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

I like it here in Brazil anyway. Good bye Randy. Have fun rotting in prison soon,” she said angry and hung up.

Later that evening Tammy called and Peggy responded, “I got nothing out of him. So it looks like we’re living in fear until they’re dead.”
“Okay,” came the response on the other line. “I may have to go to extremes to get him caught. I want them to kidnap me so the police can find him,” Tammy replied.
“I don’t think so Tammy. Have a good evening.” Peggy hung up and ended the conversation. She turned to her friend. “How are we going to catch this person? We don’t even know who he is. My daughter Tammy wants to help.” Peggy just stared, she hadn’t thought of any idea for catching him yet. They wanted it so much but Tammy getting kidnapped to get those guys caught was the only idea they had because Dan was nowhere to be found but expected to be in the area.
Peggy responded, “I got nothing out of him. So it looks like we’re living in fear until they’re dead.”

After days of thinking she finally came up with an idea, to get a confession out of Randy. Some how get him to tell her who started the fire and where they all hide out. She figured he might love to get a phone call from her. She called him again. “I want you to tell me who started the fire,” she told him.
“I already gave it away. They know I hired someone and they went through my phone call records and traced the call to an address. They know his name is Dan and they haven’t arrested him yet but they want to.”
“Do you think he’ll pay for the damages he did to my mother’s house?” she asked.
“No I don’t.”
“Well, I will be glad when he is caught because then, after school, from now on I can come home.”
“Where are you and where are you going to go?”
“I’m not telling you where I am but I’ll give you the hint that I have left America and I don’t know where I’d go if I left here. Maybe to Georgia back to my husband. I’m so glad I want to thank you for reporting the fire.”
“I hardly didn’t tell, I pretty much got caught. I burned with hate so much inside I wanted revenge because we couldn’t be together.”
“I have three words for you. Get over it. You’re not going to be with me now. So long.” That was her way of saying good bye and she hung up the phone and dropped it on the receiver.
“Have a great life,” Randy said but she had already hung up the phone and didn’t hear it. He smiled at the idea of getting out in seven years but didn’t want to see her again. He sat and thought, concerning himself with the one problem they all thought about which was finding Dan and making sure he doesn’t attack ever again or run from the address the police have. He went to his bed and laid down. He didn’t care what happened to Dan. Dan did his job and that was it. But he did miss Peggy and Tammy.

“I think that was the last of Randy,” Peggy said in her living room. “I wonder how we could help them get Dan.”
“It might be like looking for a needle in a haystack if they don’t know where he is,” her friend replied.
Peggy had hoped he would be found. She couldn’t help but wonder where he was and how she would know when he got arrested and put away. “I wonder if he’s out looking for us now.” The room was dark accept for the shadow of the trees blowing outside. It was frightening but they were brave and glad they weren’t alone.
“Maybe not if he’s already done his job.”
“No because then why are we here hiding if he doesn’t want us?”
“Because we need to make sure we’re safe. What do you want to do now? Finish school then go back home?”
“Yes. I should go back to my husband in Georgia.”
“I don’t know where I’ll go, to Colorado, California, or Utah. We won’t be finished with school for a long time.” The phone rang and Peggy answered it.
“Hello. Okay.” She hung up. “And Dan’s going to be in jail by then. Want to know how I know? Because that was my mom calling. The police tracked him down hiding in Fresno, California and arrested him. We’re finally safe.” They both sat relieved.
“It’s over,” Peggy said. “I’m going to call my husband and tell him.”

That calm evening Peggy appeared in her friend’s bedroom doorway. “I’m going to fly back to Georgia and visit my husband for the rest of the summer okay. I’m leaving this weekend.”
Peggy left like she said and by the end of summer she did come back. All that was left for her was to finish her education. They both kept in touch so Peggy could see that she was as safe and healthy as ever before. The phone rang one afternoon. It was Peggy Brooke’s mother Celia Brooke. They had their usual conversation, “Hi mom.”
“Hi, how are you Peg?” Her mom would ask.
“I’m fine.” Then next came the real reason for the call.
“Who’s the friend you live with you were telling me about?”
“That’s Shelly Nelson.” Now that Celia had her name she had what she wanted.
As the ladies continued to be occupied with her schooling it all went well. Peggy studied the subjects she enjoyed, walked on the beach, and spent her weekends relaxing and shopping. This became the life she wanted. When she earned enough money from her job and came closer to graduating she bought her own tan colored house and moved into it. She never saw her friend again after the summer but they sent Christmas and birthday cards every year. Peggy did visit her mom every other year. She never wanted to move from South America and didn’t ever move for the rest of her life.


Higher Learning


Anita was always the quiet type, not very willing to speak to strangers in public. She kept her long black hair covering half her pale cheeks and brown eyes. At age 19 she didn’t have her own car. Catching a ride with her friend Tony they stopped at a red light. Anita desperately wanted to get to go to a music concert Tony was going to. They knew each other from high school so he said he would take her.
As the light turned green Tony stepped on the gas. When Anita looked to her left she saw a big black truck speeding towards them. It ran the red light. Obviously it was going to hit their car.
Anita’s heart was beating hard. She called out, “Tony!” The truck hit Tony’s side then stopped and drove away.
Anita watched the truck race away down the street unharmed. She saw that Tony was bleeding and the whole side of his car had been smashed. They would not make it to the concert now, but Anita felt grateful she didn’t get hurt. She got out of the truck and jumped up and down in frustration and looking up at the sky. “Horrible,” she shouted. She grabbed her cell phone out of her purse and called an ambulance. “Tony, they’ll be here in a few minutes okay.”
He laid there with his head bleeding but she thought he heard her. His eyes started to close. Anita opened the left side car door and tried to make Tony comfortable. She heard the sound of ambulance sirens and three minutes later they had pulled over to get him. Anita waved her arms in the air to make sure they would stop.
A paramedic dressed in a white suite pulled Tony out of the car and laid him on a stretcher.
“Somebody hit us and took off. He was in a black truck and he ran a red light. I’m Anita; I was in the car with Tony.” She stepped up into the ambulance to ride to the hospital. She noticed Tony’s eyes were closed.
“A tow truck driver will come and haul away the car.” The paramedic said as he sat down across from Anita.
When they arrived at the hospital ten minutes later the paramedic and driver rolled Tony in through the glass door of the hospital on a rolling bed and then left.
Anita felt the cold air blow on her and she knew evening would soon come. With the ambulance doors left wide open she walked to the front doors