The View From Saturday

Chapter 4 starts by looking back to the first day of school from Mrs. Olinski’s perspective. Standing before her first sixth grade class in 10 years, Mrs. Olinski is nervous, but she has rehearsed her speech and starts by writing “MRS. OLINSKI” and “PARAPLEGIC” on the blackboard and explaining what paraplegic means. Ham Knapp interrupts Mrs. Olinski and asks her to write higher up on the board, claiming that he can’t see. This throws Mrs. Olinski off her stride. She forgets what she was going to say and starts to worry about how to write higher on a blackboard from a wheelchair. Mrs. Olinski notices that trends in students’ names have changed over the years that she has been absent. When she returns to her classroom after lunch and sees that the word “PARAPLEGIC” has been replaced with “CRIPPLE” (95), she thinks that “more than the names ha[ve] changed. Sixth graders ha[ve] changed” (95).

During one of The Souls’ Saturday teatimes, Julian shows the group a small ivory monkey that can balance on any of its four limbs. He explains that he would like to help Mrs. Olinski “stand on her own two feet” (97). Julian says, “There are some in the school who tried to get her off balance. Some are in our homeroom” (97), and without elaborating further, the other members of The Souls understand exactly what he means. Ethan says they can provide “support,” and Nadia says “[they] can give her a lift” (97).

Fast forward to the Bowl Day finals. Ethan answers the third question correctly. The audience applauds and is quickly admonished by the commissioner. This reminds Mrs. Olinski of the day she finally chose the fourth member of her team—Julian Singh. The commissioner reads the fourth question: “Can you give me two […] examples of acronyms that have entered our language as words?” (98). Julian hits his buzzer first and answers “[p]osh and tip” (98).

The second portion of Chapter 4 is titled “Julian Narrates When Ginger Played Annie’s Sandy” and describes the events leading up to the school’s production of Annie in which Julian averts a disaster and gives Mrs. Olinski clarity for her final Academic Bowl team member selection (99).

Epiphany High School is putting on Annie for their holiday season show. During the Saturday teatime before thanksgiving, Ethan suggests that Nadia put Ginger forward for the part of Sandy, Annie’s dog. When Noah points out that there will be tryouts, Nadia says, “Ginger is a genius. She will get the part” (100), and after some bickering between Nadia and Noah about the fact that Sandy is male but Ginger is female, Nadia decides that Ginger will try out for the part. Julian has experience training animals from his time on the cruise ships, so The Souls teach Ginger to bark on cue and to respond to palmed treats. Ginger and Arnold (Michael Froelich’s dog) are the only two dogs left in the running at the end of the tryouts. In the final test, Ginger wins the role of Sandy with Arnold as the understudy. The school’s drama coach, Mrs. Reynolds, recognizes Ethan in the auditorium and asks about his grandmother and then about Luke—dwelling on Luke rather than showing an interest in Ethan. Ethan goes back to being “Ethan, the silent” (105), as Julian calls the pre-Souls Ethan, until they leave.

A matinee “dress rehearsal” performance for elementary and middle school students is scheduled for Friday, with the main performance scheduled for the following evening—the Saturday before winter recess. Izzy and Margaret Diamondstein fly up from Florida and are the first paying guests staying at Sillington house.

Michael must attend every rehearsal since Arnold is Ginger’s understudy. Julian worries that Michael might get frustrated having to put in work for no glory. On the day of the dress rehearsal, the middle school students are transported to the high school by bus. Julian is sitting behind Jared Lord and Ham. Both are friends of Michael, and both are bullies. Julian overhears snippets of their conversation about laxatives and tranquilizers being put in dog biscuits and hears “that star dog Ginger is out and buddy dog Arnold is in” (108). Julian catches enough of the conversation to understand that Ham’s mother is a vet and that Ham has laced Ginger’s dog treats with laxatives and tranquilizers and given them to Nadia, telling her they are a gift from Dr. Knapp, knowing Nadia will not suspect anything because Dr. Knapp is also Ginger’s vet.

At the auditorium, Julian alerts Noah that there is a “backstage emergency” (109). Noah causes a mild distraction so Julian can slip backstage. Julian sees the table with the drugged dog treats and dog props laid out and realizes that the props are sized for Arnold, not Ginger. Julian catches Nadia’s eye and returns to the shadows, out of sight. Nadia joins him, and Julian asks if Ginger is alright. Nadia says Ginger is fine and that Arnold is performing in the dress rehearsal—a last-minute switch to reward Michael and Arnold for all their hard work and to give Ginger a break. Since neither Nadia nor Michael know that the treats are poisoned, and Ham does not know that Arnold, not Ginger, is about eat them, Julian realizes he has a decision to make: He can “save Arnold from the poisoned treats, let him go on and let Knapp think that his dirty trick had worked […] Or [he can] let Arnold eat the drugged treats, embarrass Froelich, and let Ginger go on” (112).

Arnold runs on the stage as Sandy, and Julian sees “Knapp and Lord exchange a triumphant look” (113), believing their plan has worked. As the applause dies down, Ham and Jared start barking and clapping until the other students join in, ruining the rest of the play. Mrs. Reynolds silences the room and reprimands the students before asking them to leave. Mrs. Olinski watches from the back of the room and stops Julian as he is leaving. Julian is worried that she saw him slip backstage, but instead she asks if he would like a ride back to Sillington house with her—she is going there to visit with her old friends, the Diamondsteins. Julian is joined by Ethan, Noah, and Nadia, who also want to go to Sillington house to see their grandparents. Smiling, Mrs. Olinski agrees to take them all, saying, “I must notify the bus driver that I'll be driving you four souls home” (116). The Souls exchange surprised looks.

Julian, who had switched the tainted treats on the prop table for Ginger’s good ones, still has the poisoned treats in his pocket, and he is still angry. Before getting in Mrs. Olinski’s van, Julian sees Ham. He wants to let Ham know that he knew about the cruel plan, but he also wants to abide by the magician’s code: Never reveal your secret. Unable to resist, Julian walks over to Dr. Knapp’s van and taps on the passenger’s side window. Ham rolls the window down, and when his mother asks what is wrong, Julian says, “Your son has something growing out of his head” (118). Julian “pulls” two poisoned treats from Ham’s ear and drops the rest of the tainted treats on Hams lap before silently walking away, satisfied.