Magdalena

Every Saturday evening there was a large auction in Finzel, Daddy went several times a month and always came home with a lot of things. It was always fun to get up on Sunday mornings to see what he had bought this time.

One morning when we got up there was a nice desk and several boxes of things. I admired the desk a little bit but was more interested to dig through the boxes to see what kind of treasures were there when Daddy said that he bought the desk for my room.

I was delighted. I enjoyed anything to do with papers and books and now I had a desk of my own to keep everything in. I thought Sunday lasted very long but I knew without asking that I would have to wait until Monday morning to have the desk moved to my room.

Monday morning came and Mom and Daddy didn't seem to be in a hurry to move the desk. We had breakfast and started for school. That evening when we came home Mom had some fresh cookies waiting for us. As we ate them she told me that she wants to go upstairs with me once I'm ready to change my clothes. I didn't bother asking for a second cookie and we all went upstairs. I stood at my doorway and looked at my transformed room. It was beautiful. Mom and David had gathered some golden rod and put it in a vase on top of my desk. There was a new chair and an oil lamp standing on a doily. Everything was almost to perfect. I thanked them as they left and I changed into my play clothes.

I sat at my desk and opened the drawers. I couldn't wait to fill them with my very own scrap-booking things that Grandma Mast had given me. As I looked around my room I wished there was one more thing that would really complete it. I wanted a sister to share everything with.

With a sudden burst of inspiration I took the quilt off my bed and rolled it up. I got my favorite pink nightgown and stuffed the blanket inside and got one of my old bonnets out of  the cupboard in the hall and put it on the quilt and tied it. I set my creation on the chair and studied it. From the back it looked surprisingly real. I called it Magdalena.

I kept Magdalena for months and would hurry home from school each day and quickly do all my chores. I would spend all my spare moments in my room creating things at my desk. I would talk and laugh with Magdalena the whole time. She was one of the best friends I had that year.