The story is beginning to wind down, so there is about one more chapters, then this story is completed. Enjoy!

Back In The Old Town For Thanksgiving

By: CNJ

PG-13

5

Stacey:

It did feel a bit like old times once we got into our sleeping bags and lay close in a circle in Kristy's old room, now a guest room. Just like we did in the old days back in high school, I thought.
"Did anyone hear that the schools in Afghanistan'll be open to girls again?" Claudia whispered.
"Yeah..." Mary Anne added. "A lot of it depends on the future stability of Afghanistan. I'm so glad the U.N. is meeting to discuss this instead of just waiting for first-grab, first-in-power."
"So, Stace..." Kristy, who was next to me, turned over. "How's Vermont? Any homesickness?"
"Actually, not a lot," I whispered. "I miss it here, but not as much as I'd feared." I remembered what a hard time I'd had last year with the idea of leaving Stoneybrook. I'd been afraid of leaving Mom here alone and being separated from my friends. Most of my other friends couldn't wait to get out of Stoneybrook, especially Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne, but I'd been troubled by the idea of leaving. But finally by graduation, I realized that it was the best for both Mom and me. It was, because Mom and I had picked up right where we left off. And there was e-mail that helps us keep in close touch.
"That's good." Abby lay back and ran a hand through her thick dark curls.
"Hanukkah's early this year," Mona put in. "Anyone have a menorah back at home?"
"I have candles..." Mary Anne said slowly. "I don't know how good they are."
"Me too..." Abby and Anna chimed in. "Mom says she'll call us on the first night when it starts since she has a menorah and candles and all."
"There's a small Jewish gift shop down by Liberty Island," Kristy told us. "Mona, Mary Anne, maybe the three of us could see if there's one there and buy it if it isn't that expensive."
"Good idea..." Mona nodded.
"We can all e-mail and call on December tenth," I put in. Of all of us, actually the Stevensons are the only practicing Jews of our bunch, but all of us observe Hanukkah as well as Christmas.
"Yeah, let's do that," Anna added. "See if we can be by a computer or a phone at sundown then."
"Speaking of holidays," Kristy said. "Is everyone coming back here for winter break?"
"I think so..." "I am..." Most of us definitely were. Mary Anne and Dawn said most likely yes, if her family didn't go out to Iowa to visit Mary Anne's Grandma Baker. "But most likely, Dawn and I will stop by here." We talked a while about other things before each of us drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Byyee!" We all called to each other late Saturday morning as I left for my dad's place in New York City. I'd be spending Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning with Dad and his wife Samantha. Samantha's two grown kids, Lew and Amanda. I smiled as I remembered the fun last weekend I'd come to the city and met Mary Anne and Mona for dinner and some scouring around the Big Apple.
"See you at winter break!" I called as I hoisted my overnight bag and flew out the front door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mary Anne:

Dawn, Mona and I were the next ones to head back to our parent's houses. When Dawn and I got there, Sharon had just come in also and was bellowing at the top of her lungs, "I WON! I WON! Richie! Verna!"
"What did you win?" Dad came from the kitchen. Grandma followed behind.
"A trip for all of us over the winter break to Germany!" Sharon hugged both Dad and Verna and the three of them started laughing.
"Wow! To Germany?" Dawn whooped.
"Oh, boyyy..." I breathed, not quite believing it. I mean, wow. I knew there would come a day when I was older and making enough money that I'd travel to Europe and see Germany, which is where most of my ancestors come from, but this winter. "Where did you win this?" I gasped as Dawn and I joined the group hug.
"At work," Sharon held out the notice. "My latest design...it won an award. I went over there to check the mailbox and here it was."
"Wow, I can't believe it!" Dawn squealed.
"So, this trip is won with all expenses paid for a family of six," Sharon added. "So, Verna, you're invited as well."
"Oh...thank you!" Verna wiped her eyes. "To see the old country...where my grandmother was born." Grandma and I met eyes and I knew we were both thinking about Syraria Wegenstein, our ancestor who came here from Germany through Ellis Island a hundred years ago. Grandma still has a copy of her journal, which is ashy and old, but still readable. She says that when she dies, she will pass it on to me.
"This is fantastic!" Dawn crowed. "I've always wanted to see Europe again! I hardly remember early trip to France, so this will be great!" When Dawn was little, she and her parents and brother took a trip to France.
"Thanks..." Dawn and I gave Sharon a huge hug.
As we talked about what we needed to do to prepare for our trip, which we'd take over the winter break, it began to sink in...I'm actually going to Germany. I'd been to Canada way back when I was around six, but hardly had any memory of that trip, so it really did feel as if it were my first time out of the States. What an event to look forward to!