Mel’S New Home

By Debbie McDaniel

Will Mel ever be happy after they leave Gurney? What about the other students she will meet? Will she like her new teacher?
Will Andrew have a good time on his leave? What happens to Andrew when he meets his high school classmates?

What happens when their mom starts doing her volunteer work?

These answers and more will be evident when the Schnoor family pulls up roots, and they move to their new hometown, Morgansville. And all their lives change.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 2, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984538635

Book preview

THE ANNOUNCEMENT

I T WAS THE first week in December, as Mel inhaled the cool air deeply, breathing in the crisp, late fall air. She smiled, as she walked home from her school in Gurney. She was glad to see the snow had started falling, but only lightly. This was a good thing, since it meant she and her friends should be able to enjoy their Christmas vacation. In less than two weeks, it would be time for them to set their studying and school books aside, at least for a little while, and enjoy the outdoor things students did during their Christmas vacation.

While Mel and her friend, Susie, walked home, through the white, fluffy snow, they laughed and visited. They talked about how they had looked forward to this vacation, since shortly after the school year had started. It always seemed like, as soon as the school year started, they were making plans for what they’d do, during the next vacation.

Now, if only the weather will cooperate—it doesn’t get too cold, or snow so hard that they weren’t able to get out and enjoy their days—things would be perfect. Most of their friends were staying home, because a lot of them had gone out of town to visit their relatives, during their Thanksgiving vacation. So they will have nearly two weeks to spend time together, having fun and doing most of the things they had planned.

At least, that was what she thought would happen, but that was before … before her thinking had changed, or I should say, it was changed for her. No. This was not, at all, the way twelve-year-old Melonie Schnoor had planned on spending her Christmas vacation. But plans don’t always work out the way you would prefer them to. This was going to be one of those times.

If she had come to learn and at least tolerate anything, during her life, it was that two things in their family were definites: they would not be living in any of their homes for more than about three years, and she did not have much choice, as to where they went or stayed, or when they moved. So she knew she would have to do what she was told, which caused her to be referred to, by herself and a lot of other people, as an Army brat.

Whenever her dad said he had been reassigned, she knew it was time to start packing boxes again. That’s what had happen last night. He had come home, last night, from his office job with the Army. Supper was going as normal, then he made the announcement. He had announced that his boss told him he was being transferred, the day after Christmas. This wasn’t a big shock, since they never got to stay in a home for more than two to three years. They had already been here over two years.

But Mel didn’t want to move, whether it was just across town or to a different state. Either way, she’d be still be leaving some of the best friends a girl could have made, this time. She didn’t want to have to start all over, at a new school. She’d need to start all over, making a whole new bunch of friends. That meant she would be alone a lot of the time, because she would not have anyone to hang out with, like she does now. It was not an idea that Mel was looking forward to. Not at all.

Not that again! I was just getting to know most of the kids in my class well enough to call some of them real good friends. I enjoy going places and doing things with them, like you always told me good friends did. We have made plans, to do lots of fun things, Christmas vacation. But now it’s all ruined. Why does this always have to happen? Mel exclaimed, in an angry tone.

A few minutes later, after she’d calmed down a bit, Mel asked, Do we really have to go? She didn’t think she could feel any worse, if someone had reached inside her chest and pulled out her heart.

Sweetie, you’ve known that this is a part of my job description. If they had given me a choice in the matter, we wouldn’t be moving anywhere, either, but that’s not the situation, Kevin said, almost apologetically. "This is the part of my job that none of us really care for, but this all goes with it. You’ll find that you will make lots of new friends and things won’t be as bad as you think. It might even turn out that you would have more friends, having more fun, and things won’t be nearly as bad as you think at our new home. I think you’re making, entirely, too much out of this.

The good news is that you won’t have to go anywhere until after we enjoy our Christmas dinner in this home. I got approval to report in at my new assignment after we celebrate Christmas and have time to get moved."

Kevin Schnoor had been involved with the Army, in one capacity or another, for as long as Mel could remember. At the time Kevin and Kathy had left their childhood hometown, they were just two young people that were very much in love and newly married, and Kevin was an enlisted man. In a few years, after Kevin was deployed to Iraq, their son had been born. After Kevin came home from Iraq, he had served a few more months statewide, before he was discharged from any active duty with the Army.

After being honorably discharged, he was fortunate enough to land a desk job at the local arsenal. That meant he got to spend most nights at home, and his position with them would take him and his family to a number of different states. There had been a few times he was even sent abroad, but only for two or three days at a time.

