Hannah's Puzzle

Hannah enjoyed the first grade as much as any child. She loved to learn new things and her teacher often let her recite short stories that she memorized. She also looked forward to seeing her friend Peter at school. They played together every time they had the chance. Soon enough, they were best friends.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter came and gone, and Hannah’s 6th birthday was quickly approaching. Her birthday was May 10th. She and her grandma decided that Hannah should have a party where she could invite whomever she wanted. Of course Peter was first on the list. She invited others as well. Sophia and William from her class were invited, too. Her uncle Michael and his wife Natalie, and their twin two-year olds Oliver and Olivia were scheduled to visit for Hannah’s party.
Meanwhile, Toby was put in charge of calling the parents of the three classmates attending. Peter’s parents were called first. Peter’s mom Kat answered the phone.
“Hello, Bettencourt residence. This is Kat. How may I help you?” Kat answered.
Toby replied, “Well, hello, Kat. It’s really odd, but you sort of sounded like my wife right now.”
“Really… That is odd,” Kat laughed. How is Mrs. Andrews, by the way?”
“She’s fine as usual. She’s busy as a bee though teaching Kindergarten. I’ve told her to take it easy since her 52nd birthday is in the Fall, but she takes offense to the thought. Anyway, my call is about Hannah’s 6th birthday party. It is next Saturday. She handed out invitations last week. We would like to know how many of your party is going? She mentioned that you have other children. Is that correct?”
“Yes, I have three children total. Peter has a younger brother and a younger sister. Joey is four, and Abigail is two and a half. I’m sure it won’t be a problem letting them all go to Hannah’s party if they are invited. There is just one thing. I am a piano instructor at Diablo Valley College. I teach on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, so I am unable to attend the party. My Tuesday and Thursday classes are from 7-9pm, but my Saturday class is in the afternoon from 2-4pm. My husband Ben will go instead.”
“I know Ben. We work together at the airport. I’m sorry that you won’t be able to attend. I know that Hannah really wanted you there.”
“I’m so sorry that I won’t be able to attend. I wish I wasn’t such a busy person, but life sometimes throws stuff at us that cannot be avoided.”
“Miss Kat, you don’t have to apologize. I know quite well what it’s like to have a hectic schedule. I’m sure Hannah won’t mind. She knows all about how busy life is as an adult. Her grandmother and I both work full-time, and her parents are doctors who had to sign over legal guardianship to us in order to continue their jobs with the World Health Organization.”
“Wow, I never knew that about Hannah. Now I really feel sorry that I cannot be there. I want to make it up to her. If I ever get a break in my schedule, I want to take her for a day and go on a picnic.”
“You’re too kind, Kat, but really Hannah will be fine. You really put too much on yourself, and you’re good hearted as well.”
“Ben tells me that all the time, but about the picnic, I insist. Peter has been wanting Hannah to go with us. If it’s okay with you and Mrs. Andrews, I will set the date.”
“I will speak to my wife about it. By the way, she rather you call her Kristine. Her last name is for her students. Anyway, I better let you go, hun. I will talk to you later. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Toby.”

Saturday, May 10th was finally here. Hannah awoke with excitement. It felt great to turn six years old. One of her friends, Peter, would be the same age as her for two months. Then he would turn seven on July 16th. She ran downstairs after dressing to find that her grandma Kristine was already in the kitchen. An aroma of fresh blueberry pancakes filled the air, along with savory hickory-smoked bacon. Hannah was beside herself; her grandma had cooked her favorite breakfast. After she was seated at the table, her grandfather Toby joined her. Kristine finished up the last of the breakfast preparations and joined the family at the table. After a quick prayer, they ate and enjoyed their special breakfast.
After breakfast, Kristine busied herself with decorating for Hannah’s birthday party. The party’s theme was My Little Pony, so everything was pastel colors with hearts and rainbows, and of course, cartoon ponies. Hannah was instructed to set up one of the party games: “Pin the Tail on the Pony.” Kristine then sent Hannah to decorate the kitchen table with some of the party supplies. She was given a My Little Pony table cloth to spread out, and a stack of napkins, plates, cups, and utensils to set the table with. Each setting at the table had one cup, one plate, one napkin, and a fork, knife, and spoon. After Hannah did that, she was given personalized party hats to place next to each setting. There was a hat for each guest: Peter, Joey, Abigail, William, Sophia, Oliver, and Olivia each had a hat to wear. Hannah had a hat as well.
