Read Online BSC09 The Ghost At Dawn's House by Ann M. Martin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Ann M. Martin
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things, Jame-o," Claudia pointed out gentlyf "Time to go upstairs now."
"Can I wear my Paddington Bear pyjamas, Claudy?" asked Jamie.
"Sure," replied Claudia, glad he was actually thinking about bed.
- "Good," said Jamie, "'Cause they're in the wash."
"Then I'm afraid you can't wear them." Claudia led Jamie back upstairs.
"But you just said I could."
"I didn't know they were in the wash when
I said that. You can't wear them if they're dirty."
"Let's wash them," suggested Jamie.
"Sorry. That'll take too much time. We'd have to dry them, too."
"How long would it take?"
"Too long."
"How many minutes?"
"Twelve hundred and forty-nine," replied Claudia.
"Wow," said Jamie.
Claudia and Jamie tiptoed past Lucy's room and into Jamie's. Claudia pointed to his bed. "Look," she said. "Mommy laid out your farm pyjamas."
Jamie made a face. "I don't want to wear them. They're for babies. They have baby stuff all over them."
Claudia looked at them. They were sort of babyish. "Let's choose a different pair then." She opened his bureau and brought out two more pairs. "Which ones?" she asked. (She was careful not to say, "Do you want to wear either of these?" Jamie might have said "No.")
Jamie pointed to one pair.
"Great," said Claud. "Okay, off with your shirt." She waited for Jamie to raise his arms so she could slip his shirt off.
"I'll do it myself," said Jamie. "You leave."
"Leave!" exclaimed Claudia. Jamie was too young to be getting modest. "How about if I turn my back?"
Jamie considered the offer. "Okay/' he said at last. "But don't peek."
Claudia sat cross-legged on Jamie's bed, facing the wall. The room grew very quiet. Claudia studied the pattern of the wallpaper. "Jamie?" she asked after a minute or two had gone by.
No answer.
"Is it all right if I turn around to see how you're doing?"
Silence.
Very slowly, Claudia swiveled around.
Jamie was gone.
"Jamie!" Claudia cried as loudly as she dared. (She didn't want to wake Lucy.)
Claudia ran through the hallway, pausing to peek into the bathroom. No Jamie. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. No Jamie. She ran down the last flight of steps and into the playroom.
"Hi-hi!" said Jamie brightly, but he looked a bit sheepish. He was riding a toy car and was still fully dressed.
"James Anderson Newton. You were sup-
posed to put your p.j.'s on," said Claudia. "I'm beginning to lose my patience. Now go back to your room, please. And this time I'm not going to turn my back."
Jamie scowled, but he did as Claudia said. When he was finally in his pyjamas, Claudia tucked him in bed.
"Oops," he said. "I forgot to brush my teeth. And I ate cookies after dinner. Cookies have sugar, and sugar makes calories in your teeth."
Claudia had to smile. "Cavities," she told him. "All right. Into the bathroom."
Jamie scampered down the hall. (Claudia had the sense to follow him.) Standing at the sink, he squeezed about a yard of toothpaste onto his brush and worked it around in his mouth, creating a great amount of foam. He rinsed and spat six times. Claudia waited patiently.
When he was done, he dashed down the hall and leaped into his bed.
"How about a story?" asked Claudia.
"Oops," said Jamie. "I forgot to go to the bathroom." He ran down the hall again, and returned a few minutes later.
"Now," said Claudia. "How about a story?"
"Oops," said Jamie. "I forgot to get a drink of water."
'Til get it," said Claudia. "You stay right here. Don't move a muscle."
Claudia filled a paper cup with water and brought it to Jamie. He was sitting in exactly the same position as he'd been in when she'd left the room. She handed the cup to him.
Jamie didn't reach for it.
"Here you go," said Claudia.
"An I oove?" asked Jamie, barely moving his lips.
"What?"
"An I oove?"
"Can you move?"
"Yeh."
"Of course you can move."
"But you said 'don't move a muscle.' "
Claudia sighed. "I just meant don't go anywhere. And you didn't. Here. Drink your water."