Mel shook her head, saying, Things at the new place will never be the same as it is here! I’m not going to have any friends as nice as the ones I have at this school. Where are we headed, this time? she asked, in a demanding tone.

Settle down. We will be moving to a town that’s about forty-five minutes north of us. It’s called Morgansville. I think you will find that you are making this out to be a lot worse than it will turn out to be.

Whether their new home was going to be forty-five minutes away, or half-way across the country, it really didn’t matter to Mel. In any case, she was going to be leaving some of the best friends she would ever have. Tears were burning Mel’s eyes as all she could do was just shrug, before starting to walk away, feeling totally defeated.

Then, she remembered something she and her parents had discussed, she was struck by an idea that causing her to brighten up a bit. When we get moved, can I get the kitten you had promised me? Ple-e-eaze. Then I’ll, at least, have someone to keep me company, Mel pleaded, as she smiled sweetly and jumped around.

You know, it won’t be as easy as just getting a new kitten and some pet food. There is a lot of responsability that will go along with raising it. You will have to love it, feed it, and give water to it, regularly. Then, you also will have to find time to pet and play with it, nearly every day, because if your pet feels neglected, it may not come around when you want it to. In just a few months, the weather should be nice enough to be outside for a few hours at a time, so you can take it out in the sun, and go for a walk with it.

Mel considered what he had said, for a few minutes. Then she turned back to her dad and, in a pleading tone of voice, said, OK, I promise I’ll do everything you talked about. I’ll take real good care of it, loving and feeding it. So can we get one?

Just keep in mind that love takes a lot of work. When you come home tired, or your friends have other things you want to do with them, that kitten will still be there. It will still have to be fed and need attention. Do you think you’re ready to take on that kind of responsibility?

Oh, you can count on me to take care of it. That won’t be a problem. You’ll see, Mel reassured him, as she jumped up and down.

Kevin and Kathy looked at each other, as if each of them was deep in thought. Kevin finally broke the silence. He turned to Mel and said, We will talk it over, after we get in the new house. We’ll have to see what happens, and if the new house has an area that seems like it would be pet-friendly, so we could keep it and its food in it.

There’s a good side to not moving for a couple weeks, this time. We can take advantage of the extra time, by going through our closets and drawers, thoroughly, deciding what we don’t use or wear too much anymore. I’ll have enough time to get us some boxes, and we can put those clothes or other items in them. Then we will give those boxes that are no longer needed by us, to Goodwill, and let someone else get some use out of them.

That way, when it comes time for us to get things packed up, for the move, this should make it easier to pack. When it is moving day, we will just have to be concerned about moving the things that are left. Kevin told Kathy he would get a some extra boxes for each of them to use. She could get started going through the cabinets, and get any extra china and glasses, other than any those they would need for their Christmas dinner, packed away. Depending on how much they used those items, the box will either be given away or stacked with the boxes go along, on moving day. Besides going through his clothes, Kevin would start going through the things in his office, keeping only the things he needed.

Kathy knew how disappointed Mel was, and thought, maybe, she’d like the idea of going to the mall. She knew that it was something that always made her perk up, a bit. Kathy headed upstairs, looking for Mel. She found Mel in her bedroom, reading. Kathy stopped by the door, rapped on the frame and asked Mel, Mel, I was wondering if you’d like to go down to the mall, getting our hair trimmed. Then, our hair will look nice for when Aunt Carol comes for Christmas. We might get you a new outfit, and one or two gifts, while we’re out. Even though she didn’t say it, Kathy thought that would also mean Mel would look nice when she went to her new school.

Mel looked up, smiled and said, Sure, Mom. When did you think we should go?

I was thinking we can go this Saturday. It’s bound to be busy, in the mall, this close to Christmas. So let’s plan to go right after we finish our breakfast. Then, we might be able to get in and out, before it gets so busy that we have to be walk elbow to elbow, down the mall.

The Schnoors usually had one of the most nicely decorated houses on the block, at this time of year. They, usually, put up lots of Christmas decorations, on the house and in the yard. But this year was going to be different. They only wanted to put up a few outdoor decorations, which meant Kevin wouldn’t be putting out some of their nicest decorations. Then, when it came the day of the move, Kevin could get all the all the ones that were up, taken down in just a few hours. He would be able to get them packed away in boxes, when they were starting to get things packed into the moving truck.

Most of the holiday decorations they put up were inside the house. Those decorations wouldn’t take too long to get put in their boxes and packed away.

