"Hey, future drivers!" Paul and Hank's father approached them after رات کے کھانے, شام کا کھانا that night, jingling the car keys in his hands. "Who wants to come along and do a little practising?"
Paul, who had been reading a موسیقی magazine on the couch, and Hank, who had been watching a movie with a lot of explosions on the TV nearby, both sat up. "I do!"
Soon, the three of them sat in the car in a mostly empty parking lot. "Who's going first?" their dad asked.
"Let Paul go first." This answer surprised Paul. Normally his brother was مزید than eager to be first at everything.
"You feeling okay, buddy?" Their father was only half-teasing as he looked back at Hank with some concern. "Okay, then. Up آپ come, Paul, into the driver's seat."
Paul's hands were tense as he took the wheel, his father in the passenger side and Hank still in the back. He felt his fingers moving almost without his being aware of it as his father showed him how to turn the key.
And then Paul was driving. The car glided آگے across the parking lot, sometimes too fast یا too slow, his father occasionally pointing out something he had forgotten. Mostly, there was nothing but him and the car, and soon Paul fell into a rhythm, almost sensing what the car needed from him next.
Eventually, his father directed him into a parking spot, and while Paul came a little close to the lines on one side, and the car was just a little crooked, he managed to park the car. "Nice job, Paul," his father said.
"Yeah, آپ were great." Hank sounded a little distracted.
"Well, Hank?" their father prompted. "Ready to become the world's other best driver?"
His words were playful, but Paul couldn't help but notice Hank looked a little pale as they switched places.
As soon as Hank started driving, Paul could feel the difference. Hank spent almost a full two منٹ adjusting the mirrors and نشست before he even got going, even though Paul had been driving last and he and Hank were exactly the same height. Once he got going, he paused for a full سیکنڈ یا three before every turn, before doing almost anything. His hands were tight on the wheel, his face tense with concentration. The car crept along in a fit of stops and starts.
"Uh, Hank," Paul ventured, "maybe آپ should try...."
Hank's eyes never left the windshield. "Don't bother me, Paul. I'm driving."
"You need to go a little faster than that, buddy," their father advised. "If آپ go that slow on the road, it's as bad as driving too fast."
Hanks's shoulders tensed. "I know what I'm doing, Dad."
Hank finished his turn سے طرف کی taking three منٹ to finally ease the car into a parking space, where he pulled it in so cautiously it ended up sticking out too far into the roadway. Hank muttered to himself, tried to fix it, and ended up sticking halfway into the space behind him.
Paul didn't know what to say. He mostly wanted to say something helpful, but he doubted even that would be received well.
"Well," Paul and Hank's father کہا at last, breaking the silence, "that was a good practise round, آپ two. I'm sure your driving instructor will help آپ with whatever else آپ need to learn."
He tactfully didn't direct this any مزید at Hank than at Paul.
All the way home, Hank کہا nothing. But Paul noticed him sweating as he scrutinized every اقدام their father made while driving the car.
Paul, who had been reading a موسیقی magazine on the couch, and Hank, who had been watching a movie with a lot of explosions on the TV nearby, both sat up. "I do!"
Soon, the three of them sat in the car in a mostly empty parking lot. "Who's going first?" their dad asked.
"Let Paul go first." This answer surprised Paul. Normally his brother was مزید than eager to be first at everything.
"You feeling okay, buddy?" Their father was only half-teasing as he looked back at Hank with some concern. "Okay, then. Up آپ come, Paul, into the driver's seat."
Paul's hands were tense as he took the wheel, his father in the passenger side and Hank still in the back. He felt his fingers moving almost without his being aware of it as his father showed him how to turn the key.
And then Paul was driving. The car glided آگے across the parking lot, sometimes too fast یا too slow, his father occasionally pointing out something he had forgotten. Mostly, there was nothing but him and the car, and soon Paul fell into a rhythm, almost sensing what the car needed from him next.
