too," Bobby announced. "I wanna go to the park. Can I, Daddy? Can I, Joel?" His voice reminded Joel of the hovering whine of a mosquito. Their mother said whining was a stage all four-year-olds went through. Joel thought a year was a long stage.
"It's a hot day," his father continued, ignoring Bobby's plea, "and that road is awfully narrow ... hilly and winding, too."
"Can I, Daddy?" Bobby's voice rose in volume and pitch. "Can I go with Joel?"
"No." Their father shook his head. "I'm not even sure these two are going anywhere. Now, you run across to the Zabrinskys. But be careful, Bobby! Watch for cars!"
There were almost no cars to watch for on their quiet street, but their father always said things like that anyway. Bobby went, his lower lip sticking out like a shelf.
"We'll be careful, Dad." Joel could hear the whine in his own voice. He sounded almost as bad as Bobby. He sounded as if he really wanted to go.
"We will, Mr. Bates. Honest!" Tony pleaded. "The park's not that far ... and there's not much traffic during the week."
Joel's father ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing on end. "I know the traffic is sparse, but with all those hills ... it'll seem like a lot farther."
"If we get tired, we'll just turn back," Tony said.
Joel didn't say anything more. To win this argument would be to lose. He was sure, though, that his father wasn't going to give permission.
His father surveyed their bikes, frowning slightly. Joel wondered if he was going to ask why Tony was carrying a rope looped over his handlebars. To tie ourselves together when we climb, Tony had announced. But Joel's father merely said, "You have lunches packed already?"
"Sure," Tony answered, patting the lunch he had tied to his handlebars with the rope.
Joel's father turned back to him. "You know you have your paper route to do this afternoon, Joel."
Joel nodded. He knew. Maybe that would be an excuse.
"What if you boys get too tired to ride back? Tony's mother doesn't have a car, and I don't want anybody to have to leave work to come after you."
Tony was looking at Joel, obviously waiting for him to play out his side of the argument.
"We won't get tired," Joel said automatically.
His father's eyes seemed to know better, but he turned to Tony and asked, "Does your mother know what you're planning to do?"
"Sure," Tony answered cheerfully, and Joel knew, without even checking Tony's face, that he was lying. He never told his mother anything if he could help it, and she was so busy with the littler kids that she didn't ask many questions.
His father merely accepted Tony's word with a nod—grown-ups could be really dense sometimes—but then he almost redeemed himself by suggesting, "How about trying the county road that goes out of town the other way? It's flat and would be easier riding."
"It doesn't go anywhere," Tony complained. "Besides, it's boring. Nothing but cornfields on every side."
No bluffs to climb, Joel added silently.
Joel's father sighed, buttoned his suit jacket, and then unbuttoned it again. The sigh gave Joel's stomach a small twist. His father wasn't actually considering giving permission, was he? Tony's father would have answered in a second. He would have said, "No!"
"What do you think, son?" his father asked. "Do you really think you can make it all the way to the park and back without any trouble?"
Joel could feel Tony watching him, waiting. "Sure," he said, though his throat seemed to tighten around the word. "It'll be a cinch."
Joel's father shook his head. "I doubt that, but I guess it won't hurt you boys to be good and tired tonight."
Joel's knees went watery. His father was going to say they could go!
"We'll build up the muscles in our legs," Tony announced, jubilant.
Joel's father didn't take his eyes off Joel's face. "On your honor?" he said. "You'll watch for traffic, and you won't go anywhere except the park? You'll be careful the whole way?"
"On my honor," Joel repeated, and he crossed
"It's a hot day," his father continued, ignoring Bobby's plea, "and that road is awfully narrow ... hilly and winding, too."
"Can I, Daddy?" Bobby's voice rose in volume and pitch. "Can I go with Joel?"
"No." Their father shook his head. "I'm not even sure these two are going anywhere. Now, you run across to the Zabrinskys. But be careful, Bobby! Watch for cars!"
There were almost no cars to watch for on their quiet street, but their father always said things like that anyway. Bobby went, his lower lip sticking out like a shelf.
"We'll be careful, Dad." Joel could hear the whine in his own voice. He sounded almost as bad as Bobby. He sounded as if he really wanted to go.
"We will, Mr. Bates. Honest!" Tony pleaded. "The park's not that far ... and there's not much traffic during the week."
Joel's father ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing on end. "I know the traffic is sparse, but with all those hills ... it'll seem like a lot farther."
"If we get tired, we'll just turn back," Tony said.
Joel didn't say anything more. To win this argument would be to lose. He was sure, though, that his father wasn't going to give permission.
His father surveyed their bikes, frowning slightly. Joel wondered if he was going to ask why Tony was carrying a rope looped over his handlebars. To tie ourselves together when we climb, Tony had announced. But Joel's father merely said, "You have lunches packed already?"
"Sure," Tony answered, patting the lunch he had tied to his handlebars with the rope.
Joel's father turned back to him. "You know you have your paper route to do this afternoon, Joel."
Joel nodded. He knew. Maybe that would be an excuse.
"What if you boys get too tired to ride back? Tony's mother doesn't have a car, and I don't want anybody to have to leave work to come after you."
Tony was looking at Joel, obviously waiting for him to play out his side of the argument.
"We won't get tired," Joel said automatically.
His father's eyes seemed to know better, but he turned to Tony and asked, "Does your mother know what you're planning to do?"
"Sure," Tony answered cheerfully, and Joel knew, without even checking Tony's face, that he was lying. He never told his mother anything if he could help it, and she was so busy with the littler kids that she didn't ask many questions.
His father merely accepted Tony's word with a nod—grown-ups could be really dense sometimes—but then he almost redeemed himself by suggesting, "How about trying the county road that goes out of town the other way? It's flat and would be easier riding."
"It doesn't go anywhere," Tony complained. "Besides, it's boring. Nothing but cornfields on every side."
No bluffs to climb, Joel added silently.
Joel's father sighed, buttoned his suit jacket, and then unbuttoned it again. The sigh gave Joel's stomach a small twist. His father wasn't actually considering giving permission, was he? Tony's father would have answered in a second. He would have said, "No!"
"What do you think, son?" his father asked. "Do you really think you can make it all the way to the park and back without any trouble?"
Joel could feel Tony watching him, waiting. "Sure," he said, though his throat seemed to tighten around the word. "It'll be a cinch."
Joel's father shook his head. "I doubt that, but I guess it won't hurt you boys to be good and tired tonight."
Joel's knees went watery. His father was going to say they could go!
"We'll build up the muscles in our legs," Tony announced, jubilant.
Joel's father didn't take his eyes off Joel's face. "On your honor?" he said. "You'll watch for traffic, and you won't go anywhere except the park? You'll be careful the whole way?"
"On my honor," Joel repeated, and he crossed
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