CHAPTER 17 — THE FOG AND . . .

The twins were so eager to get home, they didn’t notice the fog gathering in the distance, beyond a sign that said, LEAVING THE LAND OF CHOICE.
It was light at first, thin foggy-gray wisps resting here and there on the grass or settling softly in the bushes. But it grew thicker and thicker as the four companions approached, until finally it formed a solid gray wall. It swirled and boiled and looked as though it might swallow up anything that got in its path.
The twins stopped and stared at it in dismay. A small sign at the edge of the road, barely visible in the thick, gray mist, said, THE WAY HOME — GO ON YOUR OWN.
“Uh-oh,” said Tommy. “Does that mean what I think it does?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” said Choosy Chicken solemnly.
“You mean you and Red aren’t coming with us?” Tammy asked in alarm, looking first at Choosy Chicken and then at the Irish setter sitting at her feet.
“Oh, you don’t want us tagging along,” said the huge bird with a smile. “Besides, Red and I need to stay here, to help guide others through the Land of Choice.”
Tammy and Tommy felt very disappointed that Choosy Chicken and Red were not going with them. But they realized that might be impossible, so Tommy just said, “Well, you certainly have been wonderful”
And Tammy picked up the theme adding, “Before we came here we didn’t know anything about making choices, but we surely do now.”
Saying those things helped Tammy and Tommy feel a good deal better, and they each thought about some of the exciting times they had with Choosy and Red.
“How will we get along without you?” asked Tammy, as she glanced at the fog ahead.
“Oh, you’ll do just fine,” clucked Choosy Chicken. She paused, then added, “You know, children, we aren’t supposed to become personally involved with our visitors, but I must admit that you are two of the smartest and nicest children I’ve ever met.”
“Why, thank you!” cried Tommy. “We love you, too,” and at that both twins flung their arms around her soft, feathery neck. “You’ve been a good friend, Choosy Chicken. We’ll miss you.”
“Oh, my,” she fluttered, turning a bright red-purple with embarrassment and pleasure. The twins laughed and hugged her again.
“And you, Red,” said Tommy, kneeling down beside the big dog and stroking his silky, red fur. “I wish I could keep you for my very own dog.” He glanced at Tammy, then added, “Both of us do.” Tears stung his eyes and a lump rose in his throat, so he just buried his face in Red’s soft, warm neck and held on awkwardly.
Tammy leaned over and padded the dog’s smooth back. “Be a good dog, Red. Don’t go chasing any more cats.”
Red barked at the word “Cats,” and everyone laughed.
Tommy rose and looked at the boiling gray mist ahead of them. “Well,” he sighed. “I guess we’d better get going, Tammy. No point in putting it off any longer.”
“Don’t worry, children,” said Choosy gently. “Nothing’s going to happen to you now. Nothing but good things, anyway.”
The twins walked to edge of the glistening fog band, stood there for several moments, then turned and waved to their friends. “Goodbye! Goodbye! We’ll never forget you!”
“Goodbye!” called Choosy Chicken. “Remember to make good choices.”
“We will!” they said at the same time.
They reached for each others’ hands and stepped into the thick, swirling mist.
“Gosh!” Tommy exclaimed. “It’s dark here. I can’t see a thing, can you?”
“No. . .”They slowed their steps, shuffling their feet along the ground, and groping blindly with their hands.
“Tommy, let’s go back. I’m afraid,” said Tammy.
Tommy was feeling as troubled as his sister, but he felt certain they must keep going.
“Tammy,” he said, “we have to go on. It’s the only way home. I’m sure of it.”
His words reassured them both.
‘Wait!” said Tommy urgently after a few moments. “Stop! Did you hear that?”
“What?” asked Tommy.
“I thought I heard a voice. There it is again!”
Sure enough, very faintly in the distance, they could hear Grandma calling, “Tam-mee! Tom-mee!”
“Here we are, Grandma! We’re coming!” they shouted. They started to run, stumbling through the thick fog in the darkness.
“Tam-mee! Tom-mee!” It was louder this time, and seemed to be right in front of them.
“Here, Grandma!”
Suddenly, the twins came bursting out of the fog, right into their own room, on their very own beds. And there was Grandma, standing in the middle of the floor, dressed in her shabby bathrobe and looking wonderfully dear and familiar.
Unable to contain their relief, the twins leaped up and threw their arms around Grandma. They both started talking at once, their words tumbling over and over one another in a confused jumble.
“Oh, Grandma, it was so much fun. You should have been there. The zoo had all kinds of animals.
“. . . Cubs were so funny. And the Sox were real socks!”
“. . . bench folded up and walked away!”
“. . . lady wearing pans on her feet.”
“. . . club made of feathers.
“. . . mean old witch with a black cat.”
“. . . that mountain was the hardest.”
At those words both twins began to look very serious.
“Yeah,” Tommy nodded. “We had to learn how to make all kinds of different choices. . .”
“Choosy Chicken said we did a really good job — better than most other kids.”
“Red was such a wonderful dog. He nearly got hurt by the thorns, when the mean old witch. . .”
“. . . and we almost didn’t make it back, ‘cause we didn’t have any choosies or decisoes or anything.”
“Oh, Grandma, we’re so glad to be home.”
“Grandma, can we have a dog?”
Grandma burst out laughing. “Whoa! Wait! Hold on there! What are you two talking about?”
“The Land of Choice,” said Tommy.
“And the CREST Mountains,” added Tammy. “That was the hardest part. That’s why we were gone so long.”
“Gone!?” Grandma interrupted. “Land sakes, child, you haven’t gone anywhere. You’ve been right here.”
“Here?” asked Tammy, looking around the familiar bedroom in confusion. “But, we must have been gone. You were calling us.”
“For breakfast,” Grandma said gently. “It’s morning and breakfast is almost ready.”
“Morning?” Bewildered, the twins looked at each other. “But — it’s late afternoon. We just left the CREST Mountains, and Red and Choosy Chicken,” said Tommy.
“What did you say the name of those mountains was?” asked Grandma, staring fixedly at something on the floor.
The twins turned and looked. There was Tammy’s silly bulletin-board bird, looking very much like Choosy Chicken. The fancy paper feathers had been neatly arranged to spell out
C, R, E, S, T/W.
“CREST!” they shouted in unison.
“And we learned a poem,” the twins said together, and they recited it for Grandma.

