. He was much more comfortable dealing with us one or two at a time.

We were sad to see him leave that afternoon, but as Mom and Dad explained to us, Stoneybrook Manor really was the right place for him. “One good day doesn’t mean the disease is gone,” said Dad. “He’ll need plenty of care in the days to come.”

“I’m so glad he did have this good day,” said Mom. “The doctor told us that Alzheimer’s doesn’t usually change people’s personalities, and now I can see that he was right.” She looked at Dad. “The Uncle Joe you remember still exists, but he’s much older now and he takes longer to feel comfortable with new people.”

I smiled, remembering my first glimpse of Uncle Joe with Nicky on his lap. They certainly had looked comfortable together. “I’m just glad he finally did,” I said.