Gramps said to me in his whisper voice, which was just about as loud as his regular voice. Nurse Suzanne started talking about how we need to wash our hair every day and use soap whenever we shower. She also told us we were probably going to get some pimples sometime soon. She talked about a bunch of other embarrassing stuff, and finally it was almost over.
“Are there any questions?” she asked the audience.
“I have one,” Graham said, raising his hand. “When do you think I’m going to get taller and be able to grow a mustache?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking that. I felt embarrassed for Graham. However, not as embarrassed as I was about to feel for myself.
“Can I answer that?” my grandpa yelled out.
“Be my guest, sir,” Nurse Suzanne answered.
“Great,” Gramps said. “Now, where is the young man who asked that question?”
Graham stood up and waved at Gramps.
“Oh, you’re Raymond’s little friend,” Gramps started. “I thought you looked familiar. Well, let me tell you, both you and Raymond are still pretty small, and while the time will come someday for both of you to grow, judging from the size of you, it may not be for a long time. For instance, I was quite the late bloomer myself. I don’t think I had to shave until I was in the army. And I don’t know about you, but if Raymond here takes after his grandpa, he can count on being a late bloomer, too.”
I couldn’t believe this. Everyone in the whole auditorium was staring at us like we were crazy. David was laughing and pointing at me. His dad was also laughing. I started feeling dizzy. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom, Grandpa, I’ll be right back,” I said.
“Hey, not a bad idea,” Gramps said. “I’ll join you.”
We got up and made our way out of the auditorium. I was so embarrassed I thought I was going to die.
“Well, I’m glad I could be here for you, partner,” Gramps said, putting his arm around my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want you to have to sit through this alone.”
“Yeah, well . . . thanks, Gramps,” I said. By the time we made it back, the meeting was over and everyone was leaving. There was a big box by the door with a sign on it that said TAKE ONE. It was full of bags that had little bottles of shampoo and sticks of deodorant in them.
“Hey, do I get one of those?” Gramps asked Nurse Suzanne, who was standing by the door.
“Sure, help yourself,” she said with a smile.
We both grabbed a bag and left. Grandpa took me to get an ice-cream cone on the way home.
“One scoop for my grandson who just graduated from the maturation program,” Gramps proudly told the girl at the ice-cream counter.
“Congratulations,” she said, holding back her laughter. “What flavor would you like?”
“Chocolate,” I said.
“Very mature choice, partner,” Gramps said. “I’ll take the same.”
We ate our ice cream and Gramps dropped me off at home. I walked in, went straight to my room, and plopped onto my bed. What a lousy day.
10
Toilets and Toothbrushes
I LAY ON my bed for a while, not feeling any more mature than I had before the maturation program. There had to be more to not being a baby than shampoo and pimples. I thought about it for a few minutes. I got up and walked to the bathroom to wash my hands. They were sticky from the ice cream.
As I walked into the bathroom, something familiar caught my eye. I rushed up to the sink. There was my old Peter Penguin toothbrush. I couldn’t believe it.
Peter Penguin was my favorite cartoon when I was in kindergarten. I had Peter Penguin toys, shoes, clothes . . . everything. I even had Peter Penguin underwear. But by the time I was in the first grade, I had grown out of my Peter Penguin clothes and all of my friends stopped playing with Peter Penguin stuff.
I did, however, keep my Peter Penguin toothbrush. I thought no one could take that away from me. It was my all-time favorite. I don’t even remember what I brushed my teeth with
“Are there any questions?” she asked the audience.
“I have one,” Graham said, raising his hand. “When do you think I’m going to get taller and be able to grow a mustache?”
I couldn’t believe he was asking that. I felt embarrassed for Graham. However, not as embarrassed as I was about to feel for myself.
“Can I answer that?” my grandpa yelled out.
“Be my guest, sir,” Nurse Suzanne answered.
“Great,” Gramps said. “Now, where is the young man who asked that question?”
Graham stood up and waved at Gramps.
“Oh, you’re Raymond’s little friend,” Gramps started. “I thought you looked familiar. Well, let me tell you, both you and Raymond are still pretty small, and while the time will come someday for both of you to grow, judging from the size of you, it may not be for a long time. For instance, I was quite the late bloomer myself. I don’t think I had to shave until I was in the army. And I don’t know about you, but if Raymond here takes after his grandpa, he can count on being a late bloomer, too.”
I couldn’t believe this. Everyone in the whole auditorium was staring at us like we were crazy. David was laughing and pointing at me. His dad was also laughing. I started feeling dizzy. “I’ve got to go to the bathroom, Grandpa, I’ll be right back,” I said.
“Hey, not a bad idea,” Gramps said. “I’ll join you.”
We got up and made our way out of the auditorium. I was so embarrassed I thought I was going to die.
“Well, I’m glad I could be here for you, partner,” Gramps said, putting his arm around my shoulder. “I wouldn’t want you to have to sit through this alone.”
“Yeah, well . . . thanks, Gramps,” I said. By the time we made it back, the meeting was over and everyone was leaving. There was a big box by the door with a sign on it that said TAKE ONE. It was full of bags that had little bottles of shampoo and sticks of deodorant in them.
“Hey, do I get one of those?” Gramps asked Nurse Suzanne, who was standing by the door.
“Sure, help yourself,” she said with a smile.
We both grabbed a bag and left. Grandpa took me to get an ice-cream cone on the way home.
“One scoop for my grandson who just graduated from the maturation program,” Gramps proudly told the girl at the ice-cream counter.
“Congratulations,” she said, holding back her laughter. “What flavor would you like?”
“Chocolate,” I said.
“Very mature choice, partner,” Gramps said. “I’ll take the same.”
We ate our ice cream and Gramps dropped me off at home. I walked in, went straight to my room, and plopped onto my bed. What a lousy day.
10
Toilets and Toothbrushes
I LAY ON my bed for a while, not feeling any more mature than I had before the maturation program. There had to be more to not being a baby than shampoo and pimples. I thought about it for a few minutes. I got up and walked to the bathroom to wash my hands. They were sticky from the ice cream.
As I walked into the bathroom, something familiar caught my eye. I rushed up to the sink. There was my old Peter Penguin toothbrush. I couldn’t believe it.
Peter Penguin was my favorite cartoon when I was in kindergarten. I had Peter Penguin toys, shoes, clothes . . . everything. I even had Peter Penguin underwear. But by the time I was in the first grade, I had grown out of my Peter Penguin clothes and all of my friends stopped playing with Peter Penguin stuff.
I did, however, keep my Peter Penguin toothbrush. I thought no one could take that away from me. It was my all-time favorite. I don’t even remember what I brushed my teeth with
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