Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit

In the morning, a neighbor named Mr. Thurgood comes by in his car. Everyone at the party owes Kit and me a swap, and his is a ride to the station in time for the ten o’clock train back to Cincinnati.

Kit and I agree at once. We hug Aunt Millie and Miss Myrtle and say our thanks and goodbyes.

I hug Buddy one last time and ask if he can stay, since he loves it here with Aunt Millie, Miss Myrtle, and Serena. They nod and scratch his ears. I know he’ll be fine.

Kit and I climb into Mr. Thurgood’s car and drive to the depot, where we buy tickets with Aunt Millie’s money. As the train pulls out, I think of our scary boxcar ride, so different from this smooth trip home.

At Union Station, my heart is heavy. With a lump in my throat, I tell Kit it’s time to go home. She says she’ll never forget me, and I thank her for everything, knowing I’ll always remember how kind her family was to me.

We hug, and Kit walks away, one of the best friends I’ll ever have. When I can’t see her anymore, I click the camera and go home.

I find myself in my room, just as I left it, a disaster of half-finished thrift-store clothes, tennis rackets, stuffed animals, books, and dirty socks. I feel ashamed of how much I take for granted and don’t care for properly. I vow to be more like the thrifty, creative people I met in Mountain Hollow. I can give some of it away, trade it with friends, or find new uses for it. My first step is getting organized, so I can take stock of what I’ve got.

I hang up my clothes and tidy my bookshelves. Mom says it looks beautiful, and I tell her I want to take better care of my things and be neater, so she doesn’t waste time cleaning up after me. Mom says that’d be great and asks if maybe she owes me a swap in return.

I think of the time I want to spend with Mom and the puppy I want so badly. I smile. I know I’ll think of something.