you, butââ
âHey, Terri? Guess what? I got chosen captain of the traffic patrol.â
âYou did! Who chose you?â
âAll the other traffic patrol kids.â
âThatâs really good, Barry. Do I have to call you Captain Barry from now on? Captain Barry, can I talk to your sister?â
âWhat do you want to talk to her for?â
âCaptain Barry! This is General Mueller. Please get Private Shaundra at once!â
âYes, sir, General. Bye, Terri.â
âBye, Barry.â
âHello?â
âShaundra, itâs me. Are you awake?â
âNo, Iâm sleeping, bozo. What time is it?â
âSix-thirty.â
âSix-thirty! What are you doing up so early? I thought you didnât have to go to the airport until nine oâclock.â
âI woke up and I couldnât go back to sleep. Thinking about Aunt Vivian comingâwell, I just wanted to say hello to you, Shaundra, because I probably wonât get to see you until Monday.â
âI hope you have a wonderful time,â Shaundra said. âI hope your Aunt Vivian has a wonderful time.â
âWe will. She will. We always do.â
âHow come sheâs only staying for the weekend, though?â
âI told you, airhead, she has a job and she canât get time off.â
They talked for a few more minutes, then Terri hung up. Her father was still asleep, so she got dressed and took Barkley out for a walk. It was a still, moist autumn morning. She cut down a side street and up the hill behind the old church to the field. The sun came out and a few little clouds passed overhead. There were birds in the thorn apple trees. While Barkley ran around, very excited about being outside so early, Terri picked an armful of asters and goldenrod.
At home she put the flowers in a glass jar and set it on the bureau. They glowed and made the room look special and welcoming.
As soon as they finished breakfast she and her fatherput Barkley out on the enclosed back porch and drove to the airport. In the airport, Terri looked around, but didnât see her aunt. She tensed: that old unreasonable fear. Then she heard her auntâs voice, full and carrying. âTerri! Philly!â But she still didnât see her.
âWhere is she?â
Talking Terri by the shoulders, her father turned her. There, coming through the security gate, was her aunt, completely dressed in purple and almost dwarfed by her suitcase, umbrella, and several shopping bags.
Terri ran to her, her aunt dropped everything, and they hugged hard. âDarling! Terri!â Her auntâs eyes were wet.
âNow your turn, Philly,â she said to her brother.
âVivââ He bent down and kissed her. âSo good to see you.
âAnd you, honey!â She took him by the shoulders and looked into his face for a long time, then, apparently satisfied, kissed him soundly on each cheek.
That done, Vivian distributed her packagesâsuitcase to Phil, shopping bags to Terriâand marched ahead of them out of the building toward the parking lot. Terriâs father shared an amused look with her. âVivian,â he called. âYou donât know where the truck is parked. Better wait for us.â
âHurry up, Philly! I donât want to waste a moment of this visit.â
Her aunt was under five feet, but Terri had long ago noticed that she never acted short or small. She had a big voice and lots of strong opinions which she didnât hesitate to air. And besides this, she never let Terriâs father forgetthat he was her younger brother. She insisted on calling him Philly.
âViv,â Phil Mueller said as they drove home, âyou make me feel like a baseball team. How about doing me tbe favor of calling me Phil or Philip.â
âYou know how many years youâve been saying that same thing?â She squeezed Terriâs arm to her side. âI donât
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