Daisy Days of Spring

Chapter 1

The Secret

Pam tiptoed to the cast-iron grate that covered a large opening in the upstairs bathroom floor of the Gardner home. It had been added generations ago to allow the heat from the living room to warm the bathroom above. It was likely that many children had made their way to this spot, where the age-old mystery of adult conversation could be heard below. Just what did their parents discuss after tucking them into bed at night? The Gardner children were no different from other kids—they wondered the very same thing.

During supper that night, Pam had been aware of a certain eagerness in her father. It led her to believe that he was up to something. She was reminded of the times he’d snuck her a piece of his Hershey bar when her mother was busy getting Sunday dinner ready. He had that same twinkle in his eye now as he slipped her mother a little blue book he had been hiding behind his back. He waited until she came close to pour him another cup of coffee. Taking her by the elbow, he slid it into her empty hand.

Her mother looked a little surprised. A shake of his head clued her not to ask him any questions. Pam glanced over at her older brother, John, to see if he’d seen it too; however, he was too preoccupied at dinner to notice anything unusual going on. Her baby brother, Craig, was too young to be conscious of things like that.

I could ask Dad what’s in the little blue book and why he’s being so secretive, Pam thought. But no, I can’t. I don’t wanna go through another long talk at the dining room table like Mom had with me yesterday. I promised her that I would start minding my own business and stop askin’ so many questions. Wait! I know what I can do! Mom and Dad talk about things when they’re alone. I’ll wait until bedtime, sneak into the bathroom, and listen at the hole in the bathroom floor!

Pam’s father had been especially jolly that evening. At eight o’clock he’d announced, “It’s bedtime for Pammy and Craigy,” as he grabbed Pam’s legs and tossed her over his shoulder. “I’ve got an old sack of potatoes,” he said, jogging to the stairway.

Her mother led the way to the top of the stairs while holding baby Craig close. She entered the master bedroom, where Craig’s crib had been placed until they could arrange a nursery for him.

Meanwhile, her father dropped Pam into her bed at the end of the landing. There was just enough space there for her little bed and a dresser that held a pink and white flowered lamp. Pam felt very safe and secure in her area of the landing. She’d watched her mother wallpaper the open space with pink roses, adding ruffled pink window curtains and a matching bedspread to make it cozier. A well-loved Raggedy Ann and the porcelain doll that her grandmother had made for her held the place of honor on her pillow top.

Pam’s father tousled her hair before leaving to deliver a kiss good night to the baby. Pam quickly dressed for bed and pretended to be asleep when her parents appeared at the landing doorway to tell her good night. Believing her to be asleep, they quietly made their way back downstairs.

Grateful that John was already in his bedroom down the hall, Pam stayed under the covers until she could no longer hear baby Craig’s babbling. John was softly playing his guitar. It provided just the right amount of noise to cover any creaking sounds from the old linoleum. On tippy-toes, Pam carefully eased her way across the darkened room to the bathroom that was directly across the way. She made it right past John’s door without being detected. Pam was a little concerned that her older brother might hear her. She’d recently tattled on him for sneaking a late-night call to his girlfriend Judy. If he heard her, he might come out to investigate. Catching her doing something wrong would give him the perfect opportunity to pay her back for tattling on him.

Silently, Pam lowered her body so she could lie on her side. Pressing her ear to the grate, she not only could hear what was taking place below but also had a limited view of the living room through the cast-iron grate’s ornate slits. Pam could make out where her parents were sitting. Her father was in his favorite chair across the room, and her mother was on the couch in plain sight.

When the television show her parents were watching ended, Pam heard her dad begin to speak, but his voice was muffled. Her mom’s voice was a little clearer.

“But I’m not sure that my father can loan it to us,” Pam’s mom said, standing up from the couch.

Pam’s dad left his chair and walked toward the TV. While turning it off, he said, “We would need it for the air and because it’s more comfortable than ours.”

The voices softened as her parents moved toward the dining room. The last words Pam could make out were those of her mother: “Then we’ll have to wait until after the program. I don’t want Pam to miss it.”

What program does Mom not want me to miss? Our second grade class has to recite a poem we’ve been practicing for the awards program on the last day of school. Mom knows about it because I told her that I hafta wear my best dress. It has to be the program she’s talkin’ about. But what does “need something with air” and “comfort” have to do with it? And what about the little blue book? Does the book that Dad gave to Mom have anything to do with this secret?