The Gimmal Ring

By Karen Koski

Gwendolyn Gimmal desperately wants an invitation to the mysterious Gimmal Gala where her family’s coveted ring is bestowed upon new inductees. It's not that she particularly likes bling, but she knows it will unlock exciting
secrets and reveal what she believes will be her true life’s path.

After finding her way into

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
• Release date: Mar 17, 2019
• ISBN: 9781987976502

Book preview

The Gimmal Ring

Karen Koski

E-BOOK EDITION

The Gimmal Ring © 2019 by Mirror World Publishing and Karen Koski

Edited by: Robert Dowsett

Cover by: Justine Dowsett

Published by Mirror World Publishing in March, 2019

All Rights Reserved.

*This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locales, events or persons is entirely coincidental.

Mirror World Publishing

Windsor, Ontario

www.mirrorworldpublishing.com

[e-mail]

ISBN: 978-1-987976-50-2

For Ken, Kayla and Kristen

Chapter 1 – Cannot Lie Pumpkin Pie

A secret blend of ingredients made into a pumpkin-flavoured tea.

Guaranteed to make you spill your deepest secrets.

The hair on her arms stood at attention. She lay on her stomach in the dark, peering through a gap in the curtains, her body rigid with anticipation. Today was the day. Gwendolyn Gimmal was sure of it. She could feel it in her bones...or maybe it was just the hard floor? She had finally learned to slow her breathing to an undetectable level without passing out. Gwen would not be caught off guard. When it arrived, she would be ready.  She was stealth, a statue, an invisible ninja.

She knows we can see her, right? a voice asked.

Gwen jumped. Her body hovered above the floor for a split second before it thudded down. Her boney hips hit first, breaking her fall. Gwen rolled over and glared at her brother Gage. She wiped at the black paint under her eyes. It was the third time he had snuck up on her...this week.  Clearly, she was not ready for the life-changing event to occur.  

You know Gwen, it’s like waiting for Santa Claus. If he sees you, he won’t come to give you gifts, Gage said, very matter of fact.

Back to practicing my belly crawl down the hallway at 3 am, she thought.

Ahh, hi, a voice said.

Just then Gwen realized there was someone standing beside her brother.

Sorry to interrupt…whatever it is that you’re doing, said Josh, a boy from her class,  but I forgot to get those math notes from you.

Gage munched noisily on crackers. Oh ya, I let Josh in the back door when I came home. He shoved more in his mouth. They watched as crumbs fell to the floor.

Really good hiding spot, Josh said. Gwen just looked at him. Yup, really, reaally good. Josh rocked back on his heels and whistled faintly.  The uhh, black make-up is umm, interesting, he said making swiping gestures under his eyes with his index fingers.

Awkward, Gage said.

Ugh. Gwen groaned and flipped back over onto her stomach, covering herself with a blanket.  Back to square one. I’m not worthy! she moaned.

What is she doing? Josh whispered.

Gage shrugged.  Waiting for an invitation to a party.

Josh pondered that for a moment. Weird.

Welcome to my world, Gage said and left the room.

Gwen knew this wasn’t just any party. It was the Gimmal Gala, where she was sure wonderful, secretive, life altering things happened. 

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Gwen got ready to go to her aunt and uncle’s house, as she did every day after school.  Her dad usually got home late.  Her mom, like always, was gone. Gwen knew that her aunt would be baking up delicious treats for her mail order cookie and tea business. If she timed it right, she would get to sample the latest creations. She put on her shoes and tied them to just the right snugness.  Then she put on her backpack, adjusted the straps to distribute the staggering weight of her advanced textbooks so she wouldn’t topple over. She affixed a baseball cap over her unruly auburn hair at just the right angle to avoid sun exposure on her pale skin. Never too early to prevent wrinkles, she thought. She did a couple of calf raises and shrugged her shoulders, warming up her muscles for the journey. Leaving the outside light on, she exited the side door, locked it, took a deep breath, and set off in the direction of her aunt’s house. 

Exactly twenty-two and a half steps later, Gwen let herself into the side entrance that led directly into the pantry. Like a snake shedding its skin, Gwen slithered out of her backpack and coat, and left them in a pile on the floor, where they would stay until she begged her Uncle Stan to give her a ride home.  The smell of cookies lured her into the kitchen. Through the smoke, she could make out the shape of her Aunt Gerri standing at the stove working her magic.

Fire in the hole! Aunt Gerri yelled. 

