Different Days by Vicki Berger Erwin

Author:Vicki Berger Erwin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Published: 2017-10-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The day after Christmas, Rainer left early for the beach to try his new surfboard. Freddie asked to go along, but Rainer laughed. “Babies don’t surf!” he said. “And neither do orphans!”

Instead of tearing up, Freddie rammed his head into Rainer’s stomach, slamming the bigger boy backward into a table and knocking a glass bowl to the floor, shattering it.

“What now!” Aunt Yvonne ran down the steps and stood looking at the mess on the floor.

Rosie quickly pushed Freddie behind her. “He didn’t mean to break it. Rainer was teasing him.”

Rainer rubbed his stomach, then doubled over and groaned. “He gave me a head butt, right in the bread basket,” he moaned.

“To your room!” Aunt Yvonne glared at Freddie and pointed upstairs.

Rosie was already on her hands and knees, cleaning the broken glass.

Freddie ran up the steps and Rosie heard the door to their room slam shut. She’d felt like doing the same thing as her brother had to their cousin but had never quite had the nerve. It was almost as much fun to tease him about his girlfriend and whether or not she was going to tell. That was how she’d make him treat her brother a little nicer.

“I have to be gone today. Your uncle wants me to accompany him to a reception at Army headquarters. Hopefully you can keep your brother from destroying anything else,” Aunt Yvonne said.

Army headquarters? Rosie’s ears perked. If only she had the chance to talk to someone in charge!

“Maybe you could ask about our parents?” Rosie sat back on her heels.

“We shall see if it is appropriate,” Aunt Yvonne said and returned upstairs.

A-P-P-R-O-P-R-I-A-T-E. Rosie sat in the hallway, surrounded by shards of glass, without saying a word. Rainer left with his surfboard. His stomach couldn’t be that bad if he was still going surfing, she thought. And she and Freddie would enjoy a day at the beach! But …

Rosie looked toward the back of the house, where she’d seen the mysterious Mr. Smith and Aunt Yvonne disappear with a stack of presents. And yet a much shorter stack—only two presents—had reappeared. As soon as her aunt left, Rosie intended to search for the missing packages, just like Nancy Drew. She smiled to herself.

“I should be back sometime this afternoon,” Aunt Yvonne called from the front door as Rosie threw the remains of the glass bowl in the trash. “Remember what I said!”

A car horn sounded, the front door opened and closed, followed by silence. Rosie relaxed, enjoying being out from under her aunt’s scrutiny for the moment. Then she couldn’t wait any longer. “Freddie!” she called.

Her brother didn’t answer. Rosie called again and when he still didn’t answer, she ran up the stairs to bring him down.

Freddie was sprawled across the bed when she opened the door.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

“Hay is for horses,” he said.

“I may have a surprise,” Rosie continued.

“More pajamas? Or better yet, underwear?” her brother said, still not looking at her.

“Yeah, those were pretty bad presents. But,”

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