Tianna the Terrible (Anika Scott Series) (15 page)

She suddenly clutched my legs and hugged them hard. I could feel her body shaking with her sobs. I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there.

The boatman got hold of the rope from the other boat, and we started chugging back through the reeds. I peered anxiously ahead, afraid we'd meet a hippo coming in. When we chugged back out into the wide, glittering blue water of the open lake, I sighed with relief. Tianna wasn't shaking so much, but she was still clutching so hard that her arms were hurting my legs. I was just going to ask her if she was OK when the boatman made a hissing noise.

I looked back at him, and he was pointing. The glossy dark brown top of a hippo's head was showing just above the water about twenty feet away, watching us. Another set of bumpy nostrils and eyes came up beside the first one with a loud, steamy snort. The second hippo stared at us, waggling its little pinky-brown ears to get the water out.

I held my breath as we putted slowly away from them, but they didn't do anything. Tianna never even saw them. Usually we always point out any animals we see so everyone gets to see, but somehow I didn't think Tianna would appreciate it just then.

I looked back at the hippos, then toward the dock. Ducks flew off the water in front of us, and water lilies brushed the side of the boat. A cool breeze lifted my bangs, and the glitter from the water sparkled in my eyes. I breathed more easily.

Tianna finally let go of my legs and sat beside me.

"You OK now?" I asked.

She nodded. "I thought that path through the reeds was a place where people had taken boats out. I thought I could leave the boat and walk to a village or something and just come back when your parents come tomorrow. I mean, I can drive boats. Dad lets me drive our waterskiing boat at the lake sometimes."

"It was a hippo path," I said.

"Yeah, I heard you yell. And I was just starting back toward the lake on a different path when there was this huge crocodile right in front of me. It was enormous and it stood up like a triceratops."

She shivered against my arm.

"They rest by the edge of the water," I said. "Did it chase you?"

"Yes!" she said, then paused. "Actually, I don't know. Next thing I remember is seeing you and this African man in a boat and me hitting the water. I was sure there was another one in the water, and I'd be eaten. It was awful!"

She shook even harder and started crying again. I wished Mom and Daddy were there.

Mr. Jackson was waiting on the dock. Tianna was still shaking so hard that he and the boatman had to practically lift her out.

As soon as they let go of her, she shied away from Mr. Jackson.

"I didn't mean to break her arm," Tianna blurted to Mr. Jackson. "Really, I didn't mean to break Sabrina's arm."

"Let's get you back to school and clean you up," he said. "We can talk about this later—"

"No!" I broke in. "Mom and Daddy are coming. I called them." I felt odd and shaky.

"I guess we'll have to stay and wait for them," he said, not sounding very pleased.

"They're not coming until tomorrow," Tianna said, hugging herself like she was cold.

"No, I didn't tell you…" I started, then it hit me—maybe Tianna wouldn't have run from Mr. Jackson if she'd known Mom and Daddy were coming today. When would I ever learn to tell the whole truth? "They said they would come and we all could stay here tonight," I said. "They're on their way now."

Then I noticed the boatman waiting. We hadn't thanked him or paid him for using the boats or anything.

"Asante! Asante sana!"
I said to him, which means "Thank you very much."

Mr. Jackson was pulling out his wallet when Tianna suddenly said, "I can pay him."

She stuffed her hand into her soaking wet pocket, and blurted, "Hey! My money's gone!" She paused. "I had it when I was down by the dock. It must have fallen out by the crocodile."

"By the
crocodile?"
asked Mr. Jackson, turning from paying the boatman.

"I'm
not
going back there. The crocodile can keep it," said Tianna, and we all laughed.

The boatman had seen Tianna come up emptyhanded, and I didn't think that the money would be lost long.
Good,
I thought.
I hope he finds all of that money. He's a nice man.