Jamie took the cup and
"Can I wear my Paddington Bear pyjamas, Claudy?" asked Jamie.
"Sure," replied Claudia, glad he was actually thinking about bed.
- "Good," said Jamie, "'Cause they're in the wash."
"Then I'm afraid you can't wear them." Claudia led Jamie back upstairs.
"But you just said I could."
"I didn't know they were in the wash when
I said that. You can't wear them if they're dirty."
"Let's wash them," suggested Jamie.
"Sorry. That'll take too much time. We'd have to dry them, too."
"How long would it take?"
"Too long."
"How many minutes?"
"Twelve hundred and forty-nine," replied Claudia.
"Wow," said Jamie.
Claudia and Jamie tiptoed past Lucy's room and into Jamie's. Claudia pointed to his bed. "Look," she said. "Mommy laid out your farm pyjamas."
Jamie made a face. "I don't want to wear them. They're for babies. They have baby stuff all over them."
Claudia looked at them. They were sort of babyish. "Let's choose a different pair then." She opened his bureau and brought out two more pairs. "Which ones?" she asked. (She was careful not to say, "Do you want to wear either of these?" Jamie might have said "No.")
Jamie pointed to one pair.
"Great," said Claud. "Okay, off with your shirt." She waited for Jamie to raise his arms so she could slip his shirt off.
"I'll do it myself," said Jamie. "You leave."
"Leave!" exclaimed Claudia. Jamie was too young to be getting modest. "How about if I turn my back?"
Jamie considered the offer. "Okay/' he said at last. "But don't peek."
Claudia sat cross-legged on Jamie's bed, facing the wall. The room grew very quiet. Claudia studied the pattern of the wallpaper. "Jamie?" she asked after a minute or two had gone by.
No answer.
"Is it all right if I turn around to see how you're doing?"
Silence.
Very slowly, Claudia swiveled around.
Jamie was gone.
"Jamie!" Claudia cried as loudly as she dared. (She didn't want to wake Lucy.)
Claudia ran through the hallway, pausing to peek into the bathroom. No Jamie. She ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. No Jamie. She ran down the last flight of steps and into the playroom.
"Hi-hi!" said Jamie brightly, but he looked a bit sheepish. He was riding a toy car and was still fully dressed.
"James Anderson Newton. You were sup-
posed to put your p.j.'s on," said Claudia. "I'm beginning to lose my patience. Now go back to your room, please. And this time I'm not going to turn my back."
Jamie scowled, but he did as Claudia said. When he was finally in his pyjamas, Claudia tucked him in bed.
"Oops," he said. "I forgot to brush my teeth. And I ate cookies after dinner. Cookies have sugar, and sugar makes calories in your teeth."
Claudia had to smile. "Cavities," she told him. "All right. Into the bathroom."
Jamie scampered down the hall. (Claudia had the sense to follow him.) Standing at the sink, he squeezed about a yard of toothpaste onto his brush and worked it around in his mouth, creating a great amount of foam. He rinsed and spat six times. Claudia waited patiently.
When he was done, he dashed down the hall and leaped into his bed.
"How about a story?" asked Claudia.
"Oops," said Jamie. "I forgot to go to the bathroom." He ran down the hall again, and returned a few minutes later.
"Now," said Claudia. "How about a story?"
"Oops," said Jamie. "I forgot to get a drink of water."
'Til get it," said Claudia. "You stay right here. Don't move a muscle."
Claudia filled a paper cup with water and brought it to Jamie. He was sitting in exactly the same position as he'd been in when she'd left the room. She handed the cup to him.
Jamie didn't reach for it.
"Here you go," said Claudia.
"An I oove?" asked Jamie, barely moving his lips.
"What?"
"An I oove?"
"Can you move?"
"Yeh."
"Of course you can move."
"But you said 'don't move a muscle.' "
Claudia sighed. "I just meant don't go anywhere. And you didn't. Here. Drink your water."
Jamie took the cup and
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