Wishes, Gems, and Disasters by Martha Wickham (books to read this summer .txt) 📕

student to told her she had a phone call. It was Ms. Creysen. “Nadine, I heard you were there. I just wanted to see how you were doing and tell you that guy Paul you poisoned, he wants to meet you.”
“I was afraid of that. I don’t want to meet him. I won’t be home for three months anyway and I’m fine. It’s pretty here and I have a cute little apartment.”
“I don’t want to tell him that. Maybe he wants to date you or worse. What are you doing now? I don’t want to keep you from it much longer.”
“I’m baking a pie. What do you mean worse?”
“He could try to get revenge on you.”
“It wasn’t all my fault.”
“I’ll let you go before your pie burns.”
“Alright, call me back later and let me in on all the latest like what Paul says. Like did he look mad?”
“No he looked sad. I’ll remember to call you, bye and good luck.”
They hung up. Walking back to her classes kitchen Nadine saw smoke coming out from under the door. She opened it and tried to hold her breath. It was on fire. She did burn her pie the meringue and all. She pushed the back door open and ran to shut off her oven. She angrily threw it in the sink. She turned on a fan and poured water from the sink onto the fire and put it out.
There was a loud buzz. It was the smoke alarm. Nadine saw the school owner fling open the front door. She looked angry. “Explain!” She yelled.
“It was an accident,” Nadine answered.
“You are a living accident. What if someone got hurt?” Nadine shook her head no in disgust with it. “I’m suspending you for a week.”
“I had a phone call.”
“You shouldn’t have left your pie baking without setting a timer.”
“It was in way too long.”
The owner smiled. “Yes it was. And during your week off I advise you to study your instruction book carefully.” Her name tag read, Brandy Cooled school owner and head cook/baker.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Do you promise?”
“No I don’t.” Nadine quietly laughed. She liked Mrs. Cooled. “Can I do the weeks work at home?”
“Yes. Go.” Mrs. Cooled pointed to the doorway. Nadine walked out of it. Mrs. Cooled surveyed the burnt scene. Nadine’s side of the room was partially burned black. Her failed lime pie laid wet in the sink. The janitor would have much to clean up and Mrs. Cooled hoped he wouldn’t be angry.
Nadine spent her days bored doing homework. The days seemed long and the cold wind showed a very cold winter was coming. Thank goodness her heater worked. Sometimes when she beat on it with a pan it would blow hotter air. Eventually she got another call from Shelly Creyson.
“I told Paul you couldn’t meet him, not wouldn’t meet him. I feel sorry for him. He looked well. If you change your mind just let me know.”
Nadine didn’t mention how she set the school on fire. Soon her classes started going more smoothly.
After Christmas she finished her work ahead of the class. She liked it there in North Dakota but started packing her belongings away in boxes. That afternoon she decided, “I’ll just stay longer and enjoy myself. I should be back at my home working in the next two months.”
Nadine began trying to find fun things to do. She wanted to see everything before having to go back to work. There wasn’t much to do there unless she was a child. But the scenery was beautiful. She decided to go on a shopping spree.
She bought all the clothes and perfume that she wanted and when she was done she walked exhausted out of the shopping mall. Nadine walked around the corner with her bags and watched the ground as she walked.
She ran into somebody who wasn’t really looking at her. It was a paramedic. There was an ambulance there and damaged cars. Somebody who was in the accident sat on the ground. They had blood on them. It startled her and when she saw this she fainted to the ground and didn’t wake up, but she was still alive. Nadine became the next patient and the paramedics took her to the hospital until she woke up that night.
Nadine woke up upset and she wanted to go back to her home. On the other side of her room her shopping bags were there. Someone was kind enough to take them to her.
That’s just what she did the next morning. Nadine took her bags, packed her suitcase, and went home. Her mission was complete. Soon she started working in her restaurant again.
One afternoon as she stepped out into the restaurant she noticed two men sitting at a table. The table was such a mess her eyes widened. This was only three days after she arrived home from North Dakota. When the men got up to take a break a few minutes outside she went over to their table to pick up some of the garbage. There she found their bill they were waiting to pay. The credit card said his name was Paul. Afraid then nervous she remembered it had to have been the same Paul that she accidentally poisoned.
The men came back in and she threw away the garbage. One of the men, Paul, stopped and read her name tag, Nadine. The men sat down.
She stood there thinking about her options. She could walk up to him and say hi can I get you anything, or leave the restaurant, or apologize for poisoning him. Leaving the restaurant seemed best but not quite possible. She needed to stay until she finished her work shift in an hour. She went back to work to clean up her kitchen area and ignored them.
When she came out before leaving the man, Paul, approached her. “Hi Nadine. I’m Paul, the man who ate your spoiled meal when you were in school not far from here. I hope you know I have forgiven you. I know it was an accident and I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
Nadine wanted to say that it’s nice to meet him but it wasn’t. She was not happy to face him but she felt she had to say something. “That’s nice. I hope you liked your lunch.” She stared into his hazel eyes.
“Bye Nadine. I’ll see you around. I’ll be back with some people for another meal some time soon.” He went back to his table. Nadine left the building to go home.
When Nadine got home she thought she didn’t want to see Paul again at all. She sat wondering what seeing him again would be like. Would she give him a discount this time or kill him with her careless cooking?
The thought made her upset and she hit and old wooden chair with her hand. Going back to her bed she then sat down and felt a pain in her hand. She found a small splinter of wood sticking out of her hand. She pulled it out and the pain stopped. As the days went by she didn’t see Paul and didn’t hear from Miss Creysen.
Paul Hal returned to Nadine’s restaurant many times but didn’t pay much attention to Nadine. It didn’t surprise her that he returned. The restaurant was big and beautifully decorated, the food was great and there was a large choice of food to choose from and it was not expensive. Even the view from the windows was great with trees and grass and no garbage hanging around the ground. The dishes and table cloths were elegant.
All was going well that winter finally until once again she spotted Paul sitting with some friends sipping coffee. She stepped back into the kitchen.
“Has anyone served table three?” Janine asked Nadine. She was the kitchen manager.
“No, not yet.”
“Well maybe their busy. You take that table,” Janine said.
“No way. I don’t want that one.”
“All you have to do is ask them if they want a menu then later take their money.”
“I’m not a waitress. I’m a cook.”
“Well this is your chance to train as a waitress. We’ll keep an eye on you, go.”
Nadine took a deep breath and went to the table. “Can I get you anything? A menu perhaps?”
Unfortunately Paul replied, “Yes, we would like more regular coffee and a menu.”
“Coming right up.” Nadine left on command. That went smooth. She took the coffee pot and went to Janine. “If they order food, do I have to cook their meal too?”
“No you don’t. We’ll have someone else cook it. Unless you want to. Would you like to?”
Nadine picked up some menus. “I haven’t decided. I’ll let you know if they order.” She left to refill coffee and pass out menus.
When she was finished she took a break and thought about if she would cook. She remembered what she did last time when he got poisoned. She could cook for him and hope he doesn’t get sick again. Or have someone else do it and not have to worry.
“Janine, how long do we wait for people to decide what to order?”
“Five minutes.”
Nadine went back and took their orders. They wanted food and alcoholic drinks. She took their orders back. This time she