Ashley's Unforgettable Summer

About the Book

"Tina! Where are you going? Come back here," Ashley yelled, chasing Tina to the stairs. But, as usual, the little chimp was moving fast. There was no stopping her. She slid down the banister and out of sight. "Rylee, hurry! We have to stop her," Ashley shouted, running down the stairs behind her. "I´m coming! I´m coming!" Rylee called. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they stood still to listen. Rylee moaned. “Did you hear that? It´s coming from the kitchen." "Yes,” Ashley whispered. "We´ll go through the dining room, and maybe we can sneak up on her." "Good idea." Ashley ran and hid behind a chair. UH OH! A spoon flew across the room and hit the wall. "This is not working, Ashley. Maybe if you sneak up from behind and grab her..." "Excuse me? You want me to do it?" "Why not? After all, she is your chimp." "Oh yeah? Well I thought we were partners." "I was only teasing," said Rylee. "Let’s try to catch that little stinker before she destroys the kitchen." They could hear Tina in the kitchen, exploring every drawer and cabinet she could reach. As they stormed into the kitchen, it looked as if everything--silverware, cups, pots, bowls--was either on the floor or flying across the room. "Tina," Ashley called, with a note of panic. "Let´s go outside and play." "Play! What do you think the nutty chimp is doing now?" said Rylee. Another spoon sailed across the room, striking Ashley. "Tina, stop that right this minute!" said Ashley, lunging for the animal. "Mother will be furious when she sees this mess. No...Oh...No! Rylee! Quick, grab her before she gets to the refrigerator..." Tina swung off the cabinets and managed to open the refrigerator door. She grabbed a bottle of ketchup, and began squeezing it all over the floor. "Tina, please be a good girl… and give that to me,” Rylee pleaded, edging her way a little closer. Tina managed to get the top off the bottle, making an even bigger mess. Licking the bottle, Tina looked like she was thoroughly enjoying herself. "Rylee, see if you can get her attention and I´ll sneak around the table." "Take it easy, Ashley. The floor is slippery." As Ashley eased her way toward Tina, she began to slip and slide. “Yikes. You’re not kidding about the floor being… whoa… slip… slippery.” Tina glimpsed at Ashley and leaped toward her. Ashley squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for a crash landing. But Tina landed softly in her arms and wrapped her arms around the girl´s neck, giving her a big chimpanzee kiss and covering her with ketchup. "Yuck!" said Ashley. Rylee rushed to her side, barely able to control her laughter. Suddenly, Ashley´s mom entered the kitchen and screamed when she saw her daughter. "Honey! Neal! That chimp is attacking Ashley. Call Nine-One-One. There´s blood all over!" Ashley´s dad took one glance through the doorway and raced for the telephone. Ashley shouted, "Mom. Dad. This is ketchup, not blood." But they weren´t listening. Ashley´s mother grabbed the scared chimp from her daughter and shoved it into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Ashley turned to Rylee. "How did I ever get into this mess?" It had all begun about a month earlier, soon after school was over for the summer. Ashley had been so excited. She´d danced around her room, tossing clothes into her open suitcase. She was packing for a long awaited vacation. Assuming she would be spending most of her time on the beach of a tropical island, she was careful to pack plenty of suntan lotion.

About the Author

I was born and grew up in Savannah, Ga. and moved to Ellabell, Ga. in 1970. I have been a member of Faulkville Baptist Church since 1995. I became interested in writing in 1977. I wrote poetry for the local paper, as well as articles and poetry upon request. After four years, I put everything aside and resumed writing last year, 2005.