for nothing. After all, I don’t like going to the Kemps’ myself. Mrs. Kemp never makes

me feel welcome, and their house always

smells of old soup.”

“I’m sure Mrs. Kemp would like to be

with her son as much as possible while he

is here,” said Mrs. Quimby. “I could suggest she take a week off. That way, you could try 38

staying home without hurting her feelings, and we could see how it works out.”

“She’ll be glad to get rid of me.” The raw, hurt feeling inside Ramona was beginning

to heal now that her family was trying to

help.

“You girls will have to come straight

home from school,” said Mrs. Quimby, “and

promise to behave yourselves. No fighting, and never, never, open the door to strangers.”

The sisters promised. “Mother, will you

phone Mrs. Kemp now?” Ramona was anx-

ious to have the matter settled before Mrs.

Kemp telephoned first to say Ramona was a

bad influence on Willa Jean.

Howie’s grandmother, as Mrs. Quimby

had predicted, was delighted to have more

time to spend with her son.“Whee!” cheered Ramona. She was free of Mrs. Kemp for at

least a week.

When the meal was over, Beezus went to

39

her room to do her homework. Ramona followed and closed the door behind her.“How

come you are willing to stay with me instead of going to Pamela’s or Mary Jane’s after

school?” She could not help feeling suspi-

cious, so unexpected was Beezus’s behavior.

“Mary Jane is always practicing the piano, and I’m not speaking to Pamela,” said Beezus.

“Why not?” Ramona often yelled at

people, but never refused to speak. Nothing could happen if you didn’t speak, and she

liked things to happen.

Beezus explained.“Pamela is always brag-

ging that her father has a real job, and she’s always asking when my father is going to stop fooling around and really go to work.

So I don’t go to her house anymore, and I

don’t speak to her.”

“Pooh to old Pamela.” Ramona chewed a

hangnail as painful as her thoughts. “She

doesn’t have any right to say things like that 40

about Daddy. I won’t speak to her either.”

“And I heard something Aunt Bea said,”

continued Beezus.“She said schools are laying off teachers. How do we know Daddy will

get a job?”

Ramona, who had imagined every school

would want a man as nice as her father, now had a new worry. “You don’t think Daddy

would go to Gaudy Arabia, do you? Even if

it would be warmer than that awful frozen-

food warehouse where he works?”

“Saudi Arabia,” corrected Beezus. “No, I don’t. He doesn’t know anything about oil

except it costs a lot, and do you know what I think?” Beezus did not wait for Ramona

to answer. “I think Mother won’t be work-