to call Tamika,â the professor answered. âI should even pay her a visit sometime this week.â
âMaybe if you invited her mother to come along next time, she wonât be so scared,â I suggested.
âThatâs a great idea,â Mr. Spinner added. âCan I come along next week, too? This is really interesting stuff.â
âSure! Sure!â said the professor with a wink and a smile. âThe more, the merrier.â
A Visit from the Professor
Tamikaâs HouseâThe Next Day
P rofessor Tuesday called Tamika the next day. Tamika was at her piano lesson, so the professor talked with her mother.
âGood afternoon, Mrs. Jones. I was hoping to talk to Tamika,â the professor said. âHer friend, Jesse, told me that studying about slavery and the Underground Railroad has been a little scary for her. I also heard that she has been having bad dreams.â
âOh, my,â Tamikaâs mother replied, âI didnât know that. She was very excited about her study of George DeBaptiste, but she has been acting strangely lately. She wasnât feeling well for a couple of days. I wonder if her stomach ache had anything to do with her bad dreams?â
âI donât really know,â answered the professor. âBut Iâd like a chance to talk with her.â
âOf course, professor,â said Tamikaâs mother. âYou are welcome to visit any time.â
Professor Tuesday swallowed hard. âI donât usually like to go out on Thursdays. As you may know, my favorite day of the week is Tuesday. But I think itâs important that we meet. I donât want her to be scared, but I think learning about this part of history is important for her.â
âI totally agree,â said Tamikaâs mother. âIf you can, why donât you stop by tomorrow evening? How does 7:00 PM sound?â
âIâll be there,â answered the professor. Then he wrote down Tamikaâs address.
The very next day, Professor Tuesday was fumbling around in his office. âWhere did I put that?â he muttered to himself as he looked through his desk and file cabinets. As the day wore on, the piles of papers, books, and junk got higher and higher. The professor searched all day long. Just before he gave up, he found the box he wanted.
âAha! Aha!â the professor shouted, âthere you are!â
Professor Tuesday opened the box, inspected the item inside, and looked at his watch. âMy goodness,â he said, âwhere has this day gone?â He grabbed the box, locked his office door, and headed for Tamikaâs house.
At 7:00 PM sharp, the professor pulled up in his Tuesdaymobile in front of Tamikaâs house. Nearly everyone in town knows Professor Tuesday by his crazy car. Itâs bright blue with red stripes and yellow stars. The Tuesdaymobile has a long, whip-like antenna with an orange ball on the end. The orange ball helps him find his car when he goes to the mall. It also has a yellow thing on top that lights up and spins when the professor pushes a special button on his instrument panel.
All of Tamikaâs neighbors stared at the Tuesdaymobile as it pulled up in front of her house. Professor Tuesday climbed out and walked up to the house. He knocked on the door and Tamika opened it.
âHello, Tamika,â the professor said. âI heard you were sick last week?â
âYeah, I had a bad stomach ache,â she said quietly.
âI hope you are feeling much better now. Is your mother home?â
âMOM!â Tamika yelled over her shoulder. âProfessor Tuesday is here.â
Tamika flopped down on the couch in the living room. In a few moments, her mother and father walked into the room.
âForgive us,â Tamikaâs mom said, âwe were just cleaning up after dinner.â Mr. and Mrs. Jones shook hands with Professor Tuesday.
âItâs nice to meet you,â
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