Dad drives me and Gordo and Piper to Thema’s house on Sunday morning.
“Aren’t we going to the beach?” asks Gordo. Sunday is our usual beach day.
“Not today.”
When Gordo starts to object, Dad snaps, “Not today, Gordo.”
“Shut up, Gordo,” I say. Gordo’s too young to understand, but I know Dad is trying to let Mom have some time to calm down after what happened on Friday. Yesterday he made us both be quiet all day, and today he’s getting us even more out of her way.
There are four parcels on the kitchen table at Thema’s house when we walk in. Thema hovers around them, and as soon as we come into the room, she says, “Mine,” picking one up and shaking it softly next to her ear.
“What are they?” I ask.
“Packages from Aunt Louise in London,” she says.
“More?” I ask. I sure wish Aunt Alice would send packages like she said she would.
Thema unwraps the parcel slowly, like she wants to savor each moment. She picks off the tape and unbinds the string, then folds back the brown paper. I want to reach out and tear it away, so I sit on my hands to keep them still. When she finally gets the cardboard box open, we both lean forward to see what’s inside.
“Books!” I say. I can’t help myself. I reach into the box and slide the books over so I can read the titles. “Thema, look—she sent it.”
“Yay,” she says, and she pulls The Last Battle out of the box. It’s the final one in the Chronicles of Narnia series, and both Thema and I are dying to read it. There are also sheets of music, including a whole book of Donna Summer songs.
Ebo comes into the room and says, “Hey, what did she send me?” He grabs his box and tears off the string and paper. Inside are two polo shirts, five chocolate bars and some books on soccer and animals.
“Cool,” says Ebo, holding up the chocolate.
“Oh, did she send some for me?” asks Thema. She digs around in her box, but apart from the books and sheet music, there’s only a blouse and a skirt, both of which she pushes aside. “No chocolate,” she says, disappointed.
Ebo unwraps one of his chocolate bars. It has melted a bit in the heat but still looks delicious. He breaks it into pieces. “What will you do for me if I give you some?” he asks.
“Give me a piece,” Thema says.
“What will you do?”
“I don’t have to do anything. Give me one piece.” She puts out her hand, but Ebo raises the chocolate above his head, where she can’t reach it.
“Ebo…I’ll tell Mom.” Thema’s voice is almost whining, she wants that chocolate so much.
Ebo pops a piece into his mouth. “Ummm…” he says, and he smacks his lips.
“Mom,” yells Thema.
Ebo laughs and offers us both a piece of chocolate.
“No thanks,” I say, but he says, “Oh go on. I was always going to give you some. I just like to tease Thema.”
The chocolate is rich and creamy. I can’t remember the last time I ate some, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever tasted.
“This is delicious,” I say.
“Of course. It’s made with Ghanaian cocoa beans,” says Ebo.
“Do you want to borrow a book?” Thema asks me.
“Can I?” Something new to read! I want The Last Battle, but I know Thema hasn’t read it yet, so instead I choose Watership Down. I’ve heard it’s good.
“You can read The Last Battle as soon as I’m done,” says Thema.
Thema’s mom comes in and opens her package. It’s full of boring stuff like Band-Aids and toothpaste, but she smiles and laughs at everything she opens, and she seems as happy with her box as Thema and Ebo are with theirs. It makes me wonder what Mom would want in a package if Aunt Alice ever got around to sending one. I know what I want. Books and tapes. Gordo wants more marbles and toy soldiers and Archie comics, and Piper would be happy with anything. Dad grumbles about not getting newspapers until they’re out of date, but Mom never talks about what she misses.
Ebo and Gordo go off to Ebo’s room to poke at a spider Ebo has found. Even though Ebo’s fifteen and Gordo’s only ten, they really get along. It’s because they both like to stare and prod at insects and other gross stuff. Thema and I get as far away from them as we can when they’re doing that. Today we have Piper with us, so Thema and I take her outside and sit under a tree. I scan the area for anthills and other possible dangers before I let her down on the ground.
