The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

Author:Sundee T. Frazier [Frazier, Sundee T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-375-89663-7
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2010-06-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“She’s old and wrinkled and her skin looks like puff pastry. And one of her eyes is all cloudy and pale, almost glowing. It’s spooky.” Minni sat cross-legged on her bed. She was finally getting a chance to tell Keira about Laverna Oliphant. The past two days, they’d barely had a moment to themselves, and at bedtime they’d spoken to their parents, and one night to Gigi as well. They’d fallen asleep before Minni remembered to describe her encounter with the mysterious neighbor.

Now, after an afternoon of reading Black Beauty, with Grandmother Johnson watching over their shoulders and doing far too much intruding, then dinner and a game of hearts, they were at last alone in the attic. Recounting Grandmother Johnson’s untimely emission in church had made them roll with laughter and left them wide-awake.

“Do you really think she practices voodoo?” Keira asked, slipping into her nightshirt.

“Grandmother Johnson said she saw shrunken heads hanging in her kitchen window.”

“Shrunken heads?”

“I guess they have something to do with voodoo.”

“Sounds gross.”

Minni bolted upright. “I know. Let’s sneak out tonight and peek in her window!”

“You mean spy on her?” Keira sounded dubious.

“Not really. Just look and see if we can find anything to back up Grandmother Johnson’s claims. Like I said—she’s old. Really old. She probably won’t even be up.” Minni’s curiosity about this stray-loving, possibly voodoo-practicing neighbor had been piqued, but truth be told, she was too spooked—and concerned that Miss Oliphant might know of their involvement in the poop-on-the-door incident—to have any kind of real conversation with her.

“Okay. You got me. Let’s do it.”

They changed back into their clothes. As soon as the snoring started, they snuck downstairs. As they passed the bathroom, the floorboards creaked so loudly, Minni was sure they would be caught. They grabbed each other, their eyes glued to the door at the end of the hall. The snoring kept on like a small aircraft engine, and they tiptoed toward the kitchen, practically tripping over each other to get outside.

A soft glow came from the first-floor windows alongside Miss Oliphant’s house. “They’re too high,” Keira said, peering up. “There’s no way to see in.”

Maybe it was how well their scheme had worked this morning. Maybe it was the bright, shining moon. Whatever it was, Minni was feeling brave. “Stand on my shoulders,” she said.

It was a stunt they did all the time at home—something Keira had learned in gymnastics. She had taught Minni how to be the “under-stander,” the person on the bottom who needed to be strong, balanced and trustworthy. Minni had shown promise from their very first attempts, although it had still taken them several times to execute the mount flawlessly.

“Good idea.”

Minni spread her feet and bent her knees. She focused on being as rooted to the ground as the elm trees lining the street. Keira put a foot on Minni’s thigh and grabbed Minni’s hands, and up she went. Then step, step and she had a foot on each of Minni’s shoulders. Minni grasped her sister’s calves and worked hard not to sway.

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