Luke grinned. Trey was finally getting the hang of it! After all that had happened in the past couple of weeks, Luke was very glad to be able to settle down, do some school work, and teach other kids what he knew how to do best; grow crops. Last Friday, Trey had asked “And this little thing is actually going to grow?” referring to a seed he was about to plant. And in only a week, Trey was reminding Luke himself about certain growing things. He was a fast learner. In fact, Luke liked him the best out of the ten other children he was teaching.

It wasn’t that the others were bad students; it was just that they were more concentrated on the fact that they were outside for the first time in their life. Before this, they had been forced to stay in a windowless room all day, every day, due to their being an illegal third child. But now that they were at Hendricks’s, they were safe.

“Simon, how are your beans coming along?” called Luke.

“I don’t know,” replied Simon, “They look kind of… dead.”

Luke walked over to Simon’s growing area. “Those look fine, Simon! Beans tend to grow a little faster; that’s why their leaves aren’t as big and vibrant as the other plants.”

“Oh. That explains it. Thanks!”

“No problem. Be sure to check all of your plants!” Luke then turned to go help the next person who needed him.

The rest of the day went on uneventfully, for the most part. That is, until Luke went to bed. When he arrived at his room, Mr. Talbot was waiting there for him. He had a sad, “I”m-about-tell-you-bad-news’ look in his eyes.

“Luke, I really hate to be the one to tell you this, but…” He faltered. “Your mother died in a factory explosion this morning.”

Luke was silent for a moment. He looked down, then back up at Jen’s dad. “I… do I get to go to her funeral?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m here. We can leave first thing to tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, ok.” Luke was in shock. He still couldn’t believe what was happening to him. How could his mother die?

Mr. Talbot asked if Luke needed anything, and upon getting a “no thanks” answers, walked away.

Luke didn’t sleep at all that night. If one of his bunkmates woke up that night, they probably heard his soft sniffles coming from below him.

The next morning, Luke was ready almost 2 hours before Mr. Talbot got there. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had huge circles under his eternally sad looking eyes, so no teacher or secretary questioned him when the two walked straight out the door of the school. They hopped in his car, and began the 4 hour journey back to Luke’s old house. Neither of them said a word the entire ride.

As they drove, Luke pressed his head against the window, and stared at the rain-streaked lines of the lights of cars passing by. Luke used this time to think. With his real Mother gone, how would his life be affected? Luke realized that it would, besides the mental factors, be almost obsolete. He didn’t live with them, converse with them at all, and probably would never again after the funeral! This was another blow to Luke. How could something this big in his life affect it so little?

Mr. Talbot stopped for gas, got a coffee, and got back on the highway. “How you doing, kid?”

“OK.” Luke mumbled. But inside, he felt like he was going to explode.

“Man, Luke, I know what it’s like. I lost my dad when I was your age.” Jen’s dad said. “If there’s anything, anything at all, I can do for you; just know I’m only a call away.”

“Thanks, Mr. Talbot. I appreciate it.” Luke was silent for the remainder of the trip.

After what seemed like a lifetime, they finally arrived at the house. Luke got out, stretched, and then turned around to see Mr. Talbot walk towards Luke’s old house. Luke followed him. This was going to be a very, very long week.