Lucy’s Wish by Joan Lowery Nixon

Author:Joan Lowery Nixon [Nixon, Joan Lowery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82731-9
Publisher: A Yearling Book
Published: 2013-11-26T16:00:00+00:00

“Take Lucy inside, Mabel,” Mr. Snapes said quickly. “Lucy and Emma should get to know each other.”

Numbly Lucy walked up the porch steps and into the house. There, on a sofa, sat a girl who was probably twelve or thirteen. There was something different about her eyes, as if they didn’t see things the way other people did. Her lower lip sagged, too. But she perked up when she saw Lucy.

With a start, Lucy realized that Emma seemed to be very much like Mrs. Olney’s Henry. Especially her eyes. What was it that Mum had said? That Henry was simple. Lucy was sure that Emma was simple, too. She was older than Lucy and much larger. Emma was not the cuddly little sister of her daydreams.

“This here is Lucy,” Mrs. Snapes said to Emma. “She’s come to live with us and help take care of you.”

Lucy remembered Henry and how much he needed and wanted kindness. She smiled and said, “Hello, Emma.”

Emma smiled, too, and climbed from the sofa. Her walk was clumsy and slow. As she came close to Lucy, her arms reached out and she took Lucy’s hand. “Play outside,” Emma said.

When Mrs. Snapes didn’t say anything, Lucy looked up at her. “Emma said she wants to go outside to play.”

Mrs. Snapes sighed. “Emma just makes noises. She doesn’t know how to talk. So don’t start imagining that you know what she says. We just let her babble on and keep doing what’s best for her.”

Maybe that’s what you do, Lucy thought. But I know what I heard. Emma asked to go outside to play. Mum had been able to understand Henry, and Lucy had learned, too.

Lucy tried to remember the things Mrs. Olney had said about Henry. “Has Emma been like this since she was born?”

Mrs. Snapes’s mouth grew even tighter. “Yes,” she muttered. “It was a difficult birth, but that’s neither here nor there. Can’t nothing at all be done about it. Come with me, and I’ll show you your room. You’ll share it with Emma.”

It was a large room, but the tan-and-brown wallpaper made it look dark and dreary. Lucy thought the wallpaper was ugly. But Mrs. Snapes said, “I see you’re admiring the paper. It cost dearly, but no one’s going to say we didn’t do our best for Emma.”

Lucy put her parcel on the bed and opened it. She shook out the dress that had been packed inside and hung it inside the wardrobe. Then she put her change of underwear into the cupboard drawer Mrs. Snapes had opened.

“Only one pair of shoes?” Mrs. Snapes asked. “Well, can’t say I didn’t expect it.” She pointed at the shoes Lucy was wearing and said, “You can save those for Sundays. Until it turns cold, you can do what most of the children around here do—go barefoot.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucy answered.

Emma picked up Baby. She mumbled something, but Lucy easily picked out one word: “Doll.”

“Yes,” Lucy said. “She’s my doll. Her name is Baby.”

“Baby,” Emma said.

“That’s right.

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