"I have to hear this story," Mr. Jackson said, looking at us, his eyebrows raised. "But first, Tianna, you go into the hotel washroom and clean up. I can't afford to have you getting sick. There are parasites in that water that are at least as bad as crocodiles."

His eyebrows went up again when I told him we had already booked a hotel room. "What parasites?" Tianna demanded as she shucked off her wet clothes in our hotel room.

"Bilharzia or something, and amoeba, and stuff," I said. "They're like little worms that get into you from the water and make you sick."

"Gross!" Tianna screeched and ran for the bathtub.

Chapter Twelve

When we came out of the room after Tianna was all cleaned up, Mom and Daddy were standing talking to Mr. Jackson. I ran to them.

Mom hugged me especially hard and said, "I'm so gad you're safe."

I giggled and said, "Me, too."

Tianna was walking toward us slowly, looking scared. She hadn't brushed her hair after she washed it so it was all over the place. Mom reached for her to give her a hug. Tianna tried to dodge, but Mom hugged her anyway.

"Tianna," Daddy said, "I've been talking to Mr. Jackson, and we need to have a talk with you."

She looked down. I squirmed and thought,
Why can't they leave her alone?
Then I blurted, "She's a Christian now!"

"That's a big decision. Are you sure you've decided to belong to Christ, Tianna?" Daddy asked, sounding serious.

Tianna gave a jerky nod, her head still down.

"You realize that you'll have to stop running away?"

Tianna nodded again.

"Aunt Hazel and I feel it would be best if you went back to VCA and faced any trouble you've made for yourself there. Mr. Jackson will take you back to VCA."

"Daddy," I said, "everybody's going to stare at us and ask us questions. Can't we just go home for a couple of days?"

"Better to face consequences sooner than later," said Mom. "But at least we can eat supper before you go. Mr. Jackson, would you like to join us for a picnic supper?"

After supper Daddy wanted us to pray together. He started, "Dear heavenly Father, I'm so glad you brought Tianna into your family with us…" While he was praying for Tianna to have courage to face her problems, I opened my eyes, then squinted at the shaft of low sunlight that shone in my face. I turned my head and saw that the light was painting the big acacia tree trunks bright gold. Long shadows lay across the lawn. I smiled. God's beauty was shining right on me.

When we left, Tianna hugged Mom and Daddy back when they hugged her. She was very quiet on the way to VCA. Mr. Jackson wanted to know about what had happened, so since Tianna didn't answer, I had to tell him.

"Tianna," he said gently when I got to the part in the matatu when Tianna asked Jesus into her heart. "I hope you didn't do this just to make us more lenient with you, or—"

"No!" she interrupted. "I wanted to! With Jesus I'm not all on my own anymore." Then she added, glaring at him through her messy mop of hair, "I'm tired of having everybody against me."

"Hey, I'm not against you," he protested. "I think it's been you against me and just about everybody else, even yourself. You've just about convinced me that you've made a real commitment to Christ, so things should be changing now. We'll have to let the other kids know, too." He smiled at her and reached out to knuckle her head. She ducked away from him and eyed him warily.

When we got back, Mr. Jackson called a dorm meeting. All the fifth- and sixth-grade girls crowded into the Jacksons' living room. Sabrina was there with her wrist in a cast.

"Girls," Mr. Jackson said, "Tianna and Anika have something to say to you. Tianna wants to apologize, and she has some good news to tell you. Stand up, girls."

I gasped. At least he could have warned us. Tianna looked totally panicked. I was afraid she was going to run again, but she just pushed at me to go first.

I stood up. "Um," I said and paused. It was dead quiet and everybody was staring at me. This was even worse than I had thought it would be. "Um, I just want to tell you that Tianna is a Christian now, and, um, I'm just glad God brought us back safe."

"Is running away a good idea?" Mr. Jackson quizzed. "No!" I said, then added defiantly, "but it helped Tianna get to be a Christian."

Mr. Jackson frowned and said, "Tianna?"

