
##1009851 It feels so good to be home , to know I 'm standing on Indian soil . Strangely enough , even the night breeze mingling with pungent petrol fumes smells familiar , comforting , of where I belong . The sterile air of America still feels alien to my lungs . I breathe in deep lungfuls of air , the stuff that newspaper reports claim is toxin to the insides with its increased levels of SPM ( suspended particulars matter ) . But this is the air my lungs grew up on and I can now feel them working harder , almost in recognition . <p> Amma , in a **26;0;TOOLONG Kanjeevaram , no doubt carefully picked for the occasion , is at the Arrivals Lounge , more grey streaking through her dark hair coiled into a bun , faint lines around her eyes . Her smile is the same though , as soft and warm as the idlis she served me when I bounded in at the end of a long school day . <p> The drive home from Anna International Airport in Chennai is predictably filled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Niraj in May ; Usha has won a Cambridge scholarship ; great-aunt 's daughter Sunita is expecting her third baby , and her ma-in-law hopes it will be a boy this time ; Rukmini Athai 's arthritis is worse ; Balan the cook ran away with the maid-next-door ; and , Patti the neighborhood dog is having a new litter . Nothing has changed , I think to myself . And yet , everything has changed . <p> The neon signs advertising pizza parlors and fast-food joints speed past the car windows , winking furiously in crimson reds and fluorescent pinks , like overdressed whores soliciting customers ; festive coffee pubs/their names looped and curved in trendy typography are spilling over with scantily-clad teenyboppers ; long and tarred arcs in the sky , the city 's new flyovers , stick their necks out like extinct brontosaurs ; even old-fashioned petrol pumps , the sort that once stationed a surly attendant who reeked of petrol and had grease stains ground into his clothes and skin , are now transformed into new-fangled gas stations drenched in blazing white lights , with freshly painted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . <p> But , wait a minute . Where is the paan shop , the box-like contraption round that corner where people headed for their after-dinner digestive ? What of its bald , pot-bellied owner , with lips stained red and chewing incessantly , who ponderously patted wet betel leaves dry ? I still see his fingers dipping into an entire row of sparkling steel containers full of mysterious chutneys and aromatic powders . He would fill the leaves with a little pinch from each , then twist and expertly fold the leaves into neat green triangles , all ready to be popped into the mouth . Where might that biscuit man of my boyhood have disappeared , the one who sat next to the shoe shop , the one who always gave me an extra butter biscuit that smelled of fresh sunshine , one I knew I could ill-afford even as my eyes feasted on the jar 's contents ? A garish , loud shopping mall sprawls there in indolent luxury . The biscuit man 's meager legacy lies buried and forgotten under it , like a rare coin . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone booth used to be ... how often had I rushed there , coins jingling in my pocket , to dial Asha 's number , my teen heart thumping , fingers trembling ... <p> " This is Chennai . " The driver bursts into my nostalgia . <p> " Yes , this is Chennai , " I repeat . <p> Not the Madras I left behind ten years ago . <p> I 'd followed the controversy of the Madras-Chennai re-christening faithfully on the Internet . Madras , the conservative heartland of India , was somewhat intimidated by the shrinking global boundary , and cowered like a common man in the presence of a striding giant . But commercial and economical considerations must eventually rule , and Madras was forced to come out of its shell to face , and participate in , a global market . No matter there is a group that holds the regional banner aloft with its strident voice of patriotism . It was this group , realizing that its known world was rapidly metamorphosing into a new identity that decided to seek refuge in roots . They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " as it has always been called in Tamil , the city 's native tongue . <p> I 'd paid little attention to the ramifications of this name-change . To me , the city would always remain Madras . The Madras of my childhood , the Madras of my carefree college days , the Madras I left behind to pursue the big Silicon Valley dream . Being confronted with the newness of its character was like walking into my living room to find the furniture all snazzily re-upholstered and rearranged and tripping over it . <p> This is n't Madras . This is Chennai . The cab driver was right . <p> " Why so quiet ? Missing America already ? " Amma 's question is accompanied by an affectionate pat on the cheek . Her hand feels cool but dry and papery . I zip back to the here and now from my mental meanderings , offer her a tentative smile , and wonder if she will ever understand that it is Madras I am missing . <p> The swank Ford glides to a smooth , noiseless halt outside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of glistening black paint they wear in welcome . I step out and my nostalgic senses drag in the combined fragrances of jasmine and incense wafting in on the moonlit night , tickling my nostrils