A/N: the main characters name is pronounced "cat-uh-lin" If you review tell me if I have any typos that you can see. Plus constructive criticism. And if you liked the story or not. Epecially if you like the story. That is the best.
Disclaimer: All mine. Except the world she lives in and a few of the characters. He ha ha!
There once was a girl named Katalyn. She would soon turn twelve. She was born in the same world as Jonas. The very last apprentice of the Giver. Then Jonas had run away…
The whole community had to bear the heavy weight of the memories he had left behind. Soon a new person was chosen and all of the memories where given back. Except two. The memory of color and feelings. Now all of the people could see color and feel some feelings. But enough about that.
Katalyn rushed down the street on her mothers bicycle to the bicycle repair shop. She had broken her bike yet again. She had been racing home from her volunteer hours and had crashed into the bike port. She had broken her bike so many times she was on first name basis with the bicycle repairman, Rodger. In fact, she was there so often they had copied down a list of where the bicycle repair shop would be (because it moved so much) so she would know where to bring her bike. After telling the bicycle repairman that she had broken her bike yet again she rushed home. Going the wrong way in traffic, just like she always did.
Katalyn crashing her mother's bike into the bike port was the signal that she was home.
She met her little brother, Alec, at the door and went inside. Her mother was at her desk writing a note.
"Hi mom!" Katalyn yelled down the hallway as she walked down to the family unit's study.
"Katalyn!" her mother scolded "you know better. Use correct word choices. Next time say 'hello mother'. None of this 'hi mom'. And don't yell either."
"Yes mother. I apologize for using incorrect word choices." Katalyn dutifully recited.
Katalyn's mother was a school teacher and was very particular about correct word choices. She did not look kindly upon poor language or slang. She was all about doing things properly.
"How was your day mother?" Katalyn asked.
"You will have to wait for dinner to find out" mother went back to writing. "You are excused."
Katalyn went to the front door to take off her shoes, which she had forgotten to do. As she was throwing them into a pile the front door opened. In stepped her father.
"Well if it isn't my little Katalyn!!" Her father laughed, and he picked up Katalyn and pulled her into a hug.
Katalyn squealed and said "but dad! I'm not little!! I'm almost 12! That's not little!"
Just then Mother stepped into the hallway.
"Oh hello Stan. I am glad that you made it home alright. And Katalyn. Did I just hear you say 'dad' again? It is 'father.' How many times do I have to tell you before it will sink in?" Mother and Father waited for Katalyn to try again.
"Oh, alright. Hello father. How was your day? I broke my bike again today."
"Again" Father said in mock surprise. "When did you ever break your bike before. My little Katalyn would NEVER break anything."
Father noticed that Mother was looking at him with an I-do-no-approve-of-this look on her face. Mother did not approve of kidding around and 'wasting time' as she called it. He motioned for Katalyn to go out the door.
"Come on Katalyn. We may as well get dinner on the table. Help me bring it in."
Father noticed the mangled bike on the sidewalk for the first time as he helped Katalyn undo the straps on his bike.
"Now really Katalyn. What am I going to do with you?" he said tickling her. Katalyn squirmed and laughed.
He sighed and stopped tickling her. "I guess you could take your mother's bike down to the bicycle repairman and have him come down here and look at it. Doesn't he have the way to this house memorized?"
They walked up to the door and Katalyn laughed.
"No, I don't think he does."
Father was the community chef, so they never had to wait for the delivery people to bring their food. Father just brought it home on his bike.
After they were done eating Alec put the leftovers on the steps for the waste crew to pick up. When he came back they all talked about their days and their feelings.
Alec went first. "I am looking forward to getting my bike. You all have bikes and I want one too."
They all cautioned him not to have jealousy and that patience was a good thing and his bike would arrive soon. Next it was Katalyn's turn.
"I am a little anxious about the ceremony of 12. I mean after this I won't have volunteer hours. And after school I will have work!"
"I'm sure you will do fine" Father stated. "You have been doing fine on your own so far!"
"Even if you have crashed your bike a million times!" Alec joked.
Everyone laughed.
Even though Katalyn had just warned Alec about jealousy that was a feeling she felt all of the time around Alec. Everyone liked Alec. Alec was a funny, happy, easy going boy. If you were around him you could always count on a laugh. Even Mother, who didn't like jokes or exaggeration, laughed when Alec joked or exaggerated.
