Maggie set a notebook and a pen on her desk. Pen in hand, she tapped the paper in front of her and began to write.
I got the grant because Rand thinks I deserve a chance.
I want to challenge because I want a chance.
I want to be a baroness because ....that was when she lifted her pen to consider possibilities. It was also when she heard her younger sister's voice behind her. "Well, why do you want to be a Baroness?"
Maggie was quiet for a minute before she answered Catie, "I want to do something to prove I'm serious about the sport. Just because I'm kid doesn't mean that I'm not good enough to run with the big dogs like Gran would say."
"It that the only reason?"
"No," Maggie shook her head, "I want my place in the history book, too."
Catie tipped her head. "You already got that. You're the youngest person to win that Talon thing."
"Mm...that depends on how old Mystic was when she won."
"Isn't that what Da calls semankiks?"
"Semantics!" came from an adult voice in the hall.
"Yeah, that!" Catie called back to her mother."
"Catie, why don't you go and help Rick set the table" Uncle Bertie made his famous meatloaf and mash."
"Awesome!" Catie was gleeful as she dashed down to the kitchen.
Rhiannon took a seat on the trunk at the foot of her daughter's bed. "Why do you want to be a Baroness?"
Maggie didn't face her mother as she answered, "For the some of the same reasons I tried out for the theater. I want to try. If I try and succeed, that's great, and I took a step ahead for me and other kids. If I fail, I can try again until I do it right. If I don't try, I fail because I didn't take a chance. I want a chance, that's not a lot to ask, is it?"
Rhi smiled gently. "No, it isn't. However, I'm concerned that you might be stretching yourself a bit thin, Maggie."
Finally, she looked at her mother. "I like bein' busy, Mama! I like being in shows at the Shanachie because the people over there are fun to be with."
"Mataya has been wonderful about making sure your school work gets done during your performance days. She knows how important it is to work hard in school."
"I've always worked hard in school. I'm not good at everything, but I work hard to get it as best I can." Maggie wrote something in her notebook. "I would like to switch from ballet to gymnastics. I know that's one of Catie's things, but she said she wouldn't mind if her big sister was in class, too." Her mouth scrunched. "I think it might be a good idea to talk to her about that. I don't want to steal her thunder and all."
"How about we stop ballet class for this year and you go and observe a couple of Catie's gymnastics classes to see if you'll like it?"
Maggie nodded. "Ok! Now, what about piano lessons" Will you and Da be mad if I stop those, too?"
"I thought you liked playing the piano."
"I do, but I think I can practice at home or I can ask Dris if I can play one of his over at his place."
"That reminds me, I'll get hold of him and see about having a piano delivered. That is, unless, you want to walk Gussy more often."
"What, I can't do both?" Maggie grinned. Gussy was Dris's Wolfhound and Maggie had a soft spot for the dog.
"We'll see. Now, back to the business at hand." Rhiannon tapped her index finger on Maggie's notebook.
"Do I address a challenge to the person, the title, or the whole community?"
"The first thing you should do is post a note on the cork to thank Rand."
"Okie dokie!" Maggie nodded and penned a note to be tacked on the cork later in the day.
Dear Rand,
Thank you for giving me the chance to be a Baroness.
Mairead Harker
I got the grant because Rand thinks I deserve a chance.
I want to challenge because I want a chance.
I want to be a baroness because ....that was when she lifted her pen to consider possibilities. It was also when she heard her younger sister's voice behind her. "Well, why do you want to be a Baroness?"
Maggie was quiet for a minute before she answered Catie, "I want to do something to prove I'm serious about the sport. Just because I'm kid doesn't mean that I'm not good enough to run with the big dogs like Gran would say."
"It that the only reason?"
"No," Maggie shook her head, "I want my place in the history book, too."
Catie tipped her head. "You already got that. You're the youngest person to win that Talon thing."
"Mm...that depends on how old Mystic was when she won."
"Isn't that what Da calls semankiks?"
"Semantics!" came from an adult voice in the hall.
"Yeah, that!" Catie called back to her mother."
"Catie, why don't you go and help Rick set the table" Uncle Bertie made his famous meatloaf and mash."
"Awesome!" Catie was gleeful as she dashed down to the kitchen.
Rhiannon took a seat on the trunk at the foot of her daughter's bed. "Why do you want to be a Baroness?"
Maggie didn't face her mother as she answered, "For the some of the same reasons I tried out for the theater. I want to try. If I try and succeed, that's great, and I took a step ahead for me and other kids. If I fail, I can try again until I do it right. If I don't try, I fail because I didn't take a chance. I want a chance, that's not a lot to ask, is it?"
Rhi smiled gently. "No, it isn't. However, I'm concerned that you might be stretching yourself a bit thin, Maggie."
Finally, she looked at her mother. "I like bein' busy, Mama! I like being in shows at the Shanachie because the people over there are fun to be with."
"Mataya has been wonderful about making sure your school work gets done during your performance days. She knows how important it is to work hard in school."
"I've always worked hard in school. I'm not good at everything, but I work hard to get it as best I can." Maggie wrote something in her notebook. "I would like to switch from ballet to gymnastics. I know that's one of Catie's things, but she said she wouldn't mind if her big sister was in class, too." Her mouth scrunched. "I think it might be a good idea to talk to her about that. I don't want to steal her thunder and all."
"How about we stop ballet class for this year and you go and observe a couple of Catie's gymnastics classes to see if you'll like it?"
Maggie nodded. "Ok! Now, what about piano lessons" Will you and Da be mad if I stop those, too?"
"I thought you liked playing the piano."
"I do, but I think I can practice at home or I can ask Dris if I can play one of his over at his place."
"That reminds me, I'll get hold of him and see about having a piano delivered. That is, unless, you want to walk Gussy more often."
"What, I can't do both?" Maggie grinned. Gussy was Dris's Wolfhound and Maggie had a soft spot for the dog.
"We'll see. Now, back to the business at hand." Rhiannon tapped her index finger on Maggie's notebook.
"Do I address a challenge to the person, the title, or the whole community?"
"The first thing you should do is post a note on the cork to thank Rand."
"Okie dokie!" Maggie nodded and penned a note to be tacked on the cork later in the day.
Dear Rand,
Thank you for giving me the chance to be a Baroness.
Mairead Harker