“Let’s make her a swing,” says Thema.
“Out of what?”
“How about an old tire?” says Thema. “Or a plank of wood.”
It’s a great idea, and I make a mental note to remember to ask Thomas for something to make a swing out of at home.
“Let’s ask Kofi for help,” says Thema, and she skips off across the courtyard to find their gardener. Piper and I follow more slowly, and we find Thema already explaining to Kofi what she wants. She speaks in Twi, but I can tell what she’s saying by her gestures. Kofi smiles and pats Piper’s head and strokes her cheek. She giggles, as usual, and Kofi’s smile grows even bigger.
“I have a better idea,” says Kofi in English. “Follow me.”
He leads us behind the houses to where the washtubs and drying racks are. At the back, by the garden wall, there’s a heap of stuff. He pushes aside badminton rackets, a volleyball net and some cricket bats and pulls out a rope hammock.
“Perfect!” I say.
“How will we hang it?” asks Thema as she takes it from him.
Kofi scrounges around until he finds two coils of rope. “Tie each end to a tree,” he says. “Carefully,” he adds.
I pick Piper up, and Thema and I run back to the side of the house. The ropes are old and frayed in places, but we manage to get them around two tree trunks, and we sling the hammock between them.
“Want to go for a swing, Piper?” Thema asks.
“Wait,” I say. I’m not sure of the rope, so I want to try it first. I lean into the hammock and push. The hammock swings a bit but doesn’t fall, so I lower myself into it and lay back. It swings wildly, and my head tips toward the ground.
“Whoa!” I say as I straighten myself. “I think we’d better loosen it so it doesn’t swing that much. And we should lower it too, so that even if she does fall out, she won’t have far to go.”
Thema laughs. “Okay, Mrs. Hammock Police.”
I laugh too, but I make her untie one end while I untie the other, and we lower the ropes until they’re about three feet off the ground.
“Maybe we can bring out a pillow to put on the ground. Just in case,” I say.
Thema says, “You sound like your mom.”
My hands freeze in mid-knot. Even though Thema is smiling, she’s also shaking her head like I’m acting crazy. Am I being like Mom?
“I’m trying to keep her safe,” I say. “She’s only two.”
“I know. But she won’t hurt herself if she falls two feet,” says Thema. She’s right. Babies fall all the time. As long as the hammock isn’t moving too much, Piper will be fine.
I test the ropes again to make sure the knots are good, then say, “Piper, do you want to try the hammock?”
It’s low enough that she can reach it, and she tries to climb in by herself, but Thema picks her up and sets her down safely in the middle. Then I stand behind Piper’s back and push. Piper squeals and laughs and claps her hands.
“I guess she likes it,” Thema says.
“I guess she does.”
It’s shady under the trees, and Thema and I take turns pushing Piper or sitting in front of her and catching her toes, which makes her laugh.
After a while, Thema’s mom comes out with three glasses of lemonade.
“Look what we made for Piper, Mom,” says Thema.
“Oh, look at that,” she says with a laugh. “It’s perfect. We should have put that back up years ago.” She takes Thema’s place playing with Piper’s toes, and Thema and I sip our drinks. Piper laughs and squeals, and Mrs. Ampofo laughs with her.
When Piper’s had enough, she squirms, and I help her out of the hammock. She scrambles to the ground and climbs into my lap. She wants to drink some of my lemonade, so I hold the glass for her while she has some.
“You’re such a good big sister, Astrid,” says Thema’s mom. “I bet your mom is really proud of you.”
It’s all I can do not to cry when she says that. I try to smile at her, but I have to look down at Piper instead. I stroke her hair and say, “I try to be a good sister, but it doesn’t always work.”
Mrs. Ampofo nods and sips her lemonade. “Life isn’t always predictable, but you do your best,” she says.
She’s right. I do.