lamp? It doesn't work, you know.”
Ali felt a bit disappointed. She'd been looking forward to trying the lamp out when she got home.
“But it's an original,” the man went on hastily. “A bargain at six bucks.”
Gran raised an eyebrow at him. “Three?” she said very sweetly.
The man thought it over “Okay, three.”
“Then we'll take it,” said Gran. She whipped out her purse. “Don't worry,love,” she said to Ali. “Your mom might be able to fix it.”
Gran was always bringing her flea-market treasures over to the Millers' house and asking Ali's mom to make them work.
“Or Jake might be able to break it,” Ali pointed out. There was no way she was letting her little brother—otherwise known as Bulldozer—touch the lamp.
Gran handed the man three dollar bills. “You know I'm no good at fixing things,” she went on, wrapping up the cord and giving the lamp to Ali. “Did I ever tell you about the time I took my grandfather clock apart? When I put it all back together again, the hands went backward instead of forward!”
Ali took the lamp and stroked the cold, dusty glass with her hand. She really hoped her mom would be able to get it to work. A Lava lamp that didn't light up wasn't nearly as cool as one that did.
Then again, it had only cost three dollars. “You get what you pay for,” Gramps was always saying.
“Looks like you're my Saturday treasure,” Ali said to the lamp as Gran took her hand and they wove through the crowded flea market, pulling their treasures in a metal cart behind them. If only they could find a lemonade stand, Ali decided, things would be perfect.
“Gran, this one-eyed teddy bear smells disgusting,” Ali grumbled as they pulled into her driveway. She took her Lava lamp out of Gran's carton of books, which was next to her on the backseat.
“He'll be fine after he's had a good scrub-a-dub,” Gran promised, turning around in the driver's seat.
The front door opened and Ali's mom came out. “Hi,” she called as Ali got out of the car “More junk, I see!”
“They're interesting objects, dear, not junk!” Gran scolded out the window. “Don't fill my granddaughter's head with that poppycock.”
Ali leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “Bye, Gran. Thanks for the lamp. And for the lemonade and the funnel cake,” she whispered.
Gran kissed her back “Ali's got a surprise for you,” she told Ali's mom. “Bye.” She waved and sped off down the street.
“Hmmm, let me guess,” Mom said. “Doll clothes with missing buttons? Some old board games in dented boxes? Or is it a watch without a battery?”
“A Lava lamp,” Ali replied, holding it up in the sunshine.
“Hmmm.” Mom frowned at the dustyobject. “Does it work?” She followed Ali inside.
“Um, not at the moment,” Ali admitted. “Gran said you might be able to fix it.” She smiled hopefully. “You're so good at that kind of thing.”
Mom laughed. “You two are as bad as each other with your junk!” she teased. “I'll have a look at it later I've got some papers to go through, and then we'll have lunch before the boys get home. Okay?” Ali's mom worked in a bank Sometimes she brought work home on weekends.
Ali nodded. That meant she had time to clean up the lamp before her mom looked at it. She went into the kitchen and found a dust cloth and some cleaning spray.
Just as she was about to head upstairs to her bedroom, the phone rang. Ali picked it up. “Hello?”
There was a burst of noise at the other end. Then a familiar voice shouted, “Hi, Ali, it's me!”
“I know!” Ali laughed into her best friend Mary's ear. “I can hear your dad!”
Mary's dad tried to keep up with the music Ali and Mary listened to. He was always belting out the latest song from BoyFrenzy The trouble was, Mr. Connolly's singing voice sounded like a strangled sea lion, and he didn't know any of the songs' real words, so he just made them up as he went along. Mary thought he was very embarrassing.
Ali felt a bit disappointed. She'd been looking forward to trying the lamp out when she got home.
“But it's an original,” the man went on hastily. “A bargain at six bucks.”
Gran raised an eyebrow at him. “Three?” she said very sweetly.
The man thought it over “Okay, three.”
“Then we'll take it,” said Gran. She whipped out her purse. “Don't worry,love,” she said to Ali. “Your mom might be able to fix it.”
Gran was always bringing her flea-market treasures over to the Millers' house and asking Ali's mom to make them work.
“Or Jake might be able to break it,” Ali pointed out. There was no way she was letting her little brother—otherwise known as Bulldozer—touch the lamp.
Gran handed the man three dollar bills. “You know I'm no good at fixing things,” she went on, wrapping up the cord and giving the lamp to Ali. “Did I ever tell you about the time I took my grandfather clock apart? When I put it all back together again, the hands went backward instead of forward!”
Ali took the lamp and stroked the cold, dusty glass with her hand. She really hoped her mom would be able to get it to work. A Lava lamp that didn't light up wasn't nearly as cool as one that did.
Then again, it had only cost three dollars. “You get what you pay for,” Gramps was always saying.
“Looks like you're my Saturday treasure,” Ali said to the lamp as Gran took her hand and they wove through the crowded flea market, pulling their treasures in a metal cart behind them. If only they could find a lemonade stand, Ali decided, things would be perfect.
“Gran, this one-eyed teddy bear smells disgusting,” Ali grumbled as they pulled into her driveway. She took her Lava lamp out of Gran's carton of books, which was next to her on the backseat.
“He'll be fine after he's had a good scrub-a-dub,” Gran promised, turning around in the driver's seat.
The front door opened and Ali's mom came out. “Hi,” she called as Ali got out of the car “More junk, I see!”
“They're interesting objects, dear, not junk!” Gran scolded out the window. “Don't fill my granddaughter's head with that poppycock.”
Ali leaned forward and gave her a kiss. “Bye, Gran. Thanks for the lamp. And for the lemonade and the funnel cake,” she whispered.
Gran kissed her back “Ali's got a surprise for you,” she told Ali's mom. “Bye.” She waved and sped off down the street.
“Hmmm, let me guess,” Mom said. “Doll clothes with missing buttons? Some old board games in dented boxes? Or is it a watch without a battery?”
“A Lava lamp,” Ali replied, holding it up in the sunshine.
“Hmmm.” Mom frowned at the dustyobject. “Does it work?” She followed Ali inside.
“Um, not at the moment,” Ali admitted. “Gran said you might be able to fix it.” She smiled hopefully. “You're so good at that kind of thing.”
Mom laughed. “You two are as bad as each other with your junk!” she teased. “I'll have a look at it later I've got some papers to go through, and then we'll have lunch before the boys get home. Okay?” Ali's mom worked in a bank Sometimes she brought work home on weekends.
Ali nodded. That meant she had time to clean up the lamp before her mom looked at it. She went into the kitchen and found a dust cloth and some cleaning spray.
Just as she was about to head upstairs to her bedroom, the phone rang. Ali picked it up. “Hello?”
There was a burst of noise at the other end. Then a familiar voice shouted, “Hi, Ali, it's me!”
“I know!” Ali laughed into her best friend Mary's ear. “I can hear your dad!”
Mary's dad tried to keep up with the music Ali and Mary listened to. He was always belting out the latest song from BoyFrenzy The trouble was, Mr. Connolly's singing voice sounded like a strangled sea lion, and he didn't know any of the songs' real words, so he just made them up as he went along. Mary thought he was very embarrassing.
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