Super Duper Pee Wee! (7 page)

“Shari and I both baby-sit our little brothers,” said Mary Beth. “We both want a lot of kids when we grow up.”

“Mrs. Peters,” said Ashley, “if Jason’s
dad has to come here on business, Jason is going to come along and we’ll go horseback riding together!”

“How nice,” said Mrs. Peters. “This is just what I hoped would happen! You would have a new friend and get to meet!”

“I probably won’t meet my pen pal,” said Roger.

“Why not?” asked Kevin.

“Because I never wrote to her!” said Roger. “I think it’s dumb!”

“You knew she wouldn’t write back,” scoffed Ashley. “You’re afraid of rejection.”

“My mom says we shouldn’t close ourselves off from new experiences,” said Patty. “I think that’s what Roger is doing.”

“My pen pal has the same name I do!” said Jody. “Just his first name,” he added. “He collects CDs too.”

“Is he handicapped?” asked Lisa.

Jody shook his head.

“Just because he collects CDs like Jody
and has the same name, doesn’t mean he has a wheelchair!” said Tracy. “My pen pal has crutches but it’s because she broke her leg climbing a tree.” Then Tracy showed the sealing wax her mom had given her. “I melt a little and stamp my initial on it.” She showed them the
T
.

One by one everyone told something about their pen pals.

“I’m glad you are enjoying writing letters,” said their leader. “And I’m glad you are keeping an open mind and learning new things from them.”

Molly raised her hand. “I learned from Kyle that even if your parents argue, it doesn’t mean they will get a divorce.”

As soon as she said that, Rachel burst into tears. Everyone was so surprised that no one said a thing. Finally Rachel wiped her eyes and said, “My mom and dad might get a divorce! Maybe I won’t have anywhere to live!” Then she burst into tears again.

Rat’s knees! All these days Molly had selfishly worried about her own aunt and her own parents divorcing! And all the time it was Rachel’s parents who were having problems! She never thought that anything
would happen in Rachel’s happy family! Rachel’s father was a dentist! Dentists did not leave their wives!

Mrs. Peters tried to comfort Rachel. So did Mrs. Stone. But Rachel put her head down on the table and would not look up. Molly didn’t remember Rachel ever feeling bad, unless she was mad at Roger.

While Mrs. Stone was passing out the cupcakes, Molly went over and sat by Rachel. She put her arm around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry about your parents,” she told her. “But my pen pal, Kyle, has parents who live apart, and it isn’t too bad. They both love her, and she has two homes instead of one. And my aunt is divorced and she’s real happy. Everyone doesn’t have to be married to have a happy home.”

Rachel did not look up.

“Anyway, maybe they won’t get a divorce at all,” said Molly. “Do you know for sure? I thought my mom and dad were, because
they fought, but they didn’t. Maybe you should talk to your mom and you’d feel better. And I’ll give you Kyle’s address if you want to write to her.”

Molly gave Rachel a hug and went back to her chair. Mrs. Peters asked Rachel if she’d like to have her mother or father come and get her. Rachel shook her head. She wanted to stay.

Mrs. Peters looked sad, but she said, “Maybe these badges will cheer us up a little. I’m sorry to say that Roger will not get one today, but just as soon as he writes his letter and mails it, he will get his badge.”

Everyone looked at Roger. This was the first time a Pee Wee Scout had not gotten a badge with the others! Sometimes they did not do much work for it, but they did something. But Roger hadn’t done anything! He couldn’t get a badge when he didn’t even try!

Mrs. Peters passed out the pen pal
badges. Molly hoped Rachel’s would cheer her up. They had a pen on them, and a little bottle of ink.

“Hey, what’s this?” said Sonny, pointing to the pen and ink.

“It’s a pen you write with, dummy,” said Tracy.

“It doesn’t look like my pen,” scoffed Sonny.

“It’s an old-fashioned pen people used to dip in ink,” said Mrs. Stone. Molly pinned her badge on her blouse. It looked wonderful!

The Pee Wees sang their song and said their pledge. They didn’t talk about good deeds. Today was badge day.

After the meeting, on the way out, Rachel came up to Molly.

“Thanks for telling me about your aunt,” she said. “And Kyle’s parents. But I hope mine don’t get a divorce.”

“I do too!” said Molly warmly.

“I’m going to talk to my mom about it,” she said, wiping her eyes.

On the way home, Molly and Mary Beth sang the Pee Wee song all over again.

On Saturday Auntie Ree moved out. Mr. Duff rented a truck and helped his sister-in-law load it up.

They loaded the exercise equipment from the basement.

And all the bottles and jars and panty hose from Molly’s room.

