By Sha Faggart
It was a cool November day and Janice and Ron were peeling sweet potatoes for their Granny. “ Man I hate peeling these sweet potatoes for Granny,” whined Ron.
"Oh hush Ronnie you know Granny needs these potatoes for her famous sweet potato Casserole,” said Janice.
Ron did not want to peel them but he knew he loved granny’s Casserole, plus, she would kill him if he didn’t get her potatoes to her before Thanksgiving Dinner. It took Ron and Janice two hours to pill the rest of the potatoes. After all the peeling mom yelled in the kitchen for them to get ready for the long ride to granny's house.
“ I’m taking my gameboy and wrestling men, cause I know it’s going to be sooo boring after dinner, “whined Ron.
Jake the snake was the first wrestler to go in Ron’s bag. He wanted to be just like him when he grew up.
“ Well, you do that Ronnie but I’m sneaking off to the backyard to see the old well after the children are dismissed," said Janice.
This well was the one thing that Granny yelled at them about staying away from and Janice was dying to see why.
“ Oh yeah! Can I come, too, Jan please oh please,” begged Ron. “ I will be so quiet you want even know I’m there,” whispered Ron.
The last time Ron and Janice were in the backyard Ron had gotten them in trouble when he slipped in and broke his arm. They were forbidden to never go near it again.
“ Oh no, Ron, you know what you did last time, said Janice." You are too young and messy, so I’m going alone, and you better not follow,” scolded Janice.
Ron just looked at his older sister and thought to himself, "I plan to get out to the backyard, too."
After the children were ready to go, mom got baby Jasmine and off they went to Granny’s.
“Okay, we are here kids finally,” sighed mom. They all jumped out the old 87 van and ran to see Granny. Granny’s house was the best place in the world to be. It was warm and loving and had lots of goodies to eat. When they rounded the corner to the kitchen, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Food was everywhere. There was greens, corn, turkey, yams, ham, rice, stuffing, peas, the list goes on and on.
Ron was standing there in a trance. “ I love food! I love food! Man, I love food,” chanted Ron.
Granny made everyone grab hands and she said grace. When she was finished, the feast began. It was another hour before the silence broke around the table.
" Man that was some good food," cooed Aunt Joey. The rest of the family all agreed. When the kids were dismissed Janice snuck to the back door and slipped out. Ron saw her and followed. When Janie reached the well and was about to look down, Ron smashed right into her. Before Janice could regain her balance she was falling into the well.
" Oh noooooo," screamed Janice. The water felt like ice. She looked around and couldn't see anything. Once her focus came back to her, she was amazed. All around the well were jewels of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Janice was in shock and did not know what to do.
"Janice? Janice? are you okay please be okay," begged Ron. Ron was crying so hard he didn't bother to look down in the well.
"Ronnie I'm okay," answered Janice.
"It's amazing down here," muttered Janice. Ron stopped crying long enough to look down and see what his sister was talking about.
" Wow," was all Ron could say. He sat there for a few seconds and just stared in amazement.
" How are we going to get you back up Janice before Granny and the adults caugh us," questioned Ron. Ron spotted a rope near the well and he used that to pull his sister out the well. What Ron didn't know was that Janice took a small jewel along with her. Once she was out the well they rushed to get her dry so no evidence would be found.
" Man that was some adventure," sighed Janice.
" I know," giggled Ron. " Let's do it one more time, but this time I want to fall in, cried Ron. Janice just looked at him and started walking toward the house. Janice didn't say much on the way back home. She just stroked her new found
jewel
and looked out the window.
A whole month had passed since Janice and Ron had the run in with the well. Snow was on the ground and school was finally out. Janice hide the jewel and kind of forgot about it. One day while looking for her favorite book she found it. " Oh yeah the jewel I found in Granny's Well," mumbled Janice. " I wonder where I should sit it so it looks like a rock and not strange to my mom or Ron," question Janice.
Right when she was getting up from the floor Ron came busting in her room. " Jan! Jan! guess what I'm getting for Christmas, yelled Ron.
