things。
It wasn't just the yard。 It was my dad's truck； my mother's car； the family bike that was more
rust than steel； and the fact that when we did buy
something new； it always seemed to e from a second…time…around store。 Plus； we never
went on vacation。 Ever。
Why was that？ My father was the hardest…working man in the world； and my mother worked
for TempService doing secretarial jobs whenever she
could。 What was all that hard work about if this is where it got you？
Asking my parents whether we were poor seemed incredibly impolite。 But as the days went
by； I knew I had to ask。 Just had to。 Every day I'd ride
home from school on our rusty bike； pull past the broken fence and patchy yard； and think；
Tonight。 I'll ask them tonight。
But then I wouldn't ask them。 I just didn't know how。
Then one day I had an idea。 A way to talk to them about it and maybe help out a little； too。
And since my brothers were working at the music store
that night； and nobody was saying much of anything at the table； I took a deep breath and
said； “I was thinking； you know； that it wouldn't be hard to
fix up the front yard if I could get some nails and a hammer and maybe some paint？ And how
much does grass seed cost？ It can't be that much；
right？ I could plant a lawn； and maybe even some flowers？”
My parents stopped eating and stared at me。
……… Page 45………
“I know how to use a saw and a hammer—it could be； you know； a project。”
My mother quit looking at me and stared at my father； instead。
My father sighed and said； “The yard is not our responsibility； Julianna。”
“It's … it's not？”
He shook his head and said； “It's Mr。 Finnegan's。”
“Who's Mr。 Finnegan？”
“The man who owns this house。”
I couldn't believe my ears。 “What？”
My father cleared his throat and said； “The landlord。”
“You mean we don't own this house？”
They looked at each other； having some private wordless conversation I couldn't decipher。
Finally my father said； “I didn't realize you didn't know
that。”
“But … but that doesn't make sense！ Aren't landlords supposed to e and do things？ Like
fix the roof when it leaks and clear the drains when
they're plugged？ You always do that stuff； Dad。 Why do you do it when he's supposed to？”
“Because；” he sighed； “it's easier than asking him for help。”
“But if—”
“And；” my father interrupted me； “it keeps him from raising the rent。”
“But …”
My mother reached over and took my hand。 “Sweetheart； I'm sorry if this is a shock。 I guess
we always thought you knew。”
“But what about the yard？ Why keep up the inside but not the outside？”
My father frowned and said； “When we signed the lease； he assured us he would fix the
fences； front and back； and plant sod in the front yard。
Obviously that never happened。” He shook his head。 “It's a major undertaking； and fencing is
not cheap。 I can't see putting that sort of investment
into a property that's not ours。 Plus； it's the principle of the thing。”
“But we live here；” I whispered； “and it looks so bad。”
My father studied me。 “Julianna； what happened？”
“Nothing； Daddy；” I said； but he knew I was lying。
“Sweetheart；” he whispered； “tell me。”
I knew what he'd say if I told him； and yet I couldn't not tell him。 Not with the way he was
looking at me。 So I took a deep breath and said； “The
Loskis have been throwing my eggs away because they were afraid they'd have salmonella
because our yard is such a mess。”
My father said； “Oh； that's ridiculous；” but my mother gasped； “What？” Then she cried； “Did
Patsy say that？”
I looked down。 “No； Bryce did。”
“But it must've been a family discussion！ A boy doesn't e up with that on his own … ！” My
mother looked for all the world like a doe waiting to
be shot through the heart。 She covered her face with her hands and said； “I can't go on like
this！ Robert； things have got to change。 They've just got
to！”
“Trina； you know I'm doing the best I can。 I'm sorry about the yard； I'm sorry about the
situation。 This isn't the picture I had for my life； either； but
sometimes you have to sacrifice for what's right。”
My mother looked up from her hands and said； “This is not right for our family。 Your daughter
is suffering because we won't fix up our own yard。”
“It's not our yard。” “How can you say that？ Robert； wake up！ We have lived here for twelve
years。 It's not temporary anymore！ If we ever want to
have a decent place with our own yard； if we're going to help the kids through college or do
any of the other things we've promised each other； we're
going to have to move him into government care。”
……… Page 46………
My father let out a deep sigh and whispered； “We've discussed this so many times； Trina。 In
the end you always agree that keeping him at
Greenhaven is the right thing to do。”
I wanted to say； Wait！ What are you talking about？ Who are you talking about？ But the
conversation was flying so fast and furious that I couldn't
seem to break in； and it wasn't long before they were bickering so badly that it was almost
like I wasn't there。
Then in the back of my mind； it clicked。 Everything clicked。 It was my dad's brother they were
talking about。 My uncle。 David。
To me Uncle David was only a name。 Someone my parents had explained to me； but not
someone I'd ever actually met。 And even though I knew