Yes everyone enjoyed Alec, but everyone was careful around Katalyn. She was known to be a little bit of a klutz, though no one said it.
Katalyn listened to Mother talk about her job and how one of the children wouldn't cooperate. Father gave her gentle advice.
Then father talked about a volunteer who was doing hours at the kitchen and had spilt flour all over the kitchen floor. He wondered if he could ask if that volunteer didn't work there. They all counseled him not to. It was probably a one time thing. If it happened again then maybe he would.
When they were finished they said their good nights and went to sleep.
The next morning when Katalyn woke up she was filled with dread and nervousness. The next day was the start of the ceremonies.
After school Katalyn rushed home on foot. Her bike was broken so she couldn't ride it. She hopped on her mother's bike and headed to the bicycle repair shop, forgetting that she had already told him that she had broken her bike. After Katalyn told the Rodger that her bike was broken, for the second time, she hopped on Mother's bike and rode to the hospital to begin her volunteer hours. Then the bicycle repairman got on his bike and went to Katalyn's house, a route he had learned by heart.
Katalyn rammed her mother's bike into the bike port in front of the hospital. She walked in the big white doors and smiled. She loved it here. The lady at the front desk looked up and her face broke into a wide warm smile.
"Go right in Katalyn. I will sign-in for you. Dr. Violet will be waiting for you!"
Katalyn was finished with her hours. That is the last volunteer hour I will ever do. That is a scary thought.
When she arrived home she saw her bike, upright in the bike port looking scruffy, but fixed. Katalyn gently put Mother's bike away and walked inside, tripping over her shoelace.
Her arrival home was announced by the slamming of the front door.
"Mother!!" she yelled. "I'm home!"
"Katalyn! Not so loud!" Mother scolded as she went to put a snack on the table.
Katalyn sat down next to Alec.
"So where did you do your volunteer hours today?" Alec asked conversationally.
"The hospital." Katalyn stated simply. Then she slapped her forehead. "Oh mother I forgot. I was supposed to give this to you yesterday."
Mother sighed and put down the tray of crackers and cheese she had in her hands.
Katalyn dug in her backpack and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She handed it to Mother, collected her things, picked up her plate and went to her room to do her homework, the whole way dripping cracker crumbs up the hall. Mother sighed as she watched Katalyn make her way to her room. Only after the door was shut did she look at the paper which Katalyn had handed her. It was a piece of school work. A very short essay entitled "Ceremony wishes" written by Katalyn.
"Ceremony wishes
I, Katalyn, want to be a Doctor at the hospital. I want to help the people of this town and all of the surrounding towns. I know that other people think their job is important but somehow I think that being a Doctor is the most important of all.
I want to make a difference in this town and all of its inhabitance. I want to help make the pills and the pain medicine that people use in their daily lives.
I would also like to thank you teacher, you have taught me so much and I think that since you helped me I could do this job."
Down underneath Katalyn's near illegible scrawl was the teacher's neat handwriting in a note as long as the essay.
"Katalyn,
You did a very nice job. But there are a few things I would like to comment on. First of all we all know that the council will pick the perfect job for you, because that is their
duty. Second, all jobs are just as important. We would all go hungry if it weren't for your father and his helpers. We would also go hungry if we didn't have food deliverers.
Yes we would all get hurt very badly if we didn't have the pain medications, but we would also be in pain if we didn't have someone to deliver those items. Please understand
this. And don't get your hopes up. There hasn't been a doctor in a while."
The next morning Katalyn and Alec didn't have to go to school. Neither did Mother. Father had to go to the kitchens to see that breakfast was sent off and to make sure that lunch would be ready for the ceremony.
After eating their morning meal, Katalyn, Alec, and mother went to the gathering hall for the beginning of the ceremonys.
The first day Katalyn didn't really par attention to the ceremony. She did enjoy watching the new families get their child, or the other child look at their now sibling. The family always looked so proud and happy as they walked off the stage.
Throughout the rest of the ceremony though, Katalyn dozed. On and off. Her head would flop onto Father's shoulder, he pushed it off and she would wake up. Then her head would fall onto her mother's shoulder and mother would push it off, not saying anything. Katalyn would then fall asleep again unable to stay awake during the boring and long lasting ceremony. This cycle would repeat over and over. Katalyn always fell asleep.
The ceremony of eights finally came. Alec proudly walked to the stage. He was the first child to receive his bike. She rolled his bicycle over to him and he laughed, he was so excited.
Katalyn actually watched Alec receive his bike. He was her brother after all. He looked so happy. Katalyn remembered when she had received her bike. So did everyone else in the community.
The family met up together at their dwelling. They all exclaimed over Alec's new bike and how nice it looked, even though all of their bikes looked the same. Minus Katalyn's, which was looking a little worse for the wear.
The next day Katalyn was even more nervous than usual. When she was nervous she was even more of a klutz than usual (A/N: Use you imagination!) It was the ceremony of 12 today and she was going to be in it.
After a very eventful morning Mother, Alec and made it to the gathering hall safely. Katalyn went and sat by the other 11s, leaving Alec and Mother to find Father.
At first Katalyn was sure that she was going to be able to stay awake the whole ceremony of the day, she was so nervous. But as soon as the first eight came up to the stand she felt herself drifting off to sleep. The person next to her kept pushing her head off of his shoulder, which Katalyn found very annoying. All to soon the ceremony of 12 started. Katalyn was number nine. As the first 11 stood up to recive his assignment Katalyn found herself waking up.
"I wonder what time it is?" she thought groggily. "I wonder if I am late for school."
Then suddenly she remembered where she was. She jumped with a start and startled the other 11 that was getting up to recive her assignment.
This 11 was praised by the head elder for all of her service hours and was given the assignment of fish hatchery worker.
The 6 people infront of Katalyn took their merry time getting their assignments.
"You'd think the could hurry it up a bit. We may be getting assignements, the biggest part of our life, but they sure are taking a long time." She thought huffily.
Finaly Katalyn was called to the stage.
"Number nine, Katalyn."
Katalyn stood up and made her way up to the stage. For once in her life, she didn't trip.
"Katalyn." The high elder said. "we all know Katalyn. From the time she ran in ALL of the flowers in the community," The audiace laughed and Katalyn blushed. "and who knows her better than the bicycle repair man, rodger. Wave to her Rodger!"
Again the crowd laughed and so did Katalyn as Katalyn waved back.
"Now, I would like to read to you something that Katalyn wrote. It is entitled 'Ceremony Wishes.' I shall begin.
" 'Ceremony wishes
I, Katalyn, want to be a Doctor at the hospital. I want to help the people of this town and all of the surrounding towns. I know that other people think their job is important but somehow I think that being a Doctor is the most important of all.
I want to make a difference in this town and all of its inhabitance. I want to help make the pills and the pain medicine that people use in their daily lives.
I would also like to thank you teacher, you have taught me so much and I think that since you helped me I could do this job'
"Katalyn I would like to announce that you have been assigned the duity of doctor and the hospital."
The crowd gasped and Katalyn looked around, looking quite startled. No one had been chosen to be a doctor in a long while. Much less a klutz like Katalyn.
"Dr. Violet asked for you. She put in a special request that you be her assistant until you are trained or she enters The House of the Old. Some how I think that it will be the former. "Katalyn. Thank you for your childhood."
She handed katlayn her work folder then continued on to the next person.
"Number 10. Allen"
After the ceremonies were over and Mother was talking to some of the ladies from the community, Katalyn went over to her friend Carlos. He was number 18 and had been assigned Care Taker of the Old, like his mother, Fiona.
After chatting for awhile and Carlos continually congratulating her on becoming a doctor, Carlos's father, Asher, called him over and he went home.
As she rode home she noticed that Alec was doing extremely well on his bicycle. Carlos had taught him how to ride since neither person trusted Katalyn with a bike. And with good reason.
"All in all," Katalyn thought "I have a very good life."
She was happy with her assignment, her parents were happy that their child had recived such a good assignment. The community was surprised that a klutz like Katalyn had been selected as doctor. Alec and Carlos where in awe of her
Katalyn laughed.
She couldn't wait to go to work the next day.
A/N: I have had that story sitting around forever. So I thought I would put it here. We had to write a story about The Giver in school so I wrote this one. At least we didn't have to write what you thought happened to Jonas. I think that every school in America does that… Review please.