Find Something in You - Chapter 1: The Introductions
Daniel begins his journey into the depths on Sadie's diary. Little does he know, Saie's secrets will soon begin to pile up in front of him...
8/4/97
Dear Diary,
This is odd. I've never had a diary before. But, my mom insisted that secret expression writing is a healthy, holistic way to deal with problems. So, she gave me this diary. Well, since I have you now, I guess I'll start the introductions:
My name is Sadie Kathryn Lynzey Harnell. I'm 8. My birthday is July 9th, 1989. I live in Harlem, Manhattan, which is in New York. My whole name means princess pure from the linden tree. I like my name. My mom likes unique names. Probably because of her name. My mom's name is Lynzey-Jacoba Adene Harnell. That means from the linden tree supplant tender. My mom is Jewish and was born in Jerusalem. Her maiden name is Glaettner. That's where I got my second middle name. My other middle name is my father's mother's name. My father was Catholic, but he converted to Judaism when he married my mom.
His name was Josiah Michael Peter Harnell, which means god has healed like god a rock. As you can see, I like finding the meaning of things. My parents chose the name Sadie for me from their first date. My mom invited him to the Sadie Hawkins dance in their senior year. That's what they said, anyway. My dad died when I was 2. He had brain cancer. He was 35. My mom hasn't been so happy since...
Daniel stopped reading. Sadie's dad died from cancer? She always told people he had died from a heart attack. Daniel thought about it. He quickly assumed Sadie's mother had told Sadie to keep the truth inside her family. For their own personal reasons. He continued to read.
...that day. I don't really understand it. But I miss my daddy a lot. My mom says she misses him every day. She says he was her best friend in the whole wide world. I often ask about daddy. She tells me lots of stuff about him. She tells me that he was a very handsome man, tall and strong, with big brown eyes, dark hair, and tanned skin. He was really hyper and funny and he liked to play football. He liked sports, to watch them and play them. She told me a story about when it was the Superbowl (football thingy) one year, my dad got so excited when his team won; he ran outside and shouted it to the world. That made my momma laugh. I wish my daddy was still here. Then he could make her laugh again.
Now, my momma's 41. My parents were 33 when I was born. She doesn't do a lot. She and I live in a little two bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a building on 125th Street. We kinda live in the projects. My mom works two jobs to keep us in our house. I've had a lot of growing up to do lately, my mom says. She says she doesn't want that, but the money needed to pay for daddy's stay in the hospital before he died is still needed. I feel bad for my momma. I wish I could help.
Ok, that's all for today. I have to go eat my supper now. See you tomorrow. Bye!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel looked at his clock. It read 8:42 PM. 11 hours and 18 minutes to go. He thought. He justified the fact he must read her entire diary before sunrise, at 7:00 the next morning. It is the only way to know. He thought. With a heavy heart, he turned to the next entry, which was the next day...
8/5/97
Dear Diary,
Today was my first day at school! It was a lot of fun! The first person I saw today was my best friend. His name is Daniel James Jaxson...
Daniel laughed slightly. We were so cute as kids! He thought as he carefully
Removed a Polaroid photograph; he and Sadie on their first day of Grade 3. She had worn a jean overall dress with a flower-print shirt and shiny, black shoes. Her hair was a cinnamon red hue and was in two long pigtails. Daniel had worn a blue and white-striped shirt, tucked into jeans with a belt, and wore some old-looking sneakers. He had a short cropped cut and his hair was dark blond. He continued to read...
...and he has been my best friend since we were three. His name means god is my judge supplanter. He's really funny! He likes to make people laugh! He's always nice, even when we fight over our crayons in art!! Daniel's my best friend in the whole wide world, and someday, we're gonna get married!
Besides that, school...
Daniel paused reading. Tears welled up in his eyes. If only you'd made it until we
were of age. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiped away the two tears hanging at the edge of his eyelids. He opened them, sniffled a bit, and then continued reading...
...is so much fun! My teacher's name is Miss Park. She says she's from a big place called China. She says the man she's gonna marry is from England and his name is Peter. Thinking of his name makes me think of my daddy. I miss him still. Miss Park told us that for our first assignment of the year, we have to write a paragraph about our family. I don't know what to write. My mom says to write that my mom is a banker and my dad was a journalist. To tell them my daddy passed away when I was really little. To say I'm an only child. But, I'm not an only child!! I...
Daniel froze up. Sadie has a sibling? He suddenly began to wonder. There was
Always that one page in their photo album we had to skip... Daniel immediately read on...
...have a brother. My momma told me this last week. My momma says he's older than me. She told me that she and my daddy had to give him up because they were so young. She says my daddy and her were only 19. They had not gotten married yet. Their parents made them give him up. She said they had named him Drake Benjamin Andrew Harnell, and he was born on June 2nd, 1975. I looked up what Drake's name means. It means dragon son of my right hand courageous. They chose it in honor of my dad's best friend, who had died two years before. His name was Drake John Kiser. My brother's middle names were, again, biblical. My mother encourages me to "embrace my Jewish-Christian heritage". I'm not entirely sure what she means. My mom tells me stuff a lot. Her one rule is: NO SECRETS. I'm ok with that. I love my momma.
I finished my paragraph on my family. I'll read it to you:
MY FAMILY
Hi! My name is Sadie Kathryn Lynzey Harnell and I am 8 years old. I was born on July 9th, 1989. I had a momma and a daddy and a brother. My momma's name is Lynzey-Jacoba and my daddy's name was Josiah. My daddy passed away when I was 2 because he had a heart attack. He was a journalist for the Wall Street Journal. My momma is a banker and a waitress. I have never met my brother, but I know his name is Drake Benjamin Andrew, and that he was born June 2nd in 1975. He would be 21 right now. I hope I can meet my brother someday. It would be nice. And now you know about my family!
Well, it's time for me to go. It's almost bed time. Goodnight!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel shuddered. How many more secrets will there be? He glanced over at his alarm clock once again. It read 8:54 PM. Daniel turned to the next entry, which was a week and a half later...
8/15/97
Dear Jezebella,
Today, I came home from school and saw my momma reading a book in the kitchen. I looked at the cover. It had a picture of a pretty girl with brown, wavy hair, brown eyes, and pale skin on the cover. I asked my momma who the girl was. She said her name was Anne Frank and she lived a long time ago. Momma told me that when she was a teenager, mean men called Nazis tried to kill her and her family! So, they hid in a house for a few years. And to keep her company was her diary. She named her diary Kitty. Momma started reading the book to me. It's very cool so far.
Reading Anne's diary made me think about you. So, I've decided to name you and be like Anne Frank. Momma said that I should choose a pretty name. So, I read the baby book my momma has. That's when I saw your name. Jezebella means rabbit, and it's a Jewish name. I thought it was pretty. So, now your name is Jezebella. But, I also thought you needed a full name, like me. So, I looked for more names. I also liked Bethel. Bethel means house of god, which I think is cool! I also rreeeaaallllyyyy liked the name Azalia. That means god has spared.
So, your full name is Jezebella Bethel Azalia Glaettner. Glaettner is my momma's maiden name, so, you could be like a cousin or a sister to me. Your full name means rabbit house of god has spared. I hope you like your name!
So, besides naming you, I have some very interesting stuff to tell you about, Jezzy! My teacher, Miss Park, said that I'm going to have my IQ tested. She said that when someone's IQ is really high, it means they're very smart. She thinks I might have a very high IQ and should see if she's right. I'm very excited. I get to take the test next Monday in the afternoon. I will tell you what happens!
Uh oh, I have to go now! Momma and I are going to Daniel's house for dinner!! Yay!! I'll write to you again, soon! Bye, Jezebella!!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel recalled in his mind that dinner. Chicken parmesan and tiramisu. Italian classic. Mom's Friday night special. Daniel smiled slightly. Looking at the time again, he saw it was 9:00 even. 10 hours left. He continued on, carefully listening for his mother to come in...
Dear Diary,
This is odd. I've never had a diary before. But, my mom insisted that secret expression writing is a healthy, holistic way to deal with problems. So, she gave me this diary. Well, since I have you now, I guess I'll start the introductions:
My name is Sadie Kathryn Lynzey Harnell. I'm 8. My birthday is July 9th, 1989. I live in Harlem, Manhattan, which is in New York. My whole name means princess pure from the linden tree. I like my name. My mom likes unique names. Probably because of her name. My mom's name is Lynzey-Jacoba Adene Harnell. That means from the linden tree supplant tender. My mom is Jewish and was born in Jerusalem. Her maiden name is Glaettner. That's where I got my second middle name. My other middle name is my father's mother's name. My father was Catholic, but he converted to Judaism when he married my mom.
His name was Josiah Michael Peter Harnell, which means god has healed like god a rock. As you can see, I like finding the meaning of things. My parents chose the name Sadie for me from their first date. My mom invited him to the Sadie Hawkins dance in their senior year. That's what they said, anyway. My dad died when I was 2. He had brain cancer. He was 35. My mom hasn't been so happy since...
Daniel stopped reading. Sadie's dad died from cancer? She always told people he had died from a heart attack. Daniel thought about it. He quickly assumed Sadie's mother had told Sadie to keep the truth inside her family. For their own personal reasons. He continued to read.
...that day. I don't really understand it. But I miss my daddy a lot. My mom says she misses him every day. She says he was her best friend in the whole wide world. I often ask about daddy. She tells me lots of stuff about him. She tells me that he was a very handsome man, tall and strong, with big brown eyes, dark hair, and tanned skin. He was really hyper and funny and he liked to play football. He liked sports, to watch them and play them. She told me a story about when it was the Superbowl (football thingy) one year, my dad got so excited when his team won; he ran outside and shouted it to the world. That made my momma laugh. I wish my daddy was still here. Then he could make her laugh again.
Now, my momma's 41. My parents were 33 when I was born. She doesn't do a lot. She and I live in a little two bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a building on 125th Street. We kinda live in the projects. My mom works two jobs to keep us in our house. I've had a lot of growing up to do lately, my mom says. She says she doesn't want that, but the money needed to pay for daddy's stay in the hospital before he died is still needed. I feel bad for my momma. I wish I could help.
Ok, that's all for today. I have to go eat my supper now. See you tomorrow. Bye!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel looked at his clock. It read 8:42 PM. 11 hours and 18 minutes to go. He thought. He justified the fact he must read her entire diary before sunrise, at 7:00 the next morning. It is the only way to know. He thought. With a heavy heart, he turned to the next entry, which was the next day...
8/5/97
Dear Diary,
Today was my first day at school! It was a lot of fun! The first person I saw today was my best friend. His name is Daniel James Jaxson...
Daniel laughed slightly. We were so cute as kids! He thought as he carefully
Removed a Polaroid photograph; he and Sadie on their first day of Grade 3. She had worn a jean overall dress with a flower-print shirt and shiny, black shoes. Her hair was a cinnamon red hue and was in two long pigtails. Daniel had worn a blue and white-striped shirt, tucked into jeans with a belt, and wore some old-looking sneakers. He had a short cropped cut and his hair was dark blond. He continued to read...
...and he has been my best friend since we were three. His name means god is my judge supplanter. He's really funny! He likes to make people laugh! He's always nice, even when we fight over our crayons in art!! Daniel's my best friend in the whole wide world, and someday, we're gonna get married!
Besides that, school...
Daniel paused reading. Tears welled up in his eyes. If only you'd made it until we
were of age. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiped away the two tears hanging at the edge of his eyelids. He opened them, sniffled a bit, and then continued reading...
...is so much fun! My teacher's name is Miss Park. She says she's from a big place called China. She says the man she's gonna marry is from England and his name is Peter. Thinking of his name makes me think of my daddy. I miss him still. Miss Park told us that for our first assignment of the year, we have to write a paragraph about our family. I don't know what to write. My mom says to write that my mom is a banker and my dad was a journalist. To tell them my daddy passed away when I was really little. To say I'm an only child. But, I'm not an only child!! I...
Daniel froze up. Sadie has a sibling? He suddenly began to wonder. There was
Always that one page in their photo album we had to skip... Daniel immediately read on...
...have a brother. My momma told me this last week. My momma says he's older than me. She told me that she and my daddy had to give him up because they were so young. She says my daddy and her were only 19. They had not gotten married yet. Their parents made them give him up. She said they had named him Drake Benjamin Andrew Harnell, and he was born on June 2nd, 1975. I looked up what Drake's name means. It means dragon son of my right hand courageous. They chose it in honor of my dad's best friend, who had died two years before. His name was Drake John Kiser. My brother's middle names were, again, biblical. My mother encourages me to "embrace my Jewish-Christian heritage". I'm not entirely sure what she means. My mom tells me stuff a lot. Her one rule is: NO SECRETS. I'm ok with that. I love my momma.
I finished my paragraph on my family. I'll read it to you:
MY FAMILY
Hi! My name is Sadie Kathryn Lynzey Harnell and I am 8 years old. I was born on July 9th, 1989. I had a momma and a daddy and a brother. My momma's name is Lynzey-Jacoba and my daddy's name was Josiah. My daddy passed away when I was 2 because he had a heart attack. He was a journalist for the Wall Street Journal. My momma is a banker and a waitress. I have never met my brother, but I know his name is Drake Benjamin Andrew, and that he was born June 2nd in 1975. He would be 21 right now. I hope I can meet my brother someday. It would be nice. And now you know about my family!
Well, it's time for me to go. It's almost bed time. Goodnight!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel shuddered. How many more secrets will there be? He glanced over at his alarm clock once again. It read 8:54 PM. Daniel turned to the next entry, which was a week and a half later...
8/15/97
Dear Jezebella,
Today, I came home from school and saw my momma reading a book in the kitchen. I looked at the cover. It had a picture of a pretty girl with brown, wavy hair, brown eyes, and pale skin on the cover. I asked my momma who the girl was. She said her name was Anne Frank and she lived a long time ago. Momma told me that when she was a teenager, mean men called Nazis tried to kill her and her family! So, they hid in a house for a few years. And to keep her company was her diary. She named her diary Kitty. Momma started reading the book to me. It's very cool so far.
Reading Anne's diary made me think about you. So, I've decided to name you and be like Anne Frank. Momma said that I should choose a pretty name. So, I read the baby book my momma has. That's when I saw your name. Jezebella means rabbit, and it's a Jewish name. I thought it was pretty. So, now your name is Jezebella. But, I also thought you needed a full name, like me. So, I looked for more names. I also liked Bethel. Bethel means house of god, which I think is cool! I also rreeeaaallllyyyy liked the name Azalia. That means god has spared.
So, your full name is Jezebella Bethel Azalia Glaettner. Glaettner is my momma's maiden name, so, you could be like a cousin or a sister to me. Your full name means rabbit house of god has spared. I hope you like your name!
So, besides naming you, I have some very interesting stuff to tell you about, Jezzy! My teacher, Miss Park, said that I'm going to have my IQ tested. She said that when someone's IQ is really high, it means they're very smart. She thinks I might have a very high IQ and should see if she's right. I'm very excited. I get to take the test next Monday in the afternoon. I will tell you what happens!
Uh oh, I have to go now! Momma and I are going to Daniel's house for dinner!! Yay!! I'll write to you again, soon! Bye, Jezebella!!
As always,
Sadie
Daniel recalled in his mind that dinner. Chicken parmesan and tiramisu. Italian classic. Mom's Friday night special. Daniel smiled slightly. Looking at the time again, he saw it was 9:00 even. 10 hours left. He continued on, carefully listening for his mother to come in...
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