Sisters
Kim learns that her true friend may be closer than she thinks when she remembers the Golden Rule.By
Katelyn Thomas
“I’m not the one who is sick. Why should I stay inside and play with you?” Kim said. She stamped her foot and glared at Beth.
Beth rubbed at the red, itchy spots on her face. “I stayed in to play with you when you
were sick,” she said.
Kim ignored the memory of Beth patiently putting a cool washcloth over her eyes and reading her stories. She wouldn’t think about the hours Beth spent putting on puppet shows and making up fun games. “I don’t have Chicken Pox anymore and Annie wants me to go over to her house and play. I don’t want to stay in with that baby, Mom.”
Mom sighed “Beth, I’ll read you a story. Kim hasn’t been outside for two weeks. She wants to play with her friends.”
Beth looked at Kim. “I haven’t been out either. I stayed in to play with you because I knew I would have wanted you to stay in with me if I was sick.”
“Well you were silly,” said Kim and ran out the front door. The whole way to Annie’s house, Kim thought of all the neat things they could do. “Annie,” she yelled, as soon as she saw her friend playing in her yard. “Annie, let’s go to the store for some candy.”
Annie grinned. “Kim, you’re better. Where’s the shadow?”
Kim laughed out loud. “She’s stuck in the house with Chicken Pox. No more pesky little sister for two whole weeks.”
Together, Kim and Annie walked to the store. Inside, they walked up and down the candy aisle, trying to decide what to buy. “Beth-” Kim stopped and looked at Annie. “I almost forgot she wasn’t here. I can get what I want without worrying about that baby.”
Kim spent a long time looking at the candy, but for some reason nothing seemed quite right. “Annie, would you believe Beth gave me all of the candy she was saving for a special day while I was sick?”
Annie shrugged. “I thought we weren’t talking about her.”
Kim frowned. Annie didn’t visit me once when I was sick and she could have. She had Chicken Pox last year, she thought. “I’ll just get some of everything and give some to Beth,” she decided.
“Hurry up,” Annie said. “Some of the kids want to sneak into weird old Mr. Abbott’s house. An ambulance took him to the hospital last night.”
Kim felt scared. She knew it would be wrong to go in Mr. Abbott’s house when he wasn’t there. If Beth was here, she’s say it was wrong and we couldn’t do it. I could pretend that’s why
I wasn’t going, she thought.
“Are you chicken?” asked Annie.
“No. I was just thinking,” Kim said. “Let’s go.”
When they got to Mr. Abbott’s house, the door was already open. “Hurry,” said Annie.
Kim thought about the Sunday School lesson Beth read to her Sunday night. “Jesus wants us to do unto others-” she whispered to herself. “I can’t, Annie. It’s wrong.”
Annie stared at her. “You’re just as big a baby as your sister. Don’t bother coming over to play tomorrow,” she said and ran into the house.
“I won’t,” Kim said to the empty doorway. She turned and walked toward home. As she opened her front gate, she heard a siren. A police car raced past. Kim turned around to watch the car. It stopped outside Mr. Abbott’s house. Kim hurried inside.
“Why Kim. I thought you were going to be out all afternoon,” said her mother.
“I came home to play with Beth. She was nice to me when I was sick and Annie wasn’t. Annie isn’t nice at all.”
Beth sat up on the sofa. “Kim, let’s play hospital,” she said.
Kim laughed. “I guess you get to be the patient,” she said. Beth laughed, too.
Luke 6:31 KJV
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
Katelyn Thomas
“I’m not the one who is sick. Why should I stay inside and play with you?” Kim said. She stamped her foot and glared at Beth.
Beth rubbed at the red, itchy spots on her face. “I stayed in to play with you when you
were sick,” she said.
Kim ignored the memory of Beth patiently putting a cool washcloth over her eyes and reading her stories. She wouldn’t think about the hours Beth spent putting on puppet shows and making up fun games. “I don’t have Chicken Pox anymore and Annie wants me to go over to her house and play. I don’t want to stay in with that baby, Mom.”
Mom sighed “Beth, I’ll read you a story. Kim hasn’t been outside for two weeks. She wants to play with her friends.”
Beth looked at Kim. “I haven’t been out either. I stayed in to play with you because I knew I would have wanted you to stay in with me if I was sick.”
“Well you were silly,” said Kim and ran out the front door. The whole way to Annie’s house, Kim thought of all the neat things they could do. “Annie,” she yelled, as soon as she saw her friend playing in her yard. “Annie, let’s go to the store for some candy.”
Annie grinned. “Kim, you’re better. Where’s the shadow?”
Kim laughed out loud. “She’s stuck in the house with Chicken Pox. No more pesky little sister for two whole weeks.”
Together, Kim and Annie walked to the store. Inside, they walked up and down the candy aisle, trying to decide what to buy. “Beth-” Kim stopped and looked at Annie. “I almost forgot she wasn’t here. I can get what I want without worrying about that baby.”
Kim spent a long time looking at the candy, but for some reason nothing seemed quite right. “Annie, would you believe Beth gave me all of the candy she was saving for a special day while I was sick?”
Annie shrugged. “I thought we weren’t talking about her.”
Kim frowned. Annie didn’t visit me once when I was sick and she could have. She had Chicken Pox last year, she thought. “I’ll just get some of everything and give some to Beth,” she decided.
“Hurry up,” Annie said. “Some of the kids want to sneak into weird old Mr. Abbott’s house. An ambulance took him to the hospital last night.”
Kim felt scared. She knew it would be wrong to go in Mr. Abbott’s house when he wasn’t there. If Beth was here, she’s say it was wrong and we couldn’t do it. I could pretend that’s why
I wasn’t going, she thought.
“Are you chicken?” asked Annie.
“No. I was just thinking,” Kim said. “Let’s go.”
When they got to Mr. Abbott’s house, the door was already open. “Hurry,” said Annie.
Kim thought about the Sunday School lesson Beth read to her Sunday night. “Jesus wants us to do unto others-” she whispered to herself. “I can’t, Annie. It’s wrong.”
Annie stared at her. “You’re just as big a baby as your sister. Don’t bother coming over to play tomorrow,” she said and ran into the house.
“I won’t,” Kim said to the empty doorway. She turned and walked toward home. As she opened her front gate, she heard a siren. A police car raced past. Kim turned around to watch the car. It stopped outside Mr. Abbott’s house. Kim hurried inside.
“Why Kim. I thought you were going to be out all afternoon,” said her mother.
“I came home to play with Beth. She was nice to me when I was sick and Annie wasn’t. Annie isn’t nice at all.”
Beth sat up on the sofa. “Kim, let’s play hospital,” she said.
Kim laughed. “I guess you get to be the patient,” she said. Beth laughed, too.
Luke 6:31 KJV
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.