Dana's Valley by Janette Oke Read Free Book Online

reasons to trot back and forth to the Wards’ house. Carli and Marcy’s mom had agreed to let them plan a party. They had decided on a costume party and had enthusiastically included Dana and me in the planning. The party was still two weeks away. Mrs. Ward observed that it was amazing how much work we could come up with that could be categorized as necessary for a party’s success. We wrote and mailed invitations, made decorations, and worked tirelessly on our own costumes and food planning. Dana was perfectly suited for organizing it all. I just followed along and did whatever seemed fun at the time.

    One morning before school Dad got up from the breakfast table to answer the phone. We weren’t paying much attention, assuming it was merely something to do with his work.
    In fact we’d all been listening to Corey announce his latest plans.
    â€œWhen I get up on the moon, I’ll wave to you,” he promised solemnly, his eyes gleaming with the thought of being way up there above earth.
    â€œNo one can wave from the moon,” I said. But I grinned and rumpled his hair. I didn’t inform him that no one was bothering to go to the moon anymore. Mars was more the ticket—but I didn’t want to spoil Corey’s astronaut dreams.
    â€œSure I can.” He stood up by his chair and demonstrated with big sweeping gestures. “You’d just have to go outside and look when it’s nighttime.”
    â€œWe’d never see you from so far away.” I might not know much about astronauts and space walks, having never really taken any interest in something that had been going on since long before I was born, but at least I knew that much.
    â€œThen I’d put my shirt on a long, long pole and wave that.”
    We’d just seen a Saturday cartoon where a marooned rabbit had waved a white flag of some sort on a pole as his sign of surrender to his enemy, a hulking big turtle in a pith helmet.
    We all chuckled. “We wouldn’t see that either,” I persisted.
    â€œThen get glasses.”
    We all started to laugh again when Mom pushed back her chair and said, “Shh.” She must have caught a bit of Dad’s conversation that had immediately gotten her attention.
    I looked up then. Dad was still on the phone, but his face held an expression I’d never seen before. The whole table fell silent. I guess we all sensed at once that something was wrong.
    â€œI see,” Dad was saying, which sure didn’t tell us anything. Then, “How’s Mother?”
    The answer to the simple question seemed to take an awfully long time. Now and then Dad mumbled, “I see,” or “Yes,” but he looked agitated. Worried. He paced back and forth, the long cord trailing along after him. He rubbed his forehead and ran his fingers through his hair. I’d never seen him like that before.
    Mom had gone very white. She looked as if she wanted to get up and go to Dad but couldn’t find the strength to do it. She just sat, very still, her brown eyes looking round and even darker in her pale face. As soon as Dad replaced the receiver and turned, she asked with a shaky voice, “What is it, Dave?”
    Dad didn’t answer right away. He took a few steps toward the table but stopped behind Mom’s chair and put his hand on her shoulder. He seemed to take a big breath as though to gather his wits—or his emotions. He had everyone’s attention by this time. “It’s Dad,” he said at last. “He’s had a heart attack.”
    â€œGrandpa?” Brett’s disbelief was evident in his voice.
    Mom grew even paler. She reached up and curled her fingers around Dad’s hand. “How bad?” she asked, her voice shaky.
    Dad swallowed. His hand started up to his brow again, then stopped midway and returned to hold on to Mom. “He’s gone,” he said, his voice low.
    A little shock wave traveled all the way