Poppy and Hyacinth Chapter One. (a story for 8- to 10-year olds) Poppy Patel, age 10, sat by the window of the manager s apartment in the Occidental Hotel. Her head was bent over a placemat she was hemming for the School Fair, and her long dark braids brushed the table. Beside her, Hyacinth, age 7, was giving yellow and brown stripes to a kitten she had drawn by pasting to it rows of lentils and beans. Their window overlooked Mission Street in the big city of San Francisco. Wisps of cold fog blew past the hurrying people below them. Poppy felt strange on that street. When she and Hyacinth and Mama walked to school each morning, Poppy wondered if all the passers-by were looking at them. They were different from most other people on Mission Street, because Mama wore a brightly colored sari pulled over her shoulder and wrapped around her waist, and her hair was pulled back into a knot. She was dressed like women in India. When Poppy was only one year old, before Hyacinth was even born, her family had come on an airplane from far-away India to be managers at the Occidental Hotel. Papa s Uncle Gautam had called Papa s father Armetesh on the village phone. Brother Armetesh, send one of your sons to be the manager of my hotel. It would be a good opportunity. Drought was making it hard to be a cotton farmer in India, so Papa and Mama had decided to join Uncle Gautam in America. Poppy did not remember India, and Hyacinth had never been there, but still Poppy thought We look like Indian children. We are not the same as the others. Sometimes Poppy did not like walking to school. But that evening, Poppy felt safe and warm in the manager s apartment, with Mama and Hyacinth beside her and Papa at the Hotel registration window, ready to rent rooms to people who came up from the street, 1
The Hotel buzzer sounded. Who is there? Papa asked into a tube going to the iron gate by the hotel door below. It is Cousin Joseph and Aunt Rebecca. These were welcome guests! Papa pushed a button to open the gate on Mission Street and in a moment Aunt Rebecca and teen-aged Cousin Joseph could be heard coming up the stairs. Aunt Rebecca laughed and sat heavily in the chair Papa offered. Aunt Rebecca s laugh always made Poppy laugh, too! Look what I ve brought you! Joseph held a shoe box. He took off the lid to show a tiny kitten with yellow and grey stripes. She looked like Hyacinth s picture! Meow, the kitten said and backed unto a corner of the box. My friend at school needed a home for this kitten. Joseph said. I thought you two would like it How beautiful! whispered Hyacinth. She reached into the box to touch the kitten. Poppy knew Hyacinth loved kittens. This may not be to your liking, Mary Amita, Aunt Rebecca said to Mama. You do not have much space for a cat. She can help by catching mice, said Joseph. She can sleep on our bed, said Hyacinth. Please, Mama, can we keep her? pleaded Poppy. Papa came over to look at the small kitten. He stroked her back with one of his fingers. His eyes met Mama s and he smiled. Well, perhaps we do need a way to keep out mice. Poppy and Hyacinth squealed with delight. The kitten was soon sitting in Hyacinth s lap. They named her Kitty. That night she slept between Poppy and Hyacinth on their bed. 2
Kitty investigated every corner of the manager s apartment, climbing on top of every shelf and table. She lapped-up the milk Mama poured for her with her tiny pink tongue Good-bye, Kitty Hyacinth said each morning as they left for school. Finally the day of the School Fair arrived. Poppy had hemmed two matching placemats Hyacinth had glued beans and rice onto her picture. It is a picture of Kitty! she said. Mama put into a small box two jars of pickles she had canned to sell at the Fair. They were ready to go. Papa took two dollars from the wallet in his back pocket, and gave one to Hyacinth and one to Poppy. You can each buy something you like. Thank-you, Papa! They hugged him in excitement. Mama and the girls walked down the hallway steps to the door opening onto Mission Street. As they opened the iron-grilled gate, Kitty suddenly dashed past them and ran out onto the busy side walk. Poppy and Hyacinth made such a noise that Papa came down the stairs. Kitty has run away! they wailed. I ll get her. Papa stepped through the iron gate and looked for Kitty. She was standing against the wall a few feet away near the Bueno Comida Café. The owner of the café, Jose Manuel, opened the door. Kitty, Kitty, he called and reached for her, but Kitty backed away and ran down the sidewalk, dodging beneath the feet of passersby. Papa followed but Kitty kept out of the reach of his arm. 3
Poppy and Hyacinth with Mama stood in the hotel doorway. Hyacinth was crying Poppy s stomach churned. Mama set down her packages and put a comforting arm around each of them. Halfway down the block stood Harry Smith, a homeless man who sometimes stayed at the Occidental hotel when his pension check came in the mail. As Kitty flew past, he bent down and scooped her up in his hands. Whoa there little fella, he said to her. He held her up and showed her to Papa. Thank you! said Papa, out of breath. People on the sidewalk had been watching as kitty ran away. Now they clapped and cheered. Good Job, Harry! said Jose Manuel from the doorway of the Buena Comeda Café. Harry walked back with Papa to give the kitten to Hyacinth. She could feel Kitty s heart thumping in her chest. Poppy thought, So many people are smiling! and she smiled back. It is not a bad thing to be different when people smile at you. Her stomach stopped churning. With many thanks to Harry, Papa took Kitty back up into the hotel. Poppy, Hyacinth, and Mama holding their packages, began again their journey to the School Fair. When they returned home that afternoon, they were happy! I loved the Fair! said Poppy. So did I! said Hyacinth. Mama s pickles and Poppy s place mats were sold. The school made lots of money! Poppy used her dollar to buy the picture of Kitty which Hyacinth had made. They put it on the wall above their bed. Hyacinth used her dollar to buy a pair of socks for Harry Smith to thank him for saving Kitty. 4
Pdf Entry Information Exhibitor Name: Anne Jayne WEN: 7F15CF Division: FA - 359 - Children's Novel Chapte Class: 01 Children's Novel Chapter or Sho Title: Poppy and Hyacinth Description: Notes: