Zoey's World: Growing up in Johnson Hollow

By Tambra L. Eifert

Zoey is a kind-hearted, lively young girl with a taste for adventure and mystery. See the world through her eyes as she experiences life, friendship, loss, and growth, with the support of family and friends and her entire community.

Her rite of passage will make you laugh and cry, as it pulls on your heartstrings; it will make you remember what it is like to be a child. By the end of the novel, you will very much feel like you are a part of Zoey’s world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9781532063275

Tambra L. Eifert

Tambra L. Eifert knew at a relatively young age that she would one day be an author. She always could create stories with real and fictional characters, presenting lessons to be learned and problems to be solved. Tambra’s style of writing is somewhat different from other authors in that she can start with just a word or phrase, a detail or event, or even an inspirational thought, and like a seed, it magically grows into a story. Tambra resides in Topeka, Kansas with her two dogs and bird. Earning a Ph.D. from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, she serves as a faculty member teaching geology courses at Washburn University.

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Zoey’s World

Growing Up In

Johnson Hollow

Tambra L. Eifert

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Zoey’s World: Growing Up In Johnson Hollow

Copyright © 2019 Tambra L. Eifert.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6326-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-6327-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018915241

iUniverse rev. date: 08/27/2019

Dedication

To my dear loving mother

who instilled in me a love of the written word

and inspired me to write this story.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

A Note from the Author

Chapter 1     The Little Gray House

Chapter 2     Wishing Upon a Star

Chapter 3     There’s Something in the Attic

Chapter 4     Small Acts of Kindness

Chapter 5     The Secret Cave

Chapter 6     The Vanishing Little Girl

Chapter 7     The Guardian of the Woods

Chapter 8     The Mysterious Lights of Johnson Hollow

Chapter 9     A Mother’s Endless Love

Chapter 10   Forever Friends

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following beings great and small for their assistance in helping to make this book a reality.

First and foremost, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my loving and supportive mother, for without her encouragement, the writing and completion of this book may have never happened. To the world, she is my mother, but to me, she is my world.

I wish to sincerely give thanks to my two loving and devoted dogs, Keyma and Ringo, and my dear, sweet little parakeet MeKo. In order for me to write this book, they sacrificed many hours of attention and playtime.

With great appreciation, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to two of my dearest friends, Susanne F. Faulkinbury and her daughter, Erica N. Faulkinbury, not only for their valuable first round of review, proofreading, and feedback but also for their continued support and encouragement throughout the writing of this book. Indeed, they were my cheerleaders! I also appreciate immensely the help of Teresa Fernandez, who did the second round of proofreading, offered helpful editorial suggestions, and gave the book a polishing touch.

Likewise, I wish to give special thanks to Dianne Lawson for beautifully writing the Foreword section of this book. Not only is she a well-established author but also a consultant, who throughout the years, has offered me encouragement, support, and motivation to begin my writing endeavors.

In addition, I would like to personally thank Erica N. Faulkinbury for her generous photographic contribution and expertise in capturing the real me for my author’s profile.

To those friends and family members who are too numerous to name here, and whose enthusiasm and encouragement drove me toward my writing pursuits — Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Finally, my greatest thanks go to the God Almighty, the One and Infinite Creator, who is First and Last and all things in between. I write for You, through You, and because of You. With all my being, I thank You.

The Cast of Characters (Zoey’s Family):

Roy and Emma Bennett – (Parents)

Richard – (Brother, second to youngest)

Elizabeth – (Sister, third to youngest)

Jonathan – (Elizabeth’s husband)

Marie – (Sister, fourth to youngest)

Kane – (Marie’s husband)

Kaitlin – (Sister, fifth to youngest)

Tanner – (Kaitlin’s husband)

Jason – (Kaitlin’s infant son)

Joan – (Sister, sixth to youngest)

Tyler – (Joan’s husband)

Irene – (Sister, oldest)

Paul – (Irene’s husband)

Korbyn – (Irene’s infant son)

Emily – (Cousin)

Blackie – (Male Australian Shepherd)

Clarabelle – (Female Jersey cow)

Honeybun – (Clarabelle’s female Jersey calf)

Mr. Jingles – (Cousin Emily’s squirrel)

Rusty – (Female Tabby cat)

The Cast of Characters (Neighbors, Friends, and Community):

Mrs. Adams – (Elementary school teacher)

Jake Branford – (Farm Veterinarian)