" I wish I had a guard dog at my door to keep him out," sighed Janice. She turned around to get ready to answer her brothers question, but he was not there and instead she heard a loud growl at the door.
" What was that noise," wondered Janice. She walked to her door and opened it and there sat a big guard dog looking at Ron about to attack.
" No!
No! down boy don't eat my little brother," screamed Janice. Ron was so
terrified he ran the other way without saying a word. Janice just started at the
dog with disbelief.
" No way that tiny jewel could have made that dog and then placed him outside my door," gasped Janice. She looked at the jewel for hours wondering did it really do what she thought it did.
" Well the only way to know is to test it," said Janice. So she picked it back up and made a wish.
" I wish my dad never got hurt in that car accident and was here with us on Christmas," said Janice.
At first nothing happened then she heard his voice and she knew he was back. She bolted down the stairs to greet her father. Daddy! Daddy! Your back with us, screamed Janice. " This is a dream this is a dream," chanted Janice.
Her father looked at her for a minute. Then he placed his hand up against her forehead to make sure she was ok. " Jan are you alright, I've been her for 12 years now, all your life," replied her father. Janice just looked at him and didn't know what to say. Ron came running in with his wrestling men in hand and a bear. " Look daddy I have mastered the four arm hold, howled Ron. Ron looked a little different though. He was a lot shorter and he carried a bear.
" Oh Ron you never carry that old bear around anymore why do you have it now," questioned Janice.
" Jan
Jan I can carry my bear around if I like," whined Ron. " You always tease me,
but I love Brownie," sobbed Ron. Janice looked at dad then at mom. She was a
little confused. The day went on and no one seemed to notice a difference except
Janice. When she didn't hear her little sister Jasmine crying she knew something
was wrong. While her family was in the living room watching Christmas movies,
Janice snuck off to her room. She just had to put things back to normal it was
not fair to just make her baby sister disappear because she wanted her father
back. When she got to her room she looked at the jewel and looked at the jewel.
She had wanted so much for her father to be alive, but she also knew that
Jasmine wouldn't be a live if she didn't do something. So she took the jewel and
made the wish, " I wish everything was back to normal," demanded Janice.
When Janice looked out her door she didn't see the big guard dog and she didn't hear her father either. This made her very sad but she had to do it. " Ron Ron you will never guess what happened to me," screeched Janice.
Ron was hiding under his bed when Janice had walked in. " Leave me alone Jan, screamed Ron. " You know how scared I am of dogs, whimpered Ron.
" I'm so sorry Ronnie I'm so sorry," cried Janice.
" It was the jewel that I stole from Granny's Well," confessed Janice. Ron looked at her with confusion.
" You stole a jewel from Granny's Well, questioned Ron.
" Yes Ronnie, I took it thinking it would make a beautiful decoration not a magic rock, sighed Janice. " Then I made a wish and puff there was the dog, then puff there was dad, cried Janice.
" Dad was here Jan, he was really here, shouted Ron.
" Yeah dad was here , but Jasmine was not so I had to make it right Ron I had to," whined Janice.
" I don't understand why couldn't daddy and Jasmine be here, I want daddy Janice why cant you make him come back," screeched Ron. Before Janice could explain to Ron why she couldn't Ron had grabbed the jewel out her hand and wished that their father and Jasmine were there with them, as a big happy family on Christmas. What Ron didn't know was that Janice had used up the three wished, so his wish was not going to work. There was a big bang and the jewel disappeared right before their eyes.
" What happened," cried Ron and Janice. Before they knew it they heard footsteps running up the stairs.
" What on earth is going on up here," huffed mom.
" Nothing mom," squeaked Ron. Mom gave Ron a " I don't believe you look".
" Okay if you say so Ronnie, said mom. Well kids its time for supper so wash up and head down to eat, said mom. Janice looked at Ron and Ron looked at Janice. They both vowed to never say a word about the jewel and Janice falling into Granny's Well to a living soul, and when big dinners are held at Granny's house these days Janice and Ron are found sitting in the living room with the other kids watching TV instead of messing around the forbidden well.
THE END