Take Charge (18 page)

“I’ll have my cell phone,” Amy said quickly. “And Cara should be there working. I can call An if anything goes wrong, and she’ll come pick me up.”

“What do you think could go wrong?” asked Morgan.

Amy shrugged. “Probably nothing. But I have to admit the place is kind of creepy and spooky, and the Dragon Lady is a little strange. But she may just be eccentric.”

“You’re so brave,” said Emily.

Amy thanked her, but the truth was she didn’t feel so brave. Still, she felt this was something that needed to be done. And since she was the one who made contact with the Dragon Lady in the first place, it only seemed right that
she
should contact her again. She just hoped the old woman was in a better mood than last time.

“We’ll be praying for you,” said Morgan suddenly.

“Thanks,” said Amy. “Maybe it will help.”

“Maybe?” said Emily. “Of course it will. God can do anything, you know.”

Amy nodded. But she didn’t really know that. She didn’t even know how anyone else could know it.

It seemed that school got over very quickly, and soon Amy was walking into the restaurant, and then she and An were driving up to the McPhearson house.

“Wow, this place looks like a haunted house,” said An when she pulled up and parked in front. “You sure you want me to just leave you here?”

Amy swallowed hard. “Well, how about if I go ring the doorbell first, just to make sure that the Dragon Lady’s —”

“The Dragon Lady?” exclaimed An. “What kind of place is this?”

“Sorry,” said Amy. “I shouldn’t call her that. But that’s what Cara called her, and it kind of fits.”

“Good grief, Amy,” said An. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

Amy forced a laugh. “Really, it’s okay. But just let me be sure that Cara’s here, okay? And then you can go.”

“You’re sure?”

Amy tried to appear braver than she felt. “Sure. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. You wave to me if you want me to go.”

“Right.”

“And then call me on your cell when you want to be picked up. I’d stick around, but Mom will have a cow if I don’t get back and prep for dinner. Ly won’t be back from the dentist until five.”

“It’s okay, An.” Then Amy got out of the car and walked up and rang the doorbell. Like before, she waited several minutes, but then Cara appeared. And although she looked surprised, she didn’t seem nearly as shocked as last time. In fact, she almost seemed pleased to see Amy.

“I wondered if I could talk to Miss McPhearson?” Amy asked politely.

Cara nodded. “I think so. Come in.”

Amy turned back and waved to An, smiling big so that An wouldn’t worry. Then the little red car drove away.

“I’m sorry to disturb her,” said Amy as she followed Cara inside. “And I would have called, but I don’t have her phone number.”

“No one does.”

Amy nodded.

“Go and sit in the library,” Cara instructed her. “I’ll go find Miss McPhearson.”

So Amy found her way to the dimly lit library again. But instead of sitting down, she walked over to where some heavy red velvet drapes were hanging and she peeked out between them. To her amazement there was the ocean, big and bright and blue. She wondered why Miss McPhearson didn’t open the drapes and enjoy this amazing view. In fact, she was tempted to open them herself, but she had a feeling that could cause problems.

“Snooping, are you?” came a deep voice from behind her.

Amy jumped then turned around. “Sorry,” she said quickly. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted from the brightness outside to the dark in the room, but she knew by the sound of the raspy voice that it was the Dragon Lady. “You have a beautiful view from this room.”

“Harrumph.”

“I would think you’d want to open the curtains and enjoy it,” continued Amy as she walked over and waited as the Dragon Lady sat down, positioning her feet on the footstool again. Today she had on the same gray skirt, but her cardigan sweater was a plum color.

“Well, go ahead and sit down,” snapped the Dragon Lady. “Don’t just stand there with your mouth hanging open.”

Amy sat down and suppressed the urge to point out that her mouth was NOT hanging open.

“So what is it today?” asked the old woman. “Why are you here, Amy Ngo?”

Amy was a little surprised that she remembered her name. “I wanted to speak to you again,” she began, “about the park.”

“The park, the park … why all this concern about the silly park?”

“Well, do you read the local newspaper, Miss McPhearson?”

