Confirmation

By Barbara Yeager

Mike Martin spent his twelfth summer dodging two neighborhood boys and their invitations to join night time adventures. Since his summer has been nothing but a lonely bummer, he looks forward to the start of the school year. The sixth grade classroom at St. Francis School reunites Mike and his best friend Greg, who spent his summer on the west coast with grandparents.

In religion class, Mike and Greg prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation. After class they get to know a local shop keeper a little better. Mr. Moore introduces the boys to his favorite spiritual friend, St. Francis of Assisi, when they shop for a birthday gift.

Events of the first week of school quickly show Mike that Confirmations gifts will be very helpful as he tries to deal with complicated situations. He knows he must find the truth about the stories he heard, secretly disbelieved, and yet protected all summer. Mike also applies the philosophy of St. Francis to his own life when he stumbles on the truth he dreaded to admit. Mike must answer questions from the local police, the Chief himself, from his parents, and from Greg.

The first week of school is busy but exciting because Mike and Greg take on new responsibilities. An after school job, a classroom presentation, and a surprise celebration demand their focus. Underlying the activities, however, is the ever present issue in Mikes mind of what he can say and what he shouldnt say. Friday brings painful revelations, and by Sunday life in the neighborhood has changed dramatically. Greg and Mike must agree on an answer to the question, Can we do the Christian thing here?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 28, 2006
• ISBN: 9781467807968

Barbara Yeager

Dr. Barbara Yeager has been teaching, writing, editing, and producing, in one genre or another for forty years.  Throughout her university classroom career, she taught composition, technical writing, and creative writing to graduate and undergraduate students, along with courses in British and American Literature, Children’s and Adolescent literature. Her other teaching assignments included courses in world religions and a variety of philosophy courses including ethics and introductions to classical and medieval, and modern philosophy.  .   Her published works include poetry, two outdoor drama productions The Secret of the Cellars and They Walked Our Land, and a text for teachers of pre-school children, Leading to Learning. Dr. Yeager edited collections of Appalachian short stories, Stories from the Hills, and a reader for Appalachian middle school students, named The Wooden Tower.   When Barbara Yeager writes for adolescents, she draws ideas from her experiences while raising her five children.  They gave her plenty of conflict for plots, serious dilemmas for themes, and their friends helped create a house full of well developed characters to study.  That generation has now produced ten grandchildren with twice the material to enjoy.   Retirement gives her the time to write and bring to the public the works that have been simmering in progress over the years. After studying, full-time teaching and an active family life with the children and her busy husband Jack, Barbara now enjoys the life of author and grandmother.   When asked about Confirmation, Dr. Yeager says, "The religious minority group novel imparts information, and positively influences the mind, judgment, and imagination of young readers while it tells a story.  That makes the genre potentially powerful and places great responsibility on the writer to be accurate and authentic in the presentation.  I believe Confirmation achieves these goals."

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AuthorHouse™

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This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events, and situations are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or historical events, is purely coincidental.

© 2006 Barbara Yeager. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 11/21/2006

ISBN: 978-1-4259-7009-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4259-7010-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4678-0796-8 (ebk)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006908960

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

This book is dedicated to

Bobby, Mike and Greg

V00_9781425970093_TEXT.pdf

Chapter 1

It was exceptionally hot for early September and Sister Mary Aquinas had all four windows along the outside wall of the classroom open as far as they could go. She stood at the front of her class demonstrating the way to fold paper origami style. She told the curious sixth grade students about the prayer practice of some Japanese people. First the people fold or cut paper in attractive patterns or in shapes of birds, bugs, or animals. Next, they tie the paper on the branches of a tree while saying a prayer. When the wind blows, the prayers are sent to heaven on the breeze, they believe.

She had the attention of all twenty-four students sitting in four rows of six each stretched out before her. She held the paper designs up for the class to see and backed up to sit on the edge of her desk to answer their questions. Can we make a prayer paper? Jane Anne asked.