Anna Mae Brown – (Elizabeth’s best friend)

Aponi – (Jimmy Skyhawk’s deceased wife)

Callie Rose Brown (Anna Mae Brown’s adopted daughter)

Carl – (The mailman for Star Route Road)

Carolyn – (Zoey’s soon-to-be best friend)

Dr. Ackerman – (Town’s family doctor)

John Ferguson – (Carney McFee Bee’s neighbor)

Larry Hunter (Zoey’s soon-to-be boyfriend)

Carney Liam McFee Bee – (Good friend and neighbor)

Joseph McFee Bee – (Carney Liam McFee Bee’s son)

Linda Parker – (Zoey’s best friend)

Dooley McAllister – (Emma’s good friend, musician)

Michael Bradshaw – (Pastor for the First Christian Church of Oakley)

Ivy Jones – (Nearby neighbor)

Joey Martin – (One of Sheriff Walker’s deputies)

Lolina Greystone (Female ghost residing in Anna Mae Brown’s house)

Mr. and Mrs. Parker – (Linda Parker’s parents)

Jimmy Skyhawk (Grandfather) – (Cherokee Elder and Tommy Skyhawk’s grandfather)

Tommy Skyhawk – (One of Sheriff Walker’s deputies)

Benjamin (Ben) Walker – (Town’s sheriff)

Jack Weber – (Neighbor down the road)

Oliver Kendall – (The landlord)

Jeremy Wilder – (Music Agent for Fade to Blue Studios)

Jeffrey Scott Williams – (Lolina Maria Greystone’s fiancé)

Glenda Wilkinson (Deceased neighbor)

Joseph Wilkinson (Deceased neighbor)

The Guardian – (A mysterious creature of Johnson Hollow)

Ruby – (Jimmy Skyhawk’s female Golden Retriever)

Shadow – (Ivy Jones’ male German Shepherd)

Sun Racer – (Jimmy Skyhawk’s male Painted Horse)

No names assigned – (Young veteran and his wife and children)

No name assigned – (Carney Liam McFee Bee’s wife)

No names assigned – (Elizabeth’s grandfather-in-law and two brothers-in-law)

No names assigned – (Scientists from Lincoln City)

No name assigned – (Anna Mae’s landlord)

No name assigned – (Lolina Maria Greystone’s baby)

Foreword

Tambra Eifert is a gifted storyteller who grabs the reader’s interest and doesn’t let go. Her stories are heartwarming, suspenseful, and funny. While reading about Zoey and her world, I was thoroughly engrossed, sometimes laughing out loud, sometimes sighing inwardly in delight, and sometimes being frightened by possible outcomes.

The book entails all of life, from birth to death and the passage in between the two. Tambra’s detailed descriptions make you hear, see, and feel what the characters and scenes are like and make you feel as if you are actually there.

Zoey loves being a little girl and this book captures the world as seen from the eyes of a little girl. The book took me back to what I felt like and how I saw the world when I was Zoey’s age.

At first, the author takes us to a kinder place and time, wrapped in the warmth of a family that cares about its members and also cares about others in their community. But the book is also about all of life, including loss and death.

Zoey loves Nancy Drew books and has opportunities to be a detective to find out the truth about ghosts and other mysterious creatures. This book discusses topics not often found in stories about a little girl’s childhood, including ghosts, sasquatches, and UFOs.

There were places in the book when a calf might die or when Zoey and her dog Blackie come face to face with a mountain lion that frightened me with their suspense. I could not stop reading; I had to find out what would happen next.

Zoey and her family members, as well as other persons in the story, are all loving, caring, and spiritually advanced with much to teach us. Although the book is rooted in the physical world, it teaches us deep spiritual concepts and truths about love, faith, friendship, and gratefulness.

Zoey enjoys her life and I enjoyed reading about her life. You will, too.

Dianne Lawson, Author and Consultant

A Note from the Author

If you enjoy reading stories that include adventure and mystery, history and culture, and lots of love and good-feeling moments, then this book may be just the one for you to read this year.

Zoey’s World: Growing Up In Johnson Hollow is a fictional story about a young girl named Zoey who lives with her parents on a small farm nestled in the woods of Johnson Hollow. She is a loving and kind little girl who shows a great deal of imagination and curiosity for life and adventure.

Each chapter of the book reveals a portion of her life where she and her family members experience both explained and unexplained events taking place in Johnson Hollow and the nearby town of Oakley. Without a doubt, this book will offer the reader a little bit of love, humor, suspense, mystery, and the unexpected.