“Of course not. Why would I bother with such nonsense?”

“Some people in town don’t believe that I really spoke to you. They think I made the whole thing up and —”

“That’s ridiculous,” she snapped. “Of course you spoke to me. What’s wrong with those foolish people anyway?” Then she laughed, but in that mean way. “Oh, of course, I know what’s wrong with those foolish people — they are complete fools!”

“Mr. Howard from the hardware store questioned whether or not I really spoke with you. He actually sounded as if he was going to come out here himself.”

“Rubbish! If Richie Howard ever showed up here, I would have him thrown out on his ear. His father, Richard, was an utter fool, but Richie is far worse. I’m surprised he
hasn’t run Howard Hardware into the ground by now.”

Amy considered this. She’d never been particularly fond of Mr. Howard. Mostly because he had never treated her or her family with any respect. He always acted as if he thought they were going to cheat him. Still, she was surprised that Miss McPhearson didn’t like him either.

“Don’t worry about him,” said Miss McPhearson, waving her hand. “I have no use for fools.”

Amy nodded. “I must agree with you on that.”

Now Miss McPhearson almost smiled, but it wasn’t exactly a pleasant smile. In some ways it was scarier than her grim look. “I suspect that you are not a fool, Amy Ngo.”

“I hope not,” said Amy. “I’m top of my class and I skipped a grade.”

“A very smart girl, eh?”

Amy shrugged as she remembered how many times her mother had chided her about being too proud.

“So how is the work coming?” she asked. “On the park? Have you gotten it all put back together yet?”

Amy gave her a brief report on their progress. “But the community support hasn’t been as good as we’d hoped,” she said finally.

The Dragon Lady scowled. “Well, I hope you aren’t here to beg for money!”

“No, of course not,” said Amy. “Not at all. What I’d like is something that would prove we are working on the park with your permission. Something I could take to the
newspaper so that they wouldn’t keep casting a shadow of doubt over our project.”

The Dragon Lady nodded, rubbing her chin as if she were thinking.

“We’re having some fund-raisers on Saturday, but if no one trusts us or believes that you have really given us permission … well, I doubt that anyone will help us raise money.” She sighed. “And it will take money to replace some of the things that were destroyed.”

“Why don’t the police make the vandals replace those things?” demanded the Dragon Lady.

“They haven’t caught them yet,” said Amy. “And, as you know, we only have thirty days to make the park usable.”

The Dragon Lady narrowed her eyes now, and Amy imagined sparks coming out of her flared nostrils. “It’s all their ploy, isn’t it, to get the park out of my hands and into theirs?”

Amy considered this. “It really doesn’t seem very fair … I mean, most of the city people haven’t been very helpful. And the local businesses certainly aren’t supportive.”

“Including your own family?”

Amy blinked. It felt as if she were reading her thoughts. Then she nodded. “It’s true. My own family, at least my parents and one sister, think the park should become a parking lot.”

The Dragon Lady stood up suddenly. She walked across the room to where a large desk was situated in a corner. She sat down at it and pulled out a piece of heavy stationery and began to write. After a few minutes she stood and handed the paper to Amy.

“That should take care of Richie Howard or any of those other ridiculous town folks.”

Amy studied the letter. It was hard to decipher the spidery-looking letters at first, but she soon was able to read it.

“Thank you very much,” said Amy.

“But one thing,” said Miss McPhearson, pointing a gnarled forefinger just inches from Amy’s nose, “you and your friends better not let me down.”

Amy didn’t know what to say now. Surely this woman realized that they were only five girls, and that the restoration of the city park was a huge task.

“I mean it,” said the old woman. “I’m depending on you now.”

Amy blinked. “We’ll do the best we can, Miss McPhearson. But it’s not easy with all the resistance we’ve been getting.”

“Harrumph!”

“Right,” said Amy. “Exactly how I feel too.”

Then Miss McPhearson laughed. And for a change it almost sounded like a happy laugh. But when Amy looked at her face, she was scowling more deeply than before.

“I won’t take up any more of your time,” said Amy nervously.

