Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit

I sit in a giant chair and pull a book off the shelf. I love to read, and there’s nothing else to do here. The book is thick and the print is small, but soon I’m caught up in the story: Pride and Prejudice, about five sisters who remind me of Izza and her sisters, lively and funny.

I decide I have nothing to lose, so when Uncle Hendrick appears, I say hello. He just sniffs and asks if that book isn’t too difficult for me. I admit it’s a little, but I love it. Uncle Hendrick narrows his eyes. So I like to read? I do, I tell him.

Something shifts in Uncle Hendrick’s face, and I realize he’s smiling. We talk about books for a bit, then he asks if I play backgammon. I ask if Roosevelt is president. He laughs, a sound like tires on gravel, and pulls out an ancient backgammon board. I’m good, but he’s better; he beats me twice, though it’s still fun.

As we play, I’m glad I reached out to Uncle Hendrick. He’s not so bad after all. Maybe connecting with even the most unlikely people is worth the effort, and maybe that’s true of my babysitter, Sophie, too. I decide to invite her to play a game with me when I get home.

Uncle Hendrick sees me smile and tells me I shouldn’t look so happy. He just won. I tell him I think we both won.