As Zoey’s life and journey unfold throughout the story, the reader comes to not only know and appreciate her but to love and respect her. Her story is heart-warming and captivating, for it easily transports the reader’s mind and imagination back to a time when life was simpler and individuals in their communities were supportive, caring, and compassionate toward one another.

Be prepared to open your heart and see through the eyes of Zoey, for this wonderful and unique story will surely tug at your heartstrings, with many twists and turns throughout the book.

It is my sincere hope that Zoey’s World will touch your heart in many different ways, and for the slightly older reader, I hope it brings back fond memories of a simpler time.

Sincerely, Tambra L. Eifert

Chapter One

The Little Gray House

If we could see the world through the eyes of a child, we would experience more love and compassion for one another and see magic and wonder in our everyday lives.

Let me tell you a story about a curious little girl named Zoey. She was a cute little 8-year-old girl with dark-brown eyes and light-brown hair tied in pigtails with little red ribbons. As a child growing up in the 1940s, Zoey lived a simple life with her mother and father. She was the youngest of seven children, a total of six girls and one boy. All of her siblings had basically grown up and moved out of the house to start their own families. As a result, Zoey was somewhat a lonely little girl on the farm. She dearly loved her parents and enjoyed spending time with them, but she also missed playing with children of her own age. Fortunately, her best friend Linda lived not too far away. When they occasionally got a chance to play together at Linda’s house, they had lots of fun attempting to turn cartwheels and somersaults out in the front yard. They also spent a lot of time giggling when the cute little boy next door came out to play with them. You see, Larry was very fond of Zoey and he always tried to make the best impression with his on-the-mark slingshot skills. Little did Larry know that Zoey could shoot a slingshot just as well, if not better, but for the sake of saving face, she kept that particular talent to herself.

After eating supper and completing her chores, Zoey and her parents often enjoyed sitting out on the front porch with Blackie, their black and white Australian Shepherd. They spent many warm, magical summer nights watching endless flight patterns of lightning bugs as they flew low in the front yard and just beyond in the pasture. During the cooler, autumn nights, they enjoyed staring up into the pitch-dark night sky and pointing out starlit figures, such as the Big Dipper and the brave warrior Orion.

Zoey’s mother was somewhat of a serious and quiet woman with a heart of gold, and there wasn’t much of anything her mother couldn’t do, as far as Zoey was concerned. She was a wonderful cook, dressmaker, and gardener. She enjoyed baking shortbread, coffee cake, and cookies for her family, and most of the time, there would be the sweet aroma of tasty treats lingering in the kitchen. Zoey’s father was quite the opposite. He was an energetic and imaginative man who loved to talk and tell stories of the past. Before television, the family relied on radio for evening time shows and the news; however, Zoey’s father loved to tell ghost stories at nightfall, especially the scary ones like The Headless Phantom of Lone Pine Ridge. When it came time for bed, Zoey was always sure to say her prayers and sleep with the covers pulled over her head, no matter how hot it was. Without a doubt, every morning, Zoey was considerably grateful for surviving the night without receiving any visitations from ghosts or goblins.

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One day, just after lunch, Zoey joined her father as he collected wood for the stove.

Daddy, what are we going to do today? she asked with curiosity.

Well, I’m thinking about walking to the mailbox to pick up our mail and collecting some red clay alongside the road near the old Johnson farmhouse.

Eager to help, Zoey replied, Can I come along?

Why, of course you can, child, her father replied. Why don’t you go and ask your mother to come along.

Without any hesitation, Zoey ran quickly into the house to get her mother. Shortly thereafter, she and her mother were walking hand in hand with her father up the steep dirt road which led to the main gravel road, known as Star Route Road. With her short little legs attempting to keep up with the faster pace of her parents, Zoey found herself getting slightly tired and out of breath. But not to worry, her father quickly noticed and picked her up into his arms and carried her most of the way to the very top. Once on the gravel road, Zoey’s mother collected wild plants for medicinal purposes, while her father occasionally picked up rocks and later tossed them back down on the road as they traversed along. Soon they reached the mailbox and picked up their mail.

See here, child, her father said with excitement, we’ve received a letter from your oldest sister Irene.

Isn’t she living in Iowa, now? asked Zoey.

Yes, indeed she is, her mother replied. She plans to visit with us during Christmas time this year.