and teasing my memories . <p> " Come , come , you must be hungry , " says Amma urgently , pointing the chauffeur to the bags . We step into the comforting old house and I feel it wrapping its huge arms around me . In minutes I hear Amma bustling about the kitchen , the clatter of ladles and plates signaling the setting of table for dinner . We share a meal , mother and son , after years and years of my frozen dinners and Chinese takeout fare . <p> " You have n't touched anything ! " she exclaims , a constant refrain of motherhood , sliding a spoonful of beans garnished with grated coconut onto my plate . The coriander-flavored rasam , the color of burnt sienna , has n't altered an ounce of its formula in Amma 's hands , I think to myself , admiring the consistency of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in ghee and let its tangy tomato-tamarind base work its magic on my starved taste buds , I drink my fill of it before mixing it into a small hillock of white rice Amma has heaped on my plate . <p> " You better go to bed early . You must be very tired . Besides , Radha Chithi and your cousin Aarthi are coming to see you in the morning , " says Amma as she stacks the sink with used vessels and gives the counters a gleam with her swab cloth . <p> " Aarthi ? She was in a short frock , her hair in oil-soaked pigtails the last time I saw her . " I laugh aloud at what must seem an absurd memory to Amma . <p> " The oily pigtails are gone but the frocks are still short . " I detect a tone of disapproval in Amma 's attempt at humor . <p> This is not my room . Not the one I grew up in . It 's practically unrecognizable . I stare at the cream distempered walls adorned with M.F. Hussain 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color that drain one 's wallet , and taunt the cerebrum . A spanking new Onkyo music system , seductively sleek and hi-tech , sits on a teakwood side table . The bed , my bed , is in black metal , the mattress draped in a richly embroidered eiderdown , its golden sunflowers and trailing vermilion patterns rather ornate . I can still feel the cool softness of the Bombay Dyeing cotton bed sheets against my skin , the ones I snuggled into as a little boy , and see their pleasing floral prints of years ago . I root around for a copy of The Sportstar for an update on the cricket world but the magazine rack standing in a corner proudly displays one glossy after another , lined neatly like well-groomed prize cats - Man 's World , Cosmopolitan , Time , Newsweek , and even a few back issues of Vogue . I slip into bed uneasy . Sleep eludes me . I lie awake and let my mind roam the known and safe bylanes and landmarks of memory . <p> I see a little boy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tack up a poster of his cricket hero , Sunil Gavaskar . The cellotape stubbornly refuses to bind itself to the uneven surface of the wall . On the wall are other posters - of Viv Richards , Ian Botham , Imran Khan , and Kapil Dev . Champions who dominated the cricket world . A brown table sits near the window , a survivor , scarred with scratches , damaged with Rorschachian ink blots and littered with Amar Chitra Katha comics , their dog-eared pages and curling covers testimony to the number of reads they have been subjected to . A black school satchel lies carelessly flung in the middle of the room while the day 's once-white uniform has been hastily slipped out of minutes ago by someone in a great hurry to get to his four o'clock game of cricket in the maidan nearby . <p> An hour later , flushed with the success of the three wickets that won us the match , I have trouble anchoring my mind to a math problem . I twirl my canary-colored pencil distractedly , sucking on the pea-sized eraser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rumble . It 's those mouth-watering smells drifting from the kitchen . The sizzle of papads being deep-fried in oil ; curry leaves coaxed with a twist of the thumb to release their flavors into the sizzling broth ; powdered cumin and black pepper leaving murky trails on milky-white buttermilk . Ten minutes to dinner , I think to myself gratefully , wrestling with the Sumo - my math reader . <p> The springy soft mattress that accommodates the undulations of my frame is ironically branded Sleepwell . My mind is in the grip of feverish contradictions - a richly nostalgic childhood ; severing the umbilical cord ; reconnecting to a new cultural reality in America ; and , the eventual homecoming to a country that seems to remain whole and untainted only in my memory bank . My slide down the slope of oblivion is late and rather brief . <p> The eastern sunlight strides into my room like an irate class teacher and rudely drives away the last vestiges of sleep . It is eight o'clock . I blink in confusion and , for just a split second , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warm aroma of filter coffee steaming its way into my eager nostrils all the way from Amma 's old-fashioned kitchen . My taste buds respond almost in primeval fashion . Before long Amma 's footfalls grow louder in approach . In a moment her knuckles are thudding against my door . <p> " Chandru , get up . It 's late . Radha Chithi and Aarthi will be here soon . " I let her in and disappear into the bathroom . My morning ablutions are performed to the background chorus of pillows being plumped and sheets being crackled