Eventually, his father directed him into a parking spot, and while Paul came a little close to the lines on one side, and the car was just a little crooked, he managed to park the car. "Nice job, Paul," his father said.
"Yeah, آپ were great." Hank sounded a little distracted.
"Well, Hank?" their father prompted. "Ready to become the world's other best driver?"
His words were playful, but Paul couldn't help but notice Hank looked a little pale as they switched places.
As soon as Hank started driving, Paul could feel the difference. Hank spent almost a full two منٹ adjusting the mirrors and نشست before he even got going, even though Paul had been driving last and he and Hank were exactly the same height. Once he got going, he paused for a full سیکنڈ یا three before every turn, before doing almost anything. His hands were tight on the wheel, his face tense with concentration. The car crept along in a fit of stops and starts.
"Uh, Hank," Paul ventured, "maybe آپ should try...."
Hank's eyes never left the windshield. "Don't bother me, Paul. I'm driving."
"You need to go a little faster than that, buddy," their father advised. "If آپ go that slow on the road, it's as bad as driving too fast."
Hanks's shoulders tensed. "I know what I'm doing, Dad."
Hank finished his turn سے طرف کی taking three منٹ to finally ease the car into a parking space, where he pulled it in so cautiously it ended up sticking out too far into the roadway. Hank muttered to himself, tried to fix it, and ended up sticking halfway into the space behind him.
Paul didn't know what to say. He mostly wanted to say something helpful, but he doubted even that would be received well.
"Well," Paul and Hank's father کہا at last, breaking the silence, "that was a good practise round, آپ two. I'm sure your driving instructor will help آپ with whatever else آپ need to learn."
He tactfully didn't direct this any مزید at Hank than at Paul.
All the way home, Hank کہا nothing. But Paul noticed him sweating as he scrutinized every اقدام their father made while driving the car.
After Everett received his discharge papers and his crutches, Una asked him, "Are آپ hungry?" He said, "Yes, very." She said, "Okay. We'll get something to eat, then I'll take آپ home." After they ate رات کے کھانے, شام کا کھانا at a burger joint, they went back to Everett's apartment. Una decided to stay with Everett so that she could help him with whatever he needed. Mrs. Stratton approved of Una's decision. Everett's knee healed in a few days. After that, he and Una decided that they would start planning their wedding. It is a دن that they are both looking آگے to.
THE END
THE END
Una, Everett, and Kaitlyn had رات کے کھانے, شام کا کھانا at a nice restaurant. As they ate, Una asked, "So, Kaitlyn, what are آپ majoring in?" Kaitlyn replied, "Well, I'm a biology major. I'm hoping to be a veterinarian." Una said, "You're an animal lover. That's great!" Kaitlyn said, "Yes, I've always been an animal lover. How about you?" Una replied, "Well, I always wanted a dog, but my mother is highly allergic. With that being said, I'm so busy with acting, I'm not sure I'd have time for one now." Kaitlyn said, "That's true. Dogs do require a lot of attention. I'm hoping to get one after I finish with veterinary school and get مزید settled." Everett smiled as he listened to Una and Kaitlyn's conversation. He was happy to see that they were getting along so well. He thought, This is wonderful. I think it'll work if Una and I decide to get married.
THE END
THE END
"What do آپ mean?" Una once again prepared to listen. Everett replied, "While my immediate family was supportive of my dream to go into film editing, not everyone was kind. Lots of people told me that I couldn't do it: most of my schoolmates, some teachers, even my extended family." She said, "How awful!" He said, "I know, but I didn't let that keep me down. My father even told me that I should go for it, no matter what anyone says. I looked at different film schools, and I got accepted into one that is fairly close to where I grew up. Upon graduating, I started preparing to go to film school. I started that fall, and I got a job at the local ڈنر, کھانے to help my parents cover the apartment rent." Una added, "And that's where we met." Everett smiled. "Yes, Una. My life only got brighter from there." She said, "Aw! I say the same to you, Everett." With that, they kissed.