"I'm through with running away," she answered fiercely. "It only makes things worse. Also, I'm through with fighting and swearing. Oh, and I'm sorry Sabrina's arm got broken." She looked straight at Sabrina and added, "I didn't mean to do that, but I don't think it was all my fault. There, is that what you wanted me to say?" she said, looking at Mr. Jackson.

He raised one eyebrow, but he said, "That will do. I have talked to Sabrina as well, and I agree, she's got some changing to do also. Right, Sabrina?" he asked, looking at her. Sabrina glared and looked away.

Mr. Jackson kept on talking. "Girls, I want all of you to help Tianna with this. It isn't always quick or easy when Jesus changes your life. I don't want any more heckling or mocking going on. Is that clear?" He said the last sentence really fierce, looking straight at Sabrina. She turned red and looked down. Then he read the end of the fifth chapter of Matthew.

"Jesus is talking here, and he says, 'Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven… If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.'" When Mr. Jackson finished reading, he looked around the room and said, "I expect to see that attitude shown here."

As soon as the meeting was over, most of the kids crowded around us and started asking questions.

"Enough!" shouted Mr. Jackson. "There's school tomorrow. Get to bed."

Amy, Muthoni, and Lisa just kept asking questions, following us to our room. We all ended up at the sinks brushing our teeth together. They seemed so happy to see us that Tianna was even starting to smile.

"Mmmf, I'm glad youw a Chishian now, Tianna," Amy said through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Me, too!" said Muthoni, rinsing her toothbrush under the tap. "That was neat the way it happened in the matatu and how God kept you safe. The way I got to be a Christian was really boring compared to that." She sighed sadly, and we all giggled. "OK, you five, enough talking. Get into bed," said Mrs. Jackson as she walked into the bathroom. We grabbed our toothbrushes and scattered to our rooms.

"Shhh!" Esther Miller said to Sabrina as Tianna and I came in.

"I don't care if she hears!" Sabrina said, half crying. "My arm really hurts, and it's all Tianna's fault!" She glared at us. "Besides, you still owe me for the unicorn, Anika. I'll get—"

Mrs. Jackson walked in just then. "Sabrina, I've brought you more medicine to keep your arm from hurting." I guess she saw Sabrina was crying, because she sat down on the bed beside her and put her arm around her. "I'm sorry it hurts so much. If it gets too bad in the night, call me."

While she was talking, Tianna leaned down from the top bunk and whispered, "That part Mr. Jackson read about what Jesus said, is that right?"

I nodded, and she asked, "Did Jesus even mean being kind to jerks like Sabrina Oats?"

I nodded again, and Tianna pulled her head back up when Mrs. Jackson turned out the light. I started to try to think how what Jesus said fit what I should do about the broken unicorn, but I went to sleep instead.

In the middle of the night the bunk bed jiggled hard, and I heard moaning. I sat up quietly. In the square of moonlight shining through the window, I could see Tianna walking across the room.

"Sabrina," she whispered, "are you OK?"

Sabrina stopped moaning.

"Do you want me to get Mrs. Jackson?"

"Leave me alone!" Sabrina hissed fiercely. "It's all your fault. I hate you!" She pulled her blankets over her head.

"Look, I said I'm sorry." Tianna's voice was getting louder like she was getting mad. "You ditz brain, you can just—" Then she stopped. With a sigh she said, "I guess I'm not very good at acting like one of God's kids yet, you know, being kind to your enemies and all that. I'll just leave you alone if that's what you want."

I felt ashamed. Tianna had only been a Christian less than a day and here she was trying to be nice to Sabrina. I hadn't tried even once. I climbed out of bed and bumped into Tianna as she came toward me to go climb back in bed.

I pulled her with me toward Sabrina, whispering in her ear, "Way to go. That was great." Then I said louder to Sabrina, "Look, I'm really sorry I broke your unicorn. Maybe I can get my parents to lend me the money to pay for it. I didn't ask yet."