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Question: What is your favorite book/Volume in the Mandie Series?
Chapter 9: Uninvited Guest
Dr Woodard arrived the next day with his medical bag. After examining Mandie from head to toe he stroked his chin and announced, "Well Amanda, you've worsened your ankle.
I'm sorry but you're gonna have to walk around with crutches. You need to go easy on that ankle of yours. It looks even worse than before."
Mandie sighed. "Okay "
Joe smiled encouragingly at Mandie. "You'll be fine. I'm sure you'll still be able to have fun," he said.
Uncle John popped his head in the doorway. "Everybody have their bags packed? We're leaving soon." Mandie grabbed her crutches and hobbled over to Celia.
"I think I still have a couple items up there. Celia, do you mind putting them in my trunk for me?"
"Sure Mandie. I think I have some things to get together as well," Celia replied.
Jonathan and Joe followed Celia upstairs to help carry the trunks down.
Mandie sat down feeling like the following days would be disappointing.
Uncle Ned put an arm around her. "Papoose do not worry. Birthday still be fun. Ned come. See papoose."
Mandie turned to him excitedly. "Oh really! That's great Uncle Ned! So glad you can come!"
Thunk! Jonathan dropped his heavy trunk down. "Oof! Why is this so heavy?" he groaned.
"If you packed less, maybe it would be lighter," Joe said, rolling his eyes.
Celia came down lugging her own trunk and Mandie's.
"Thanks Celia," Mandie exclaimed.
"No problem. It's horrible to see you not being able to walk properly," Celia sighed.
"At least it's just a sprain," Mandie remarked.
"If you take good care of it, then it will heal faster," reminded her.
Joe came in saying, "All the luggage is loaded. Y'all can hop in now".
Mandie nodded and limped outside with the help of the crutches.
Jonathan was already on the wagon. Celia hopped up into the seat behind him. Uncle John gave Mandie a lift into the wagon next to Celia.
"There you go, blue eyes. And here are your crutches," he said, tossing them up. Mandie caught them and propped the crutches up next to her.
"Ready to go home?" Uncle John asked.
"Yeah!" the young people chorused.
As soon as the wagon stopped in front of the Shaw's mansion, Mandie grabbed her crutches and attempted to jump down. Joe stopped her.
"Your ankle, Mandie"`
"Right" Mandie reluctantly let Joe put her down on the ground.
"Jonathan, do you mind handing me my crutches?" Mandie asked.
"Huh? What? Oh sure," Jonathan absentmindedly replied.
He grabbed both crutches and threw them down towards the floor. When he realized where they were going, Jonathan jumped up and made a wild attempt to grab the crutches
and landed with a thump on top of the Mandie's crutches.
"Ouch!"
"Oh no!" Mandie cried, seeing that the crutches had broken into pieces.
"Jonathan, can't you ever do anything correctly?" Celia scolded him.
Jonathan stood up, wincing and rubbing his back. "Ow! That hurt. You guys should be more worried about me than Mandie's crutches".
"Well Amanda, I'm afraid I don't have another pair at the moment. I'll go back home and see what I can do. For now, someone will just have to help Amanda here," told everyone.
"Joe can do that", Uncle John said, smiling mischievously. "And Jonathan can help me with the luggage".
Mandie nodded and let Joe scoop her up. She hadn't thought about it before but it felt weird being so close to Joe. Celia hurried forward to open the door. Mandie squirmed. She
wished she could just walk normally. Joe carried Mandie into the sitting room and set her down on a couch and took a few steps back, embarrassed. Mandoe breathed a sigh of
relief and looked around. There was her mom, walking hurriedly toward her. Mandie's grandmother, Jason Bond, Aunt Lou, Liza and Adrian Nolan? What was he doing here?
Adrian was staring from Joe to Mandie, openmouthed. Mandie spotted a spilled teacup on the floor right under Adrian which Liza was trying to clean up.
Mandie and Celia had met Adrian on a trip to Europe. He lived in Ireland! What is he doing here? "
Amanda are you all right?" Elizabeth and asked worriedly.
