Celeste (Gemini 1)

"He's dead!" she screamed. "Are you deaf?

Dead!" She paused and then took a deep breath.

"Maybe it really is my fault. I don't know..,'

"Why, Mommy?"

"I shouldn't have encouraged him," she said

softly. "I should have known they wouldn't like it. It's

why they stayed away." She stared at the floor and

then she looked at inc. "Go on back to bed. Celeste." "Did you see Daddy? Was that who you were

yelling at?" I asked.

"Go back to bed!" she said. "Just go back to

bed."

She turned away from me and scrunched up on

the chintz sofa. She suddenly looked so small, as if

she was a little girl herself. I wanted to go to her and

put my arms around her. but I was afraid. The house

was so dark and silent, but her screams still echoed in

my ears.

Mr. Kotes was dead?

But he was just here. We were all singing and

playing together!

I walked up the stairs slowly. Tired and groggy.

I returned to bed, and after looking over at Noble,

who was still in a deep sleep. I closed my eyes. The

last thing I thought about was Mr. Kotes's face when

he was singing "Happy Birthday" to us.

I woke in the morning when Noble did. He was

moving quickly and making lots of noise because he

was anxious to get up and dressed and back to his

electric train.

"When Mr. Kotes comes back, he might bring