to life . <p> So tall he has grown ! And dark and handsome ! " Radha Chithi 's excited gushing has the expected result of puce on my ears . At 5 ' 7 " I suffer from no delusions concerning my height , especially upon my return from America where a six-footer is the norm . My caramel Indian skin earns me the " dark " sobriquet automatically , but my padded jaw-line , thinning hairline , and a waistline tending towards east and west do n't exactly combine well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on me with the force of an avalanche , gathers all of me into a suffocating embrace , and instantly knocks the breath out of me . I think back to the Radha Chithi I once knew . Demurely draped in soft , subdued cotton sarees with the pallu modestly drawn over her right shoulder , her tentative glances shaded by coyly fluttering eyelashes . Has she metamorphosed into this giggly , quivery creature , her corpulent frame wrapped in a fluorescent cotton-candy chiffon saree , with a blouse that looks like its front went bungee-jumping , spilling ample amounts of unsavory flesh over the edge ? The blouse has an " O " of missing fabric on the back , a surprised utterance at the daunting challenge of what it must conceal . Her jeweler must surely be riding a minor prosperity wave given the carats that decorate her - two nose pins , a chunky choker in a vice-like grip around her thick throat , a triple-tiered dome hanging from each ear , three gold studs curving up her ears , and gold bangles , a dozen of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I helped your Amma stock her fridge with all the right stuff ! " Pointing to the Kellogg 's cereal boxes sitting atop the fridge , she swings the door open to reveal a one-liter bottle of Coke , a packet of Kraft cheese , a jar of French mustard , and an assortment of fresh juices in an array of mini cartons . " Just for you , " she bats her heavily made-up lashes to make a point . " I know how your food habits must have changed in America . Do n't worry . We get everything in India now . " She is obviously proud to play the role of knowledgeable food-provider to a man whose ways she presumes have become all-American . <p> " Hi ! " My senses , inundated with the millennium edition of Radha Chithi , recover , and I notice the person to whom the voice belongs . <p> " Aarthi ! You 've grown ! " <p> Dumb . Predictable . Unoriginal . All that a one-liner should n't be . And yet the words are out before I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking healthy and hennaed , Aarthi is in a pastel blue spaghetti top and a pair of jeans she seems to have poured herself into . She looks every bit like a leaf blown off course by the winds of Western influence . <p> " So pretty , is n't she ? Aarthi is at your disposal , Chandru . She will show you all the new places in Chennai - coffee pubs , discos , malls , bowling alleys ... even the cinema theatres have become very fancy , you know ! " Radha Chithi cackles , delighted to be in step with the times . <p> " So how does it feel to be back after ten years ? " Aarthi 's perfectly penciled eyebrow arches and shrug accompany the question . <p> " Well ... I have n't had too much time to think about it ... but ... a lot has changed ! " <p> " You bet . It is n't the same old boring dump it used to be . Chennai 's hip now , y'know . And some of the discos are real groovy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can tell you . " <p> But I am , I want to tell her . I miss the old , stable beat Madras once moved to . <p> " So what 's your POA for today ? " Aarthi asks , running her slender , crimson-pointed fingertips through her freshly shampooed mane and a sweet smell of fruit pervades the air . <p> " I 've barely had time to think , actually . Woke up really late and have been lazy since . " I offer an excuse . <p> " Oh ! Take your time , Chandru . Relax . You 're on vacation . " Radha Chithi pinches my cheek affectionately and turns to Aarthi , " Come on , let 's go . I have a lot of shopping to do . " <p> " I 'll call you later , " says Aarthi and follows it up with ciao . " Maybe we can meet for some coffee . " <p> The neighborhood I am looking at through my window is so different from the one I imagined I would return to . The hundred-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tall bushes with pink-and-white hibiscuses peeking from under dense leaf cover , and riotous masses of red bougainvillea , are now history . A huge truck is disgorging sand and cement bags in a furious roar in front of the skeletal framework of an upcoming apartment complex rising from its ashes . Construction workers , sun-burnt men and women with mud-streaked cloths coiled on their heads scurry about the place like busy ants , passing rusty trays of cement and pots of water in relay fashion . A thin emaciated child clad in nothing but a badly frayed underwear , her hair the color of coffee berry , plays in a mountain of sand , gooey yellow snot running down her nose . The hot air is thick with swirling clouds of powdery dust , a gray pall shrouding the place , almost mourning the passing away of the pretty bungalow that once graced this neighborhood . <p> " Raajaaaa ... " The familiar native accent draws me back instantly . I turn to find Ponni . Ponni , who is as much a part of our family as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her ebony skin glistens , her face is creased in smiles , eyes crinkled affectionately at the corners . She stands before me and causes a cascade of memories to rush down . <p> Playing hopscotch with me when I was disallowed from playing with my gang for telling a lie ; cooling my raging fever down with a night full of cold compresses soaked in eau de cologne ; helping me climb the mango tree in the backyard to pluck clusters of the golden fruit ; sitting in the courtyard and making me follow the moon with my eyes as she told me tales of kings and queens ; scrubbing my muddy white shirt to a sparkle after my exploits on the school playground ; shelling peanuts for me when I was too lazy to . <p> The gold in her elaborate nose stud glitters in the sun as she circles my face in the air using both her palms . She starts at my forehead and ends at my chin and cracks her knuckles against her temples - a fond , comforting ritual to ward off the evil eye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... " She lapses into the childhood name she gave me , drawing it out in syllables of deep affection . Her eyes shine with the unshed tears they cradle . I suddenly find it hard to swallow . She gathers my soft , white-collar hands warmly into her own callused , work-roughened ones . " Are you well , my Raja ? " Standing near Ponni and inhaling the scent of cow-dung cakes mixed with the jasmine that sits like a fragrant crown on the bun nestling at the nape of her neck , I feel deeply connected to a vital part of my growing years . And like a newborn calf 's frantic search for its mother 's teat , and its sense of relief upon finding it , I exhale serenely . <p> " You look the same , Ponni . Have n't changed in ten years ! " <p> She waves a hand , tossing the compliment away . " You always liked to tease poor Ponni . It is you who has not changed , Raja . " With the ease and comfort of familiarity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bags and suitcases around , and slashes at the furniture , duster in hand . " Move away , come on , let me clean up all this mess . I 'll make your room shine like a new coin , " she says , flicking me away along with the dust that lines the coffee table . I take in the soft , damp , crushed folds of the cotton sari tucked into her waist , the gold-flecked glass bangles that tinkle on her wrist , the thick toe rings that tap out a melody as she moves about on the mosaic floor , and the red dot , the size of a 50 paise coin , in the center of her forehead . <p> In a rush I feel it in my blood and bones . <p> I am home . <p> Article copyright India Currents . <p> 
##1009858 This new science-fiction story is written like a children 's book-but the events that occur are far from childish . This eerie story by Greg van Eekhout is included in the new young-adult science-fiction anthology New Skies . <p> Astronauts are people who ride rockets into space . They must train for a very long time before they go . Astronauts must be smart and brave . Will you be an astronaut ? The biggest rocket ever was the Saturn . V. On the launch pad it was taller than a 30-story building . Today 's rockets are smaller and lighter . Today 's rockets can be launched more than once . They have wings and can come back to Earth and land like airplanes .... Antonio is strapped into his seat . He is about to ride to a space station . Because there is no air in space , Antonio must wear a space suit . In the suit , Antonio can breathe and talk over radio .... The rocket is about to take off . There go the engines . 5-4-3-2-1 ! Lift off ! @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .... In space , astronauts speak Spanish . No matter what language you speak at home , you must learn Spanish if you want to be an astronaut . Habla espanol ? Mercury was America 's first manned spacecraft . It was smaller than a car and could hold just one man , all scrunched up . Gemini was more roomy and could take two men into orbit . And the Apollo spacecraft was even larger . It could take three men to the moon and back . On July 20 , 1969 , Apollo 11 brought the first astronauts to walk on the moon . There are no plants or animals on the moon . There is no water to drink or air to breathe . Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin conducted experiments and talked to people on Earth . They collected many moon rocks , but their spacecraft was lost while returning to Earth . Space exploration is dangerous . Astronauts must be very brave . Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made one giant leap for mankind . Will you be an astronaut ? Antonio 's rocket docks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kilometers above the Earth .... Antonio will remain on the space station Vigilancia for nine months . During that time , he will finally get to put all his training to use . He will use telescopes and other instruments to watch for incoming Asps . If he sees an Asp , he will track it with radio waves , and if it gets close enough he will blast it with the space station 's proton guns . Antonio has practiced doing this on Earth for a long time . He is very good at it . It is a great responsibility to be an astronaut , protecting Earth from Asps . Will Antonio be able to protect the Earth ? Find out in this excerpted version of the new short story " Will You Be an Astronaut ? " <p> Will Antonio be able to protect the Earth ? Find out in this