Keys to the City by Lisa Schroeder
Her eyes got big and round. “Lindy! That’s incredible. Did you like it?”
“I mean, I’m glad I did it, but I don’t want to do it again.”
She nodded. “I joined choir my freshman year of high school to try it out. It was the one and only year I did it. I never felt good enough. It seemed like everyone else had something special to offer. My teacher passed me over for solos. It was the right thing to do, I suppose. My voice was just average. It’s sad, but it’s hard to enjoy something when you don’t feel good enough.”
Before I could respond, Mom sat up straight and looked around. It was so strange, it kind of startled me.
“Mom?”
“Oh my gosh, Lindy,” she said as she stood up and rubbed her hands down her jeans. “That’s it. That’s the problem. We can’t simply be another average bed-and-breakfast. We have to find a way to stand out. We should have something really special to offer to the public!”
A chill went down my spine. I pulled out my notebook and looked at the three words I’d written down earlier—“too many choices.”
“I think you’re right,” I said. “Earlier today, Vivian and Tyler were talking about restaurants and how there are so many in Manhattan that it can be hard to choose. You need to give them a reason to choose ours.”
When I stood up, she leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. “We have to start brainstorming,” she said. “We need to come up with an idea that will make people sit up and take notice of our little inn. Maybe later we can even brainstorm as a family. I bet you and Davis will have some brilliant ideas.”
“Nora’s coming over,” I told her. “Remember?” I pulled out my phone and looked at the time. “She’ll be here in about an hour.”
“Oh, that’s right. Well, we can do it another time.” She turned and trotted up the stairs. “It has to be something really, really good.”
Geez. No pressure or anything.
After dinner, Li went to her room. She remembered her father’s words: “My daughter, if you can get people here, to this lonely palace, as you call it, then I will allow it. But it may not be as simple as you think it may be.”
Li did not sleep at all that night. She tossed and turned, trying to figure out how to interest people in staying at the palace so she wouldn’t be lonely anymore.
What do people love? she wondered. What interests them? What can I possibly offer that they don’t have?
Oh how she wished she could visit one of the villages and talk to the people there. But without a carriage to get her there, it was a very long walk. And getting a carriage without her father’s permission would be impossible.
The servant who helped Li every morning had worked at the palace for many years. Her name was Ming. She was a kind woman, and wise, too. Li told Ming of her problem and tossed out ideas to see what she thought.
“A costume ball?”
Ming shook her head.
“A fancy tea?”
Ming shook her head again.
“Do you have any ideas?”
“Let them bring children to play in the empty rooms. Provide them with all the things children love. If their children are happy, the parents will be happy.”
“What a wonderful idea,” Li said. “A place where they can bring those they love the most. But not only that, a place that is furnished just for them.”
And so that is exactly what Li did. She filled the empty rooms with playthings. One was a room for crawling infants. Another room was for small children who liked running and climbing. And there were many other rooms for older children to play games or build palaces out of blocks.
People came from across the land to stay at the palace, and to meet the princess. It wasn’t long before the halls were filled with families. It made Li so happy.
Every morning, Li chose five guests to walk in the garden with her. One day a young girl said to her, “You are a lucky princess to live in a palace with a beautiful garden. Thank you for sharing it with us.”
“It is my pleasure,” Li said.
And what the girl didn’t know was she really and truly meant it.
Nora and I sat in my room on the floor eating bowls of noodles that had been delivered just a little while ago. I’d asked Mom if we could eat in my room as a special treat since Nora was staying over. She’d reluctantly agreed.
“I would eat these noodles every day if I could,” Nora said.
“But what if someone offered you a crêpe instead?”
“Well, I could never turn down a crêpe. I guess I’d have to give my noodles to you.”
“We could share,” I said. “Split the noodles, split the crêpe, and then we’re good.”
Nora finished off the last of her dinner, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and set her bowl down. “Okay, deal.”
“And now I want a crêpe,” I said. “Let’s go to Paris. Right now!”
Nora pouted. “I wish! Oh, that’d be so fun. But since we can’t, I can make some for breakfast. I’ve gotten pretty good at making them.”
“Great. Another thing you’re good at. Can you just stop already?” I teased.
“But you got to sing on a Broadway stage,” she said, extending her arms high and wide, like I’d accomplished the greatest thing in the world. I’d recapped the day for her when she’d arrived. It had been the first thing she’d asked me about.
“Yes, I sang on a Broadway stage. While sitting on a piano bench next to someone who sang ten times better than me.”
“But still,” she said. “That’s pretty exciting. Are you sure you don’t want to pursue a career in theater? Maybe you could get a part in Hamilton and finally get a chance to see it.” She reached over and tapped her overnight bag. “I brought the sound track, by the way. Just in case you’re in the mood.”
I scoffed. “I’m always in the mood for Hamilton.”
“So what do you think is next on the list of things to try?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I hope it’s something I’m actually good at, though. I thought this whole unlock-your-talent thing would make me feel better, and instead it’s almost making me feel worse.”
