Chapter 162 - The Straw That Broke The Camels Back (2/2)

It was completely random, but there was a movie about leprechauns that she and Katie had watched as children. A group of leprechauns disguised as humans ran a potato chip empire. While touring the factory, a tour guide talked about the origin of the potato chip and how there was an urban legend about it being discovered when someone in Ireland accidentally cut their potato slices too thin while cooking them.

Abby had never made homemade potato ch.i.p.s but if she described them to a more proficient cook she hoped they would be able to pull it off. Sia was intrigued by the challenge.

”So they are supposed to be crispy and practically full of air? Hmm…I have an idea that might work. If we cut the potatoes incredibly thin and then soak them in cold water for a while it might help them crisp up the way you want. The seasoning you described would have to be added after to get the full effect.”

She nodded along. ”Please try. I can test them for you and see if they are like what I am describing.”

It turned out that Sia was a culinary genius because she made a passable potato chip on the first try even though this world's potatoes were slightly different than the ones she was used to. Abby was beyond impressed.

”You just saved my life, thank you,” she gushed. ”These are going to make Katie so happy.”

Sia smiled in response as she continued cutting potatoes. ”Good. That girl works so hard for everyone around here; she deserves something nice.”

By the time she came out, nearly every child eight to fourteen had been gathered in the schoolhouse. More people showed up than expected; Al really came through. Or like with Sia, everyone loved Katie and wanted to help cheer her up.

Abby instructed everyone on how to make the very rudimentary costumes they would need. Some used bits and pieces of existing outfits while other things had to be made of paper. While they worked on that, Abby mentally assigned roles and wrote the not-so-accurate scripts using her limited experience from being involved in drama as a teenager.

It wouldn't be the extended editions but she could do her best to give her sister a little bit of Lord of the Rings. They had loved those movies and had a marathon of all of them in a single day about once a year. She knew the story well enough to try and replicate it in a dumbed down version.

The props were extremely limited and more likely than not this would look even worse than the majority of elementary school plays back home. But it was the thought that counts, right?

The kids all seemed excited at the prospect of putting on a play even though most of them had never seen one because they were a rich man's diversion. Nyla's older children had at least heard of them because there was a theater in the capital they had lived on the outskirts of.

A few days into rehearsals, some of the older teenagers who were more heavily involved in their apprenticesh.i.p.s showed up on the doorstep of the schoolhouse looking a bit sheepish. ”We head what you're doing for Katie and we'd like to be a part of it…if we could.”

More bodies wouldn't hurt. There was always a need for additional actors in scenes with crowds or armies. Abby welcomed them in.

Katie wasn't any the wiser because after the first day Abby did all of this during school hours. She left the house and came home the same time as always so it wasn't the least bit suspicious.