girls in my classes."
"I doubt that. I've never been in school like you. but I've seen plenty of girls."
"Oh?"
"There's this personal dating service on the Internet where the girls put up pictures of themselves and describe themselves. Then boys send them their pictures and descriptions and they communicate for a while to see if it might work into anything. I've done it plenty of times. Of course. I substitute pictures so they never see me like this." he said, indicating the wheelchair,
"What's to keep anyone from doing the same?"
"Nothing, if that's all they want to do. But if they actually want to meet someday, they better show the truth, don't you think?"
I nodded.
"I have no illusions about it. The chat is as far as I'll be able to go." "You never wanted to meet this Arlene?"
"No," he said quickly. "Maybe she dumped me because she found out the truth about me. Besides. I'm not talking about her anymore. remember. She's going into your magic box," he reminded me.
I laughed and nodded. "Right."
"What about that boy you're seeing? Does he know you've actually moved?"
"Yes, and he's coming to take me to dinner on Saturday. You'll meet him. His name is Barry Burton."
"Great alliteration."
"P ardon?"
"You know. B and B? The repetition of consonants?"
"Oh. I bet you have one of those very high IQs, don't you?" "Off the charts." he said smugly.
"What do you want to do, to be. Evan?"
He thought a moment.
"I guess I'll become a brain surgeon. What they'll do is make a platform by the operating table and I'll wheel up on it and lean over the patient's head."
I stared at him coldly.
"I don't know." he said in a softer tone. "I like to write. I've been working on a play."
"Really? Can I read it?"
"No," he said quickly.
"Why not?"
"It's nowhere near ready and it's not any good. It's just a dumb idea."
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
"Oh? And you are a critic?"
"No, but I've been in plays. as I told you. and I would be honest." He stared a moment and then he shrugged.
"Maybe I'll show it to you later.'
"I'd like that," I said.
After lunch we went outside and I got him to talk a little more about his mother. I listened, practically holding my breath for fear he would stop.
"Sometimes-- often, I should say-- I felt she was more like the child and I was more like the parent. She was so trusting and always saw the best in everyone, even Aunt Charlotte. She had a beautiful laugh, musical, and she sang to me all the time. 'I'll be your legs, Evan.' she told me. 'Forever and ever if need be, so don't feel sorry for yourself.'
"She never thought she would die before me. I know, She thought I was so fragile I would surely pass away one day, just evaporate or something, and she would be at my side.
"When I was young, she was overprotective, afraid I would catch every little germ. The doctors kept assuring her that aside from my, what did you call it, unfortunate situation? Aside from that. I was relatively as healthy as any other person my age. Of course. I don't have the athletic abilities. I tried building up my arms and my chest, but she was always worried I was doing too much and after a while I stopped doing that.
"She liked it when I read to her. We read a lot of poetry together and we even read plays together and performed out there by the tree. She did a great Juliet. but I was a lousy Romeo.
"Aunt Charlotte complained, telling her she was doting on me too much and sacrificing herself too much. She told her she should be out socializing with young men, finding someone. She could have easily.
I suppose. She was beautiful, as beautiful as you," he added.
"She looks beautiful in every picture I've seen of her," I said softly.
"Yeah. Aunt Charlotte was always after her to get out, mix with people. I think she was hoping my mother would find a man, marry, and take me away so she wouldn't have to deal with all this. Poor Aunt Charlotte got stuck with me. She would send her out to meet some blind date she had arranged through one
"I doubt that. I've never been in school like you. but I've seen plenty of girls."
"Oh?"
"There's this personal dating service on the Internet where the girls put up pictures of themselves and describe themselves. Then boys send them their pictures and descriptions and they communicate for a while to see if it might work into anything. I've done it plenty of times. Of course. I substitute pictures so they never see me like this." he said, indicating the wheelchair,
"What's to keep anyone from doing the same?"
"Nothing, if that's all they want to do. But if they actually want to meet someday, they better show the truth, don't you think?"
I nodded.
"I have no illusions about it. The chat is as far as I'll be able to go." "You never wanted to meet this Arlene?"
"No," he said quickly. "Maybe she dumped me because she found out the truth about me. Besides. I'm not talking about her anymore. remember. She's going into your magic box," he reminded me.
I laughed and nodded. "Right."
"What about that boy you're seeing? Does he know you've actually moved?"
"Yes, and he's coming to take me to dinner on Saturday. You'll meet him. His name is Barry Burton."
"Great alliteration."
"P ardon?"
"You know. B and B? The repetition of consonants?"
"Oh. I bet you have one of those very high IQs, don't you?" "Off the charts." he said smugly.
"What do you want to do, to be. Evan?"
He thought a moment.
"I guess I'll become a brain surgeon. What they'll do is make a platform by the operating table and I'll wheel up on it and lean over the patient's head."
I stared at him coldly.
"I don't know." he said in a softer tone. "I like to write. I've been working on a play."
"Really? Can I read it?"
"No," he said quickly.
"Why not?"
"It's nowhere near ready and it's not any good. It's just a dumb idea."
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"
"Oh? And you are a critic?"
"No, but I've been in plays. as I told you. and I would be honest." He stared a moment and then he shrugged.
"Maybe I'll show it to you later.'
"I'd like that," I said.
After lunch we went outside and I got him to talk a little more about his mother. I listened, practically holding my breath for fear he would stop.
"Sometimes-- often, I should say-- I felt she was more like the child and I was more like the parent. She was so trusting and always saw the best in everyone, even Aunt Charlotte. She had a beautiful laugh, musical, and she sang to me all the time. 'I'll be your legs, Evan.' she told me. 'Forever and ever if need be, so don't feel sorry for yourself.'
"She never thought she would die before me. I know, She thought I was so fragile I would surely pass away one day, just evaporate or something, and she would be at my side.
"When I was young, she was overprotective, afraid I would catch every little germ. The doctors kept assuring her that aside from my, what did you call it, unfortunate situation? Aside from that. I was relatively as healthy as any other person my age. Of course. I don't have the athletic abilities. I tried building up my arms and my chest, but she was always worried I was doing too much and after a while I stopped doing that.
"She liked it when I read to her. We read a lot of poetry together and we even read plays together and performed out there by the tree. She did a great Juliet. but I was a lousy Romeo.
"Aunt Charlotte complained, telling her she was doting on me too much and sacrificing herself too much. She told her she should be out socializing with young men, finding someone. She could have easily.
I suppose. She was beautiful, as beautiful as you," he added.
"She looks beautiful in every picture I've seen of her," I said softly.
"Yeah. Aunt Charlotte was always after her to get out, mix with people. I think she was hoping my mother would find a man, marry, and take me away so she wouldn't have to deal with all this. Poor Aunt Charlotte got stuck with me. She would send her out to meet some blind date she had arranged through one
Similar Books