excerpted version of the new short story " Will You Be an Astronaut ? " <p> If even a single Asp gets through , millions of people could die . How did Antonio become an astronaut ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from big cities and small cities , from mountains and jungles , from farms and refugee camps . Asps destroyed Mexico City , the place where Antonio 's parents lived . They had to move to the refugee camp where Antonio was born .... The Earth is beautiful . When Antonio has free time he looks through one of the space station 's windows . Antonio learned geography at school in the refugee camp , and he learned even more at astronaut school . He sleeps with a picture of Earth over his hammock . The Earth is the most important thing there is . Antonio sees blue ocean beneath white clouds . The Gobi desert is the color of a camel . The tip of Cape Horn is like a white polar bear . North America is green and brown , but parts of it are ash gray . Across Europe is a patch of ash gray . Across China is a patch of ash gray . The gray parts are where Asps have touched down . More than 2 billion people used to live where the patches are . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no animals , and no plants in the patches . Over 2 billion people have died in the patches since people started going into space .... An astronaut 's most important job is to prevent people and animals from dying . An astronaut will do anything to save a life . On the space station , Antonio controls the guns .... From his chair , Antonio controls 20 guns at once .... Some astronauts will spend their entire time in space without ever firing a shot . But they 're still working . Firefighters are working even when there is no fire . Police officers are working even when nobody is committing a crime .... But now there is an alarm ! Robot detectors have picked up something .... An Asp is headed toward Earth . Antonio is ready . He is very brave . He waits for the incoming Asp to come close to his first gun battery . If he fires at the Asp and misses , the Asp will change course . Then it will be even harder to hit . Asps are like pieces of string @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few meters thick . They are like giant worms . They are disgusting . Sitting in his gunner 's seat , Antonio stares at his computer screen . He sees the Asp as a bright purple line . He tries to line up a red circle over the purple line . When the red circle is in the right place , Antonio can tell his guns to fire . The Asp moves quickly though , and it is hard to aim . It is important to hit the Asp in the correct place . Antonio wants to shoot it in a soft spot so it will break up into parts so tiny they 'll burn away as they fall to Earth . But if he shoots the Asp in the wrong place , in one of its hard joints , it will break up into several Asp segments and will be harder to kill . The red circle is on the purple line . Antonio squeezes the trigger . A signal is sent to his guns and they fire . Oh , no ! The Asp wriggles ! It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Antonio 's job is harder now , but he does not give up . Being an astronaut means never giving up . He sends radio signals to his guns . He tries to line up four red circles over four purple lines . Number one is lined up . Antonio fires . It 's a hit ! ... Number two is lined up . Antonio fires . Right on the mark ! Number three is lined up . Antonio fires . It 's a bull's-eye ! Now number four is lined up . But only for a second . The red circle drifts away from the purple line . Antonio tries to aim his guns again , but he ca n't move the red circle at all . He hears a voice inside his head . We have descrambled your code , the voice says . We now control your guns . Thank you . Asps know how to send signals to Earth . They know how to speak over our radios and televisions . They can interrupt our shows . Recently , they have learned how to talk directly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you . What did they say ? ... The Asp is coming toward Earth . If it gets through , everything where it lands will die . It will kill all the people and all the plants and all the animals . Antonio 's guns no longer work . The Asp has taken control of them . What can he do ? Antonio has an idea .... He unstraps himself from the gunner 's seat and floats to the space station 's navigation controls .... We will keep you warm , Antonio . We love you . Your favorite color is blue . Thank you . Antonio wants to listen to the Asp . It has a nice voice . It is a little like his mother 's . He wants to shut down the space station 's power . He believes the Asp will make him soft and warm . The Asp loves him .... Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing . Antonio fires some of the space station 's engines . He switches them on and off to steer the station . The space station moves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to avoid beams from guns , but it does not know that the space station itself is a threat . Through the window , Antonio watches the Asp come closer and closer . He thinks about his friends in the astronaut corps . He thinks about his mother and father back in the refugee camp . He would like to talk to them on the radio ... The Asp is moving in fast . It is huge . Antonio is afraid . But it is just a purple line , he tells himself . It is a purple line , and I am a red circle . He puts his hands behind his back . The Earth is so pretty from space . Astronauts are the smartest and bravest people there are . There is nothing an astronaut wo n't do to help people . Sometimes schools are named after astronauts who sacrifice their lives to protect our planet . What is your school 's name ? Will you be an astronaut ? Photograph Sidebar Was this story creepy enough for you ? For more spine-tingling science fiction pick up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories for teens edited by Patrick Nielsen Hayden . THINK ABOUT IT : INFERENCE 1 . What do you think happened to Antonio at the end ? 