Maddie in the Middle

By Cindy Horrell Ramsey

Maddie Marie Miller is a smart, compassionate ten-year-old born between two sets of athletic twin brothers, but she doesn't like to play sports. She enjoys writing, seashell collecting, and family trips to the beach. Imagine the magic of seeing sea turtles hatching, telling ghost stories in the dark, or hearing ghost crabs crawling on your tent at night while camping at the beach, and you'll find yourself in the middle of Maddie's world. She has one big problem—she just knows her daddy hates her. When her fifth grade class participates in an adopt-a-grandparent program, Maddie chooses a veteran who lost both legs and one arm in the Vietnam War. Any mention of that war at home angers her daddy, and Maddie wants to know why. Her persistence sets life-altering events into motion. A medical emergency threatens the lives of two people she loves and causes discord in her family. Then a family vacation brings Maddie and her daddy face-to-face with the secret that has haunted him for more than 45 years. Maddie finds herself caught in the middle of everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cindy Horrell Ramsey
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393160861

Cindy Horrell Ramsey

In the early 1960s, Cindy Ramsey was one of thousands of children who raised money to save the battleship North Carolina and bring it to Wilmington, North Carolina. Though her family was poor, her father made sure she and her siblings had money to take to school to help save the ship from becoming scrap. Ramsey grew up in Pender County, north of where the battleship now rests. Writing was something she enjoyed doing, though she never pursued it professionally until after she had married and raised three children. She graduated with a B.A. in English in 1999 and an M.F.A. in creative writing in 2006, both from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Through the years, she worked various jobs, from dental assistant to paralegal to wallpaper hanger. Ramsey began writing and editing the Pender Post in February 2002, then purchased the newspaper that fall. In 2001, she realized the impact of the money she and the other children have given to save the battleship when she attended the annual crew reunion. Ramsey spent time with former crew members and participated in living-history interviews. Though she was already working on another book project, listening to the crew talk about their time on the ship inspired her to turn her attention to Boys of the Battleship North Carolina. She spent five years researching, interviewing crew members, and writing. Some of the men she met in person, but others she knows only from phone conversations, emails, or letters. Ramsey sold the newspaper and moved to Columbus, North Carolina, in 2006. She is now retired from the state community college system.

Book preview

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all the Vietnam Veterans who gave so much for our freedom with little thanks in return. We owe you so much gratitude. Welcome Home and Thank You for your sacrifice.

And

To all people waiting for donor transplants and to those willing to give the gift of life.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book began as a tribute to Vietnam veterans who fought in a war that tore our country apart. They came home—not to waving flags and cheering crowds—but to people who spat on them and called them names. I hope that my readers of all ages can understand better and appreciate more through meeting Uncle John. I think you’ll really like him just like Maddie does.

Now, in addition to honoring Vietnam Veterans, I hope this book can bring awareness to the great need for living kidney donors and help save the life of people like my precious cousin Beth to whom this book is also dedicated.

But first of all, have fun reading! Several of your peers have done just that as junior beta readers. My granddaughter Lainey Stutts took her job very seriously and read with a pen in hand, marking all the places that my characters didn’t say things the way someone their ages probably would. Mady Roller—wise beyond her years—was invaluable in helping me with the storyline, character names, and even the title. Ryan Dippolito loved it so much that he’s already told his friends about it. Thanks junior readers for doing such a great job!

I also want to thank my adult readers Robin Eldridge Roller, Patsy Rivenbark, Brenda Ellyson Radford, Charlotte Baggett, Beth Mills, and Ann Beach for their feedback from a parent’s perspective and eagle-eye editing. Their love of the book gives me great hope that parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers and kids will read and enjoy it together.

In addition to reading, Ms. Radford, who works at Duke, also gave me invaluable input on the experience of kidney transplant patients and helped me put them on the right floor of the hospital!

Thank you everyone for your time and dedication!

Chapter 1

THE MIDDLE

Dear Diary,

Tomorrow I start 5th grade, and my daddy hates me.

