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 anyway, there’s nothing else to do. There’s no TV or computer. The book is thick and the print is small, and some of the words are too hard, but soon I’m caught up in the story. It’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s about five sisters, and they remind me of Izza and sisters because they’re lively and funny.

I’m surprised when Uncle Hendrick appears. I decide I have nothing to lose, so I’m friendly. I say hello to him, and he just sniffs. Isn’t that book too difficult for me? I admit it is a little, but I like it. Uncle Hendrick narrows his eyes. So I like to read? I tell him I love it.

Uncle Hendrick gets a funny look on his face and it takes me a while to realize that he’s smiling. We talk about books for a bit, and then Uncle Hendrick asks if I play backgammon. I ask him if Roosevelt is the president of the United States. Uncle Hendrick laughs. It sounds like tires on gravel, but he’s definitely laughing. He pulls out an ancient backgammon board, and we begin to play. I’m good, but he’s better. He beats me twice, but it’s really fun anyway.

As we play, I think about how I’m glad I reached out to him. He’s not so bad after all. Maybe I had to come to the 1930s to learn that if you try to engage with someone, you can make a friend out of even the most unlikely prospects. Maybe I can make friends with my babysitter, too. Maybe Sophie is sort of like Uncle Hendrick, I just need to put out some effort to try to make friends with her. I decide there and then that when I get home, I will invite my babysitter play a game with me. Maybe she’s a backgammon star, like Uncle Hendrick. Maybe she likes movies or doing yoga or karaoke. But no matter what, we’ll have fun together and I won’t be lonely every day after school when I come home.

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