A Girl Called Al: The Al Series, Book One

A Girl Called Al: The Al Series, Book One Read Online Free PDF

Book: A Girl Called Al: The Al Series, Book One Read Online Free PDF
Author: Constance C. Greene
time bomb or something. Inside were all kinds of cookies and cakes decorated with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. “You can have one when you get back if they’re any left,” she said.
    They both looked at her and Teddy’s mouth hung open wider than ever. “I’m hungry,” he whined.
    â€œPlease,” my mother said. “Go get a hot dog at the game. Please.” She pushed them gently toward the door.
    When we heard the elevator door slam, we each breathed a sigh of relief.
    My mother went into her room to get dressed.
    â€œMom,” I said, “will you wear a little more lipstick than usual? And some of that rouge you have. And don’t forget to hold in your stomach.”
    â€œSame to you,” my mother said. But when she came out she looked very pretty.
    â€œYou look pretty,” I said. “Your hair looks nice.”
    â€œI feel as if I was trying out for Mrs. America,” she said.
    â€œYou’d win,” I said.
    The doorbell rang at three minutes after four. My mother smoothed her skirt and said, “Would you answer it please?”
    Al’s mother said, “Hello, dear, how are you?” and my mother said, “Good afternoon, won’t you come in?”
    We sort of stood there for a minute.
    â€œWhat a sweet place,” Al’s mother said.
    â€œSit down, won’t you?” my mother said.
    Al smelled of tooth paste. She even had some around her mouth. “You’ve got tooth paste on your mouth,” I said. She wiped her face on her sleeve.
    â€œYou want me to get the tea now, Mom?” I asked.
    â€œPlease,” she said, then turned to Al’s mother. “Unless you’d rather have some sherry? Or a drink of some sort?”
    â€œTo me,” Al’s mother said, “afternoon tea is one of the few civilized customs left. It revives me.” “How enchanting!” she said as I brought out the tray. My mother’s silver teapot shone and, the way I’d fixed it, the bread and butter looked like a giant pin wheel.
    â€œWill you have lemon or cream?” my mother asked as she passed the cakes.
    â€œHow delicious and how fattening!” Al’s mother cried. “I hate to think of how many calories there are in each of these.” She took one and put it on a plate. She only ate half.
    â€œWould you girls get some hot water?” my mother asked. We went to the kitchen and ate a few cookies and listened.
    â€œI want to thank you for being so kind to Alexandra,” Al’s mother said. “I have to be away from home so much of the time, it’s a comfort to me to know she can call on you if she should need to.”
    â€œWe like Al,” my mother said. “She is a very nice child. We all like her.”
    â€œOf course,” Al’s mother went on, “she is very self-sufficient. She has been on her own a good deal and I think that tends to make them self-sufficient, don’t you?”
    â€œI suppose so,” my mother said. “Will you have another cup of tea?”
    â€œThank you. I will. It was so kind of you to ask us,” Al’s mother said. “I’ve been wanting to get to know you better ever since we moved in, but what with my job, I don’t get nearly enough chance to see people.”
    â€œWe are so glad you could come.”
    They talked about different places Al and her mother had lived and about the store where Al’s mother works.
    Then Al’s mother looked at her watch.
    â€œWhere has the time gone?” she asked. “I had no idea it was so late. I’m afraid we must run, but before we do, I want to thank you again for all your kindness to Alexandra. It has meant a great deal to her, I know, to be a part of your family fun. I try, but I cannot make up for not being a real family. Just the two of us is hard, sometimes. It is difficult, doing it alone.”
    â€œI can well imagine,” my mother
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