The sound of the roosters crowing woke Munch from sound sleep. It was morning. How was Thahn Ho? He went downstairs. His mother had an early class on Monday mornings, so she was about to leave for work. She asked, “Did you sleep up there?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, okay.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and started to head out the door.

“Wait, I need you to sign Thahn Ho’s card.” He rushed upstairs got the card and brought it back down.

Mama took it from him and softly said, “Michael, this is beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

She got a pen out of her purse and scrawled a message on the inside of the card. Her hand writing was really hard to read. She gave the card back to him and said, “Its okay if you take this over to Grandma Toady’s and get them to sign it.”

“Thanks Mama.” He started to head out the door.

“Michael, you are still in your pajamas and you haven’t eaten.”

“Oh."

“Don’t forget you have your first Karate class tonight. I will be taking you.”

Karate? They had signed up so long ago he had completely forgotten about it.

“Bye Sweetie.”

“Bye Mama.”

She closed and locked the door behind her.

Really, Munch wasn’t hungry. His stomach didn’t feel so good. Could it be? Maybe? Please God no! Disgusted with his inner dialogue, he wen to the fridge and got out soy milk and a slice of sprouted bread. He put in the toaster with out butter because he forgot about the butter. The toast was very dry, but he didn’t even notice. After he took a quick shower he spent several long moments staring at the clothes in his closet. Nothing appealed to him. Over all his clothes were too flashy. He did not feel flashy today. He just felt scared. His issue with worst case scenario’s began when his dad’s helicopter had crashed outside of Hanoi. First he was missing as was his helicopter and co pilot. During that horrible time of waiting Mama had said a Rosary for Daddy every day and every night. They attended Mass every time the doors were open. They both held onto hope, that he would be found, that he would be okay. Then the soldier’s showed up with the telegram no one wants to receive. Little as he was, he knew what that telegram meant. His daddy was dead. He had been burned up in the helicopter crash. There was nothing much left of him to send home. His remains were buried Austin, where Daddy had grown up. Ever since then, Munch had not trusted hope, he knew the worst could and did happen. Mama didn’t like that he thought this way. She insisted that good things happened too. Would good things happen for Thahn Ho today? He didn’t have the courage to risk hope. He picked a faded pair of jeans and his daddy’s old sweat shirt. It wasn’t how he usually dressed, but today was not usual.

After he made his lunch, he headed out the door to the trailer with the card wrapped in Saran Wrap. When he walked into the living room, Mitzi was in mid tantrum. “How come every body else gets to go to Karate class tonight but I don’t! It’s not fair! I want to go too!”

Patiently, Grandma Toady explained, “Mitzi, you are already in tap and ballet. You don’t have time to be in another class.”

At the top of her lungs Mitzi shouted, “I DON’T WANT TO BE A DANCER ANY MORE. I WANT TO BE A NINJA!”

Max came into the living room and interjected, “I don’t want her in Karate.”

Furious Mitzi spun around and said, “You are NOT the boss of me, so Shut UP!”

Munch never felt comfortable when he walked into these battles of will that were constantly going on in the trailers.

Grandma Toady said, “That is enough.”

Max started to say something, but the look Grandma Toady gave him silenced him completely. As for Mitzi, she was too worked up to be silenced AT ALL.

“I WANT TO GO!”

“Keep this up young lady and you won’t even be going to dance this week.”

This got her attention. In a choked voice, Mitzi said, “I want to go please. I might be a good ninja.”

“I tell you what,” began Grandma Toady, “I will let you go to class tonight just to try it out and if you like it better than dance, I will talk to you mama.”

“No,” Max said. “She causes a scene everywhere she goes.”

Grandma Toady asked, “Mitzi can you behave?”

“I will do my bestest to behave.”

“Okay, we will give it a whirl.”

Max threw his hands up in the air and said, “Wonderful.”

With sharp glance at him, Grandma Toady said, “Watch your attitude young man. I know things your mama doesn’t know.”

Munch knew exactly what Grandma Toady was referring to. Max's mama did not know he had snuck out Friday night. Max caught Grandma Toady’s meaning and shut up.

There was finally a pause in the argument, so Munch said, “I made a card for Thahn Ho, if y’all would like to sign it.”

The tension in the air evaporated. Mitzi said, “I want to sign it and so does Puccini but we can’t write very many words.”