While Hannah was busy with her tasks, Kristine hung up streamers, balloons, and banners throughout the living room. When she was finished, she set to work in the kitchen putting together some goody bags for Hannah’s guests. Hannah was told to go help her grandfather set up two more party games since one of the goody bags was a surprise for Hannah. With Toby, Hannah set up a My Little Pony piñata, which was pre-stuffed with candy and small toys, and after that, they set up a beanbag toss game. After only one hour, the preparations for Hannah’s birthday party were complete. Toby then had to leave to go to the store, so Hannah and Kristine sat and watched one of Hannah’s favorite programs, Eureka’s Castle, on Nick Jr.
Hannah’s party began at noon. She was thrilled that all of her guests were able to attend. Sophia and William from school came first, followed by Peter and his brother and sister. Their father Ben was with them. Sophia’s mother and William’s dad accompanied their children. Hannah’s uncle and aunt were soon there with Oliver and Olivia. When everyone settled down a bit, the party began. First, everyone gathered in the living room for a quick game of “Pin the Tail on the Pony”. Kristine supervised the game and it went well. Ultimately, there was a tie for first place between Hannah and Sophia, so they each got a prize. William was awarded second place. Third place was omitted since there was a tie. Peter would have received third place, but since there was not a prize left for him, he was a little upset. However, once Kristine explained there were more games to win prizes in, and no one was allowed to solely win all the prizes, Peter was okay with it.
Next, lunch was served. Hannah led her guests to the table and showed them to their seats. They were awed by the sight of the decorations and the goody bags that were placed by the plates, cups, and napkins. Kristine served each child a plate of the food that Toby came back with from the store. The plates consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, cheese puffs, and a cup of canned fruit cocktail. The children seemed to really enjoy their lunch, and Hannah was happy things were going so well at her party. Peter and Hannah led a game of seeing who had the most pieces of cherry in their fruit cocktail. Peter was pleased to find that he had the most pieces at three. Mostly everyone else had two pieces. Abigail, Oliver, and Olivia were only one-year olds, so they did not play the game.
When lunch was finished, Kristine showed the children back to the living room so they can play their next party game. It was beanbag toss.
Each child took turns throwing three beanbags each. At the end of the game, it was found that Peter won the game. He finally got a prize. Just when Kristine gave Peter his prize, Toby entered the house. He whispered something to Kristine and she nodded a response. Next, he asked Michael and Ben to join him outside for a moment to help him set up something.
Ten minutes later, Toby reentered the house to announce that he had a surprise outside for Hannah and her guests Hannah was anxious to know what the surprise was, so she and her friends and two younger cousins followed Toby outside to see what was waiting. In the yard was an enclosed area, and within the area was a brown and white pony with a pink saddle. Hannah’s eyes were wide with excitement and wonder for she had never seen a real pony before. Of course she had seen ponies and horses on television, but she never seen one in person. This was a great surprise.
A man and woman stood next to the pony. They were Hannah’s parents, Robert and Emily. They had come home for a visit to see Hannah on her sixth birthday. Hannah smiled as she walked over to them. She hugged each of them and spoke to them. “Oh Mommy and Daddy, I’m so glad to see you.”
Robert hugged Hannah, “We’re glad to see you too. Do you like your surprise?”
“I love it, daddy. I love the pony. Thanks Mom, thanks Dad.”
Emily spoke next, “Happy sixth birthday, Hannah. We will be home for a few days. Then we have to go back to India for another mission.”
Robert added to Emily’s statement, “We’re here now, so let’s have some fun. Who’s up for a pony ride?”
Hannah and her guests jumped in excitement as they formed a line to ride the pony. Hannah got to ride first. The pony’s name was Éclair, a female brown and white pony. As she rode Éclair, she noticed how soft her hair was. She smelled her long mane; a mix of outside scents and the carnation wreath around its neck. The pony was well mannered and beautiful. She kept a smooth pace as she steadily galloped around the enclosure. Soon enough, Hannah’s turn was over. Peter got his turn next, followed by William, Sophia, Joey, Abigail, Oliver, and Olivia. When each child was finished, they stood in a circle for a lesson in horse grooming. They all seemed to have fun brushing Éclair in circular motions. Time flew fast, and in no time at all, Robert and Emily had to return the pony to the rental place. Toby led the children back inside the house where they were served cake and ice cream.

