Sara Lost and Found by Virginia Castleman Page A

start to head after them, when I hear footsteps and turn around to see Dr. Dan coming up behind me. He falls into pace. “The boy’s going to be fine, Sara.” We walk a while, listening to the crunching of our feet on the ground. We pass Anna and Mrs. MacMillan. “Tough day, huh?”
    â€œYou don’t know the half of it.” I lower my voice, looking over my shoulder at my sister. “Sometimes I wish she would just go away.” I feel his hand settle lightly on my shoulder. I look up, expecting to see Daddy’s “I’m here, don’t worry” face and look away quickly when I see Dr. Dan’s instead. My mind tricks me again, making me forget Daddy’s gone. I stare at the ground and pretend that it’s Daddy beside me trying to make me feel better, and not someone trying to be Daddy.
    â€œEvery now and again we all have feelings like that,” he says in a voice so different from Daddy’s that it becomes hard to pretend anymore.
    â€œWho do you want to go away?” I wonder if he’ll say, “You and Anna,” but he doesn’t.
    â€œWith me, it’s not about who and more about what I want to go away. And what I want to go away is disease.”
    This time I don’t look at him. Everyone wants different things. I stare at the grass as we cross the yard, glancing back at my footprints, softly outlined. They’ll be gone before we reach the house.
    When the front door opens, I hear the phone ringing. It turns out that Mrs. Craig has good news and bad. The bad news is that they still don’t have a home for us. The good news is that we don’t have to go back to the Cottages. The Silvermans are going to take us back until we can be placed with a more permanent family.
    While Mrs. MacMillan talks with Mrs. Craig, Anna and I help set the table. I put the napkins at each place. The one extra I stick in my pocket in case Anna and I get hungry later.
    Dr. Dan then gathers us around the dinner table and talks about the family’s upcoming trip to South America. While he talks, he serves each of us a plate of tamales, corn, salad, chips, and salsa.
    I’m still mad at Anna, so I don’t look at her or pass her a plate.
    â€œI’ve been with this particular team for six years,” Dr. Dan says. “I was shocked to hear Dr. Bentley got sick and they needed me to come so soon. But there are so many children who need help right away.”
    â€œPodemos ayudar,” Pablo says.
    I stare at him.
    â€œThat was Spanish for ‘We can help,’ ” he explains. “Spanish is my native tongue.”
    Native tongue. The words sound strange next to each other. “I don’t speak anything but English. Guess nobody would understand me if I went to Chile.”
    â€œOh, I don’t know about that.” Dr. Dan smiles. “You’d be surprised at what people can understand. It doesn’t always take words to say something. The look on your face, the sound of your voice—those are the things that matter. A simple smile can go a long way.” He pushes his dinner plate back and pats his stomach. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m full.”
    â€œNot too full to repair the upstairs bathroom, I hope,” Mrs. MacMillan says, helping herself to more salad.
    Dr. Dan groans. “It’s amazing how one small leak can cause so much trouble.”
    Well, he’s right about that. Anna didn’t wet the bed last night, so they probably don’t know about her little problem, but one little leak does cause a lot of trouble.
    â€œYou girls must be excited about going back to the Silvermans’,” Mrs. MacMillan says as Pablo and Dr. MacMillan head upstairs to work on the plumbing. “And you’ll have brand-new clothes to take with you,” she adds.
    â€œThanks again for the nice clothes,” I mumble. I’m not ready to be un-mad at Anna yet. Anna