say sir.
Ronald rushed upstairs with the drawing. "Where are you going?" Alvin asked.
"I'm gonna hang it up."
Amir ran after him. "No, wait. I'll buy a frame for it when I get paid."
"No. I like it the way it is." Ronald pulled off his sneakers, jumped on the bed, and quickly taped the picture to the wall, next to the one of him swimming in the lake. He stepped back to see whether it was crooked and almost fell off the bed as he was backing away. Amir caught him, and they both tumbled to the floor. They laughed together for the first time since Amir had been living there. Ronald's chuckling and giggling reminded Amir of his other brothers and sisters. In this moment the memory didn't hurt.
When Amir returned home from camp the next day, he checked the mailbox as he always did before entering the yard. He found the usual bills and letters. He had two letters from Doris and a return of another of the letters he'd sent outâaddressee unknown.
He walked around to the back of the house wondering why Doris had written him twice.
Must be some rocking news in the Bronx.
He was disappointed, though, that he had received another addressee-unknown return.
When Amir walked into the yard, Ronald stopped playing basketball and ran over to him. "Amir, draw a picture of me and Bruce."
"In a minute," Amir said, surprised that Ronald had seen him entering the yard. He rarely noticed anyone when he was shooting hoops. "Let me go in the house first. I have something to do."
"What do you have to do?"
"Something. It won't take long. I'll be right back."
Amir opened the screen door and quickly stepped into the kitchen. Ronald was at his heels.
"You left Bruce out there alone," Amir reminded him.
"I know. That's why you have to draw us now. Bruce been here all day waiting for you. He has to go home soon."
"He can't wait five minutes more?"
"No, Amir. Please?" Ronald whined.
Grace Smith waved to them as she talked on the telephone, and Amir handed her the mail. Ronald's sharp round eyes glanced at the other letters, which Amir put in his backpack.
Amir ran up the stairs, but Ronald raced ahead of him. He plopped himself on the top step and folded his arms as if he were blocking Amir. "What do you have to do now?" Ronald asked.
"I told you I'll be right down. You sure treat your friends bad, leaving Bruce alone like that." He gently
moved Ronald out of his way and entered the bedroom. Ronald followed.
"Who wrote you letters, Amir?"
"My friend, Doris."
"Your girlfriend?"
"No. She's not my girlfriend. Where you get that idea from?" Amir rested his bag on the bed.
Ronald's eyes twinkled as he sat on the side of Amir's bed. "You just want to read your girlfriend's letters."
"I told you she's not my girlfriend."
"She's always writing you letters and saying nice things to you."
Amir's mouth flew open in surprise. "You been reading my letters?"
Ronald grinned. "No, I can't read her letters. She uses too many big words."
Amir opened the drawer where he kept his letters and started stuffing them into his backpack. "It's not right, Ronald. You're not supposed to read other people's private mail. I can't believe you did that."
"Gotcha!" Ronald lay across the bed as laughter bubbled out of him. "I didn't read your old letters from your girlfriend, but I see you reading them over and over, and..."
Amir sighed and pulled Ronald off the bed. "You're like a little ant in my pants. Come on, I'll
draw you and Bruce. You sure you ain't been reading my letters?"
"I hate to read," Ronald said as he dashed out of the room.
Ronald and Bruce had already started playing ball again when Amir came outside and sat down on the bench. He adjusted his sketchpad till it was comfortable on his lap and watched them playing basketballâjumping as high as their short legs would allow. Ronald was spinning and dribbling like he'd seen the stars do on television. As Amir watched them, he began to sketch. He drew their legs and arms very long, so
Ronald rushed upstairs with the drawing. "Where are you going?" Alvin asked.
"I'm gonna hang it up."
Amir ran after him. "No, wait. I'll buy a frame for it when I get paid."
"No. I like it the way it is." Ronald pulled off his sneakers, jumped on the bed, and quickly taped the picture to the wall, next to the one of him swimming in the lake. He stepped back to see whether it was crooked and almost fell off the bed as he was backing away. Amir caught him, and they both tumbled to the floor. They laughed together for the first time since Amir had been living there. Ronald's chuckling and giggling reminded Amir of his other brothers and sisters. In this moment the memory didn't hurt.
When Amir returned home from camp the next day, he checked the mailbox as he always did before entering the yard. He found the usual bills and letters. He had two letters from Doris and a return of another of the letters he'd sent outâaddressee unknown.
He walked around to the back of the house wondering why Doris had written him twice.
Must be some rocking news in the Bronx.
He was disappointed, though, that he had received another addressee-unknown return.
When Amir walked into the yard, Ronald stopped playing basketball and ran over to him. "Amir, draw a picture of me and Bruce."
"In a minute," Amir said, surprised that Ronald had seen him entering the yard. He rarely noticed anyone when he was shooting hoops. "Let me go in the house first. I have something to do."
"What do you have to do?"
"Something. It won't take long. I'll be right back."
Amir opened the screen door and quickly stepped into the kitchen. Ronald was at his heels.
"You left Bruce out there alone," Amir reminded him.
"I know. That's why you have to draw us now. Bruce been here all day waiting for you. He has to go home soon."
"He can't wait five minutes more?"
"No, Amir. Please?" Ronald whined.
Grace Smith waved to them as she talked on the telephone, and Amir handed her the mail. Ronald's sharp round eyes glanced at the other letters, which Amir put in his backpack.
Amir ran up the stairs, but Ronald raced ahead of him. He plopped himself on the top step and folded his arms as if he were blocking Amir. "What do you have to do now?" Ronald asked.
"I told you I'll be right down. You sure treat your friends bad, leaving Bruce alone like that." He gently
moved Ronald out of his way and entered the bedroom. Ronald followed.
"Who wrote you letters, Amir?"
"My friend, Doris."
"Your girlfriend?"
"No. She's not my girlfriend. Where you get that idea from?" Amir rested his bag on the bed.
Ronald's eyes twinkled as he sat on the side of Amir's bed. "You just want to read your girlfriend's letters."
"I told you she's not my girlfriend."
"She's always writing you letters and saying nice things to you."
Amir's mouth flew open in surprise. "You been reading my letters?"
Ronald grinned. "No, I can't read her letters. She uses too many big words."
Amir opened the drawer where he kept his letters and started stuffing them into his backpack. "It's not right, Ronald. You're not supposed to read other people's private mail. I can't believe you did that."
"Gotcha!" Ronald lay across the bed as laughter bubbled out of him. "I didn't read your old letters from your girlfriend, but I see you reading them over and over, and..."
Amir sighed and pulled Ronald off the bed. "You're like a little ant in my pants. Come on, I'll
draw you and Bruce. You sure you ain't been reading my letters?"
"I hate to read," Ronald said as he dashed out of the room.
Ronald and Bruce had already started playing ball again when Amir came outside and sat down on the bench. He adjusted his sketchpad till it was comfortable on his lap and watched them playing basketballâjumping as high as their short legs would allow. Ronald was spinning and dribbling like he'd seen the stars do on television. As Amir watched them, he began to sketch. He drew their legs and arms very long, so
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