Oh wonderful, declared Zoey. I can hardly wait!

As they headed slightly north from the mailbox, they found alongside the road some of the wet, red clay deposits they were searching for. Zoey’s father carefully collected the clay and neatly wrapped it with old newspapers for safe transportation back home. Traditionally, each year, Zoey and her family would collect the clay and hand-mold different sculptures, representing animals and people. After drying in the sun for some time, they would wrap the figurines in paper and later offer them as gifts to their neighbors and visiting family members for the holidays.

Soon, they detoured from the gravel road and followed an old dirt road overgrown with an assortment of weeds and grasses. The beaten path then led them to a small, abandoned house.

Here it is, her father confirmed, this is the old Johnson farmhouse.

As Zoey’s father slowly and carefully led the way to the front porch of the house, he commented, This little house looks kind of run down since the last family lived here.

Does anyone know why the family left so suddenly? her mother asked.

No, answered her father. No one really knows for sure, but rumors are that the young man living here with his family had to leave when he lost his job working at the sawmill operation.

After circling the property a few times and returning to the front porch, Zoey couldn’t help but feel sad for the little gray house.

As a few tiny teardrops ran slowly down her cheeks, she commented, This little house looks so sad and lonely.

Stepping onto the front porch, her father cautiously turned the doorknob, and to their surprise, the door was unlocked.

More than likely, said her father, there hasn’t been anyone living or visiting here for quite some time. Let’s go inside and investigate.

As they entered the house, they first found the kitchen. For a relatively small house, the kitchen was quite large. Immediately, Zoey’s mother noticed the floral-designed wallpaper that separated the kitchen from the dining area.

How lovely, she said, I just love this wallpaper with the printed yellow sunflowers.

Strangely enough, pots and pans, with a few dishes and utensils, had been left on the counter and in the sink.

That’s concerning, said her mother. Why would the family just leave everything behind?

It was quite puzzling for Zoey too, so she decided to peek into the next room, which was the living room. There was a black stove for burning wood and an old leather couch. Some dead plants were still sitting in their pots near the living room window.

Zoey couldn’t help but wonder why the family had suddenly left without taking any of their belongings. As she and her parents made their way upstairs to the top level, they saw a few pictures of the family still hanging on the walls.

Looks like the young man living here had with him his wife, a baby, a young son, and a beagle dog, said her father.

With her mind’s eye, Zoey could just imagine what the house would have been like when the family lived there. She could hear the once lively talk and laughter of everyone permeating throughout the house. Upstairs, in the master bedroom, resided the remains of a wooden bed with a baby’s crib nearby.

It’s just sad that this family had to leave such a sweet, little house and all of their belongings behind, commented her mother.

Yes, it is, replied her father. However, we should make our way back home before it gets too dark for us to see our way.

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The next day, just after breakfast, Zoey sat down at the coffee table to open her brand-new box of Crayons. Just like a treasure chest containing some of the most exotic jewels of the world, Zoey admired each crayon displaying its own unique color. Secretively, she always enjoyed taking a sniff of her Crayon box, for not only did it enhance her sense of smell but it offered such an unusual aroma. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, for each crayon smelled something like wax or a candle, but slightly different. Regardless of the aromatic similarities, she enjoyed the unusual scent just the same. At long last, Zoey tenderly opened her new Big Red paper-notebook with the watermarked-lines. There, a red, ribbon-bound bookmark rested within the pages directing her to the previous homework assignment her teacher gave to the class. She and her fellow classmates were instructed to study and write about the needs of their community. Zoey knew she had little time to do such a time-consuming project, especially at the last minute; therefore, she decided to write about the little gray house. Not only could Zoey describe the abandoned house and its needed repair work, but she could also be the voice for the little house and express its very own needs.

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Over the weekend, Rusty, Zoey’s reddish-brown colored cat, revealed a big surprise for her, and her parents. You see, Rusty wasn’t a boy cat, after all; he was a she and expecting at that. The soon-to-be-mother was just about ready to give birth to her very first litter of kittens.

How exciting, Zoey said aloud, I’m going to have some kittens to play with. And here we thought that Rusty was just becoming fat and lazy from eating way too much at supper time.

By the next day, Rusty gave birth to six adorable kittens. Immediately after the newborns had their first meal, Zoey carefully singled out each one and gave them their own special name. Because Zoey missed her sisters, she chose to name them after them, regardless of their gender: Irene, Kaitlin, Joan, Marie, and Elizabeth.