MADDIE DIDN’T WANT to write anymore. She closed her diary, locked it, and slipped it in the bottom drawer of her dresser between the layers of her Busch Gardens sweatshirt. She had outgrown the shirt, but she liked it too much to give it away. The numbers on her clock showed 11:39. She should have been asleep hours ago, but tonight sleep wouldn’t come. Sometimes writing helped. Not tonight.

She crawled into bed and closed her eyes. She turned one way, then another. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She shouldn’t be nervous. This was her last year in the same elementary school. All her friends would be there.

She rolled over on her side and closed her eyes. She rolled onto her back again. Nothing worked. She couldn’t sleep. She had to pee.

Maddie slipped from her bed and opened the door. She tiptoed past her brothers’ rooms, past her parents’ room, to the end of the hallway. She didn’t flush or wash her hands because that would make too much noise.

Before returning to bed, Maddie pulled her diary back out and tried again.

DEAR DIARY,

What’s so bad about being in the middle? Sometimes the middle is good. Like the ham and cheese in a sandwich or when you’re walking in the woods—no running into cobwebs or getting snatched from behind. Like giving a presentation at school. First is bad because you don’t know what to expect. Last is bad because then you have to be better than everybody else. Being in the middle might be good sometimes. But right now it stinks. And so does being the only girl.

MADDIE HEARD MOMMA in the kitchen even before her alarm clock rang. She had slept a little bit after she finished writing in her diary. Not nearly enough. She was excited about school, but scared she might fall asleep in class. It was going to be a long day.

You were up late last night, Maddie, Momma said as Maddie walked into the kitchen. Writing in your diary again?

Yes, ma’am, Maddie said, wondering how Momma always knew everything.

I never kept a diary, Momma said. Sometimes I wish I had. There are so many things that enter your mind and just disappear.

Maddie started to answer, but her brothers came barreling into the kitchen like a herd of cows. Kevin and Liam were fourteen and starting high school. Nathan and Owen were eight and going into 3rd grade.

Momma had already fried a platter full of bacon and was flipping pancakes on the big griddle. Five glasses of milk sat on the counter with five bananas lying beside them. As the kids all lined up for food, Maddie thought their kitchen was like the lunchroom at school—grab a plate and get your food, sit down at the table to eat, then put your trash in the can and your dishes in the sink.

The Miller bus is pulling out in fifteen minutes, Momma said.

Daddy walked into the kitchen. He pecked Momma on the cheek. 

Morning, Belle, Daddy said. He was a lot older than Momma was, but the way she smiled every time he walked in the room, Maddie figured the wrinkles and gray hair didn’t matter at all.

Morning, James. Breakfast is ready. 

Morning, boys, Daddy said. Are we ready for some football?

Kevin and Liam played on the JV team in high school. Their first game was coming up on Thursday night. Nathan and Owen would play their first Pop Warner game in a couple of weeks.

Maddie didn’t play sports. She liked dancing okay. Daddy didn’t seem to think that was very important and never went to her recitals. She liked writing better. But Daddy didn’t care one twit about reading the stories and poems she wrote either. Not even the one that won a prize at the library. Those things just weren’t important to him, or maybe she wasn’t.

Not like the boys. Or football. Or basketball. Or baseball. 

Morning, Daddy, Maddie said. He just nodded at her and sat down to eat.

Come on, Maddie, Momma said. I’ll help you with your hair.

THAT AFTERNOON WHILE all the boys were at football practice, Momma took Maddie to Burgaw Antique Place to get some fudge. It was the best anywhere around. Then they walked over to the courthouse square and sat on a bench to eat it. Maddie liked having Momma to herself once in a while.

What did you do on your first day of school? Momma asked.

Ms. Moore said that we’re going to adopt grandparents, Maddie said. That’s not like adopting a pet from the animal shelter or like when Suzie’s parents adopted her baby brother is it? I mean, we don’t have to bring them home, do we?