Yes, Vaughn chimed in. We could tie them on that tree right outside the window and watch the wind blow and send the prayers right up to heaven. And if we look real hard, we might see the answers coming back to earth. The class laughed at Vaughn’s idea.

Answers to prayers come in many ways, Sister Mary Aquinas offered. We don’t always see or recognize the answers when they do come, especially if the answers are not exactly what we had hoped for. But trust God, she continued. He knows best and will answer your prayer in the way that is best for you.

That was the extent of the attention span of Mike Martin and Greg Cox. They were slouched in the last seats of rows one and three. Greg with his black curly hair and deep black eyes sat in row one by the window and Mike with his new blonde crew cut and bright blue eyes anchored row three.

Greg scribbled a note and quickly dropped it on the floor. With his foot, he pushed it toward Jane Anne’s seat in row two and nodded in Mike’s direction. Jane Anne did her little huff with her oh, you boys look on her face and moved the note into the aisle beside Mike’s desk without anyone noticing.

Mike’s desk at the back of row three let him hide behind tall Vaughn and slip easily down to swoop up Greg’s note. Soon it was safe to open the note and Mike got the message.

How ‘bout a bike adventure after school? We could go up on Dry Ridge or out through the tunnel? Greg wrote.

Mike wrote his answer. Can’t today. Have to go buy my Mother a birthday present. Want to come?

The note went back to Greg the same way it came and he nodded a yes.

Mike smiled and realized that things were already getting better. His best friend was back in town, and their adventures could begin again. The past summer had been a real challenge for each of them. Both Mike and Greg hoped that the fall might be better.

Mike occupied his mind for the rest of the school day with thoughts of his Mother’s birthday party. Let’s see…today is Monday…only six days away. It would be great to have a picnic with all the aunts and uncles and dozens of cousins and friends. There would be plenty of food, lots of cake and ice cream, and the woods of City Park to roam in with the cousins.

Greg kept looking out the window to pass the time. He watched the cloud formations change and imagined flying through those clouds in a helicopter. He had just flown through the clouds a few days ago on his way home from summer on the west coast. Three months in Washington with his grandparents was something he looked forward to all winter. The visits of all the cousins, the swimming, the fun things his Grandpa and he did together were worth waiting for. But this year it was a little different. Grandpa was slowing down a bit. Greg began to face the fact that Grandpa wasn’t going to be here forever.

By the end of the summer, Greg was ready to come home to his friends in West Virginia. He always wished he could take Mike with him for the summer, but … the bell rang and he came down out of the clouds and the two of them rushed off to their bikes.

As they rode off the playground, backpacks adjusted, ball hats firmly in place, Greg yelled, Where are we going?

I thought we’d look down at Mr. Moore’s store. He always has things she likes in the window, Mike answered. I have $20.00 saved. I didn’t bring it with me today, though. I thought we would just look.

Maybe we can take a fast ride up on the ridge after this, if it’s not too late, Greg suggested, careful not to hit the manhole cover he knew was at this spot on Sixth Avenue. Mike swerved too.

Yes, that’s fine, he answered. I’m glad you’re back. It wasn’t a very good summer.

Why not? Greg wanted to know.

The boys made the left turn off Sixth Avenue on to First Street for half a block and then a sharp right on to Main Street. The first store on the right was Mr. Moore’s. They leaned their bikes against the yellow brick building because the sidewalk was slanted and the kickstands wouldn’t work there.

A lot of stuff happened. I’ll fill you in when we have time to really talk, Mike said as they entered the front door.

Well look who’s here. If it isn’t Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Mr. Moore smiled as the boys entered the store. It must be ESP. I just had the thought that I needed to see you two.

We didn’t do it! the boys answered in unison.

You two spend so much time together you think each others thoughts. Mr. Moore laughed. I don’t think either one of you could enjoy life without the other one, he observed.