2 . Why do you think the astronauts all speak Spanish ? 3 . Make up a list of " facts " about the fictional world described in this story . What year is it ? Where do the Asps come from ? Who are the children who will read this story ? <p> 
##1009860 On a fateful day in 1963 , a classroom copes with the death of John F. Kennedy . <p> Scene One Narrator 1 : It is Friday , November 22 , 1963 . In a seventh-grade history class , students are giving reports about U.S. presidents . John F. Kennedy is president in 1963 . Narrator 2 : Janice is finishing her report on Abraham Lincoln . He took office in 1861 . Janice : On April 14 , 1865 , President Lincoln was assassinated Scott : He was what ? Miss Shaw : Assassinated , Scott . That word is used to describe the murder of a leader . Scott : Oh . OK . Janice : ... Lincoln was shot as he watched a play at Ford 's Theatre in Washington , D.C. He died the next morning . Narrator 1 : Janice finishes and takes a seat . Miss Shaw : Thank you , Janice . Very nice report . Narrator 2 : Miss Shaw turns to the class . She directs a question at Mark in the back row . Miss Shaw : Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was killed ? Mark : Umm , I do n't know . I guess things just went on , the same as they did before . Wendy : ( raising her hand ) I have a question for Janice . What about Lincoln 's family ? Janice : Well , he had a wife and four sons . I guess they were very sad when he died . Miss Shaw : Abraham Lincoln was a hero to many people . I 'm sure they felt a great sense of loss . Scene Two Narrator 1 : A few minutes later , there is a knock at the classroom door . Miss Shaw answers the door . Another teacher is outside . The two speak for a moment . Narrator 2 : Miss Shaw returns to the room . She looks shocked and upset . Wendy : Miss Shaw ? What 's the matter ? Scott : Is something wrong ? Narrator 1 : Miss Shaw turns on the classroom 's new black-and-white television . She adjusts the TV 's wire antennas . Miss Shaw : There 's a horrible rumor going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : A soap opera is playing on the TV A moment later , though , the words " CBS NEWS BULLETIN " appear . The voice of news anchor Walter Cronkite is heard . Walter Cronkite : Here is a bulletin from CBS News . In Dallas , Texas , three shots were fired at President Kennedy 's motorcade . The first reports say that President Kennedy was seriously wounded Narrator 1 : The students gasp . Cronkite : More details have just arrived . President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas . Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy . She cried out , " Oh , no ! " and the motorcade went on . Narrator 2 : The class is glued to every word . Cronkite : United Press says that the wounds for President Kennedy perhaps could be fatal . Repeating : President Kennedy has been shot by a would-be assassin in Dallas , Texas . Stay tuned to CBS News for further details . Narrator 1 : A commercial begins . TV announcer : It takes more than an instant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why Nescafe has come up with a Narrator 2 : Cronkite 's voice cuts into the commercial . Cronkite : Further details on an assassination attempt against President Kennedy in Dallas , Texas . President Kennedy was shot as he drove from Dallas Airport to downtown Dallas . Governor Connolly of Texas , in the car with him , was also shot . Photograph CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite reports the news of President John F. Kennedy 's death . <p> Scott : What ? Why are they shooting everyone ? What 's going on ? Wendy : Shhh ! be quiet ! Cronkite : It is reported that three bullets rang out . The president , cradled in the arms of his wife , Mrs. Kennedy , was carried to an ambulance , and the car rushed to Parkland Hospital outside Dallas . The president was taken to an emergency room in the hospital . We will keep you advised as more details come in . Wendy : Miss Shaw , what 's happening ? Mark : Who did this ? Did they catch the guy ? What if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dies ? Is someone going to start a war with us ? Miss Shaw : I do n't know ! I 'm sorry , but I just do n't know ! It 's terrible ! Scene Three Narrator 1 : Within moments , Cronkite is back on the air . For nearly an hour , the class watches the news . Narrator 2 : Someone hands Cronkite a piece of paper . He reads the note to himself and then begins to speak . Cronkite : From Dallas , Texas , a news flash , apparently official : President Kennedy died at 1 p.m . Central Standard Time , 2 o'clock Eastern Standard Time , some 38 minutes ago . Miss Shaw : Oh , no . Oh , no . ... Narrator 1 : Miss Shaw covers her mouth with both her hands and