Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Author:Gary D. Schmidt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

ON CHRISTMAS MORNING, it was snowing hard—again. We milked first—since cows don’t celebrate Christmas—and then came in to a breakfast of eggs and grapefruit and cherry babka and hot tea. And afterward, the presents.

The usual stuff. Wool socks for Joseph and me. And wool shirts. New jeans. New boots. A new Barlow knife for me, a new Buck knife for Joseph. Books—pretty good, except Joseph got a copy of Walden, which looked about as boring as wool socks.

When it was over and we sat back, Joseph reading the first page of Walden—probably to be polite—my father said, “Joseph, I think there’s one more thing.”

Joseph looked at him.

My father pointed to the tree.

There was an envelope underneath Joseph’s angel.

Joseph stood up and took it. He opened it slowly. He unfolded the paper. He read it, and then read it again, out loud.

“‘We’ll help,’” he read.

“Help with what?” I said.

“We’ll call Mrs. Stroud tomorrow and see if we can set up a meeting,” my mother said.

Then I knew.

But I think Joseph knew what they meant right away.

He put the paper back into the envelope. He slipped the envelope between the pages of Walden. And no kidding, watching him, I thought he was going to start bawling, just like Reverend Ballou.

He walked over to my mother and she put her arms around him and he put his arms around her and he leaned into her—the way he did with Rosie.

Then my father came up behind him. He put his hand on Joseph’s back.

Christmas is the season for miracles, you know. Sometimes they come big and loud, I guess—but I’ve never seen one of those. I think probably most miracles are a lot smaller, and sort of still, and so quiet, you could miss them.

I didn’t miss this one.

When my father put his hand on Joseph’s back, Joseph didn’t even flinch.

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