“Sounds like you weren’t bad at pruning and weeding.”
I groaned. “No, but …”
She laughed. “I know, I was kidding. It’s almost like Vivian has forgotten that you’re twelve. Hopefully, Tyler will come through for you.”
“I guess I’ll find out.” I stood and picked up our dirty dishes. “So what do you want to do now?”
“Is anyone staying here?” she asked as she got to her feet, too. “If not, maybe we could play hide-and-seek like old times. Do you think your mom would let us?”
“She should. This place might as well get some use.”
“My mom handed out some of the grand-opening coupons to friends and people she works with,” Nora said. “Maybe one of them will book something soon?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? All I know is I’m tired of my parents arguing about it. I keep wondering if my dad will get fed up and leave us.”
Nora looked shocked. “Leave you? Lindy, that’s not going to happen.”
“You haven’t seen him. He’s been acting so strange.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’s going to leave,” she said as she headed toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go ask if we can play hide-and-seek. It’ll be fun.”
“Davis will probably want to play with us,” I said. “Hope you’re okay with that.”
“I love your little brother, you know that.”
“I think you mean, love to pick on him, right?”
She laughed. “What? Me? No way.”
“Riiight,” I said.
We found everyone in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner. Dad and Davis were at the sink washing and drying dishes, while my mom wiped down a counter. “Mom?” I said.
“Yes?”
“Could Nora and I play hide-and-seek on one of the floors? I wouldn’t ask if anyone were staying here, but since it’s emp
“So glad to see our investment is paying off in such big ways,” my dad mumbled.
My mom scowled. She turned and stared at my dad. I could tell she was trying to figure out what to say. And I wanted a do-over. I shouldn’t have brought up the fact that the place was empty. Not in front of Dad, anyway.
After an awkward silence, Mom must have decided it was better to ignore the comment. We had a guest, and the last thing we needed was an argument for her to witness. “Yes. You may play on the third floor. You’ll need to get the third-floor key chain from my desk, though. All the rooms are locked.”
“Can I play, too?” Davis asked. “Please, oh please, sweet sister of mine?”
I rolled my eyes at Nora. “Sure, Prince Charming, but no cheating!”
“I’m not a cheater,” he said. “Besides, how do you even cheat at hide-and-seek?”
I didn’t know, exactly. All I knew was if we didn’t get some reservations soon, I wanted to find a spot to hide and stay there forever. Or at least until Mom and Dad stopped arguing.
Waiting for sunrise,
while the rest of the world sleeps,
I’m dreaming of crêpes.
Mmmm,” Davis said with his mouth full of food, “thith ith tho good.”
“You should finish chewing before you compliment the chef,” I told him. I turned to Nora next to me at the table. “But he’s right. They are really, really good.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I like making them. They’re fun once you know what you’re doing.”
I had watched her while she made them, and it didn’t look too hard. Still, I had a feeling mine wouldn’t turn out anything like the ones we were eating now.
Mom and Dad walked in, both of them showered and dressed for the day, and said, “Good morning.”
“She made enough for you, too,” I told them. “Do you want me to get you some plates?”
Mom smiled. “I’ll get them when I pour us some coffee. Did everyone sleep okay?”
“Yes,” Nora said. “I love Lindy’s room.”
“I did until a ghost woke me up,” Davis said as he reached for his milk.
“No such thing as ghosts, buddy,” Dad said.
After Davis took a drink, he said, “You wouldn’t say that if you saw what I saw. He stood at the end of my bed and he had a head and arms, but his body was all blurry, like a shadow. Mom, what if this place is haunted?”
“It’s not haunted, honey. I bet you just had a bad dream.”
“Hey, what if we told people it’s haunted?” I said. “Maybe people would love it. Maybe they’d want to stay here for a chance to see a ghost.”
“But I don’t want to live in a haunted house,” Davis said.
“And you don’t have to,” Mom said in her reassuring voice. “Lindy, that’s really not the direction I’d like to go, but I love that you’re thinking of ideas. Keep ’em coming!”
My phone buzzed. I pulled it out of my pocket.
Tyler: Want to go on another adventure? Since there’s only one Saturday left until I go home, we thought you might want to do something today, too.
Me: My friend Nora is here. Can she come, too?
Tyler: Yes! Be there at 11:00.
“Mom?” I asked.
“Hm?”
“Vivian and Tyler invited Nora and me to go out with them today. Is that okay?”
“Sure. I told Faye we’d have Nora back to her house before dinner, so just make sure they know that, okay?”
I looked at Nora, who had a big grin on her face. “I’m so excited!” she said.
“That makes one of us,” I teased.
“But today might be the day,” she said. “You never know.”
“That’s the spirit,” Mom said. “It’s a new day, Lindy. Who knows what will happen?”
* * *
This time, we ended up at the Bronx Zoo. I felt myself relax a little because maybe we would just look at things—no cooking or singing required here. But if they wanted me to discover a deep love for hippos I never knew I had, I was a little worried they might be disappointed.
