I'm in Amsterdam! Actually, I'm in the Schiphol airport. Did you know that the Schiphol has been voted the best airport in the world four times? Right now, we're waiting for Mrs. Kilbourne and Mrs. Carson. They're calling for some taxis. I can't believe I'm in Europe! It would be so romantic if you were here with me. I miss you!
Eternal Love,
Mary Anne
The postcard was kind of mushy, but Logan wouldn't mind. I knew he was missing me, too. I cried when we said goodbye in Stoneybrook. Crying is nothing new to me. I cry two or three times a day. I'm very shy and sensitive. Luckily, I have a boyfriend who is sensitive to my sensitivity.
I'm worried about Logan being without me for two weeks. At least I'll have Amsterdam for a distraction. There's so much to see and do. But Logan is stuck in boring old Stoneybrook. I hope I'll be able to have a good time without him. Logan is such a doll. He pretended not to be upset about my leaving. He was even flippant when I asked how he'll occupy himself in my absence. He's so strong! Poor Logan is lost without me, which brought new tears to my eyes. It's a good thing Logan has a busboy job at the Rosebud Cafe. Plus, he's considering a temporary job sowing some wild oats while I'm away. Logan's from Kentucky and enjoys farm work.
The other person I miss already isn't really a person. He's my kitten, Tigger. I worry about him whenever I go on vacation. There's always the possibility Sharon might wear him as an earring or use him to plunge the toilet. (Sharon's a scatterbrain, but I love her anyway). I also worry that Tigger will forget me. He acted really distant after my trips to Camp Mohawk, Vermont, California, New York, Shadow Lake, Hawaii, the Northwest, that other trip to California, and the three trips to Sea City. This time, I had a great idea worthy of Kristy. I borrowed the Pikes' polaroid camera and took three dozen photos of myself. I placed each photo strategically throughout the house and yard, including seven around his food dish. Not only will Tigger not forget about me, he'll think I never left!
My friends agreed the idea was ingenious. Mallory immediately wrote a postcard to her mom, asking Mrs. Pike to put a couple of Mal's school pictures in Frodo's cage. I wiped a tear from my eye. The bond between a pet and its owner is so beautiful.
Know what else is beautiful? Amsterdam. There are flowers and huge canals and all these great old buildings. Of course, I hadn't seen any of these things yet. We were still sitting around Schiphol airport, surrounded by our luggage and a group of Japanese tourists who kept taking our picture. Mrs. Kilbourne and Mrs. Carson had to call for some taxis to drive us to Verbruggenhuis. Mrs. Kilbourne said we wouldn't take another taxi until we returned to the airport. Taxis are incredibly expensive in Amsterdam. Most people take the trams and trains. Or, they walk or ride a bike. There are hardly any cars in Amsterdam because of all the canals that run through the city. The canals don't leave much room for a lot of traffic. I knew all these things because I had read eight guidebooks, five brochures, and a magazine article. I was ready.
Stacey sighed. "I don't understand why Mrs. Kilbourne wouldn't let me just hail the cabs. I'm from New York. I'm an expert."
"You can't hail a cab in Amsterdam," I explained. "Cabs don't drive around like in New York. It cuts down on pollution."
Dawn nodded. "The Dutch are much more environmentally conscious than Americans. We can learn a lot from them while we're here."
Someone snorted, but our group was so big I couldn't tell who it was. Or, if it even came from our group. Since I'm such a sensitive and caring person, I could sense some tension within the group. I just wished I could figure out who was having the problem. I'm very perceptive, rational, and a good listener.
Mrs. Kilbourne and Mrs. Carson arrived then and lead us out of the airport. It's too bad we didn't have time to look around. I know from my guidebooks that Schiphol has tons of great shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Mrs. Kilbourne said it was too late for shopping, plus the airport shops are really expensive. Three taxis were waiting for us outside.
"It's unseasonably warm tonight," said Claudia.
