directly into the gurgling water. Or so it seemed to David.
Then Leilah picked up the ball and came out. She deposited it in David’s hand.
Shrugging his shoulders in thanks, David looked around to see if anyone was watching them. But no one seemed to care. David wiped the ball on his blue jeans and gave it to D. Dog to carry.
“I certainly didn’t see any old wizard,” said David. “In fact,” he added, “I don’t believe there is a wizard at all.”
“That’s what the Wizard said,” Leilah put in. “He said you would never believe in him at all. But I convinced him that seeing is believing. So he promised to meet us by the west side of the Arch.” She grinned. “I’ve never seen him myself,” she added.
“Okay,” said David nonchalantly. “I wasn’t really doing much of anything else.” He tried to act reluctant, but actually he was more curious than he would admit. Especially to a girl. Besides, this might be an interesting adventure. Without the girl, of course. She’d never go on with it. It wouldn’t be a wizard. Not a real one. David knew they didn’t exist. But it might be some interesting nutty old man. And with those thoughts turning over in his head, David joined Leilah in the short walk from the fountain to Washington Square Arch.
It took exactly sixty steps. David counted them out loud as they walked. That included a detour around a hopscotch game and a quick sidestep to avoid a bicycler. David counted out loud to impress Leilah with just how unimpressed he was with meeting her wizard.
When they reached the west side of the Arch, David looked straight up to the top. The Arch rose above them, some five stories high.
“My name is David,” said David, squinting into the sun. He didn’t want just to stand there saying nothing and it was the first thing that came into his mouth. David often talked that way, bypassing his mind and letting the thoughts just start at his lips. Also, he hated to look at people when he talked to them, which is why he was squinting at the sun. It wasn’t very polite but David wasn’t very polite either. His father said it came from being an only child. He wasn’t, really. He had three older sisters. But since they were five, six, and seven years older, he had always been somewhat spoiled.
“My name is David,” David repeated.
“I guessed,” said Leilah.
“How did you guess?” David asked the question loudly enough for Leilah to hear, too softly for anyone else to overhear.
Leilah smiled. It was a great open grin. “You look like a David!”
David thought that was a pretty stupid thing to say, so he ignored it. “My dog is named D. Dog.”
“Why?” asked Leilah.
David shrugged. “Because that’s his name.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, why are you named Leilah or why am I named David? It’s just our names.”
“I’m named Leilah because it means ‘dark as night,’” explained Leilah. She put her arm next to David’s. “See, dark as night.”
David was beginning to feel silly and started shifting from one leg to the other. “How do you happen to know this wizard?” asked David. “Is he a relative? I’ve got a lot of crazy relatives too. I have one uncle who thinks he’s a telephone pole. He’s always having trouble with swallows sitting on his wires.”
“Don’t be silly,” answered Leilah. “The Wizard isn’t anybody’s relative. He’s a wizard. And I am the only older person who believes in him. Except you, of course.”
“I don’t believe in him,” David protested hotly.
Leilah just grinned.
“You’re crazy!” said David.
Just as he said that, four boys almost his age ran past, shouting. At first David thought they were calling Leilah to play with them. But then he realized they were shouting, “Crazy Leilah, Crazy Leilah,” as they passed by. It made David feel both angry and sad. Angry that the boys would gang up on a silly girl—even if she was crazy. And sad because he was the one stuck with
Then Leilah picked up the ball and came out. She deposited it in David’s hand.
Shrugging his shoulders in thanks, David looked around to see if anyone was watching them. But no one seemed to care. David wiped the ball on his blue jeans and gave it to D. Dog to carry.
“I certainly didn’t see any old wizard,” said David. “In fact,” he added, “I don’t believe there is a wizard at all.”
“That’s what the Wizard said,” Leilah put in. “He said you would never believe in him at all. But I convinced him that seeing is believing. So he promised to meet us by the west side of the Arch.” She grinned. “I’ve never seen him myself,” she added.
“Okay,” said David nonchalantly. “I wasn’t really doing much of anything else.” He tried to act reluctant, but actually he was more curious than he would admit. Especially to a girl. Besides, this might be an interesting adventure. Without the girl, of course. She’d never go on with it. It wouldn’t be a wizard. Not a real one. David knew they didn’t exist. But it might be some interesting nutty old man. And with those thoughts turning over in his head, David joined Leilah in the short walk from the fountain to Washington Square Arch.
It took exactly sixty steps. David counted them out loud as they walked. That included a detour around a hopscotch game and a quick sidestep to avoid a bicycler. David counted out loud to impress Leilah with just how unimpressed he was with meeting her wizard.
When they reached the west side of the Arch, David looked straight up to the top. The Arch rose above them, some five stories high.
“My name is David,” said David, squinting into the sun. He didn’t want just to stand there saying nothing and it was the first thing that came into his mouth. David often talked that way, bypassing his mind and letting the thoughts just start at his lips. Also, he hated to look at people when he talked to them, which is why he was squinting at the sun. It wasn’t very polite but David wasn’t very polite either. His father said it came from being an only child. He wasn’t, really. He had three older sisters. But since they were five, six, and seven years older, he had always been somewhat spoiled.
“My name is David,” David repeated.
“I guessed,” said Leilah.
“How did you guess?” David asked the question loudly enough for Leilah to hear, too softly for anyone else to overhear.
Leilah smiled. It was a great open grin. “You look like a David!”
David thought that was a pretty stupid thing to say, so he ignored it. “My dog is named D. Dog.”
“Why?” asked Leilah.
David shrugged. “Because that’s his name.”
“Oh.”
“I mean, why are you named Leilah or why am I named David? It’s just our names.”
“I’m named Leilah because it means ‘dark as night,’” explained Leilah. She put her arm next to David’s. “See, dark as night.”
David was beginning to feel silly and started shifting from one leg to the other. “How do you happen to know this wizard?” asked David. “Is he a relative? I’ve got a lot of crazy relatives too. I have one uncle who thinks he’s a telephone pole. He’s always having trouble with swallows sitting on his wires.”
“Don’t be silly,” answered Leilah. “The Wizard isn’t anybody’s relative. He’s a wizard. And I am the only older person who believes in him. Except you, of course.”
“I don’t believe in him,” David protested hotly.
Leilah just grinned.
“You’re crazy!” said David.
Just as he said that, four boys almost his age ran past, shouting. At first David thought they were calling Leilah to play with them. But then he realized they were shouting, “Crazy Leilah, Crazy Leilah,” as they passed by. It made David feel both angry and sad. Angry that the boys would gang up on a silly girl—even if she was crazy. And sad because he was the one stuck with
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