You make choices every day,
At home, at school, at work, at play.
You can choose the things you do,
Even your feelings are up to you.

You choose how you talk and act,
No one else. And that’s a fact.
You can choose to roar like thunder,
Or just sit silently and wonder.

You can give or you can take,
There’s time to choose--make no mistake.
Now as you can plainly see,
You choose what to do and what to be.

Grandma smiled and gave each of them a hug. “Seems to me like you both had the same dream.” She paused, flustered. “Land sakes, I’ve never heard of such a thing. But, whatever the reason, I’m pleased that you were so glad to see me. Get dressed now, and come and eat.”
“Is that possible?” Tammy asked slowly, pulling on her jeans after Grandma had left. “That both of us could have had the same dream, I mean?”
“I don’t know,” Tommy admitted. “What else could it have been?”
“It all seemed so real. . .” Tammy let her voice trail off as a tiny purple feather fell out of her hair and she watched it float softly to the floor. She smiled when it landed right on the paper creature’s head.
“I don’t know, but I think it was real,” she said.
“Well, whatever it was,” said Tommy softly, “being home again really feels good. So good, in fact, that I’d be glad to help you finish your bulletin board.”
“Gee, I’d like that, thanks,” Tammy replied. “After breakfast, OK?”
Tommy nodded yes, then said, “Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”
The twins hurried out of the room. Had they stayed a moment longer, from outside the window they would have heard a very faint sound.
A cackly voice said quietly, “Cluck, cluck!”

Chapter 17 — THE BIG IDEA

For Chapter 17 the Big Idea is: We can feel good and then make OK choices, or we can make OK choices and then feel good — about ourselves and others.

Take two minutes each to think about — or better still, to write down — two lists. One list might be called GOOD THINGS ABOUT ME — things about you that you feel good about and that can help you make good choices; for example, you might think or write: “I’m honest.” “I’m a good friend.” Etc. The other list might be called GOOD THINGS I DO — positive choices you make for yourself or for others that can help you feel good; for example, you might think or write: “I do my chores.” I say Please and Thank You to others.”

Think about this idea and how you can use it to make your life better.

To order the print form of In the Land of Choice, and the second novel in the series, The Magic of Choice, use the ORDER LINK below.

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