Betsy had helped Kathy get some decorations put out on the end tables, along with any other empty areas on the shelves she had. They tried their best, to brighten up the rooms and make them look festive, for their family and Christmas dinner. Mel’s aunt, her dad’s only sister, Carol, and her two sons were going to be there, along with Grandma and both of Mel’s parents.

The sun was shining brightly into Mel’s window, making it look as though it was nicer outside. This was one of the nicest days for Christmas that Mel could remember. There were only about six to ten inches of snow on the ground. That would be enough for the kids to enjoy any sleds or other outdoor items they may get for Christmas. The temperatures were in the twenties, so, along with the lack of snow, it wasn’t a bad enough day to keep anyone from enjoying their holiday or traveling to see family and friends.

The dinner that Kathy had prepared for the day was not planned to be served until around one o’clock, giving Carol plenty of time to get there. Betsy had gotten dressed and was already watching out the window by noon. She didn’t get to see her daughter and grandsons nearly as often as she would like. The fact that Carol worked two jobs made matters worse. That meant she was always hard at work, at one job or the other, trying to make a nice home for the boys and her. Since that meant she did not have a lot of time off, with the families didn’t get to see each other too often. The fact that they lived in another town, didn’t make it any easier.

At the first sign of Carol’s car coming down the street, Betsy went dashing out the front door and down the walk, to greet them. She hadn’t taken time to put her coat on, knowing that she was wearing her favorite Christmas sweater. Since it was such a nice day, she was sure she would be warm enough, without it. When Carol and her boys got out of their car, Betsy rushed over to them, and gave each of her grandsons a big hug. Then she headed around the car, to hug Carol and help her carry the food she brought with her into the house.

Kathy had purchased a cranberry red runner, to put down the center of their dinner table, at one of the local stores. On each end of the runner, as well as in the middle of the table, there was a candle holder, in the shape of a snowman. There was a green, pine scented, candles in each of the snowman’s hands. Each place was set with one of the china plates Betsy had brought from her house, outside Gurney. Next to each plate, there was a setting of silverware that Mel had rolled in a holiday green napkin, with a napkin ring to hold it together that was shaped like a snowman’s head.

After Carol expressed her appreciation for how lovely Kathy’s table looked, the women and Mel carried all the dishes of food they’d prepared into the table. Their meal would consist of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and several types of vegetables and salads. In addition to that, of course, there were always lots of cookies, fudge and several kinds of pie and other dessert.

When everyone had finished eating, Betsy announced that there were still several types of dessert, on the kitchen counter. There were a several comments from people, saying they had already eaten plenty. They would nibble on the desserts, during the afternoon.

Kathy had been concerned that there wouldn’t be enough food, but it turned out that there was more than enough. She, certainly, didn’t have anything to be concerned about. After the meal, there was plenty of food left. If anyone wanted, they could still have a sandwich for supper.

After the meal, the women and Mel started clearing the table. Kevin and boys went into the livingroom, making themselves comfortable, around the fireplace. Kathy told them that after she and the other females got everything cleaned up, putting the leftovers away, they’d be in to join the guys. The females took all the dirty dishes to the kitchen, got the plates scraped into the garbage disposal, put them in the dishwasher, put all the leftovers in the refrigerator and headed in to sit down with the guys.

Just as they got in the livingroom, and ready to be seated, the telephone rang. Kevin walked over to their phone and looked at caller ID. He found the caller ID indicated there was a call coming in from the town where Andrew, their son, was stationed. He had called to wish a Christmas greeting to everyone.

Kevin talked to him first, telling him that they would be moving tomorrow, right after they had a chance to celebrate one final Christmas in this house. He let Andrew know what town they were moving to, and he gave Andrew their new address. Kevin closed their conversation by telling An- drew to have a Merry Christmas and for him to tell all of his unit to have a Merry Christmas. Then Kathy, Mel and Betsy took their turns at saying hello and talking to him for a few minutes. Each of them wished him and his unit a Merry Christmas, before they said good bye to him and hung up.

Then it was finally the time the kids had been waiting for. It was time for everyone to take a seat, around the Christmas tree, and pass out their gifts. The young people had waited as long as they could, and couldn’t wait long enough for everyone to get their gifts. Before all the gifts were passed out, they were too excited, so they started ripping open their gifts. That got a laugh out of the adults, but they just sat back and let the kids have their fun. When the kids had opened all their gifts, it was the adults’ turn.

Betsy had gotten a real nice sweater, along with a couple jigsaw puzzles. Kevin had gotten a golden pen set and some stationery, for his desk. Kathy got a cookbook she had been wanting, along with some scented candles. Mel got a trilogy that was written