She was glad they were indoors doing something quiet, because that would make what she needed to do easier.
"Hi, boys!" she said, looking at how the puzzle was coming.
"Hello, Mariah," they both answered back without looking up.
"I see you're busy," Mariah said, "but I think you can help me with my project without stopping what you're doing."
That's when they looked up.
"What project?" Billy asked.
"Well," Mariah began, "You know I'm taking Journalism (JER-nah-liz-em) at school," she said.
"What's Journalism?" Emil wanted to know.
"Journalism is about reporting," Mariah explained. "It's finding out about things that happen and writing about them, like for a newspaper or magazine. You try to show the reader everything you heard and saw."
"Do you take photos?" Billy asked, because photos were always more interesting to him than the writing.
"Someone else does that," Mariah replied, "but that's part of Journalism. I do the writing part. That makes me a journalist (JER-nah-list)."
"Yes, Emil," Mariah agreed. "Website reporting, too, but I'm writing for the school paper. That's where you come in, Emil."
"Do you want me to help you write?" Emil asked.
"Not exactly," Mariah replied. "You will be helping me, but I want to write about you, so I need to ask you some questions. You can help me by answering my questions. I want to interview (IN-ter-vyu) you."
"That sounds interesting," Emil said.
Both boys had lost interest in the puzzle for now.
"The story is about what it's like to have a disability (dis-ah-BIL-ih-tee)," Mariah explained.
"Can I take some photos?" Billy asked.
"That would be great," Mariah agreed. "Maybe they will use them in the school paper."
Mariah reached for her paper and pencil, and got ready to write, while Billy went to get his camera.
Mariah asked Emil questions about what it was like when he couldn't see or hear. Emil answered each question, sometimes thinking back to when he was still in his box.
Emil explained how he was afraid no one would want a doll who was defective, and how happy he was to come to live with us. Mariah encouraged Emil to talk and wrote down what he said.
He told her about what it was like to get his special glasses with the hearing aids built into the frames. Emil told Mariah about how he had to take off his special glasses and put them into the charger each night when he went to bed, and how he couldn't see or hear in bed.
He explained about his special alarm clock that shook the bed when it was time to get up. He told her how if there was a fire, they would have to come get him, because he wouldn't hear the smoke alarm. He explained how he had found out that he could hear what the animals were saying in his head, and how great it was to have something special he could do.
"I like to be useful," Emil said.
Mariah wrote everything down in her notebook.
While Mariah was writing, Billy set up his camera.
Mariah read everything she had written down out-loud to Emil and asked if there was anything she had written that wasn't right. Emil agreed that she had everything correct.
"Journalism is about facts. That means it has to be true, not a made-up story," Mariah explained. "That's very important. If I find out I got something wrong after the paper is printed, we have to correct it in the next issue. We call that a retraction (ree-TRAK-shun)," she said. "That's very embarrassing," she added. "We have to say that we were wrong about whatever it was, and this is what is right. Then we explain it."
Emil agreed that it was important for readers to be able to trust what they read.
When Mariah was done, Billy started taking photos of Emil.
They looked at the photos when Billy was done. "I'll send you the photos," he told her.
Mariah thanked Billy and went off to write the article (AR-tih-kul), which is what the story is called when it goes into the school paper.
A week later, Mariah brought the school newspaper to the boys to show them the article in the paper. The teacher had used Billy's photo of Emil.
"Billy," Mariah said, "my teacher wanted me to ask if you would like to take Journalism next year. She said you did a good job on the photo, and the school paper needs photographers."
Billy didn't need to think about that. "Sure!" he exclaimed.
"You will be a photojournalist," Mariah said.
"Photojournalist!" Billy sighed. "That sounds important."
It feels good to be useful.
Cast--
Mandy: Götz Happy Kidz Katie 2015
Mariah: Götz Happy Kidz Mariah, "Chosen" from My Doll Best Friend
Billy: Götz Happy Kidz Lily at London
Emil: Götz Happy Kidz Emilia
Marmalade: Purrrfect Cats from KTL
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Note: No dolls were harmed during production of this blog. All dolls shown are Götz Happy Kidz, Classic Kidz or Little Kidz. If you like these stories and are willing, please make a donation of any amount to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any organization that supports pediatric cancer research and treatment. We are not affiliated with St. Jude in any way other than these donations.
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Note: This blog post was produced on the iPad and the MacBook, using the iPhone for some photos and some photo processing. No other computer was used in any stage of composition or posting, and no Windows were opened, waited for, cleaned or broken. No animals or dolls were harmed during the production of this blog post and no AI has been used.
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