After I finished making the scrambled eggs and toast. I found some jam and a silver tray. Surely. I thought. Great-aunt Frances would have to be awake by now. I started up the stairs, carrying it all carefully. I had once made breakfast with Nancy and brought it to my mother and father. However, when
Grandmother Emma had found out, she'd warned Nancy to be sure every crumb had been cleaned up in my parents' bedroom. She hadn't been happy about food in either my or Ian's room either, but she'd had no problem with being served in her room whenever she'd been under the weather.
When I returned to Great-aunt Frances's bedroom. I was surprised to see that she still hadn't moved. Miss Puss raised her head, however, and this time stood and stretched. I waited in her room with the tray, not sure what I should do. Finally, my greataunt's eyelids fluttered and she saw me. From the puzzled look on her face. I thought she had forgotten who I was. Then she sat up, ground the sleep out of her eyes and clapped her hands together.
Miss Puss leaped off the bed and walked cautiously in my direction.
"You made breakfast?"
I nodded and brought the tray to her, stepping around the discarded costume and away from Miss Puss, who was looking up at me with some expectation.
"Oh," she said, looking at the cup. "How did you know I drink hot chocolate in the morning?"
"I couldn't find any coffee. so I took a guess," I said.
"Good guessing, only I always have it with a doughnut. Weren't there any doughnuts?"
"Yes, but I didn't think that was a proper breakfast," I said.
She looked at the eggs and the toast and then at me, and smiled.
"That is exactly what Emma would tell me," she said. "But don't worry," she added quickly, as if she thought comparing me to my grandmother would upset me. "This will do today. Did you have breakfast?"
"Not yet."
"Well, wasn't that nice of you to think of me first. I must think of something nice to do for you today," she said and tasted the eggs. "Very good. Very, very, very good," she declared, holding out the spoon like a sword. "You are hereby given the title of chief cook and bottle washer." She laughed. "My father once gave me that title. You know what he called Emma, what title he gave her?"
I shook my head.
"He called her Mrs. President and told her she would be president of something someday because she knows how to assign work but not do any. Whenever I called her Mrs. President after that, she wanted to slap me. Sometimes she did."
She laughed and continued to eat. Then she broke off a piece of toast and threw it to Miss Puss, who smelled it, looked at me, then took it and crawled under the bed.
"Go make yourself breakfast, dear,I'll be down in a while and we'll think of things to do."
"Okay," I said and started out. I stopped when I remembered what Alanis had said. 'Oh. I might go to the mall today with Alanis and get things I need for school. She said her father would take us."
"What a smart idea. It's good to have someone older like Alanis to look after you. She'll know what you have to have for school."
"Only, I don't have any money."
"Money." she said. nodding. "Yes. I think I might have some money. I'll look for it."
She thought she might have some money? She would have to look for it?
"Don't you ever go shopping?"
"No. Lester and Mae Betty get everything I need."
"Don't you have any friends to go places with or who visit you?"
"Not for a long time." she said. She looked like she might start to cry, so I didn't ask her why. I continued out and heard her shout after me, "But now I have you. Remember, the shooting star?"
How could I be that sort of friend? I was just a little girl.
I returned to the kitchen. After I had made my own scrambled eggs and toast and sat at the table. I heard the front door open and close. I wondered if Great-aunt Frances ever thought to lock it. Footsteps drew closer, and then Alanis appeared in the doorway. She had on her hat, a light green oversize blouse and her tight jeans. Her running shoes had words scribbled in black over them. I read a few quickly and realized they were all boys' names.
"You need clothes." she said. grimacing. "You dress like you just landed this year."