"It's just a slight twist." she explained while trying to figure out what Adrian was doing here. Joe set Mandie down and frowned at the Irish boy. Celia, Jonathan and Uncle John
entered and shut the door behind them. Celia took one glance at Adrian and Joe and immediately ran over to Mandie.
"What is Adrian doing here?" Celia whispered frantically.
"I have no idea!" Mandie whispered back. Adrian started to walk towards Mandie.
"Miss Amanda, I am honored to be in the presence of a heavenly angel." he said, attempting to kiss her hand.
"Ahem, Adrian I suggest you keep your distance from Mandie because she has recently had a fever and might not be completely recovered," he announced. Mandie knew Joe
was being overprotective again but this time she wasn't concerned. Adrian's constant attention could get annoying. Adrian frowned slightly but pulled away.
"Oh my poor baby girl! That's a lot you went through! Are you sure you're alright?" Elizabeth fretted.
"Joe, when will your father get here so he can give Amanda a new pair of crutches?"
I'm fine, mother. Just a little tired," Mandie answered, looking at Celia. She motioned to the stairs.
"Quick upstairs." Mandie mouthed to Celia, Jonathan and Joe when Adrian wasn't looking.
They all nodded and Mandie exclaimed loudly, "I think I'll take a break upstairs and rest! I sure am tired!"
"Me too," Celia, Joe and Jonathan commented.
"I'll help you up," Joe said, picking Mandie up. The four of them proceeded up the stairs leaving Adrian looking a little hurt at his short, unwelcome greeting. Mandie tried her
best to ignore it. She was no more than friends with Adrian and didn't intend to go any further. How dare he invite himself to her home without saying so! At least she could have
been better prepared to meet him.
Upstairs, in Mandie's bedroom, Mandie tried to stomp her foot. "We can't do anything with Adrian here! And that includes finding the treasure!"
"Who invited him here anyway?" Joe asked, frowning.
"He invited himself!" Mandie fumed.
"He could have at least picked a different time to come," Celia commented, sounding annoyed.
"Yeah. Imagine what he'll do when he finds out it's your birthday soon", Jonathan said. Mandie gasped suddenly aware of the situation.
"Oh no! That means he'll be at my birthday ball!"
Celia sighed. "Well we can try to avoid him but that probably won't work".
"Especially since he seems to, ahem, have a lot of interest in you, Mandie," Jonathan stated.
"Missy Amanda!" Liza called from outside the room. "I needs to talk to you bout sumpin!"
"Be right there!" Mandie called back.
She limped across the room to meet the Negro girl.
"Good to see you again, Liza".
"Good to see you too Missy. We have a lot to talk about", Liza said.
Mandie suddenly got excited. "Liza! We found an heirloom belonging to the great warrior Tsali!"
"Who? What?"
"Well we haven't exactly found it yet but we will."
"Still don't understand wut you're talkin bout, Missy".
Mandie took a deep breath and told Liza how they had found clue after clue and that they only had to solve the last one and they would find it.
"Well that sounds like an adventure! All we've had is trouble round heah", Liza said, frowning.
"What do you mean?" Mandie asked, curious.
"Dat carrot headed boy arrived out of nowhere and just barged into the Shaw's mansion demanding to see Missy heah".
"Adrian?"
"Yeh. Whatever you call him. Anyway, he be heah for two days asking when you were coming back", Liza explained.
"Jes doing nothing but asking bout you. Den he had to spill his coffee".
"I don't know why Adrian's here but he certainly picked the wrong time to come", Mandie groaned.
"Sure did. Hey you bettah watch out cause thet Miss Polly be heah fo dinner. She gonna go sweet on Doctuh's son", Liza exclaimed, shaking her fist.
Mandie looked up. "Liza! You just gave me an idea!"
"I's did?"
"Thanks Liza!" Mandie exclaimed, limping back to her room.
"Uh, your welcome"
"Polly's coming for dinner!" Mandie announced happily.
Jonathan groaned.
"Mandie, why do you sound so happy? I thought you didn't like Polly," Celia asked.
"Well, this time she might actually do some good," Mandie told her.
"What do you mean?" Joe asked.
"She'll be very interested in our foreign guest, I'm sure", Mandie said, smiling.