it?”
I shook my head.
She stretched out beside me and we lay side-by-side, shoulders touching. We stayed like that for a long time, neither of us saying a word.
Working up my nerve, I said, “There’s this girl at school. Annie. She’s the one who cut my hair. And she gave me a chocolate bar with bugs in it.” I took a deep breath and looked at my mother. “Everyone teased me and Annie called me white girl .”
My mother was appalled. “That’s horrible. I’ll talk to your teacher.”
I shook my head. “No! That’ll make things worse.”
“ Annie must be a terribly sad and angry girl.”
I stared at her, confused by her comment. How could my mother feel any sympathy toward the girl that was bullying me?
“ What do you mean?” I asked in a sulky voice.
She patted my hand and entwined her elegant fingers through mine. “Usually when kids act like that toward someone else, it’s because they are unhappy. Annie may be jealous of you. Or maybe a white person treated her badly at one time and that’s why she seems to hate white people.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. “That’s called racism, Sarah. When you judge someone or dislike them for the color of their skin or their race. When Nonno Rocco and Nonna Sophia first came to North America, many people were mean to them because they were Italian. People can be spiteful sometimes ―e specially children. Some people just don’t know any better. No one’s taught them that it’s wrong to judge others by the color of their skin.”
I pouted. “Why didn’t Annie’s parents teach her it’s wrong?”
She gave a sad shrug. “I don’t know, honey. Sometimes kids learn from their parents how to hate other people. I really don’t know why Annie feels the way she does.”
I clenched her hand, wondering how she could always see something good in everyone, no matter how nasty they were. That was why my mother was so special.
But I wasn’t like her. I hated Annie.
The bed shifted as my mother rose to her feet. “What are you going to do, Sarah?”
I moaned. “I don’t know, Mom. What can I do?”
“ Hating Annie will suck out your own goodness and energy. You’re so much better than that. If you choose to hate her, then you become just like her―no better.” She kissed my forehead and hugged me. “Life’s too short to not forgive those who hurt us. I trust you to do what’s right. Right by your own heart.” She placed her palm against my beating heart. “Forgiveness sets you free.”
Outside the bay window, the sky was woven with fiery cumulus clouds and the sun drifted below the trees. A bald eagle dipped low, soared past the window and disappeared into the night.
As I went to sleep, the last thing I thought of was my mother’s parting words.
“ Forgiveness sets you free.”
seven
Two days passed by without any repercussions from Annie.
Throughout the week, I kept my mother’s advice close to heart, trying to find a way to forgive the girl. But forgiveness didn’t come easily to me. I eventually gave up my ideas of revenge when I noticed that even Annie’s friends were ostracizing her. I figured that was punishment enough.
When she showed up at school on Wednesday with a black eye, I almost felt sorry for her. She told Mrs. Higginson that she’d been hit by a ball at the park. Goldie and I suspected that she’d run into someone’s fist. Wishful thinking on our part.
That night, my father bounded into the house. He had a huge smile on his face.
“ Guess what? Jeff Boyd, the research coordinator, just announced that the new schooner, complete with the best echolocation equipment, will be arriving tomorrow.” He pulled my mother close and grinned like a circus clown.
“ Will you get to drive it?” I asked, bouncing on my chair.
He chuckled. “No, there’ll be a real skipper doing the driving. My job is to monitor the electronic sound equipment. I’ll be out in the schooner for the next two
I shook my head.
She stretched out beside me and we lay side-by-side, shoulders touching. We stayed like that for a long time, neither of us saying a word.
Working up my nerve, I said, “There’s this girl at school. Annie. She’s the one who cut my hair. And she gave me a chocolate bar with bugs in it.” I took a deep breath and looked at my mother. “Everyone teased me and Annie called me white girl .”
My mother was appalled. “That’s horrible. I’ll talk to your teacher.”
I shook my head. “No! That’ll make things worse.”
“ Annie must be a terribly sad and angry girl.”
I stared at her, confused by her comment. How could my mother feel any sympathy toward the girl that was bullying me?
“ What do you mean?” I asked in a sulky voice.
She patted my hand and entwined her elegant fingers through mine. “Usually when kids act like that toward someone else, it’s because they are unhappy. Annie may be jealous of you. Or maybe a white person treated her badly at one time and that’s why she seems to hate white people.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. “That’s called racism, Sarah. When you judge someone or dislike them for the color of their skin or their race. When Nonno Rocco and Nonna Sophia first came to North America, many people were mean to them because they were Italian. People can be spiteful sometimes ―e specially children. Some people just don’t know any better. No one’s taught them that it’s wrong to judge others by the color of their skin.”
I pouted. “Why didn’t Annie’s parents teach her it’s wrong?”
She gave a sad shrug. “I don’t know, honey. Sometimes kids learn from their parents how to hate other people. I really don’t know why Annie feels the way she does.”
I clenched her hand, wondering how she could always see something good in everyone, no matter how nasty they were. That was why my mother was so special.
But I wasn’t like her. I hated Annie.
The bed shifted as my mother rose to her feet. “What are you going to do, Sarah?”
I moaned. “I don’t know, Mom. What can I do?”
“ Hating Annie will suck out your own goodness and energy. You’re so much better than that. If you choose to hate her, then you become just like her―no better.” She kissed my forehead and hugged me. “Life’s too short to not forgive those who hurt us. I trust you to do what’s right. Right by your own heart.” She placed her palm against my beating heart. “Forgiveness sets you free.”
Outside the bay window, the sky was woven with fiery cumulus clouds and the sun drifted below the trees. A bald eagle dipped low, soared past the window and disappeared into the night.
As I went to sleep, the last thing I thought of was my mother’s parting words.
“ Forgiveness sets you free.”
seven
Two days passed by without any repercussions from Annie.
Throughout the week, I kept my mother’s advice close to heart, trying to find a way to forgive the girl. But forgiveness didn’t come easily to me. I eventually gave up my ideas of revenge when I noticed that even Annie’s friends were ostracizing her. I figured that was punishment enough.
When she showed up at school on Wednesday with a black eye, I almost felt sorry for her. She told Mrs. Higginson that she’d been hit by a ball at the park. Goldie and I suspected that she’d run into someone’s fist. Wishful thinking on our part.
That night, my father bounded into the house. He had a huge smile on his face.
“ Guess what? Jeff Boyd, the research coordinator, just announced that the new schooner, complete with the best echolocation equipment, will be arriving tomorrow.” He pulled my mother close and grinned like a circus clown.
“ Will you get to drive it?” I asked, bouncing on my chair.
He chuckled. “No, there’ll be a real skipper doing the driving. My job is to monitor the electronic sound equipment. I’ll be out in the schooner for the next two
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