to say t to put it mildly. tty muc to do. But because of Jamies presence, it really became somet  mucs. e finis performance  a c evening even more people s. Even Eric came up to me afterulated me, wer w o me before was somew of a surprise.

    quot;t; ;Im proud of you, buddy.”

    , Miss Garber , quot;Marvelous!quot; to anyone o  o be , repeating it over and over so muc I kept on  long after I  to bed t niger ains closed for time, and spotted o tears in   time Id ever seen  into ime. roking ;My angel,quot; to  myself choking up.

    t;rig; I realized,  so bad after all.

    After t go of eac proudly motioned for o visit  of t, and s a boatload of congratulations from everyone backstage. S on telling people s kno. S ty, it came across in a totally different ood in tting , and Ill admit t of me t felt like old . I couldnt  be tle proud as o one side, sopping when she was close.

    Looking up at me, s;t you did. You made my father very happy.”

    quot;Youre ; I said, meaning it.

    trange t, I realized t  y to walk here.

    t ting off because of all tting tty  ion at nig to bed. Even so, I couldnt  t Jamie.

    Jamies transformation during tartling, to say t, and I assumed it  kno  I did, and so I was amazed w morning back dressed like er, , and all.

    One look  took, and I couldnt  feel sorry for   s it slip ale nicer to  talked to  told  a good job soo, but I could tell rig it  going to last. Attitudes forged since co break, and part of me  mig  people actually knew s even become more less.

    I ed to talk to  my impressions, I really did, but I o do so after t only did I  to do, but I ed a little time to t o tell o be , I ill feeling a little guilty about to   just because turned out great. It o do  t in all our time toget kind, and I kne Id been wrong.

    I didnt ted to talk to me, eito tell you trut  lunc off in t so as I o tell  about my ts, I agreed. For old times sake, you see.

    A minute later Jamie got doo business.

    quot;Do you remember t walk ; she asked.

    I nodded, wis broug up.

    quot;You promised to make it up to me,quot; she said.

    For a moment I  Id done t already  on.

    quot;ell, Ive been t ; sinued  letting me get a ;and t Ive come up h.”

    S mind gat out in businesses all over to on ters, usually near ters, so t people could drop to go to ted to ask people straig for ted to give voluntarily. t, in ian to do.

    I remembered seeing tainers in places like Cecils Diner and ter. My friends and I used to toss paper clips and slugs in t looking, since t of like a coin being dropped inside, to ourselves about ting someto joke about ing somet, and s out and find not slugs and paper clips. Sometimes,  makes you s exactly w I did.

    Jamie sahe look on my face.

    quot;You dont o do it,quot; sed. quot;I  t since Cmas is coming up so quickly and I dont ll simply take me too long to collect them all. . . .”

    quot;No,quot; I said cutting ;Ill do it. I dont o do anyway.”

    So ts arting ednesday, even tests to study for, even  application needing to be finis of every place sarted at to out about sixty cans in all, and I figured t it ake only a day to collect to putting t, it  aken Jamie almost six o do because s o find sixty empty jars and cans and t out only t  a time. arted out, I felt sort of funny about being t it , but I kept telling myself t Jamie o help.

    I  from business to business, collecting t day I realized it o take a little longer t.

    Id picked up only about ty containers or so, because Id forgotten one simple fact of life in Beaufort. In a small to o simply run inside and grab t cting or or saying o someone else you mig just  done. So Id sit talking about t fall, or tion t ted my opinion on ore. Jamie, I kneried to act like I t s me to. It er all.

    to keep t stop to cake in bet dumped one jar or can into t, combining t along. By t day all to my room. I sa too many-but I  actually nervous until I emptied tents onto my floor and sa ted primarily of pennies. t nearly as many slugs or paper clips as Id t t be, I ill disened   a lot of money, especially wy kids.

    I didnt get discouraged, t it ake, I  out t day, ted y proprietors ake: $23.89.

    ter counting up t believe it. terfront, s and teenagers like me . e   think.

    Seeing tle ed in all-$55.73-made me feel a t for almost a imes. t nigo call Jamie to tell  Id collected, but I just couldnt do it. Sold me ed sometra special t going to do it-even I kne. Instead I lied to old  I  going to count total until t toget  mine. It  too depressing. I promised to bring over ternoon, after sc out. t day est day of tmas was only four days away.

    quot;Landon,quot; so me after counting it up, quot;this is a miracle!”

    quot;; I asked. I knely  was.

    quot;t t in ts  acked in neat little piles all over t all quarters and dimes.  c table, ing urned he sound of her voice.

    quot;Do you ts enoug; I asked innocently.

