“Can you just keep an open mind about it?”
“About what?” asked Mrs. Gordimer, who had heard the last part of the conversation.
Paul said, “I was telling Theo about this road race for cancer research and saying he should run in it.”
Mrs. Gordimer smiled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea! Theo, you know how Marj has been trying to persuade you to get more
involved in sports. She’d
love
it if you tried something like this.”
“Mom,” Theo said, wishing Paul had kept his mouth shut, “it’s more than
three miles.
I couldn’t do that. I’m not a runner.”
“You
could
be a runner,” Paul insisted.
Mrs. Gordimer said, “I think Paul’s right, sweetie. You can at least think about it, can’t you?”
Feeling trapped, Theo said, “Okay, sure, I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” Paul said, ignoring Theo’s glare. “See you tomorrow.” He ran down the front steps.
Theo’s mother ruffled his hair. “Will you think about it? I wish you would.”
Theo nodded. “Sure, Mom. I really will. Okay?”
Then he headed back to his room to find a video game, hoping that the subject of running would disappear and never be brought
up again.
2
T heo did manage to avoid the subject of running — for two whole days. On the third day, the last day of the school year, Paul
came up to him in the corridor.
“My family’s having a cookout tonight to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation. Burgers, hot dogs, and ribs. Want to
come?”
“Sure!” said Theo, who could almost taste all those goodies right then.
“Great!” Paul replied. “And my dad wants to talk to you about how to start a running program. We can do that before we eat.”
Uh oh.
Theo felt pretty sure that Paul had deliberately mentioned the food first, so that he would accept the invitation. Only after
he’d accepted had Paul brought up running. Now Theo was caught.
Theo’s face must have shown how he felt aboutrunning, because Paul laughed. “Listen, all I’m asking you to do is listen to him, all right? You won’t have to run if you
decide not to. Just hear him out. That shouldn’t take much energy. And then there’ll be all those excellent goodies. It’s
not like I trapped you into going to the dentist.”
Theo finally agreed to listen to Mr. Baskin, if only to get Paul to stop talking about it. After all, Paul was right. Listening
wouldn’t cost him anything, and Theo wouldn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to do.
Later that afternoon, Theo told his parents that he was going to the Baskins’ cookout and added that Mr. Baskin was going
to talk to him about running.
His parents exchanged a look. Mr. Gordimer said, “Really? Sounds interesting. Are you thinking of doing some running, son?”
His dad was trying to make it sound casual, as if it didn’t matter at all whether Theo started doing something athletic. But
Theo knew how his parents felt.
He shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll see what Mr. Baskin says and then decide.”
“That makes sense,” his dad agreed. “Anyway, the cookout sounds like fun.”
When he got to the Baskins’ house, Theo knewfrom the delicious smells that the food was already on the grill. If he had to listen to talk about running to get some of
that food, it was worth it.
Theo went around to the backyard. Mr. Baskin, a tall, slender man, was standing over his gas grill, turning some burgers.
He smiled and waved to Theo.
“Hey, come on in! I understand you might be interested in running.”
Even though Theo didn’t think that this was an accurate description of his attitude, he said, “I appreciate you talking to
me about it.”
Mr. Baskin nodded. “We’ll talk after we eat, if that’s all right. Everybody’s hungry.”
The later the better,
thought Theo. Paul came out the back door. “Yo, Gee! Ready to eat?”
“Always,” Theo replied, grinning.
The food was great. Theo managed to gobble a hamburger, a hot dog, a bunch of ribs,
“About what?” asked Mrs. Gordimer, who had heard the last part of the conversation.
Paul said, “I was telling Theo about this road race for cancer research and saying he should run in it.”
Mrs. Gordimer smiled. “That sounds like a wonderful idea! Theo, you know how Marj has been trying to persuade you to get more
involved in sports. She’d
love
it if you tried something like this.”
“Mom,” Theo said, wishing Paul had kept his mouth shut, “it’s more than
three miles.
I couldn’t do that. I’m not a runner.”
“You
could
be a runner,” Paul insisted.
Mrs. Gordimer said, “I think Paul’s right, sweetie. You can at least think about it, can’t you?”
Feeling trapped, Theo said, “Okay, sure, I’ll think about it.”
“Great!” Paul said, ignoring Theo’s glare. “See you tomorrow.” He ran down the front steps.
Theo’s mother ruffled his hair. “Will you think about it? I wish you would.”
Theo nodded. “Sure, Mom. I really will. Okay?”
Then he headed back to his room to find a video game, hoping that the subject of running would disappear and never be brought
up again.
2
T heo did manage to avoid the subject of running — for two whole days. On the third day, the last day of the school year, Paul
came up to him in the corridor.
“My family’s having a cookout tonight to celebrate the beginning of summer vacation. Burgers, hot dogs, and ribs. Want to
come?”
“Sure!” said Theo, who could almost taste all those goodies right then.
“Great!” Paul replied. “And my dad wants to talk to you about how to start a running program. We can do that before we eat.”
Uh oh.
Theo felt pretty sure that Paul had deliberately mentioned the food first, so that he would accept the invitation. Only after
he’d accepted had Paul brought up running. Now Theo was caught.
Theo’s face must have shown how he felt aboutrunning, because Paul laughed. “Listen, all I’m asking you to do is listen to him, all right? You won’t have to run if you
decide not to. Just hear him out. That shouldn’t take much energy. And then there’ll be all those excellent goodies. It’s
not like I trapped you into going to the dentist.”
Theo finally agreed to listen to Mr. Baskin, if only to get Paul to stop talking about it. After all, Paul was right. Listening
wouldn’t cost him anything, and Theo wouldn’t have to do anything he didn’t want to do.
Later that afternoon, Theo told his parents that he was going to the Baskins’ cookout and added that Mr. Baskin was going
to talk to him about running.
His parents exchanged a look. Mr. Gordimer said, “Really? Sounds interesting. Are you thinking of doing some running, son?”
His dad was trying to make it sound casual, as if it didn’t matter at all whether Theo started doing something athletic. But
Theo knew how his parents felt.
He shrugged. “Well, I guess I’ll see what Mr. Baskin says and then decide.”
“That makes sense,” his dad agreed. “Anyway, the cookout sounds like fun.”
When he got to the Baskins’ house, Theo knewfrom the delicious smells that the food was already on the grill. If he had to listen to talk about running to get some of
that food, it was worth it.
Theo went around to the backyard. Mr. Baskin, a tall, slender man, was standing over his gas grill, turning some burgers.
He smiled and waved to Theo.
“Hey, come on in! I understand you might be interested in running.”
Even though Theo didn’t think that this was an accurate description of his attitude, he said, “I appreciate you talking to
me about it.”
Mr. Baskin nodded. “We’ll talk after we eat, if that’s all right. Everybody’s hungry.”
The later the better,
thought Theo. Paul came out the back door. “Yo, Gee! Ready to eat?”
“Always,” Theo replied, grinning.
The food was great. Theo managed to gobble a hamburger, a hot dog, a bunch of ribs,
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