said, “To Ernie, from Uncle Max.”
“Now, I hate to spoil Christmas surprises,” Uncle Maxsaid, “but one of them is a collapsible ultralight rod and reel. The kind that telescopes down to almost nothing and you can put it right in your backpack. But it’s not stiff, like most collapsibles. It’s a real trout rod. Nice and sensitive. The other is a book on fly tying, with a kit to get someone started. Now, I hate to even ask this of you, but you’re a young man now, and you can make tough decisions. Is one of these a present to Will from our family?”
“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely. He should have the rod.”
“You’re sure.”
The rod was the bigger, better present, and we both knew it.
“Yes. Positive. Will doesn’t have an ultralight. I have one, at least. It doesn’t break down, but at least I have one. And besides, I’ll get something from Mom, too. I’m the one who wants to learn to fly-fish anyway. What good would that do Will? He hasn’t even learned to trout-fish with bait yet. Will should get the rod.” I felt like I was talking too much. Like I was trying to talk myself into it.
Uncle Max looked right into my face, and I had to look away, because I knew that look was a compliment, and compliments make me nervous. In my head I was begging him not to say anything nice out loud.
He must’ve heard me.
“So be it,” he said. “Ernie has spoken.”
“Thanks, though. For the collapsible rod. That was a really nice present.”
I don’t think Uncle Max likes compliments, either. All he said was, “Yeah, well. You know you’re my favorite nephew.”
My mom had about four helpings of turkey. She’s not a big fan of anything green. She had two helpings of fruit salad, too. That was the only time she said anything about the dinner. She said, “You know, I always forget how good fresh fruit can be.”
I wondered what she was going to eat when she got home.
After dinner we opened our presents.
Will looked really surprised when Uncle Max handed him a package to open. He ripped the paper off all at once. Didn’t split the tape and keep it all nice like me and my mom. Well, like my mom. I just do it because she does it.
“Wow,” he said. “That is so cool.” He extended it to its full length. Only about four and a half feet. Whipped it back and forth and watched it whistle through the air. Sampson got scared and hid behind the couch. “It’s so light.”
“It’s an ultralight,” I said. “That’s what you use for trout.”
“That’s so nice,” he said. “That’s so nice that you guys got me something. Something really nice.” His face looked serious and deep. It worried me. It reminded me of the time he instant-messaged me and thanked me for being hisfriend. And I knew right away something was wrong. Because it isn’t like Will to get mushy.
But the moment blew over because I opened my present from my mom. It was a big one, all right. It was amazing. It was this 49ers jacket with leather sleeves. This really warm, thick, padded black wool jacket with brown leather sleeves. And these SF patches and NFL patches and stuff. And on the back this special white oval patch sewn on, and on it was Terrell Owens’s autograph. It was just the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life. I couldn’t even talk. All I could do was stare at it with my mouth open and touch all the different parts of it, like I couldn’t believe they were all true.
Uncle Max said, “I think he likes it, Lila.”
The first words out of my mouth were not the very brightest. I think I was still in shock. Good shock, but shock. “Oh my God, it must’ve cost a fortune.”
“You don’t worry about that,” my mother said. “You just enjoy it.”
“Oh my God, it’s amazing. It’s the most amazing thing ever.”
I got up and put it on, suddenly scared it wouldn’t fit. Even though it was really big. What if I was bigger? It fit. It even snapped up. It was kind of tight around my stomach, but it
“Now, I hate to spoil Christmas surprises,” Uncle Maxsaid, “but one of them is a collapsible ultralight rod and reel. The kind that telescopes down to almost nothing and you can put it right in your backpack. But it’s not stiff, like most collapsibles. It’s a real trout rod. Nice and sensitive. The other is a book on fly tying, with a kit to get someone started. Now, I hate to even ask this of you, but you’re a young man now, and you can make tough decisions. Is one of these a present to Will from our family?”
“Yes,” I said. “Absolutely. He should have the rod.”
“You’re sure.”
The rod was the bigger, better present, and we both knew it.
“Yes. Positive. Will doesn’t have an ultralight. I have one, at least. It doesn’t break down, but at least I have one. And besides, I’ll get something from Mom, too. I’m the one who wants to learn to fly-fish anyway. What good would that do Will? He hasn’t even learned to trout-fish with bait yet. Will should get the rod.” I felt like I was talking too much. Like I was trying to talk myself into it.
Uncle Max looked right into my face, and I had to look away, because I knew that look was a compliment, and compliments make me nervous. In my head I was begging him not to say anything nice out loud.
He must’ve heard me.
“So be it,” he said. “Ernie has spoken.”
“Thanks, though. For the collapsible rod. That was a really nice present.”
I don’t think Uncle Max likes compliments, either. All he said was, “Yeah, well. You know you’re my favorite nephew.”
My mom had about four helpings of turkey. She’s not a big fan of anything green. She had two helpings of fruit salad, too. That was the only time she said anything about the dinner. She said, “You know, I always forget how good fresh fruit can be.”
I wondered what she was going to eat when she got home.
After dinner we opened our presents.
Will looked really surprised when Uncle Max handed him a package to open. He ripped the paper off all at once. Didn’t split the tape and keep it all nice like me and my mom. Well, like my mom. I just do it because she does it.
“Wow,” he said. “That is so cool.” He extended it to its full length. Only about four and a half feet. Whipped it back and forth and watched it whistle through the air. Sampson got scared and hid behind the couch. “It’s so light.”
“It’s an ultralight,” I said. “That’s what you use for trout.”
“That’s so nice,” he said. “That’s so nice that you guys got me something. Something really nice.” His face looked serious and deep. It worried me. It reminded me of the time he instant-messaged me and thanked me for being hisfriend. And I knew right away something was wrong. Because it isn’t like Will to get mushy.
But the moment blew over because I opened my present from my mom. It was a big one, all right. It was amazing. It was this 49ers jacket with leather sleeves. This really warm, thick, padded black wool jacket with brown leather sleeves. And these SF patches and NFL patches and stuff. And on the back this special white oval patch sewn on, and on it was Terrell Owens’s autograph. It was just the coolest thing I had ever seen in my life. I couldn’t even talk. All I could do was stare at it with my mouth open and touch all the different parts of it, like I couldn’t believe they were all true.
Uncle Max said, “I think he likes it, Lila.”
The first words out of my mouth were not the very brightest. I think I was still in shock. Good shock, but shock. “Oh my God, it must’ve cost a fortune.”
“You don’t worry about that,” my mother said. “You just enjoy it.”
“Oh my God, it’s amazing. It’s the most amazing thing ever.”
I got up and put it on, suddenly scared it wouldn’t fit. Even though it was really big. What if I was bigger? It fit. It even snapped up. It was kind of tight around my stomach, but it
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