aggression,” and that it would be better if he didn’t come back to camp. With no backup child-care plan for Connor, Joseph had asked his parents for help.
“I didn’t know you could get kicked out of camp,” Isabella said to her mother.
“I didn’t know either,” her mom said. “But it would be great if you were here to spend some time with him. He’s a little difficult these days.”
----
Every morning at eight-thirty, Isabella’s brother dropped Connor off. Joseph was balding at a rapid rate. He looked old and tired to Isabella. He was probably upset, but he appeared formal and detached; that’s how he always was. “Good morning, Isabella,” he would say. Then he would bend down to talk to Connor, who scowled and remained silent.
Connor had been tested for every behavioral abnormality under the sun and had been diagnosed with some frightening acronyms. Now they were working with a therapist to “overcome his challenges.” He was odd. Isabella couldn’t deny that. But she’d always had a fondness for Connor. He was her oldest nephew and always told her she was his favorite aunt. He always chose to sit next to her. He was sensitive. (Plus, his mother had run off with a man she’d met on the Internet, leaving Connor and his sister with their dad. You had to cut the kid some slack.)
Last Thanksgiving, Connor made up a game. He would draw a box, then draw three objects. “Okay,” he’d say. “You’re locked in a room with a gun, a bomb, and a phone. What do you do?” No one else but Isabella would play the game.
“What would you do, Auntie Iz?” Connor asked.
“I would use the phone to call outside,” Isabella said. “I would warn them to get away, then I would blow a hole in the wall with the bomb and have the gun just in case anyone dangerous was out there.”
Connor looked pleased with her answer, and said quickly, “Okay, good one.” He nodded his head four times. Then he started drawing another room with three new objects.
----
All week, Isabella tried to keep Connor occupied. She took him swimming, she took him to play tennis. They went to see a movie, and went to check out books at the library. But on the last day Isabella was there, they ran out of things to do. They sat in the playroom, staring at each other.
“Do you want to play a game, Auntie Iz?” Connor asked. Isabella didn’t, but she said yes.
“Okay, so here’s the game. It’s called Deaf or Blind. So first, you tell me if you would rather be deaf or blind.”
“Blind,” Isabella said. Connor looked annoyed. He was holding earplugs he’d found in her dad’s room.
“You should choose deaf,” he said. “It’s better.”
“But I want to make sure I can still hear music. I’m going to choose blind.”
Connor shook his head like he couldn’t believe she was making this choice. “Okay,” he said, “hold on.” He went over to the dress-up chest and rummaged around for a while, until he found a bandanna that had once been part of a cowboy costume.
“You know,” he said, “it’s a lot scarier to be blind.” Isabella nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Okay. I’ve never picked blind before. It seems scary.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” Isabella said.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
“Just a little bit, but not too much.” Connor looked at her with admiration.
He stood behind her and wrapped the bandanna around her eyes and then tightened it. Isabella saw the blackness, and then, as he pulled it tighter, bursts of light started to explode. “You can’t see, right? Auntie Iz, you can’t see anything, right?” Isabella shook her head no.
“Okay,” he said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to go in another room and you have to count to a hundred and then come find me. You can call my name three times. Wait, no, only two times. If you call my name three times, then you lose points, okay? And I’ll answer you so that you can try to hear where I am.”
“Got it,”
“I didn’t know you could get kicked out of camp,” Isabella said to her mother.
“I didn’t know either,” her mom said. “But it would be great if you were here to spend some time with him. He’s a little difficult these days.”
----
Every morning at eight-thirty, Isabella’s brother dropped Connor off. Joseph was balding at a rapid rate. He looked old and tired to Isabella. He was probably upset, but he appeared formal and detached; that’s how he always was. “Good morning, Isabella,” he would say. Then he would bend down to talk to Connor, who scowled and remained silent.
Connor had been tested for every behavioral abnormality under the sun and had been diagnosed with some frightening acronyms. Now they were working with a therapist to “overcome his challenges.” He was odd. Isabella couldn’t deny that. But she’d always had a fondness for Connor. He was her oldest nephew and always told her she was his favorite aunt. He always chose to sit next to her. He was sensitive. (Plus, his mother had run off with a man she’d met on the Internet, leaving Connor and his sister with their dad. You had to cut the kid some slack.)
Last Thanksgiving, Connor made up a game. He would draw a box, then draw three objects. “Okay,” he’d say. “You’re locked in a room with a gun, a bomb, and a phone. What do you do?” No one else but Isabella would play the game.
“What would you do, Auntie Iz?” Connor asked.
“I would use the phone to call outside,” Isabella said. “I would warn them to get away, then I would blow a hole in the wall with the bomb and have the gun just in case anyone dangerous was out there.”
Connor looked pleased with her answer, and said quickly, “Okay, good one.” He nodded his head four times. Then he started drawing another room with three new objects.
----
All week, Isabella tried to keep Connor occupied. She took him swimming, she took him to play tennis. They went to see a movie, and went to check out books at the library. But on the last day Isabella was there, they ran out of things to do. They sat in the playroom, staring at each other.
“Do you want to play a game, Auntie Iz?” Connor asked. Isabella didn’t, but she said yes.
“Okay, so here’s the game. It’s called Deaf or Blind. So first, you tell me if you would rather be deaf or blind.”
“Blind,” Isabella said. Connor looked annoyed. He was holding earplugs he’d found in her dad’s room.
“You should choose deaf,” he said. “It’s better.”
“But I want to make sure I can still hear music. I’m going to choose blind.”
Connor shook his head like he couldn’t believe she was making this choice. “Okay,” he said, “hold on.” He went over to the dress-up chest and rummaged around for a while, until he found a bandanna that had once been part of a cowboy costume.
“You know,” he said, “it’s a lot scarier to be blind.” Isabella nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Okay. I’ve never picked blind before. It seems scary.”
“I think I’ll be okay,” Isabella said.
“Are you scared?” he asked.
“Just a little bit, but not too much.” Connor looked at her with admiration.
He stood behind her and wrapped the bandanna around her eyes and then tightened it. Isabella saw the blackness, and then, as he pulled it tighter, bursts of light started to explode. “You can’t see, right? Auntie Iz, you can’t see anything, right?” Isabella shook her head no.
“Okay,” he said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to go in another room and you have to count to a hundred and then come find me. You can call my name three times. Wait, no, only two times. If you call my name three times, then you lose points, okay? And I’ll answer you so that you can try to hear where I am.”
“Got it,”
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