Momma smiled. No I’m sure you couldn’t bring them home even if you wanted to. They are there because they have grown old or sick or hurt and need special care that their families can’t give them. Some of them don’t even have families. Wouldn’t that be terrible?

Maddie thought about that and just nodded her head.

I’m sure most of them are very lonely and would love to have someone visit them and talk to them, Momma said. Maybe we could even take presents on their birthdays and Christmas. I’m sure the adoption just means that each of you picks a person you want for your special friend. Everybody needs a friend.

Maddie thought for a minute. What if someone doesn’t get picked? I mean, what if there aren’t enough kids for all the old people? It would feel kind of like being on the playground while the captains are picking teams to play dodge ball, and you don’t get picked because you’re the last one and then the teams wouldn’t be even. Or the captain just doesn’t like you. It’s mean.

Well, Momma said after thinking for a minute. Maybe other classes will do the same thing your class is doing. Or maybe you can have more than one adopted grandparent so no one gets left out. Talk to Ms. Moore about it. I’m sure she’ll have some really good ideas. You are a very insightful person, Maddie. That is an important quality for a writer, you know.

Maddie smiled at Momma’s compliment. She would have to remember to write that word down so it didn’t disappear. Insightful.

We have a little while before we have to pick up the boys, Momma said. Supper is in the crockpot, so I don’t have to hurry home. You want to walk over to Bet’s Bookstore and see if she has anything new?

Chapter 2

THE MAKING ROOM

Dear Diary,

I got up early again. I thought kids were supposed to sleep late. My brothers sure do. We go to Shady Rest next week to adopt a grandparent. I’m nervous about it, but Momma said not to worry. Momma said everybody’s nervous the first time they do something new. I hope I find somebody good.

WE HAVE A BUSY DAY today, so let’s get started, Ms. Moore said as soon as the bell rang that morning. First, I have permission slips for you to take home and have signed. Please try to bring them back tomorrow, but no later than Friday. We will take our first trip to the nursing home next Monday. You cannot go without the permission slip.

Maddie raised her hand. Momma always said the only dumb questions were the ones you didn’t ask, so she decided to jump right in.

What if we don’t have enough kids for all the old people? Maddie asked. Won’t the ones we don’t pick be sad?

That is a very insightful question, Maddie.

There was that word again. Maddie decided she liked being insightful.

Some of the residents of Shady Rest are much too sick to have visitors, and some don’t like being around children, Ms. Moore explained. I’ve talked to the director, and she has only thirty-one residents who wish to participate in the adopt-a-grandparent program. We have thirty students in our class, so that means that one of you can have two adopted grandparents. I think we can work that out just fine. Thank you, Maddie. Anyone else have a question?

What do we have to do? Nickie asked. She had been Maddie’s best friend since preschool.

We will visit twice a month so you can have a chance to meet face-to-face with your adopted grandparent. On special occasions, we will plan parties. We can sing some songs for Christmas and put up a tree for the residents. I will expect each of you to write letters to your grandparents—real letters with paper and pencil. No texting or emails. I hope you will take the initiative to do that on your own, but we will take some time during Language Arts to do that as a group. Any more questions?

Can we read to them? Ricky asked. Maddie thought it was pretty neat that a boy actually liked to read. Her brothers sure didn’t.

"I am so glad you asked that question, Ricky. During our visits, you can play games with them, read to them, watch TV with them, or just talk. Whatever you and your grandparent decide you want to do will be just fine. Everyone needs a friend. We are going to be their friends.

As Ms. Moore passed out the permission slips, she said, One more thing. We are going to make a special class project during art period. We will present it to Shady Rest so they can always remember the good times we shared. I will ask for suggestions, so be thinking about something really special.

At recess, Maddie and Nickie talked about the trip to Shady Rest.

I wonder what they will be like, Nickie said. "I saw this news show on TV one time that had old people lined up in wheelchairs down the hallway. Some of them kept yelling out for the nurses. Some