They packed her clothes, which were in Molly’s closet.

Molly felt a little bit sad to see her aunt go. But she knew she could see her often. It was like having a new friend! And she had her own little room back, without having to have Roger for a cousin! It was a good thing that plan of Mary Beth’s never worked out!

At the new apartment, Molly and her
mother and some of Aunt Marie’s friends from work washed windows and waxed floors and moved clothes into the closet.

“Isn’t it wonderful!” said Auntie Ree, after the last picture was hung on the wall.

Everyone agreed it was a cozy apartment.

“Come and see me soon!” said Auntie Ree to Molly. She gave her a hug. “You’ve been a super duper Pee Wee to me, Molly,” she said, squeezing Molly again.

“I’ll come on Tuesday, after Scouts,” said Molly. “Can I bring my suitcase and stay overnight?”

“You bet,” said Auntie Ree. “If your mom and dad say it’s okay.”

They did.

“But don’t bring Skippy,” Auntie Ree said with a laugh. “No dogs allowed in this building!”

A week later, Molly was walking home from her aunt’s. When she passed Roger’s house, he dashed out, waving something in his hand.

“I got it,” he called to her. “I got my badge.”

“Did you cheat?” asked Molly.

“Of course not,” said Roger. “I sent her a picture of myself holding that great big fish I caught last summer. And one of me flying a jet plane.”

“You never flew a plane,” said Molly.

“I did at the fair,” said Roger. “It didn’t go up in the air, but she doesn’t have to know that.”

He ran back in the house waving his badge.

Roger is hopeless, thought Molly. The only thing worse than having him for a cousin would be having him for a brother!

When Molly got home, she went to her room. It looked big and bare now, and she stretched out on her bed and enjoyed how quiet it was. The only sound was the hum of her little clock.

Then the phone rang. It was Rachel.

“My mom and dad are going to a marriage counselor,” she said.

“What good news,” said Molly. She knew
that Rachel’s parents might still get divorced, but at least they were talking to each other and trying to figure things out. She felt very happy for Rachel.

“And I got a nice letter from Kyle. It really helped me feel a little better,” said Rachel.

“Thanks for letting me write to her,” she added shyly.

When Rachel hung up, Molly got a piece of her perfumed stationery and wrote, “Dear Kyle, it was really nice of you to write to Rachel. We all got our pen pal badges, even Roger. My aunt moved out last week. She has a nice place with a bed for me. It’s nice to have my room back.”

Molly wrote a few more lines and then wrote, “Love, Molly.”

She addressed an envelope and put a stamp on it.

All the things she worried about were over.

Her aunt was happy.

Her parents were not getting a divorce.

She had a new friend, and a new badge.

And she had helped Rachel.

That was what being Pee Wees was all about.

Helping others.

She couldn’t help Roger, but someday she might.

She wouldn’t give up.

Rat’s knees, it was great to be a Pee Wee—a super duper Pee Wee!

Dear Pee Wee Readers,

If you like to write letters, maybe you could have a pen pal too. Perhaps your class in school could write to children in another city. Or you could write to someone you met on vacation, or a cousin or relative in another part of the country. Ask your parents to suggest someone.

If you want to collect stamps like some of the Pee Wees did, you can make your own album out of a photo album with plastic pages. Or you could keep your stamps in a small box or buy a regular stamp collector’s album at a hobby store.

Watch for unusual stamps on the mail that comes to your house. When the
envelopes are thrown away, take the stamps off first. If they won’t come off, you can soak them face down in a tray of water to loosen them. When they’re dry, press them under some heavy books to flatten them out.

See how many unusual stamps you can collect. Exchange stamps with your
friends. Watch for stamps from other countries and ask your friends and relatives to save them for you.

Happy writing and collecting!

Love,

Judy Delton

Lisa and Tracy made this crossword puzzle. Lisa did the “across” clues, and Tracy did the “down” clues. Can you fill in the blanks? Answers on the next page.

LISA’S CLUES

Across:

1.  A quiet Pee Wee.

4.  Rachel took _____ dancing lessons.

5.  Initials on Roger’s shirt.

6.  What Molly used to knit a sweater.

7.  Rat’s _____!

8.  Mrs.  Peters drives a _____.

9.  Mrs.  Peters’s baby.

13.  
Pee Wees on
_____.  (title)

14.  In book #1, the Pee Wees went to an _____ rink.

15.  How old Molly is.

16.  Jody gets around in a wheel _____.

17.  One of these equals mushy stuff.

18.  Molly’s “fish,” from
All Dads on Deck
.

TRACY’S CLUES

Down: