Marigold by Heather Manheim (best books for 8th graders .TXT) 📕

The entrance door Davis had come through a few moments before had led to a foyer, tiled in blue marble. They were standing just past that, in what looked like the entry into the library. And that is where the girls started. They showed Davis—well, they kept calling her Delilah, and Davis was trying to get used to it—the wall of books. Davis ran her finger over some of the spines, all very classic looking books with rich leather binding and gilt edges. The bookshelf reached from top to bottom and ran the entire length of the wall, maybe about forty feet long. At the end, there were large bay windows with cushioned window seats and royal blue window coverings with the monogrammed E in gold thread in the middle. Several large plush, comfy looking chairs were a light blush color and looked as if climbing into them would be the equivalent of climbing into a billowy cloud. They then pointed to a large table in the middle of the library; Davis had to stifle a laugh because there was a large inlaid golden E in the middle of the table. Well, he is just everywhere, isn’t he? she thought.

Afterward, the ladies showed her where to get an entertainment console and how to pull up virtually any movie, book, or piece of music she wanted. Although Davis was familiar with it from the hospital stay, she kept quiet and let them teach her. They gave her a quick peek at the kitchen, so to speak. It was small and had glass-covered cabinets that held plates and cups. It was definitely not a kitchen to prep in; it had no stove or sink. Only a drinking water dispenser and some drawers labeled to show where they kept utensils, plates, cups, and napkins. Rebecca pointed to a silver box and told Davis that nutrition biscuits came up from the kitchen via the dumb waiter. Otherwise, the kitchen was unremarkable; yes, it was clean, tidy, and white. There was not a speck of dust seen; the only color and sound was the humming blue light above. To the right of the kitchen was a little hallway, painted a sunny yellow. Going from the white to the yellow made Davis feel overwhelmed by the differences between the Palace and the Pods. President Everett was allowed to live in luxury and a world of magnificent color. Everyone else lived in a dull world. So much for equality, Davis thought. She noticed toward the top of the ceiling, where the yellow wall met the blue light, it made a sickly-looking shade of green. Davis thought it was appropriate that at least one thing in Everett’s world should look vomity. Laughing to herself, she wondered why she hadn’t noticed this color in other rooms. Perhaps the more opulent colors absorbed the blue light better and, in many cases, covered it all together.

At the end of the hallway, to the left, was an immaculately clean white-tiled bathroom. The group only peeked in there, but one side had a row of sinks and a wall-length mirror. On the other side, a dark wooden brown tower held piles of fluffy white towels, and a rack held luxurious white bathrobes. At the back of the restroom, one side had a row of four showers, the doors covered with a thin opaque-white curtain. The other side had four toilet cubicles, the doors made of the same fine wood as the towel holder and robe rack.

To the right of the hallway was the bedroom she would share with the wives in her group. A rich burgundy color covered the wall in the room. There was a bed for each wife; all brown wooden beds, albeit small, were piled high with a sumptuous thick white comforter and several pillows. Davis realized right away many of those pillows would end up on the floor. She choked on her laugh when she saw the large E embroidered right in the center of her comforter. That wasn’t the only laugh she had to hold back. On the other side of the room was an immensely large painting of President Everett. Almost as large as the wall itself. It featured the President as a general of some sort. A black peaked cap was atop his head, and he wore what looked like a very traditional black, blue, and red general’s outfit. Gold stripes ran down the length on each side of the pants, and golden epaulets capped his shoulders. Medals adorned the entire left breast of the jacket. In the top left corner of the painting, angelic creatures with trumpets looked down toward Everett with looks of reverence. In the top right was a golden shield, the emblem of the United State. The shield was divided into four sections. On the top left, a dove with wings outstretched and an olive branch flew. On the top right was the national flag, which had not changed since it was redone by President Everett about ten years prior. While the actual flag of the United State was a red background with a large blue star in the center and a smaller white star in its center, in the painting on the shield, everything was gold, with shading to show depth and layering. The lower left quadrant showed a bald eagle, an homage to the old United States. Lastly, in the lower right was the symbol “” representing om and the peace that was supposedly abundant in the United State, as well as representing President Everett’s dedication to not only practicing yoga but teaching it to others.

The entire background of the painting, clearly a battlefield, was confusing to Davis. The battle was showing President Everett victorious and triumphant after combat. But, there never was such a battle; Everett became President because it was presumed that he rescued everyone from the