Munch told her, “Just draw a heart and write your name and the letter P. I bet she will know it’s from you.”

Grandma Toady dug a pen out of her voluminous purse. That thing was bigger than Mitzi and probably weighed more. Munch handed the card to her. She smiled at him and said, “Munch my dear you are amazing. This is beautiful.” With Grandma Toady’s help Mitzi carefully wrote just what Munch told her to. Pleased with herself she smiled. Grandma Toady signed and then Max. Lolly still hadn’t come into the living room.

Grandma Toady called, “Lolly, the bus will be here soon. You need to get off the phone.”

Lolly was on the phone? Was it about Thahn Ho? Finally Lolly came into the living room. She looked like she had been crying. Had she heard bad news?

Grandma Toady asked, “You okay Sweetie?”

“Not really.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Trevor’s dad had another heart attack. They are at the hospital.”

Grandma Toady extended her arms and Lolly rushed into them. “I am so sorry Baby. It just seems like when it rains it pours.”

Lolly asked, “Can I go to the hospital?”

“No, Sweetie, you have school. Maybe after school, okay?”

Lolly nodded and let go of Grandma Toady. Silently, Max, Lolly and Munch headed for the bus stop. Trevor’s dad was super OLD, older than Grandma Toady. He had had a heart attack a year or so ago and been forced to retire. Munch really hoped he was going to be okay. He knew how tough it was to loose a father.

The bus ride was a silent one. Lolly just stared out the window with tears slipping down her cheeks. When they reached the school, she wiped off her face with her sweatshirt sleeve and pasted a smile on her face. Munch couldn’t believe how hard she was taking this. She barely knew Trevor’s dad.

In the cafeteria, Lolly asked Grace, Jake and Lisa to sign the card.

Jake asked, “Where’s Trevor?”

Quietly, Lolly said, “His dad had another heart attack.”

“Oh, no!” Jake exclaimed. “He was worried that would happen, his mom and dad have been fighting a lot.”

Lisa asked, “About what?”

“Stuff. Mostly, his mom wants to move. She hates it here, but Trevor’s dad loves it.” Jake glanced around the cafeteria and said, “She thinks we are all just poor white trash. I seriously don’t know how someone as nice as Trevor could have a mama like that.”

This day was turning very bleak. Munch said, “I think I will go to the art room and make Trevor’s dad a card for us to sign.”

Lolly said, “That would be a good idea. I will take it to him when I go up to the hospital this evening."

Munch couldn’t help but wonder if Thahn Ho was in the hospital too.

When he reached the art room, several students including Quack were hard at work, trying to catch up on one of their projects. Mademoiselle Petite saw Munch and said, “Thahn Ho’s going to be out. If you can get her stuff together so I can send it to her, I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Sure. Uhm, do you know how Thahn Ho is doing?”

“No, I am sorry. But, I will be seeing her dad this afternoon, so I will find out and let you know.”

“Thanks.” He went to Thahn Ho’s art drawer and pulled it out. There was a beautiful sketch of crane in flight. She just had to be okay, she had so much more to learn and do. She just had to be okay. He packed up her paints, canvas, pencils and sketch book and took them to Mademoiselle Petite.

“Thank you Michael.”

When he sat down at his table, it occurred to him, he could have slipped a note into Thahn Ho’s sketch book. He still could, but, what would he say that he hadn’t already said in the card? And what if her dad found it? Well, if he just drew a picture, her dad wouldn’t know it was from him, but Thahn Ho would. First though he had to make a card for Mr. Long.

*

When school got out, Munch was surprised to find Mama waiting in the parking lot for him. In the car with her was Le. Why was Le with Mama? Had something horrible happened? He raced to the car and asked, “Is everything okay?”

Le said, “My sister is sick. She’s at the hospital cause she’s got a hot gall bladder. The doctor had to take it out. Your Mama picked me up from school, cause I’m too little to visit my sister.”

Mama glanced at Le and said, “She’s going to fine, but she has to stay in the hospital for two nights. Le will be staying with us tonight.”

Thahn Ho was going to be okay, that was all that mattered.

In the backseat of the Volkswagen with Le, were Thahn Ho’s assignments and books. Tucked into her sketch book was a small drawing he had done of a barn. It wasn’t just any barn it was his barn.

From the back seat, Le said, "I'm going to Karate with you."

Le and Mitzi at Karate at the same time. Oh, wow.