After we got our tickets, we went through the main entrance and immediately saw the African plains exhibit, where the lions, gazelles, and zebras live. We stopped and watched the lions for a minute. The female lay sunning herself on a rock, while the male sat nearby in the grass, truly looking like the king of the jungle.
Lions are so lucky, I thought. They don’t worry about what they’re good at—what their special talent might be. They run. They play. They roar. They attack. They eat. They sleep. It’s just the way things are—they’re good at living life like a lion. Why did it have to be so much harder for humans?
“We’re meeting someone in a little bit,” Vivian told us as she started walking up the pathway again. “Afterward we’ll get some lunch and walk around and see more of the zoo.”
The three of us walked slightly behind Vivian, and I poked Tyler’s arm. “Okay,” I said. “So I guess you’re not going to have me pry a lion’s head open and stick my head inside?”
“Pretty sure that’s a circus,” he said, “not a zoo.”
“Yes,” Vivian called over her shoulder. “We’re saving that for next time.”
“Aw, too bad,” Nora said. “I really wanted to see that!”
We turned to each other and laughed. As we walked past a food cart, the smell of fried dough and cinnamon made my stomach growl. Mom had given me some lunch money, and quite a bit, too, because she’d felt bad that Vivian had bought me lunch at Central Park yesterday. I hoped when we were finished doing whatever it was we were going to do, I could offer to get everyone something to eat.
Vivian stopped at the big wooden structure with a large green chrysalis hanging from it—the entrance to the Butterfly Garden.
“We’re going in here?” Nora asked.
“That we are,” Vivian said. “Have either of you been here before?”
“Yeah, but it’s been a long time for me,” I said.
“Me too,” Nora said.
Vivian nodded. “Well, good. Lindy, Tyler said you like butterflies, so I thought we might see some up close and personal as well as talk to an expert.”
Nora smiled at me. “I love this! Lindy, butterflies are totally you.”
I looked at Tyler, kind of amazed he’d actually remembered the butterflies on my bedroom wall. “This is a really great idea.”
“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” he joked. “Grandma should have put me in charge from the beginning.”
The last thing I wanted to do was make her feel bad. I looked at Vivian. “I think you’ve done a wonderful job. I’m the one who can’t do anything right. And now let’s just hope I don’t step on a poor butterfly when we walk through those doors.”
“Ew. Hopefully they’ll be on the flowers and not on the path,” Nora said.
I gulped. I guess we were about to find out.
When we walked into the garden it felt like we’d walked into some kind of magical tropical forest. The place was really warm and humid, and there were plants and flowers everywhere. And the butterflies—everywhere I looked I spotted at least one, and they came in lots of different colors.
“Ooh, look at the neon-green one,” Nora said, pointing to one perched atop a small glass dish of fruit. “I wonder if it glows in the dark.”
A volunteer walked up and asked if we’d like a pamphlet that showed the different kinds of butterflies that could be found in the garden. We each took one.
“There are so many,” Nora said as she scanned the brochure. Then she looked over at me and stared. She pointed to my shoulder as she whispered, “Don’t move, you have company.”
Very slowly I turned my head to find a bright orange butterfly perched there like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“See?” she said. “They love you.”
It sat on my shoulder for a minute before it flew off. Free to move again, I turned and read some of the signs posted through
I was curious about that—I wanted to know more. Like, what kind of challenges?
Vivian stepped up next to me. “I think that can be true of people, too, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It can be easy to assume that other people have it easier than we do. That they’ve got everything figured out when we’re still back here at step one, simply trying to get started. Everyone has challenges.”
I thought about that. “My mom and I watched a documentary on Misty Copeland one time. You know, the famous ballerina?”
“Yes.”
“When you watch her dance, you’d never guess that she had problems with injuries. For a while, she didn’t think she’d ever get a chance at the principal dancer spot. But she did it.”
“That’s an excellent example,” Vivian said. “Are you interested in ballet?”
I shook my head. “I like watching it, but I’m not the dancer type.”
“I’m with you on that.” She looked at her watch. “We should probably go meet my friend now.”
“Does she work here?” I asked.
“Yes, but wait until you see exactly where she works. I think you’re going to love it.”
We found Nora and Tyler and then walked over to a spot that allows people to look through a glass window of some kind of research room, with metal tables and stools, and a couple of large white boxes with rows and rows of cocoon-looking things inside. There was a young woman working in there, and when she finally looked up from her work, Vivian waved at her. “That’s Midge,” she told us.
Midge motioned to us to go around to the side where we found a door marked Authorized Personnel Only. We waited until she opened it and let us in. Vivian introduced us to her friend, and Midge asked us if we’d enjoyed what we’d seen so far. We all said yes, and then she told us this was where they hatched new butterflies for the garden.
“One of the things I love the most about butterflies is the metamorphosis process they go through. It’s a Greek word that means ‘transformation.’ There are four stages of metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The pupa of the butterfly is also called a chrysalis. In nature, they’re often suspended on a branch. But you can see here that we have a number of them suspending from the top of this box.”