Mrs. Kilbourne gave her a funny look. I think I did, too. It was a nice night, but it didn't feel any different than a typical summer night in Stoneybrook. Claudia climbed into a taxi before I could ask what she meant. I got into another taxi, squashed into the backseat with Dawn, Abby, and Jessi. Kristy sat up front with the driver. Mrs. Kilbourne spoke to him momentarily (in Dutch!), then she got into Claudia's taxi. Our driver pulled out onto the street. I had a million questions for him, but he never answered.
It was awfully dark, but many of the streets were well-lit with lampposts and lights hanging in the windows. Most of the houses along the canals were decorated with strings of lights. It was breathtaking.
"Did you know that Amsterdam was founded during the late twelfth century?" I asked. Everyone enjoys my facts. I think they appreciate all the time and effort I put into my research. "The city was originally called Amstelledamme. The city was built around a dam in the Amstel river. Thus, its name!" No one said anything, so I continued. "Very few of the medieval buildings remain today. However, in the Begijnhof there's a wooden house that dates back to 1475!"
"Wow," breathed Jessi. "It's even older than your house, Dawn."
"I bet it doesn't have a secret passage," Dawn replied.
The drive to Verbruggenhuis only took about ten minutes. The short drive was still expensive. It cost thirty Euros! That's about thirty-eight American dollars! Mrs. Kilbourne had to pay that for three taxis. Good thing the Kilbournes are so rich.
Mrs. Kilbourne cried as she unlocked the door to Verbruggenhuis. I can't stand for anyone to cry alone. That's the price of being a sensitive soul like myself. As the tears gushed from my eyes, I felt an arm slip around my waist.
"There, there, Mary Anne," Claudia whispered, pulling me into a hug. "It'll be okay."
Stacey, Jessi, and Mal clustered around and patted my back. After twenty minutes, I regained my composure with a final sniff and joined the others inside. Verbruggenhuis is two stories with an attic. The rooms are small and the halls narrow. It reminded me of my own house, which almost made me cry again.
All the rooms had been claimed, so Claudia, Jessi, Mal, and I were assigned the attic. Mrs. Kilbourne and Mrs. Carson were sharing the master bedroom. Maria and Amanda Delaney were downstairs in the den (Amanda objected to sleeping on the futon because her nightgown cost fifty-five dollars. No one would trade with her though). Stacey joined Tiffany, Dawn, and Kristy in an upstairs bedroom. The third bedroom was occupied by Shannon, Greer, Abby, and Anna.
Then, the shuffling started.
Mallory and Jessi thought the attic was creepy and possibly haunted, so they switched rooms with Stacey and Kristy. Dawn became upset that she was "stuck with a bunch of sixth graders" and switched with Anna. After five minutes, Dawn and Greer got into an argument over Greer's silk pajamas. According to Dawn, silk worms are enslaved in China and forced to live in cramped boxes with no regard for their wants, hopes, and dreams. Dawn attempted to rip off Greer's pajama shirt and even though Dawn's my stepsister, I can't say I blame Greer for spraying her in the face with that perfume.
Once she had thoroughly flushed her eyes and rinsed her mouth, Dawn decided that if the attic was haunted, then she should sleep there. Dawn believes our house in Stoneybrook is haunted, plus she's read every book of ghost stories ever written. When it comes to detecting ghosts, she's very qualified. She's practically a parapsychologist.
Dawn and Stacey switched rooms. Claudia, Dawn, and Kristy spent quite awhile creeping around the attic, tapping on the walls, and searching for spectral evidence. Kristy kept making spooky noises. All the talk about ghosts convinced me there really was a ghost. I switched rooms with Abby.
At that point, Mrs. Kilbourne came out of her bedroom and ordered us to stop changing rooms, fighting, and making horse noises (which was apparently going on in Mal and Jessi's room). Greer, Shannon, Stacey, and I said our good nights, turned out the light, snuggled into our beds (I was extra comfy since I had on one of Logan's shirts. It's stained and faded and smells of Clearasil and corn dogs. Just like him), and dreamed of our first full day in Amsterdam.