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Sarah Sues Santa – P.J. Leonard

Chapter Sixteen: Vekil’s Office

"Get back here!" Sarah yelled, chasing after them. She pushed through the dining room doors with
her shoulder, and watched as she saw them disappear around a corner. As she ran after them, she
heard footsteps behind her. Becky and Anna ran just behind her, with a whole crowd of other kids
running behind them, apparently wanting to see the drama unfold.
"Turn left!" Said Becky, "It's a shortcut to Vekil's office!"
Sarah swerved left at the corner. With Becky yelling directions from behind her, she ran upstairs,
through empty rooms and down stairs again until they came to a clean wooden door with peeling
gold letters saying 'Mr. Vekil.' And Michael and his friends were already standing there. Too late!
Michael shot her a twisted grin, and knocked on the door three times.
Hands on her knees as she caught her breath, she heard the sound of a hundred footsteps from both
ends of the corridor as what looked like every child in the orphanage gathered around to watch,
surrounding her, Becky, Anna and Michael.
The door rattled with the sound of a latch being unlocked. The crowd backed away by a step. The
door opened, and out stepped Mr. Vekil. He took one look around the gathered orphans.
"What is the meaning of this?" He boomed. Immediately half of the kids ran, their feet echoing
through the corridors like heavy rain. Even Michael looked a little bit scared.
"Sarah had this, Sir," he said, holding out the tickets. Mr. Vekil snatched them out of Michael's
hand and looked over them for what felt like five whole minutes. Sarah could only hear the blood
pumping in her ears. Finally, he looked up.
"I see," he said, then he met Sarah’s eye. "Miss Pebbleton. In my office. Now. The rest of you, get
out of my sight. Don't you have evening chores to be getting on with?"
Reluctantly the crowd broke up. Michael stayed where he was.
"That includes you, Mr Andrews," said Mr. Vekil, "And I suggest you wipe that smug look off of
your face. It doesn't suit you."
Michael’s face fell. Despite her own fear, Sarah felt a twinge of satisfaction as Michael turned and
walked away. They gave each other their best scowls as he passed by.
"Don't keep me waiting, Miss Pebbleton," said Mr. Vekil, stepping back into his office and leaving
the door open for her. Sarah turned and nodded bravely at Becky and Anna, though she felt
anything but brave. They looked like they were about to cry. They waved sadly at her as though she
was never going to see them again. Sarah took a deep breath and walked through the door.
"Close the door behind you, please."
Sarah clicked the door shut. The office was...well, the first word that came to her mind was warm.
For the first time since arriving she couldn’t see her own breath steam in front of her. Instead of big
empty corridors and concrete walls there was a lot of dark, varnished wood. A bookshelf packed
with leather books lined the wall, and the desk was empty except for two chairs, one on each side.
Mr. Vekil sat in the large, fancy chair while he indicated for Sarah to sit in the smaller, plastic chair
opposite. Sarah lowered herself into her chair as Mr. Vekil inspected the tickets.
For a while, neither of them spoke. Mr. Vekil didn't even look at Sarah: he just turned the tickets
over and over in his hands, as though they were a fine pieces of art. Sarah didn't dare move. What
will he do? Will Mr. Vekil punish me? Maybe he'll kick me out of the orphanage. That wouldn't be
so bad. I can look for the postbox and get out of here.
But what if Mr. Vekil didn't return the tickets to her? What if he just tore them up into tiny little
pieces? She'd be stuck here! How long would it be before she could get a pen and paper to write a
letter to Santa, hide it so bullies like Michael never found it, and get to the postbox, wherever it
was? Weeks, months...maybe never?

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