“Just one minute,” insisted Miss McPhearson. “I have something else I want you to agree to … ”

Amy was getting worried now. What was she getting herself into with this crazy old woman? Maybe she should just return the letter and run.

“Or perhaps I’ll have to take back my letter.” She held out a wrinkled hand.

“What is it?” Amy asked cautiously.

“I want you to bring your friends here to meet me,” said the Dragon Lady with a sly look in her eye. “I want to see what kind of people I’ve aligned myself with on this project.”

“I … uh … I’m not sure they can come.”

The Dragon Lady took in a sharp breath. “Then give me back that letter, Amy Ngo. I can’t trust you.”

Amy stepped back from her. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll see if I can get them to come here.”

“Good. Sunday for tea. Four o’clock sharp.”

“If they can come,” said Amy.

“You bring them here!” And then she turned and, using her tricky exit from the library, she disappeared into the bookshelf.

Amy took in a slow, steadying breath as a chill like icy fingers ran down her spine. She wanted out of this place — and now! She phoned An as she went out into the foyer, telling her she was ready to be picked up.

“The sooner the better,” she told her sister.

“Everything okay?” asked An in a concerned voice.

“Yes. I just want to go home or to the restaurant or anywhere but here. Okay?”

“I’m on my way.”

As An drove Amy home, she questioned her about her visit with the Dragon Lady, but Amy didn’t really want to talk about it. In fact, she didn’t really want to talk at all. Something else was bugging Amy. Something she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to talk about. Questions … too many questions. Nagging, nagging, nagging …

“Did she frighten you?” asked An after they’d both been quiet for a while.

“Who?”

“The Dragon Lady.”

“Oh, not really. Well … sort of.” Amy looked out the window and let out a deep sigh of frustration.

“Are you okay, Amy? You don’t seem like yourself today.”

“What does it mean to be a Christian, An?” she asked almost without even meaning to. And as soon as the words were out, she wished she could pull them back in.

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing …”

“No, Amy. You asked me a serious question. You just caught me by surprise is all.
What does it mean to be —
”

“Like, how did you decide to do it?” she persisted. “I mean, how did you know what to do? Or how to do it? What’s it all about? I just don’t get it.”

An laughed. “Slow down. Too many questions, little sister.”

“Sorry.” Amy leaned back into the seat. “It’s just that all my friends — even Chelsea, who’s not always very nice — are Christians. I’m the only one who isn’t. And I don’t even know how to pray or anything. I just don’t get it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I know you’re a Christian, An. Even though you don’t talk about it very much. But I know you go to a Christian church and you have some Christian friends. I’m guessing even your doctor friend is a Christian.”

“That’s right. But the reason I don’t talk about it much is because of Mom and Dad.”

“Did they tell you not to?”

“Not exactly. But I know it bothers them, Amy. And I don’t want to make them feel badly. Still, my faith is real. And I can’t change it because of them.”

“But how did you find it, An? How did you know what to do? I just don’t get it.”

An laughed. “That’s probably because you’re trying to get it with your head, Amy. It’s not really a head thing.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a heart thing. It’s something deep inside of you, Amy. It’s like you get this really hungry feeling deep inside.
This longing for something … someone … more than what you have. It’s a deep spiritual hunger and thirst.”

“Yeah?” Amy felt excited now.

“And it’s like you can’t rest until you find the thing … the person … who can fill that place inside of you.”

“Yes! Yes!” said Amy. “I feel like that!”

An was pulling into the restaurant parking lot now. She turned and looked at Amy. “Really? You feel like that?”

“Yes. I feel like something inside of me is missing. Like everyone else is in on this really good secret and I’m on the outside. And I feel sort of sad and scared. I can’t really explain it, An. But something is really bugging me.”

“It’s the way God made us, Amy. He made us with a need to have him in our lives. And it’s why he sent his Son, Jesus, into the world, so that we could invite him into our hearts and be forgiven and have a real relationship with God.”

“But how do you do it?”

“You mean, how do you invite Jesus into your heart?”