Gwen ducked as a pot lid zipped by and narrowly missed her eyebrows that had just grown back.   At least all that time practicing my ninja moves came in handy, somewhere,  she thought. She belly-crawled to the safety of the kitchen island and hid behind it until the sparks stopped flying.  Gwen never felt more at home than she did right here.  Even after the crushing disappointment of her brother discovering her hiding spot, again, and the dreadful day she had had at school, Gwen was comforted by the familiar smoke and flying objects in this kitchen.

Staring out the window, Gwen let her mind wander as she watched Gage balance on rocks while attempting to cross Coghill Creek. Their houses were located on sloping, treed lots with a creek that flowed past at the back of the properties. The stream emptied into Lake Erie at the southernmost part of Kingsville, the small town where generations of her family had always lived.  He wobbled once, twice, and then lost the battle as his sneaker-clad foot dunked into the water up to his ankle.  Gage owned rubber boots but he refused to wear them, saying That was like admitting defeat before you even started. So instead Gage had the largest, smelliest, wet shoe collection going. Usually watching her brother acting like an idiot was enough to distract her, but not today. Her mind kept replaying the humiliating events of the day. It had all started when Gwen got to school this morning.  It was raining, her hair frizzed and her glasses fogged.  Gwen attempted to navigate the busy hallways peering through her misty glasses. The bell rang and Gwen rushed to class. BIG mistake! Before she knew what was happening, she bounced off of something. Her books went flying and her shoes made a loud, moist squeak.  I am sooo sor... Gwen’s apology stopped short when she realized who she had run into. It was Nicole, the self- appointed leader of the popular girls.  Gwen dove onto the ground to retrieve her books.

Nicole glared. Honestly Gwen, you shouldn’t break wind in public. It’s not very ladylike.  Nicole watched Gwen’s horrified expression with pleasure. Perhaps if you did something with that mess you call hair, you would be able to see where you were going.

Gwen was too mortified to point out that it was her foggy glasses and not her hairdo that was to blame. She fled to the bathroom to scrape together what was left of her dignity. Not a great start to her day, and it only got worse.

At lunchtime Gwen walked into the cafeteria trying to steer clear of the popular girl’s table.

Gwen! one of them yelled. I hope you don’t have beans for lunch. That won’t help your little problem at all!

They plugged their noses as Gwen continued past them. The boys at the next table laughed and made fart noises with their hands cupped in their armpits.

Gwen stopped short. Really? she asked, facing them. That’s the best you can do?  Gwen stuck her hand under her arm and made two huge noises.  She had a brother, she knew how to armpit fart with the best of them.

The boys fell silent, staring at her with their mouths hanging open.  One by one, they got up and left the cafeteria. The last boy, who had an acne problem and was small for his age, stopped in front of her. He looked up into her eyes in awe. He whispered something sounding suspiciously like, Will you marry me? and then he left, leaving Gwen standing there with her hand in her armpit.  She was now sweating buckets and was afraid of how her hand would smell if she removed it.  Her dad always told her, If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  He had lied. Not a great day to be Gwen.

Hot potato! I’ve done it! her aunt exclaimed, snapping Gwen out of her pity party for one.

That tea smells good, Gwen said What’s it called?  Aunt Gerri always gave her tea and cookies funny names that gave a hint as to what effect she guaranteed, loosely, very loosely, they would have on the person who consumed them.

Cannot Lie Pumpkin Pie, Aunt Gerri said proudly.  One sip of this and you will have no choice but to tell the whole truth and nothin’ but the truth.

Gwen snorted. She adored Aunt Gerri.  They had the same hair colour and they each had one blue and one green eye.

Gwendolyn, now pay attention, her aunt said sharply and clapped her hands once to be sure she was listening. This is what is in the tea. Cinnamon to induce happiness, so the person doesn’t feel so bad about spilling their guts to you. Kava Kava to loosen the lips.Iin a pinch you can substitute common Chamomile, but it’s not as effective. And the most important item...Bluebells, for truth.  A note of caution here: you are asking for the real, nitty gritty truth, not the truth you want to hear.  Aunt Gerri continued to list the ingredients.  She was adamant that Gwen commit her recipes to memory. Gwen thought perhaps Aunt Gerri was secretly worried she would sustain a head injury if hit by an airborne lid and Gwen was her back up plan. Her aunt was probably counting on her to remember the recipes in case she couldn’t.

Aunt Gerri and Uncle Stan had two sons who were away at college. They were more interested in science experiments than cooking.  Gwen doubted their experiments blew up as often as Aunt Gerri’s recipes. Perhaps her cousins would take more interest if they knew how dangerous it could be.  Gwen knew she was risking her life every time she stepped into the kitchen.

Is there something you want to talk about, Honey? You seem down today.  Did Gage ruin your hiding spot again? Aunt Gerri asked.

Nope, everything’s great, Gwen lied.