grandparents on a hard bench. And waited.
Finally someone dressed like a policeman came and told them that Judge Wilkerson was ready. They followed him into the judge’s
chambers.
When he came in with his grandparents, Judge Wilkerson smiled at him and asked him to sit down on a couch next to her. His
parents were already sitting in big chairs facing the couch. His grandparents remained standing.
“There, now,” said the judge. “I think we can start. Will everybody but Mark and Mr. and Mrs. Conway please leave? I’ll let
you know when we’re ready for you to come back. Please wait outside in case there’s anything I need to ask you.”
The lawyers and Mark’s grandparents left the room.
Judge Wilkerson spoke directly to Mark.
“First, let’s go over why we’re here,” she said.Then she went on to explain that Mark’s parents had decided to get a divorce because they had personal problems they couldn’t
solve. She pointed out again and again that these problems had nothing to do with their feelings for Mark. Did he understand?
Mark nodded slowly.
“Fine,” said the judge. “Then what we need to figure out is what’s best for you.”
Mark nodded again, then cleared his throat. “Excuse me,” he said. “But if you don’t mind, may I speak?”
“By all means,” said the judge. “It’s important to hear what you have to say about this.”
“I know that you want to decide which of my parents get to have me,” Mark said to the judge. “And I want them to know that
I love them both very much. But for a long time, I’ve felt like the rope in a tug-of-war.” He paused and looked at his parents.
“Mom, you yourself told me your company might be moving soon and that you hoped you would still be part of their team if they
did. And Dad, your company is always transferring you all over the place — even across the Atlantic Ocean!
“The moving around didn’t bother me so mucha few years ago. But now I have a real home. I go to the Middle School, and I have lots of friends. I’m on the soccer team,
and I just got elected captain. I like it here. And I like living with my grandparents.”
The judge looked a little surprised. “You do?” she asked.
“Yes,” Mark answered. “They’re old, but they really make an effort. They went to almost all my games. They know my friends’
names. And they talk to me about what’s happening to me in school and everything.” He smiled briefly. “They talk to me like
parents sometimes, too. They’re the ones who made me realize that ignoring my feelings wasn’t doing me any good.”
The judge smiled with him.
“I love my mom and dad,” Mark continued. “But I’m tired of moving, and I’m tired of making new friends. Mom and Dad, you both
lived in Knights-town before, so you know it’s a good place for me to grow up, right?”
His parents both nodded. His mother opened her mouth to speak, but Mark stopped her.
“If nobody minds too much, I have to be honest.And if Grandma and Grandpa wouldn’t mind, I’d like to leave things just as they are.”
When he was through, he couldn’t look up at his folks. He stared down at the carpet as the judge spoke to him.
“Mark, would you mind leaving me alone with your parents for a few minutes?” she said.
Without a word, Mark stood up and left the room.
When he got outside, Grandma and Grandpa Conway went to him and took him by the hand. They didn’t say anything. The three
of them just sat back on the same bench as before.
It seemed like hours went by before the judge herself appeared and called them back into her chambers.
Mr. and Mrs. Conway were now seated together side by side on the couch. Mrs. Conway’s eyes were red and puffy, and Mark’s
father kept wiping his nose with his handerchief.
The judge turned to Grandma and Grandpa Con-way.
“Are you willing to let Mark stay with you a little longer?” she asked.
His grandparents looked astonished. But
Finally someone dressed like a policeman came and told them that Judge Wilkerson was ready. They followed him into the judge’s
chambers.
When he came in with his grandparents, Judge Wilkerson smiled at him and asked him to sit down on a couch next to her. His
parents were already sitting in big chairs facing the couch. His grandparents remained standing.
“There, now,” said the judge. “I think we can start. Will everybody but Mark and Mr. and Mrs. Conway please leave? I’ll let
you know when we’re ready for you to come back. Please wait outside in case there’s anything I need to ask you.”
The lawyers and Mark’s grandparents left the room.
Judge Wilkerson spoke directly to Mark.
“First, let’s go over why we’re here,” she said.Then she went on to explain that Mark’s parents had decided to get a divorce because they had personal problems they couldn’t
solve. She pointed out again and again that these problems had nothing to do with their feelings for Mark. Did he understand?
Mark nodded slowly.
“Fine,” said the judge. “Then what we need to figure out is what’s best for you.”
Mark nodded again, then cleared his throat. “Excuse me,” he said. “But if you don’t mind, may I speak?”
“By all means,” said the judge. “It’s important to hear what you have to say about this.”
“I know that you want to decide which of my parents get to have me,” Mark said to the judge. “And I want them to know that
I love them both very much. But for a long time, I’ve felt like the rope in a tug-of-war.” He paused and looked at his parents.
“Mom, you yourself told me your company might be moving soon and that you hoped you would still be part of their team if they
did. And Dad, your company is always transferring you all over the place — even across the Atlantic Ocean!
“The moving around didn’t bother me so mucha few years ago. But now I have a real home. I go to the Middle School, and I have lots of friends. I’m on the soccer team,
and I just got elected captain. I like it here. And I like living with my grandparents.”
The judge looked a little surprised. “You do?” she asked.
“Yes,” Mark answered. “They’re old, but they really make an effort. They went to almost all my games. They know my friends’
names. And they talk to me about what’s happening to me in school and everything.” He smiled briefly. “They talk to me like
parents sometimes, too. They’re the ones who made me realize that ignoring my feelings wasn’t doing me any good.”
The judge smiled with him.
“I love my mom and dad,” Mark continued. “But I’m tired of moving, and I’m tired of making new friends. Mom and Dad, you both
lived in Knights-town before, so you know it’s a good place for me to grow up, right?”
His parents both nodded. His mother opened her mouth to speak, but Mark stopped her.
“If nobody minds too much, I have to be honest.And if Grandma and Grandpa wouldn’t mind, I’d like to leave things just as they are.”
When he was through, he couldn’t look up at his folks. He stared down at the carpet as the judge spoke to him.
“Mark, would you mind leaving me alone with your parents for a few minutes?” she said.
Without a word, Mark stood up and left the room.
When he got outside, Grandma and Grandpa Conway went to him and took him by the hand. They didn’t say anything. The three
of them just sat back on the same bench as before.
It seemed like hours went by before the judge herself appeared and called them back into her chambers.
Mr. and Mrs. Conway were now seated together side by side on the couch. Mrs. Conway’s eyes were red and puffy, and Mark’s
father kept wiping his nose with his handerchief.
The judge turned to Grandma and Grandpa Con-way.
“Are you willing to let Mark stay with you a little longer?” she asked.
His grandparents looked astonished. But
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