31. Chapter 22 (1/2)

--chapter twenty-two--

jan, alice and her siblings arrive at the art exhibit. they see greg and nora.

jan: greg! over here!

greg: hey jan!

nora: hey! congratulations on your painting.

greg and nora are trying to hide a lot of their excitement.

jan: what do you mean?

greg: well, follow us!

they go to jan's painting and see a huge silver ribbon which reads, "best in show." jan is so excited that she's speechless.

alice: congratulations!

jan: oh my gosh! i can't believe it!

marcia: studies the painting. jan, it's beautiful! you've got both babies in the painting.

cindy: when did you find the time to add the second one?

jan: my teacher allowed me to add the baby on tuesday.

alice: the painting's just lovely.

jan: thanks.

peter: it's great. it looks just like a photograph.

bobby: so, what did you do with the painting of tiger and fluffy?

jan: i've got plans for it. did you want it?

bobby: takes her aside so no one would overhear. i thought cindy would like it.

jan: i thought so too, so it's her christmas present this year. don't say a thing.

bobby: i won't.

greg: the painting's great, sis.

nora: yeah, i didn't know you could paint.

jan: blushing a bit. it's something i've done off and on since i was little. i didn't really get into painting until last year.

nora: well, you paint like a pro.

soon, the press and exhibit officials approach jan. they interview and photograph her. because she won best in show, her painting will go to the regional exhibit.

official: congratulations, jan. the exhibit will be in january. you've got a good chance of winning, if i do say so myself. in addition, there are scholarship opportunities for the winners. what grade are you in?

jan: tenth.

official: hands her a

ochure. take this.

jan: what is it?

official: it's a

ochure of classes and camps the university offers to high school students. some of them can be taken for college credit. he shakes her hand.

jan: thanks.

he leaves and marcia approaches her sister.

marcia: wow! what was that all about?

jan: i, uh. i, uhh, he said i have a good chance of winning the regional exhibit and a scholarship for college!

marcia: that's great!

jan: i can't believe it! i never thought i'd…you know!

marcia: hey, you deserve it. i've always thought you had a lot of talent.

jan: really?

marcia: yeah. i'm just sorry i never really told you.

jan: thanks. it's really nice to hear it from my big sister.

soon, the exhibit is winding down.

greg: i wanna take everyone out for ice cream.

alice: are you sure?

greg: sure, i'm sure. follow nora and me to haskell's. how 'bout it, jan?

jan: sure. she's still dizzy with excitement.

they go to haskell's. mr. haskell waits on them personally.

mr. haskell: marcia, jan, how are you?

marcia: fine.

jan: fine.

greg: i'd like to order your cele

ation sundae.

mr. haskell: so, what are we cele

ating?

peter: jan's painting won the citywide art exhibit.

mr. haskell: congratulations, jan.

jan: thanks.

mr. haskell: so, what did you do, a painting, sculpture?

jan: a painting.

mr. haskell: well, that's great! i'm wondering, do you do murals?

jan: i've done one.

cindy: and it's really pretty. she did it for the babies' nursery.

mr. haskell: i'm remodeling the store and i'd like to put a mural on that far wall. would you be interested in designing and painting the mural?

jan: sure! i'd, i'd love to!

mr. haskell: good! come by the store after school's out for the semester and we'll talk.

jan: i will!

mr. haskell: so, that's one cele

ation sundae?

greg: how many do those feed?

mr. haskell: four.

greg: okay, so i'll need two and extra bowls, of course.

mr. haskell: certainly. i'll

ing them out shortly.

they enjoy their ice cream and then go to their respective houses.

alice and the kids arrive home. mike and carol are in the living room with the babies who are asleep. mike's holding ryan on the couch and carol's rocking carolyn. the kids go their separate ways.

carol: so, how did it go?

jan: i won! my painting won!

cindy: she got "best in show."

carol: excited. oh, congratulations, sweetheart!

she motions jan over so she can give her daughter a hug.

mike: that's great news!

jan: that means my painting gets shown in the regional exhibit in january.

cindy: tell her the other good news.

mike: what other good news?

jan: well, one reason why we got in so late is because we stopped in for ice cream at haskell's ice cream parlour. everyone told him about my painting winning the exhibit, and he wants me to paint a mural for him at the parlour. we're gonna talk about it once school lets out for christmas.

carol: honey that's wonderful!

jan: i can't believe it. this is all a dream.

mike: so, when do we get to see this winning painting of yours?

jan: reluctant. well, if you must know, it's not the painting of tiger and fluffy. the painting's gonna be featured in the paper tomorrow. it's a painting of all of us, including the twins.

carol: her face lights up. really?

mike: is that the…?

jan: actually, i'd painted it before thanksgiving; you know, for that project at school? the teacher liked it so much that she entered it into the exhibit tonight.

carol: but we didn't know they were twins.

jan: i know. after the babies were born, my teacher allowed me to add the second baby.

carol: i'm sorry we weren't able to make it tonight. we would've loved to have been there.

jan: i know and it's okay. like i said, these little ones are worth it. greg and bobby took pictures, plus it'll be in tomorrow's paper, painting and all.

mike: we're proud of you, kiddo.

jan: i'm proud of me too. well, i've had a long day. i'm gonna say goodnight.

the following monday, bobby and cindy participate in the school-wide spelling bee.

eakfast is a bit tense for the kids.

marcia: so today's the day?

cindy: nervous. yeah.

jan: what's that supposed to mean?

cindy: it means i'm nervous.

marcia: well, don't be. dad gave jan and me good advice last year when i was taking my driver's test and jan was in her first debate.

bobby: yeah, we know, picture them in their underwear.

cindy: but if i pictured principal stoner in his underwear, i might be too nauseous to spell anything, even the word nauseous.

bobby laughs so hard, he nearly spills milk out his nose.

peter: oh, you'll do fine.

the kids finish

eakfast and get ready for school. alice hands out the lunches.

alice: good luck, you two.