half believes in.
On and on he talks, scooping the fruit out of his life and dropping it into her lap. He gives herhis lucky pink bubblegum stone. She rubs it against her dress and gives it back. Through his tears she is blurry, ghostlike. Her white hair sits upon her head like a puff of cotton.
The kid he has always known himself to be seems to be napping nearby. When he wakes up he is on the sidewalk. The lady is calling âBye, mailman!â from the step and the sun is bright beyond the rowhouse roofs. School is over: Knapsacked kids are racing home. The air feels cool and new, the air feels good upon his face.
22. Boondocks Forever
The Yellows won big.
Zinkoff finds this out the moment he arrives at school next day. All the Yellows are wearing gold medals around their necks. The medals are really made of plastic, but they look exactly like Olympic gold medals and they hang from their necks on red, white and blue ribbons.
Gary Hobin did great things at Field Day, and for the remaining days of the year he is King of the School. Some days he laughs a lot and is friendly to people whose names he doesnât know. He is never the first one to speak. He has learned that if he holds his tongue, someone will congratulate him. In fact, so many congratulate him that he finds himself surprised when someone does not.
On other days he is serious and is seen stretching and touching his toes during recess and during slow times in class. On these days he does not seem to notice other people. His eyes are focused on the Beyondâcertainly not the Beyonds of Binns or the Oh Mailman Ladyâmost likely the Golden Beyond of Olympic Glory. After a day or two the other Yellows stop wearing their medals to school, but Hobin wears his every day, right up to and including Graduation.
Â
Zinkoff sits with the orchestra during Graduation. The orchestra has two numbers to play, plus âPomp and Circumstanceâ as the graduates march in. From his perch on the stage, Zinkoff can see everything, but he cannot locate his parents and sister in the crowd.
The principal says things to get the program started. Then the superintendent of schools speaks. Then comes the orchestraâs first number, âPalaggioâs Waltz.â Twice during the number Zinkoffâs flute yips like a pinched sister. The music teacher winces, but Zinkoff never notices.
Then Katie Snelsen receives a book for having the best grades. She stands at the podiumand gives a speech. Everyone smiles and pays attention to her. Only the orchestra can see that she is grinding the toe of one shoe into the stage floor.
Next come the awards and special recognitions. There are winners galoreâfor the best this, the best that, the most this, the most that, second-best, third-best. There are medals and citations and checks and handshakes and gift certificates and trophies and, for Bruce DiMino (Principalâs Award), a glass apple.
It is during the giving of the awards that Zinkoff spots Mr. Yalowitz standing in the back. Mr. Yalowitz does not need to be there. He teaches fourth grade, and what does he care about graduating fifth-graders? But there he is, Zinkoffâs favorite teacher of all time (along with Miss Meeks) and his end-of-the-alphabet neighbor. And suddenly it hits Zinkoff: Heâs graduating! No more grade school. No more walking, being first there in the morning; next year heâll ride the bus to middle school. No more staying in the same cozy classroom all day, all year.
For the second time that spring Zinkoff feelsthe tears coming. Graduation isnât even over yet, and already he misses John W. Satterfield Elementary. He even misses the boondocks and Field Day and Mrs. Biswell. He looks around. He loves everything and everybody. He wants to hug the walls. The last award is given, and itâs time for the orchestra to play âYouâll Never Walk Alone.â Itâs just about the hardest thing heâs ever done:
On and on he talks, scooping the fruit out of his life and dropping it into her lap. He gives herhis lucky pink bubblegum stone. She rubs it against her dress and gives it back. Through his tears she is blurry, ghostlike. Her white hair sits upon her head like a puff of cotton.
The kid he has always known himself to be seems to be napping nearby. When he wakes up he is on the sidewalk. The lady is calling âBye, mailman!â from the step and the sun is bright beyond the rowhouse roofs. School is over: Knapsacked kids are racing home. The air feels cool and new, the air feels good upon his face.
22. Boondocks Forever
The Yellows won big.
Zinkoff finds this out the moment he arrives at school next day. All the Yellows are wearing gold medals around their necks. The medals are really made of plastic, but they look exactly like Olympic gold medals and they hang from their necks on red, white and blue ribbons.
Gary Hobin did great things at Field Day, and for the remaining days of the year he is King of the School. Some days he laughs a lot and is friendly to people whose names he doesnât know. He is never the first one to speak. He has learned that if he holds his tongue, someone will congratulate him. In fact, so many congratulate him that he finds himself surprised when someone does not.
On other days he is serious and is seen stretching and touching his toes during recess and during slow times in class. On these days he does not seem to notice other people. His eyes are focused on the Beyondâcertainly not the Beyonds of Binns or the Oh Mailman Ladyâmost likely the Golden Beyond of Olympic Glory. After a day or two the other Yellows stop wearing their medals to school, but Hobin wears his every day, right up to and including Graduation.
Â
Zinkoff sits with the orchestra during Graduation. The orchestra has two numbers to play, plus âPomp and Circumstanceâ as the graduates march in. From his perch on the stage, Zinkoff can see everything, but he cannot locate his parents and sister in the crowd.
The principal says things to get the program started. Then the superintendent of schools speaks. Then comes the orchestraâs first number, âPalaggioâs Waltz.â Twice during the number Zinkoffâs flute yips like a pinched sister. The music teacher winces, but Zinkoff never notices.
Then Katie Snelsen receives a book for having the best grades. She stands at the podiumand gives a speech. Everyone smiles and pays attention to her. Only the orchestra can see that she is grinding the toe of one shoe into the stage floor.
Next come the awards and special recognitions. There are winners galoreâfor the best this, the best that, the most this, the most that, second-best, third-best. There are medals and citations and checks and handshakes and gift certificates and trophies and, for Bruce DiMino (Principalâs Award), a glass apple.
It is during the giving of the awards that Zinkoff spots Mr. Yalowitz standing in the back. Mr. Yalowitz does not need to be there. He teaches fourth grade, and what does he care about graduating fifth-graders? But there he is, Zinkoffâs favorite teacher of all time (along with Miss Meeks) and his end-of-the-alphabet neighbor. And suddenly it hits Zinkoff: Heâs graduating! No more grade school. No more walking, being first there in the morning; next year heâll ride the bus to middle school. No more staying in the same cozy classroom all day, all year.
For the second time that spring Zinkoff feelsthe tears coming. Graduation isnât even over yet, and already he misses John W. Satterfield Elementary. He even misses the boondocks and Field Day and Mrs. Biswell. He looks around. He loves everything and everybody. He wants to hug the walls. The last award is given, and itâs time for the orchestra to play âYouâll Never Walk Alone.â Itâs just about the hardest thing heâs ever done:
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