There's a Reason

By Leola Kennedy

What if you were born with difficulty hearing? Ten-year-old Paula knows she is different, and worries that she might not be able to hear the teacher at her new country school. What if her classmates tease her? Grandpa reminds Paula that God makes people different for His own reasons, but Paula still wishes she could hear like the other students. When Paula meets George, who has lost a leg, she begins to realize that others hurt, too. This story demonstrates that God creates us all uniquely, and that He has a special plan for each and every one of us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Word Alive Press
• Release date: Jan 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781770696198

Book preview

There’s a Reason

Copyright © 2012 by Leola Kennedy

All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

This is a work of fiction.

EPUB Version ISBN: 978-1-77069-619-8

Word Alive Press

131 Cordite Road, Winnipeg, MB R3W 1S1

www.wordalivepress.ca

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Kennedy, Leola, 1936-

There’s a reason / Leola Kennedy.

Ages 8-10.

ISBN 978-1-77069-445-3

1. Hearing impaired children--Juvenile fiction. I. Title.

PS8621.E6355T44 2012 jC813’.6 C2011-908439-2

Dedication

This book is dedicated to every child who is different in some way. Remember God made you or allowed you to be as you are, for a reason. He loves you and with His help you can be everything He wants you to be. You are precious to God.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

acknowledgements

Thank you to each individual who has encouraged me to keep writing.

Thank you especially to my wonderful patient husband who has never lost faith in me.

Also, thank you to our daughter Sharon for (helping with) her computer expertise. You were a constant help in many ways.

Thank you to Caroline Brocke for offering to use your artistic gift for the illustrations and listening to God’s voice.

Above all, I am forever grateful for a personal Lord, who in His Grace enabled the recall of childhood scenes and settings for use in my fictional story.

Chapter 1

Paula thought her thumping heart would leap right out of her mouth. Her tummy quivered. The green-roofed, one room school was in sight.

Julie, slow down please! Paula begged her older sister. I’m afraid to go in! What’ll I do if I can’t hear the teacher?

Julie slowed and glanced with concern at Paula. You can just tell the teacher the problem. She’ll put you near the front. Teachers aren’t all mean!

That was easy for Julie to say, thought Paula. She’d been to school before. Oh! I wish I was back at Granny’s house doing my lessons. She tucked her wind-blown, sandy ringlets beneath their blue ribbon and smoothed the sash of her new, blue flowered dress.

As they crossed the schoolyard a bell clanged. Laughing and shoving, kids of all ages jostled for the place nearest to the door. Everyone wanted the best seat on the first day of school.

Paula had no idea what the ruckus was about. Her legs felt like jelly. Clutching her lunch in a yellow lard pail, her report card and pencil case, she followed Julie.

Julie and Paula waited for the teacher to assign their seats.

One long-legged boy was scrunched into a back seat. Paula thought he looked big enough to have his own kids.

Hello! the smiling teacher greeted the newcomers. I’m Miss Collins.

We just moved to the Adam’s farm, Julie spoke up.

That’s quite a ways south, is it not? Did you walk? asked teacher.

We walked today.

Miss Collins reached for Paula’s report card and quickly Paula whispered, Please, teacher, could I sit in a front seat? Sometimes it’s hard to hear.

Miss Collins looked sharply at Paula. We will see.

Standing at the front of the room beside her own desk, Miss Collins clapped her hands. Attention, class!

Paula was amazed at the abrupt silence.

Class, stand! There was a great scraping of feet and everyone stood. "We will now sing O Canada!" With a clear, strong voice, Miss Collins led the anthem.

When the class was seated again, Miss Collins opened a big black book. She began to read from the Bible.

Sitting almost frozen in a desk halfway down a row, Paula prayed in her heart. God, I feel so alone. Help me to hear. Help me to find a friend.

Turning her head a wee bit to the right, Paula was confronted by a wonderful, sunshiny smile. The smile belonged to a girl across the aisle. Glasses with heavy lenses perched jauntily on her freckled nose. Paula beamed back at her and slowly relaxed in her seat.

Cautiously, Paula looked to the left. A row of windows faced east. One window was propped open and the sweet aroma of newly cut alfalfa wafted lazily inside. A black-capped chickadee skittered along the sill.

Across the schoolyard, Paula saw two miniature houses, one marked Boys and the other Girls. Beyond them a tiny red barn stood starkly alone.

Without warning, Paula’s head jerked crazily to one side. Someone had yanked a ringlet! Slowly she turned to look behind. A boy about her age sat solemnly gazing out the window. He twiddled with his pencil but never looked her way.

If only I had an older brother, thought Paula. How am I to know what to do? The boy had to have been the one who had pulled her hair but he looked innocent.

The teacher came by the hair-tugger’s desk. Paula cocked her head to hear his name but couldn’t. He wasn’t moved so she knew he was also in Grade Five.

An older girl handed out arithmetic workbooks to all grades. Paula began her first assignment.

Miss Collins was helping the first grade children.