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Authors: E.L. Konigsburg
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vigor.”
“
Oh, say, can you see by the…
” I sang fortissimo. And loved it.
Mother waited until
whose broad stripes and bright stars
before she began applauding. “Fine. Fine,” she said. “Now, if we’re finished with Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour, you can come into the kitchen and help me set the table. On the way in you can sign autographs.” As I started toward the kitchen, she added, “We must finish the main course or we’ll be late for Aunt Thelma.”
“Are we having Aunt Thelma for dessert or something?” Spencer asked.
“For dessert your aunt is coming to discuss baseball. She has become very interested. Also she is becomingvery informed. She just read Sandy Koufax’s autobiography, and she thinks she’ll come to practices with us.”
“And I just read a book on child care, so I think I’ll have a baby.”
“Spencer, don’t be vulgar.” And with that Mother lifted her chin and marched back into the kitchen.
T he following Saturday I went to the projects in the afternoon, and I quietly gave a dollar to Simon; he was supposed to give it to his oldest brother, Julio, who was out of school and working at the Atlantic station. He said that Julio wouldn’t mind buying it for me. It only cost seventy-five cents, but I didn’t have the exact change. I could have asked Spencer to buy it, but being that Spencer had too much to do with my life already, I didn’t want to ask him. The man at the drugstore didn’t keep them on the rack with
Better Homes and Gardens
and all the other magazines; you had to look eligible for the draft before he would drag one out from under the counter and sell it to you. We made arrangements for me to pick it up the following day at the Projects.
I could hardly wait to get there. After Sunday SchoolI inhaled my lunch and dashed over. I arrived before anyone else was around. Most of the kids including Botts hadn’t finished their lunch after their church. At last one of the twins appeared. I yelled “hi” and then whispered, “Did you bring it?”
The twin said, “Sylvester will.”
We sat and talked a little bit while the rest of the kids were coming out of their apartments. One more twin arrived, and they began choosing up sides. I worked my way over to the other twin and said, “Did you bring it?”
That twin said, “Sylvester will.”
I had thought that I was talking to Sylvester, but at that point I couldn’t be sure, so when I spotted the other twin across the field, I headed right toward him, but got interrupted by Cookie giving me hello for the day. When I approached the twin who I thought was the one who had been across the field, I asked, “Did you get it yet?” and he answered, “Sylvester will.”
“But you’re Sylvester!” I yelled. “I know that I’ve already asked each of you at least once to bring it.”
He smiled and said, “I told you that Sylvester will.”
“You wait right here,” I said, and I set my hands on both sides of him and gave him a little shove downward to try and plant him there before I ran over to the other side of the field to get the other twin. I grabbed theother twin by the wrist and ran with him back toward where I had left the one who had just said, “Sylvester will.” Only he was gone.
In a voice that was
fortissimo
with anger I said to the twin that I had just brought from the other side of the field, “Give it to me.” And he said, “Sylvester will.”
The other twin came back now and stood there smiling. Grinning like Flipper.
“All right, you guys,” I screamed, “which one of you is Sylvester?”
Cookie came to my rescue. “I guess that today they’ve both decided to be Simon. Sometimes they do that.” Then she walked up to them and commanded, “Smile!” They already were smiling, but they somehow made their smiles even bigger. Cookie pulled one of them by the belt and said, “This is the real Sylvester.”
And both the twins began laughing so hard that they hugged and
“
Oh, say, can you see by the…
” I sang fortissimo. And loved it.
Mother waited until
whose broad stripes and bright stars
before she began applauding. “Fine. Fine,” she said. “Now, if we’re finished with Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour, you can come into the kitchen and help me set the table. On the way in you can sign autographs.” As I started toward the kitchen, she added, “We must finish the main course or we’ll be late for Aunt Thelma.”
“Are we having Aunt Thelma for dessert or something?” Spencer asked.
“For dessert your aunt is coming to discuss baseball. She has become very interested. Also she is becomingvery informed. She just read Sandy Koufax’s autobiography, and she thinks she’ll come to practices with us.”
“And I just read a book on child care, so I think I’ll have a baby.”
“Spencer, don’t be vulgar.” And with that Mother lifted her chin and marched back into the kitchen.
T he following Saturday I went to the projects in the afternoon, and I quietly gave a dollar to Simon; he was supposed to give it to his oldest brother, Julio, who was out of school and working at the Atlantic station. He said that Julio wouldn’t mind buying it for me. It only cost seventy-five cents, but I didn’t have the exact change. I could have asked Spencer to buy it, but being that Spencer had too much to do with my life already, I didn’t want to ask him. The man at the drugstore didn’t keep them on the rack with
Better Homes and Gardens
and all the other magazines; you had to look eligible for the draft before he would drag one out from under the counter and sell it to you. We made arrangements for me to pick it up the following day at the Projects.
I could hardly wait to get there. After Sunday SchoolI inhaled my lunch and dashed over. I arrived before anyone else was around. Most of the kids including Botts hadn’t finished their lunch after their church. At last one of the twins appeared. I yelled “hi” and then whispered, “Did you bring it?”
The twin said, “Sylvester will.”
We sat and talked a little bit while the rest of the kids were coming out of their apartments. One more twin arrived, and they began choosing up sides. I worked my way over to the other twin and said, “Did you bring it?”
That twin said, “Sylvester will.”
I had thought that I was talking to Sylvester, but at that point I couldn’t be sure, so when I spotted the other twin across the field, I headed right toward him, but got interrupted by Cookie giving me hello for the day. When I approached the twin who I thought was the one who had been across the field, I asked, “Did you get it yet?” and he answered, “Sylvester will.”
“But you’re Sylvester!” I yelled. “I know that I’ve already asked each of you at least once to bring it.”
He smiled and said, “I told you that Sylvester will.”
“You wait right here,” I said, and I set my hands on both sides of him and gave him a little shove downward to try and plant him there before I ran over to the other side of the field to get the other twin. I grabbed theother twin by the wrist and ran with him back toward where I had left the one who had just said, “Sylvester will.” Only he was gone.
In a voice that was
fortissimo
with anger I said to the twin that I had just brought from the other side of the field, “Give it to me.” And he said, “Sylvester will.”
The other twin came back now and stood there smiling. Grinning like Flipper.
“All right, you guys,” I screamed, “which one of you is Sylvester?”
Cookie came to my rescue. “I guess that today they’ve both decided to be Simon. Sometimes they do that.” Then she walked up to them and commanded, “Smile!” They already were smiling, but they somehow made their smiles even bigger. Cookie pulled one of them by the belt and said, “This is the real Sylvester.”
And both the twins began laughing so hard that they hugged and
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