After a chorus of happy birthday, Kristine served a delicious strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting. Each child received a slice with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. They sat at the kitchen table in their designated spots. Next, it was time for Hannah to open her presents.
One present Hannah opened was a porcelain doll; one that looked just like her. Her grandmother had it custom made from a company in Pennsylvania, her home state. As Kristine gave Hannah the doll, she announced, “To my little girl, Hannah Leigh Andrews, I present to you as a Rogue family tradition, a special porcelain doll. Every girl on her sixth birthday gets one. What makes it special is that the dolls are custom made to look like the person who’s receiving them. It was made at a doll shop in my home state Pennsylvania. Happy birthday, Hannie.”
Hannah stared at the doll for a minute taking in the details- fair skin with freckles, Reddish brown curly hair, and light-brown eyes with green swirls in them. The doll wore a purple dress decorated in white lace, and there was a bow in the doll’s hair. Hannah nervously looked at her friend Peter as she was reminded of his ‘you look like my mom’ statement. Peter could tell Hannah was thinking about the day she and Peter met. He remained quiet. He was just as nervous as she was. No one else noticed their nonverbal exchange.

Later on, as the party ended, Peter and Hannah sat outside on the front porch. All the others, including Hannah’s parents and cousins, had left except for Peter, Joey, and Abigail. They remained behind waiting for their father Ben who was busy helping Toby put together Hannah’s other present; a playhouse for the back yard. Peter and Hannah talked amongst themselves.
Peter started, “Hannah, that doll you got for your birthday looks familiar.”
“Let me guess,” Hannah laughed, “it looks like your mom.”
Peter laughed, “Well, I thought of that first, but now I was going to say that my mom has an old photo album with pictures of porcelain dolls she had when she was a kid. One of the dolls looks just like that one. The dress is a little different, but it’s purple too. The doll has a hat with a purple bow instead of a bow in its hair. And, did your grandma say it’s a Rogue family tradition?”
“I think that’s what she said. But, wait… Rogue is your last name, Peter. She could have said Rhode or Rose. There must be a mistake. Our last name is Andrews.”
“Your grandma also said her home state is Pennsylvania. Isn’t it odd? I was born in Pennsylvania and I think my mom may have been born there, too. My mom’s last name was Rogue before she married my stepdad Ben. Mom brought me here when I was two years old. Then she got married and her last name changed to Bettencourt. Your grandma probably had a different last name when she was a Kid, but when she got married her last name became Andrews.”
Hannah thought for a minute, then her eyes widened in surprise, “Hey, perhaps you’re right. I’ll ask my grandma and let you know about it. And you can ask your mom about it, too. If we have the same last name in our families, then maybe there’s something to it. Maybe we’re 100th cousins or something.”
“That’s just silly, but hey, it could be possible. I will ask my mom about the Rogues. I’m curious myself. My grandma in Pennsylvania used to go by a different name, but she goes by Rogue now.”
“Good idea, Peter. Then we will know for sure. I love puzzles.”

Peter and Hannah laughed for a long while about how silly their questions were. Then they thought about the possibility of their questions actually leading to them being related. Ben was finally ready to take his stepson and two young ones home for the evening. Hannah waved goodbye and went inside the house.
Hannah sat on her grandpa’s lap and did some more thinking. She thought about Peter. She never knew that he wasn’t Ben’s son. She was excited to find out that Peter were born in Pennsylvania, the same state as her grandma Kristine. Maybe there was more to these findings. She could not be certain, but she was eager to find out. She did not want to wait any longer. She just had to know. Her grandma was in the bath, so she asked her grandpa. “Grandpa? I want to know something.”
“Okay, Hannie, you know that if you want to know anything, all you have to do is ask.” Toby gave his full attention.
“Thanks, Grandpa. I want to know about Grandma. Peter told me that sometimes people have different last names when they’re little, and when they get married their last name changes. Grandma’s last name is Andrews, same as yours, but did she have a different name before she was married?”
“As a matter of fact, she did. Just like when your dad married your mom. Your mom’s last name was Quinn, and she became an Andrews. Your grandma’s last name was Rogue, and when I married her, she became an Andrews as well. So, why are you suddenly curious about last names?”
