Ways to Make Sunshine

Ryan begins unpacking in her new bedroom and finds a round tin canister on the top shelf of her closet. Unable to reach it, Ryan asks Ray for help getting the canister down, but Ray refuses, saying that the ghost of their home’s earlier owner could haunt the canister. Ray and Ryan argue over the gender of the home’s earlier owner, with Ray asserting that the owner must have been male, while Ryan believes the owner to be female.

Once Ryan gets the canister down, she opens it to find various small trinkets such as seashells, an embroidered handkerchief, and “three gold hairpins all clipped on a small piece of cardboard with room for one more” (32). Ryan takes special interest in the hairpins, noting that they are fancy and look like they are for a special occasion. This affirms for Ryan that the earlier owner was a woman. Ray tells Ryan that she should put the canister back where she found it in case it is haunted, but Ryan states “I’m keeping them” (35) and puts the canister on her bedside table.

Though Ryan is excited to have her own room for the first time, when it comes time for bed, she becomes nervous about sleeping alone. Her mother tries to give her a night light, which Ryan refuses because “I’m not a little girl anymore” (36). A mysterious tapping sound on her wall wakes up Ryan. As the tapping continues, Ryan grows more scared and finally calls out that she is sorry for rifling through the canister and that she promises to put it back where it belongs. Only then does she hear Ray laughing and he comes into her room, flicking the light and teasing her about the supposedly haunted canister. Ryan’s mother comes into the room upon hearing the commotion and scolds both Ryan and Ray. Ryan’s mother leaves and returns with the night light, insisting that Ryan use it.

Two weeks have gone by since the Hart family moved to their new house, and Ryan is excited to have her friend Amanda over to play. Amanda has also recently moved to a new house near Lake Oswego, a place which Ryan’s father states is “too far and too white” (42). Although they are best friends, Ryan explains that she and Amanda have some differences: Amanda is biracial; her mother is white and her dad is Black, and Amanda’s family has more money than Ryan’s family. Amanda’s house is “actually new. No one has lived in it but her and her family. And it’s bigger” (43).

Amanda asks Ryan if she has any new recipes that she wants to try out, and Ryan begins making a new smoothie idea. Amanda loves the blackberry-lime smoothie and tells Ryan she should name it the “Blackberry-Lime Extravaganza” (45). Ryan also shows Amanda her new room, and Amanda notices the canister right away. Ryan shows her the contents of the canister and Amanda places one of the hairpins in her hair, which she quickly returns to the canister when Ryan explains that it might belong to someone who has died. Amanda tells her that she should “throw the whole canister away” (47). Amanda’s mother soon comes to pick her up and when Ryan returns to her room she considers disposing of the canister after thinking about Amanda’s reaction. Instead, Ryan remembers what her Grandma says, “there are no such things as ghosts” (48) and puts everything back in the canister with the intention to keep it.

Ryan is in the kitchen trying out a new recipe for rosemary chicken wings, but the rosemary is burning in the pan. Ray complains that it smells weird in the kitchen, and Ryan tells him to shut up as she tries to salvage the meal. Ryan’s dad comes into the kitchen saying that he will order a pizza instead, but Ryan protests, wanting to fix the meal. Ryan’s mother tells her that it is late and that they can try the recipe again another night. Ryan catches her mother muttering “Like we have money to waste…” (51) as she throws the chicken away.

Ryan, upset about the chicken dish, apologizes about dinner. Her dad tells her not to be so hard on herself and that “You’re learning. No one expects you to get it right every time” (52). The family eats pizza together in the living room and Ryan and Ray agree to watch the same show on Netflix. As her mother presses play on the remote, Ryan asks her to pause while she runs back to the kitchen. Ryan returns, sprinkling rosemary on her pizza slice, marveling at how good it tastes.