my dad visited him； I never knew exactly when。 He never talked about it。
Dad also thought we shouldn't talk about Uncle David to others because David was retarded。
“People jump to conclusions；” he'd told me。 “They
assume that； by association； something must also be wrong with you。 Trust me； I know。”
So we didn't talk about it。 Not at home； not with friends。 It was almost like there was no Uncle
David。
Until now。 Now he felt larger than life； and I could tell from their argument that he was the
reason we didn't have our own house； he was the reason
we didn't have nice cars or fancy things。 He was the reason there always seemed to be a
cloud of weariness hanging over my parents。
Why did I have to bring up the yard in the first place？ I'd never seen my parents fight like this。
Ever。 I wanted to grab them and say； Stop it！ Stop it！
You love each other！ You do！ But I just sat there with tears streaming down my face。
My mother stopped suddenly and whispered； “We should not be doing this in front of her！”
“I'm sorry； Julianna；” my dad said； then reached over and held my forearm。 “Don't cry。 None
of this is your fault。 We'll work it out； I promise we will。”
My mother tried to laugh through her tears； saying； “We always have； and we always will。”
That night my parents came into my room and talked to me； one at a time。 My father talked
about his brother and how much he loved him and
how he'd promised his parents he'd always take care of him。 My mother talked about how
much she loved my father for his strength and kind heart；
about dreams and reality； and the need to count your blessings。 And she made me cry all
over again when she kissed me goodnight and
whispered that of all her many blessings； I was her best and brightest。
I felt sorry for my father。 I felt sorry for my mother。 But most of all I felt lucky for me that they
were mine。
And in the morning； as I rode my rusty bike out the driveway to school； I promised myself that
when I got home； I'd tackle the yard。 Rented or not；
this was our home； and I was going to help make living here better。
As it turns out； this was easier thought than done。 First it took me half an hour of rummaging
through the garage to find a hammer and a box of
nails； a saw； and some pruners。 Then it took another half hour of standing around to figure
out just where to start。 The actual yard was just clumps of
weeds； but what about the bordering shrubs？ Should I dig them up； or prune them way back？
Were they shrubs； or just overgrown weeds？ And
what about the fence？ Should I knock it down； or rebuild it？ Maybe I should take out the front
end entirely and use the wood to fix up the sides。
The longer I looked around； the more I felt like forgetting the whole thing。 Why bother？ It
wasn't our property。 Mr。 Finnegan should be the one
making repairs。
But then I remembered my mother's words from the night before。 Surely； I thought； a few
bushes and some dilapidated wood couldn't stop
someone's best and brightest blessing！ Surely not！
And with that； I picked up the clippers and got to work。
……… Page 47………
Half an hour later I was keeper of the knowledge that one bush equals many branches； and
that the volume of a bush increases exponentially as
it's cut and tossed into the middle of a yard。 It was ridiculous！ Where was I going to put all
this stuff？
Mom came home and tried to talk me out of my mission； but I'd have none of it。 Oh； no…no…no！
I'd already pruned two bushes down to a
respectable size； and before long she'd see— the place was going to look just dandy。
“You didn't get that stubborn streak from me；” she said； but came back outside with a glass
of juice and a kiss for my cheek。 Good enough for
me！By the end of that first day； what I'd made was a big mess。 But if chaos is a necessary
step in the organization of one's universe； then I was well
on my way。 At least that's what I tried to tell myself when I flopped into bed that night； dead
tired。
And the next afternoon I was busily expanding the chaos of my little universe when I heard a
deep voice say； “That's quite an undertaking； young
lady。”
The man standing on our sidewalk was Bryce's grandfather； I knew that much。 But I'd only
ever seen him outside one time。 All the other times I'd
seen him had been through windows— either one in their sitting room or one in their car。 To
me he was just a dark…haired man behind glass。
Having him appear on my sidewalk was like having someone from TV step through the
screen and talk to you。
“I know we've seen each other from time to time；” he was saying。 “I'm sorry it's taken me over
a year to e introduce myself。 I'm Chester
Duncan； Bryce's grandfather。 And you； of course； are Julianna Baker。”
He stuck out his hand； so I took off my work glove and watched my hand pletely
disappear inside his as we shook。 “Nice to meet you； Mr。
Duncan；” I said； thinking that this man was way bigger than he looked from the sitting…room
window。
Then the strangest thing happened。 He pulled his own work gloves and a pair of clippers
from a back pocket and said； “Are you pruning all of
these to the same height？”
“Oh；” I said。 “Well； yes。 That is what I was thinking。 Although now I don't know。 Do you think
it would look bette