Jasper John Dooley, Left Behind by Caroline Adderson, Ben Clanton Page A

ever.
    Instead of taking Nan back to her apartment, they brought her to their house where Dad was cooking a special supper. Mom said, “Jasper. Go get Hammy to show Nan.”
    Jasper was sitting on the sofa with Nan, still holding her hand. “You have to come with me,” Jasper told her.
    â€œNan’s tired. Let her rest,” Mom said.
    â€œI can’t let go of her,” Jasper said. “She might get loose again.”
    Nan said, “I’m not that old. I can get up.”
    Jasper brought Nan to his room and showed her Hammy in his cage. Nan took a step back. She said, “I’m not that fond of mice.”
    â€œIt’s a hamster,” Jasper told her.
    Back in the living room, Mom carried in all the yogurt containers on a tray. Nan opened them one by one using the hand Jasper wasn’t holding. “What’s this?”
    â€œThat’s the rain you missed.”
    Nan dipped a finger in the rain. She dabbed some on her wrist and some behind her ears. She opened another yogurt container. “And what’s this?”
    â€œThat’s the air you missed.”
    Nan put the air on like perfume, too.
    â€œYou haven’t mentioned the cruise, Nan,” Mom said. “Tell us about it.”
    â€œDid you see an iceberg?” Jasper asked.
    â€œNo! It rained the whole time. Not a single iceberg. Except for iceberg
lettuce
!”
    â€œYuck!” Jasper said.
    â€œBut I met a lot of people, and I played a lot of cards. Except on Wednesday. On Wednesday, I stayed in my cabin and read a book. I told everybody that on Wednesday there was only one person I’d play cards with.”
    â€œMe!” Jasper said.
    â€œThat’s right!” Nan said. “The people were very nice, but they were old. Old people everywhere. I need to be with young people, too.”
    â€œI’m young!” Jasper said.
    Nan squeezed his hand. “You’re my perfect companion. I’m glad I went, but I won’t be taking another trip for a long time. Or I’ll take you with me.”
    â€œYeah!” Jasper said.
    Then Nan said, “Tell me everything that happened to you while I was gone, Jasper.”
    â€œNothing happened.”
    â€œNothing? I don’t believe it.”
    â€œJasper!” Dad called from the kitchen. “Things happened!”
    â€œLots of things,” Mom said. “Tell her about your snake story. Tell her about Annie.”
    â€œYou have to meet Annie,” he told Nan. “She has a ring in her nose.”
    â€œAnd you got a mouse,” Nan said.
    â€œHe’s a hamster. And he’s not mine. I have to give him back tomorrow.”
    â€œDidn’t you spend all yesterday afternoon building something for Nan?” Dad called.
    Jasper said, “Yes!” He made Nan get up off the sofa again so he could lead her out of the house and all the way across the alley and one house down.
    Ori was in the backyard playing on the better idea. “Oh, Jasper!” Nan cried when she saw it. “You made me an iceberg! How did you do it?”
    Jasper told her all about their plan for the cruise ship. “It was as big as an apartment building lying on its side. It was so big it had a swimming pool and a ballroom and a Ping-Pong room. It had ten different restaurants. One only sold popcorn. It even had a back door!”
    â€œI’ll show her,” Ori said, and he ran into the garage and came back with the plan. Nan unrolled it. She said it looked exactly like the cruise ship she went away on.
    â€œBut then we ran out of time because I blacked my thumb and waved it in Ori’s face.”
    â€œThe thing is,” Ori said, “I was being bossy.”
    â€œSo we unnailed the cruise ship and put all the wood back in the pile. Then we painted it white.”
    â€œIt looks exactly like the icebergs I was supposed to see,” Nan told them.
    Then Jasper remembered. “Nan! Something did