    Little tears  believing  of er t been nearly t at me.

    quot;Its . . . ; sion t;Last year, I only collected seventy dollars.”

    quot;Im glad it  better t; I said t . quot;If you  placed t so early in t not ed nearly as much.”

    I kno I didnt care. For once, it  to do.

    I didnt  toys-I figured ster  any sed t I go o tmas Eve so t I could be ts.

    quot;Please, Landon,quot; sed and all, I just didnt  to turn her down.

    So ter, y at toot and my best tie and o my moms car  beneat my last feer because t o get  exactly t person to shop for.

    I o be at t seven, but ty port, and I o  until an outbound freigs , I arrived a fees late. t door  time, and I o pound on it until Mr. Jenkins finally  of keys until  one, and a moment later epped inside, patting my arms to he chill.

    quot;A; ;eve been ing for you. Cmon, Ill take you to where everyone is.”

    o t a moment to exhale deeply before finally heading in.

    It ter than Id imagined.

    In ter of t tree, decorated insel and colored lig s. Beneatree, spread in all directions, s of every size and sting close toget clote collared ss, , and most of t.

    On table beside tters of cookies, smas trees and sprinkled s sitting ting on ts laps, t tention as tened to quot; t Before Cmas.”

    I didnt see Jamie, t least not rig. It . Sory, and I finally located ting on t of tree  beneath her.

    to my surprise, I sa tonig as it  of tead of times, ser t someuated t blue eyes. Even  sparkles in e flo of ing. it even noticing it, Id been  me out of trying to regain control.

    Jamie paused only once to look up from tory. Siced me standing in t back to reading to t took e or so to finisood up and smoot, to make o knoo go, I stayed where I was.

    By then Mr. Jenkins had slipped away.

    quot;Im sorry arted  you,quot; s;but t so excited.”

    quot;Its okay,quot; I said, smiling, thinking how nice she looked.

    quot;Im so glad you could come.”

    quot;So am I.”

    Jamie smiled and reaco lead t;Cmon ; she said.

    quot; ts.”

    e spent t  t, and cos t ts t Jamie boug t some tossed around ted frenzy, t every least, it seemed t all of ted, and t thanking Jamie over and over.

    By time t tled and all ts mospo calm doidied up by Mr. Jenkins and a , and some of to fall asleep beneatree. Some of to ts, and ts on t tree lig an et;Silent Nig; played softly on a p  up in till sitting on t to Jamie, alk, not t eit ts on tree, and I rutold, I didnt kno sender look about -no,I kne it  Cmas Eve Id ever spent.

    I glanced at s gloy as anyone Id ever seen.

    quot;I boug; I finally said to ;A gift, I mean.quot; I spoke softly so I  tle girl, and I  would he nervousness in my voice.

    Surned from tree to face me, smiling softly. quot;You didnt o do t.quot; S oo, and it sounded almost musical.

    quot;I kno; I said. quot;But I ed to.quot; Id kept t off to one side, and I reac, -o her.

    quot;Could you open it for me? My  no; S ttle girl, to me.

    quot;You dont o open it no,quot; I said, s;its really not t big of a deal.”

    quot;Dont be silly,quot; s;I  in front of you.”

    to clear my mind, I looked at t and started opening it, picking at tape so t it  make mucil I reacer setting to ted t ter,  up to s  I figured she could use a new one.

    Compared  expect mucion.

    quot;See, ts all. I told you it  muc; I said. I  disappointed in it.

    quot;Its beautiful, Landon,quot; sly. quot;Ill  t time I see you. thank you.”

    e sat quietly for a moment, and once again I began to look at ts.

    quot;I brougoo,quot; Jamie finally ree, and my eyes folloill beneatree, partially and, and I reac. It angular, flexible, and a little  it to my lap and  t even trying to open it.

    quot;Open it,quot; s at me.

    quot;You cant give to me,quot; I said breat  believe remble.

    quot;Please,quot; so me  voice Id ever ;open it. I  you to .”

    Reluctantly I slo  gently, afraid to damage it. I stared at it, mesmerized, and sloed  .

    I glanced at  knoo say.

    Jamie had given me her Bible.

    quot;t you did,quot; so me. quot;It  Cmas Ive ever had.”

    I turned a responding and reaco t my glass of punc;Silent Nig; ill playing, and took a sip of trying to soot. As I drank, all times Id spent o my mind. I t about t s nig about t about times Id he orphans.

    As t still. I looked at Jamie, to t to keep my composure, to Jamie again. S me and I smiled at h a girl like Jamie Sullivan.