For Ilsa my friend through many seasons many years
Boxing Day This year was special When Derek Curry went to bed on Christmas night he felt the same wonderful anticipation that he had felt the night before It had been exciting to lie in bed on Christmas Eve He had heard the mysterious crackle of wrapping paper and the footsteps of his parents in the next room and wondered about the surprises waiting for him the next day But until now Christmas night had always been a letdown Even if he had received every gift he had ever wished for and a few others besides on Christmas night he knew
that nothing exciting was going to happen in his life until his birthday on May 4 Derek turned over in bed restlessly and thought about his best friend and almost next door neighbor Rory Dunn The two boys were in the same fifth grade class at the Woodside Elementary School and they did everything together Chances were that Rory was in his bed at this very moment thinking the very same thoughts that he was Both boys had been counting the days until December 26 Ever since their neighbor Mrs Golding had told them that her great niece Bolivia was coming to visit for a week during the winter recess from school it was all they talked about Although Bolivia Raab was exactly their age Derek and Rory would never have met her if she hadn't spent last summer visiting her relatives in Woodside New Jersey Bolivia lived in upstate New York and until her visit the boys had never heard of her Now months after she returned home they still talked about her all the time Bolivia was unlike any girl they had ever known before
Derek heard the crackle of paper from the other side of his room It wasn't his parents wrapping another gift for him The sound was actually coming from one of his gifts Derek had received a hamster in a cage from his parents He couldn't wait to show off Hamlet to Bolivia the next day He began counting what other things he had to show her There were the new hockey skates that both he and Rory had gotten Their mothers often went shopping together He hoped Bolivia remembered to bring her ice skates He also hoped he would get a chance to spend some time alone with Bolivia There was something important that he wanted to discuss with her It was something he didn't want Rory to know he was going to talk about Bolivia was scheduled to arrive at two o clock and Mr and Mrs Golding had invited Derek and Rory to go to the airport with them Derek had been to the airport a few times before But he had never been in an airplane When he had asked Bolivia last