“Oh, Peter and I were talking about my doll and about family traditions. Then we got on about his last name. His last name is Rogue, same as Grandma’s old name, and we were wondering if…”
“If you two were related?” I don’t know about that. There are thousands of Rogues, perhaps millions. I seriously doubt that two random people with relation to a Rogue will have a single drop of blood in common.”
“Even if both Rogues were born in Pennsylvania?”
“Well,” Toby thought. “I don’t want to say no to that. Usually if a name came from a similar region, there may be some genetic tie. Don’t hold me to it. I will ask your grandma if she has any other family with that name. I know she has a sister who was also born in Pennsylvania. Her twin, to be precise. Her name is Kay. The only thing is, your grandma isn’t very fond of her sister right now. I might not get an answer, but I’ll try.”
“What do you mean by that, Grandpa?”
“Um… I cannot say for sure, but if I do find out I’ll tell you right away. Don’t worry, Hannah. Go on and take your bath. Your grandma just got out of the powder room.”

Kristine Andrews entered the living room and sat on her reclining chair. Toby was waiting for her on the loveseat with Hannah’s question. Kristine could tell that Toby wanted to ask her something. She was silent for a moment, and then she looked at him in anticipation of his inquiry.
“So,” Kristine began. “I can always tell when my dear Tobias wants to ask me a question. What is it, my dear?”
“First of all,” Toby started. “You are so sweet when you address me as ‘Tobias’. Secondly, yes I have a question to ask of you. It’s actually Hannah’s question. She wanted to know about your last name.”
“Rogue? What about it?”
“It’s just that her little friend down the street, Peter, has the same last name. He was also wondering, the same as Hannah, if you have any family in Pennsylvania?”
“You should know that, Tobias. My sister Kay lives there. Why does Hannah want to know? Or Peter in that matter?”
“I’ve already told you. It’s because Peter’s family is from Pennsylvania, too. Hannah wanted to know if it’s possible for Peter to be related to us?”
Kristine was lost in thought. ’I really don’t want to talk about this. Why is Hannah so curious? My sister Kay hasn’t spoken to me in 12 years. She has her own separate life.’ “Honey, my sister hasn’t said a word to me in 12 years. How am I to know if any of our relatives have kin to Peter? My nephew Ezekiel calls me sometimes, but my niece Katie hasn’t called me since her husband Leo died. That’s been at least seven years that I know of.”
“Do you have any other family there besides our nephew, niece, and your sister?
“My mother Leigh, but she is in no condition to remember if there were any other Rogues. We all know that my father had a rare nervous system disorder that took his life at the ripe age of 32. And your brother is gone as well. Which by the way, Toby. Why don’t you ever speak of him? He was married to my sister for 15 years before the accident.
“For the same reason you don’t speak about your sister. It brings back too many horrible memories. Your sister was diagnosed with the nervous system disorder and it was a miracle she survived. And my brother thought it best for her to send her back to Pennsylvania where she can receive the best medical care in the country. That was his mistake. He was at the pharmacy picking up her anti-seizure medication when some no good SOB came in and shot him dead. He should have kept the family here in Walnut Creek instead of sending them to Hoodlum Ville Philadelphia. Anyway, back to a happier note. What should we do about Hannah’s question?”
“Toby, I haven’t heard of any other Rogues from Pennsylvania. I can bet on it that he’s not related to us.”
“But have you even lay eyes on Peter? He has your eyes. He looks just like Mike did when he was a little lad.”
“Lots of people have my eyes. Dark green is common. Maybe he’s part French, or even part English, but I really don’t want to continue this conversation. And maybe it’s not a good idea to tell Hannah anything. It’ll just cause a problem. You know Hannah. She’ll push at it until she’s blue in the face trying to find answers to an endless puzzle.”
With that, the conversation ended. Nothing more was said, and when Hannah asked about what her grandmother knew about the Rogues, she was told that her grandma was not sure who her family was since they had just migrated from France and England two generations ago. Perhaps Toby said too much. Who knew? But that one line was enough for Hannah to go on a searching frenzy. However, she kept it quiet around Kristine. She knew that if her grandmother got any whiff of Hannah meddling around, it would surely mean trouble for the six year old.