Free as a Bird by Gina McMurchy-Barber Read Free Book Online

“That’s fresh-baked bread. After I show you how to slice it we’re going to make toast.”
    On the kitchen counter was a meddal pan with bread inside. It was round on the top an brown an I could feel it was still warm.
    â€œCutting bread can be dangerous, Ruby Jean. That’s why I’m going to teach you how to do it safely. But first you need to wash your hands.”
    I walked to the sink an turned on the tap jus like I learnt. Then I rubbed my hands with the bar of soap an worked the soap into bubbles. That’s when I noticed somethin — yup, I noticed all the sores on my hands were gone. There was still some old scars — but there was no blood an no scabs.
    â€œGood job, Ruby Jean. Now I want you to make a gentle bridge over the bread with your hand, just like this.”
    Grace showed me how to hold the bread. At first I squeezed too tight an the bread crumbled.
    â€œOkay, loosen your hand, Ruby Jean. When you’re holding the loaf of bread pretend you’re holding a kitten — ever so gently.”
    I tried to think if I ever held a kitten. Then I membered Gramma had a cat called Thomas. He was a big brown an white cat — looked like a tiger. When I was quiet an still he use to sit on my lap. He liked to be tickled under his chin an I made sure I was gentle when I did that. I decided I would try to think of Thomas an not squeeze the bread so tight.
    â€œThat’s perfect, Ruby Jean.”
    Grace showed me how to hold the knife in my other hand while she put her hand on top of mine. Together we pushed an pulled the knife — forward an back, forward an back, over the bread.
    â€œThere you go, Ruby Jean — a nice slice of bread that can be popped into the toaster.”
    Grace showed me how to take the toaster oudda the cupboard an plug it into the wall. Then she showed me how to put the slice of bread into it an to push down the handle. I tried to look inside to watch it toasting but there was hot air comin up into my face an I had to back off.
    â€œThe most important thing is to never put the knife into the toaster. That’s very dangerous, Ruby Jean, and you could get hurt. Will you promise that you’ll never do that?”
    I could tell by the way Grace’s eyes were starin into me that she was tellin me somethin important. I nodded my head so she knowed I promised.
    Soon there was a licious smell fillin the kitchen, an that’s when I suddenly membered somethin. I membered I’d made toast before. Yup, Gramma showed me long time ago. After a liddle while the toast popped up.
    â€œMmm, doesn’t that look good? Take the toast out and put it on the plate.” The toast was warm, even a liddle hot. “Okay, now what would you like to put on your toast, Ruby Jean — butter, jam, peanut butter — your choice?” I took the small knife off the counter an dipped it into the budder an spread it. Grace smiled. “Ruby Jean? You know how to do this, don’t you?” Then I put the knife into the peanut budder jar an spread that over my toast too. Grace had a bigger smile. Then she laughed when I put the knife into the jam jar an spread some jam over top the peanut budder. “You’re amazing, Ruby Jean. Look what you can do.”
    I broke my toast — some for Grace an some for me. We ate the toast together, but it was hard chewin with such a big smile on my face.
    After that Grace let me do it again. I cut the bread … careful not to squeeze the kitten too hard … put the slice in the toaster … an then put budder an peanut budder an jam all over it. Then I got to eat it — yup, tasted so good it made my mouth awful slurpy.
    â€œRuby Jean, this is wonderful. I wonder how many other things you already know how to do.”
    Maybe Gramma taught me other things, but I had a hard time memberin. That’s on account of it was so long ago when I was allowed to do somethin for