On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued).

The firefighters entered with the hose. I stood on the sidewalk with the rest of the students, our gazes on the steam replacing the smelly smoke. It was so qu...

On Growing Up (Continued).

The kids were everything but behaving. They steeplechased each other, vaulted over seats and laughed and fooled around in general.

"Class?" Mrs. Evans rapped her desk s...

On Growing Up (Continued.)

When we were going into the school on the far side, I glanced over to see the steady crowd of older kids streaming slowly up the stairs on the opposite side, each on car...

On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued.)

"C'mon, Merry." I started toward the playground, then realized when I only took a few steps that Merry wasn't following me. I turned around, and she was still...

On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued.)

Annie sat alongside Papa in the front seat. I was in the back, but leaning anxiously against the confines od my lap seat belt, watching Merry get her bearings...

On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued.)

Papa thought he would do us all an enormous favor when school resumed. Merry was still weak, but well enough to return to classes, so he informed Mama, Annie ...

On Growing Up (Continued).

We stood in the January wind in a diverse group on the damp sidewalk, shivering and wishing for at least a sweater. I think we were all a little scared. I know that I wa...

On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued.)

Christmas break was a little longer this year, due to the way Christmas Day and New Year's Day fell.I had homework to do and was bored by it. Not only was it ...

On Growing Up - Part Two (Continued.)

Merry's mother answered the door. I didn't see her father anywhere in sight, and I gave a silent sigh of relief. Merry had said her father was a wonderful per...

After breakfast, l set out to explore the beach at Saint-Tropez, the same beach we had seen every morning from the balcony of our seventh floor apartment, on the eastern side of the Chateau Messard...