But wait a minute, I have five sisters, not six, said Zoey with reason.

Having said that, she decided to save the smallest kitten that was black and white for a special family and leave it up to them to name it.

Of course, Zoey’s mother wasn’t too thrilled to hear about the naming of the kittens. She told Zoey that it might not be appropriate to name the kittens after her sisters, but that didn’t matter, Zoey secretly continued to call them by their names.

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Come Monday morning, Zoey eagerly jumped out of bed and dressed for breakfast. She was so excited to turn in her paper about the little gray house. Slowly, Zoey made her way up the steep slope near the gravel road to wait for the school bus. With one hand holding her books with a leather strap and the other carrying a small-gray pail filled with a buttermilk biscuit and a juicy red apple, she made it to the top of the hill. As the bus traveled to the different stops along the way, she found herself once again thinking about the little gray house.

While her mind drifted, Zoey envisioned the little gray house all fixed up with a white-picket fence and a wooden swing hanging from the lowest sturdy branch of an old oak tree in the front yard. Laughter filled the air as two children, a boy and a girl, just a few years apart in age, were running around chasing each other in a game of tag. Sitting on the front porch, were the parents rocking in their chairs and enjoying the peaceful part of the day. Close by in the yard, was a mother hen proudly parading her fluffy little chicks, and not too far away, was an odd pair, an older dog and younger cat reclining on their backs and enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Zoey smiled and thought, I sure hope the little gray house can find a family to love and care for it.

As Zoey arrived at school, she found her best friend Linda waiting for her on the curbside. After the school bell rung, Zoey and the other students entered the classroom, greeted their teacher, and ran to their designated seats. Zoey’s teacher then instructed the children to turn in their most recent assignment. Excited about the completion of her work and the possibility of helping the little gray house, Zoey was the first to run to the teacher’s desk and turn in her homework.

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A few days passed, and the cute little kittens began to show more movement as they blindly moved about searching for their mother. As if speaking to her sisters, and of course, the one special black and white kitten, Zoey expressed her concern about the little gray house. She told them that she was very anxious to get her composition back; and hopefully with a good grade. Although the little kittens were more concerned about feeding, the mother cat Rusty gave special attention to Zoey’s plans.

While at school the next day, the teacher announced to the class that everyone did a very good job in writing their papers, but one in particular really made an impression on her. To Zoey’s surprise, the teacher began reading her very own essay about the little gray house. As the teacher read and paused between sentences, you could have heard a pin drop in the classroom. It seemed that everyone was mesmerized by the story about the little gray house. After the reading of the paper, the children all clapped with appreciation.

One of the older children in the class spoke up and said, Mrs. Adams, as a whole, can our community fix up the abandoned house and make it fit for living?

The teacher paused for a moment and replied with excitement, Why, that’s a great idea! We could ask the people of our community to chip in and work together to fix it up.

Without a doubt, Zoey knew that this would bring great joy and happiness to the little gray house.

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Within a week’s time, Zoey’s teacher had set up a meeting for the town’s people, and just a short time thereafter, they met to hear her proposal for the little gray house and its needed repair work. Fortunately, all members present at the meeting were excited and ready to get started as soon as possible. With much enthusiasm, the repair works began, and as the days grew shorter and the temperatures dropped lower, the little gray house and its surroundings started to look more and more like Home Sweet Home. The exterior of the house and the furniture left behind were all repaired by most of the men, while the curtains and potted plants were all replaced by the women. Everyone, including the mayor and his wife, donated their time and efforts in cleaning the newly renovated house.

Once the renovation efforts were completed, Zoey’s classmates and the community gave a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the house. Joy filled the rooms as the townspeople and their children ran here and there admiring all their hard work. Little Zoey glowed with joy and satisfaction as she gave her blessings to each part of the house. Near the end of their gathering, the mayor sincerely thanked everyone for their time and efforts.

He then paused for a moment and gratefully announced, And, it wouldn’t have happened without one kind and caring little girl named Zoey; for she showed compassion and concern for this once abandoned house. Now, I am sure that her heart is filled with joy as this charming little house has been made whole again.

But there’s one thing missing, declared Zoey. This lovely house needs a family.

Everyone, including the mayor, agreed. It would be a top priority for the community to find a family in need. Therefore, a search committee was established to find just the right family to live in the little gray house.

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As the days continued and Thanksgiving approached, the little gray house was still without a family. One day,