begins to weep . Narrator 2 : On screen , Cronkite removes his glasses . He seems to lose his voice as he holds back a sob . He clears his throat and continues . Cronkite : Vice President Johnson has left the hospital in Dallas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceeded . Presumably , he 'll be taking the Oath of Office shortly and become the 36th president of the United States . Photograph Above : Lyndon Johnson raises his hand as he is sworn in as the nation 's 36th president . John Kennedy Jr . salutes at his father 's funeral . <p> Narrator 1 : Miss Shaw covers her face as she cries . The students sit at their desks , too scared to move . A few of them get up to hug and comfort their teacher . Janice : Miss Shaw , are you all right ? Narrator 2 : Miss Shaw pulls herself together . She wipes her eyes with a tissue and nods . Miss Shaw : Yes . Yes , I 'll be all right . Thank you . Narrator 1 : Miss Shaw looks around at her students . Miss Shaw : This is ... this is a terrible day . None of you will ever forget this day for as long as you live . But still ... it 's going to get better . I promise . Narrator 2 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is eerily quiet . Scene Four Narrator 1 : For the next few days , people all over the country watch as much more news unfolds on television . Narrator 2 : Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president . President Kennedy 's flag-covered casket arrives in Washington , D.C. A man , Lee Harvey Oswald , is arrested for shooting Kennedy . On Sunday , November 24 , TV cameras roll while police move Oswald from one Dallas jail to another . In front of the cameras , a gunman , Jack Ruby , shoots Oswald to death . Narrator 1 : On Monday , Miss Shaw 's class watches President Kennedy 's funeral . They watch as the Kennedys " young son , John Jr. , salutes his father 's casket as it passes by . Narrator 2 : After the funeral , Mark gives his report on President Kennedy . Mark : At age 43 , John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected president . He was a hero in the Navy during World War II . His wife 's name was Jacqueline . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their son , John Jr. , turns 3 years old today . Narrator 1 : Mark pauses for a moment . Mark : President Kennedy did a lot of great things for our country . He was the fourth U.S. president slain in office . The others to be killed were Abraham Lincoln , James Garfield , and William McKinley . Miss Shaw : Thank you , Mark . You know , the other day , someone said that after President Lincoln was killed , the country probably just went on , the same as it had before . Narrator 2 : The teacher smiles sadly . Miss Shaw : Well , I think that 's half right . After what has happened to us , I know we 'll never be the same as we were before . But still , I know we will go on . -Michael Ruscoe <p> What role did TV play in uniting the country as people learned about President Kennedy 's death ? Photograph Sidebar NEWS BULLETIN ! " President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas . " Sidebar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will ever forget this day for as long as you live . " <p> 
##1009861 In his about-to-be-published memoirs , a long-time friend of Trudeau recalls a man who could often be difficult Photograph It did n't take long to notice that Trudeau had a captivating effect when he entered a room Photograph It did n't take long to notice that Trudeau had a captivating effect when he entered a room <p> In a lifetime of mingling with everyone from Pierre Elliott Trudeau to Frank Sinatra , Leo Kolber has become one of Canada 's most powerful people . As a dose adviser to Samuel Bronfman and then to sons Charles and Edgar , Kolber ran the Bronfinan family trust for 30 years , and has been a Liberal senator for two decades . In this excerpt from his about-to-bepublished memoirs , Leo : A Life ( with L. Ian MacDonald , McGill-Queen 's University Press ) , he recalls his relationship with Trudeau : I FIRST MET Pierre Trudcau at the Grey Cup in Montreal in 1969 , the time he famously showed up wearing a cape for the ceremonial kickoff . I was chairman of Grey Cup Week , so my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Hotel , and Trudeau came to a party there . It was the first time I saw the effect Trudeau had on a room when he walked in . He immediately became the centre of attention . Since I was the host , he came over to chat . " You have my great sympathy for taking on this job , " I told him . " Why do you say that ? " he asked . " Because , " I said , " you are the chief executive of the country , running a huge organization , but you ca n't choose your own executives , the cabinet . They are essentially thrust on you , and you also have all these geographical considerations . " " That 's no problem at all , " Trudeau said . But I knew he had n't taken my point about the difference between running a government and managing a business . SOME 10 YEARS later , Marc Lalonde , Trudcau 's Quebec lieutenant , asked me to become involved in raising money for the Liberal party . " The Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " How much do you want to raise ? " I asked . " Fifty thousand dollars , " he replied . " Tell you what , " I said . " You get Trudcau to come to my house for a fundraiser , and I 'll get you a hundred . " So Lalonde , the one person who could deliver Trudeau , did . " What do you expect me to do ? " Trudeau asked when he came . " I want you to mingle and pose for as many photographs as possible , because I 'll send these photographs as a memento , and this is what people will remember . " " What 's for dinner ? " he asked . So I told him-caviar to start , followed by a full-course dinner , top of the line . " Can we afford that ? " he asked . " I mean , can the party afford it ? " " We ca n't . I can , " I replied . " I 'm paying for it . Everything they pay goes right to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " That 's good . " We charged $1,000 a couple for those dinners-a lot of money in those days . But because it was Trudeau , we never had any trouble getting people to come . NOT LONG AFTER Lalonde asked me to help with fundraising , Trudeau invited me to lunch at 24 Sussex . It was the two of us at the small table in the alcove of the dining room that overlooked the Ottawa River . He took off his jacket , sat down to a huge hot lunch , and devoured everything . He told me he did n't have any particular agenda . " I wanted to get to know you a bit , " he said . " Do you have anything you would like to discuss with me ? " " Well , " I said , " you are the leader of the party , and I find that you are taking the party too far left . Your relations with the business community are lousy . And I do n't think that is very productive . " " You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they are always tarring me with the socialist brush . " He gave me the example of Jean de Grandpre , his classmate from law school , later the founding chairman of BCE , who was always on his case . " I 've given up on them , " Trudeau said of the business community . " Prime Minister , " I replied , " I voted for you , I 'm a Liberal , and I 'm a businessman . " " Yes , I know all that , " he said . " Well , you certainly do n't have a mandate from me to give up on the business community . " So he smiled , and he said , " You are right . I will try harder . " He did n't , of course , but he was gracious enough to say that he would . Trudeau 's management , or rather his mismanagement , of Canada 's finances was one issue on which we agreed to disagree . After he left office , I had no hesitation in telling him that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I lobbied Trudeau , through two of his closest associates , to name me to the Senate . There is a tradition in Canada that the party bagman is appointed to the Senate , and there is also a tradition of ajewish seat from Quebec . I qualified on both counts , and besides , the Bronfmans were thinking of breaking up Cemp Investments and I thought the Senate would be an interesting place to spend part of my time . I , as it turned out , was the choice of the only person who mattered-the prime minister . We were in Palm Beach in December 1983 . I was getting home from a round of golf when Sandra rushed out to meet me . " You 've got to call the prime minister , " she said . " He 's calling you . " " I 'm inviting you to join the Senate , " Trudeau began . " But you 're not the first choice of the Jewish community . " " I 'm aware of that , Prime Minister . " " But you 're my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " Thank you , Prime Minister , " I replied . " I 'm honoured and delighted to accept . " Now that I was actually being appointed to the Senate , I wondered how time-consuming it would be . " How often do I have to go ? " I asked . Trudeau laughed . " Just show up once in a while , " he said . " It 's no big deal . " That was then , before senators were docked $250 a day for being absent . JUST A FEW WEEKS after my appointment , Trudeau took his famous walk in the snow on Leap Year Day and then announced his retirement . At the time , in 1984 , Trudeau was a vigorous 64 years old . He had enough to do , but he was no longer prime minister , and it was clearly not an easy adjustment to private life after so many years in power . Sandra and I kind of befriended him , inviting him on weekends to New York and , occasionally , London . In those days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it did n't cost anything to invite Pierre . In New York , we would take a suite at the Regency or Plaza Amenee , and he would be our guest in the second bedroom . Once , when we all landed in London from Moscow , Pierre had a lovely room at the Dorchester . The hotel had sent up a bowl of fruit , and Pierre flashed that devilish grin of his and said , " This is what I 'll have for breakfast so I wo n't have to spend any money . " He was making fun of his reputation for being tight . But he was tight , as opposed to cheap , and there is a difference . As for accommodations , he could stay in a royal suite or a dungeon , it did n't matter to him . He could be on the road for weeks with a pair of jeans and a couple of T-shirts . Once , in the middle of nowhere , he did his own laundry and hung it from a tree . We travelled with Trudeau to Pakistan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Central America and the Galapagos Islands ; and finally Vietnam , Laos , and Cambodia . Trudeau always chose the destinations , and Sandra , Jack Austin , a friend and colleague from the Senate , and I always organized them . The one trip he had always wanted to take was the Trans-Siberian Railway . So I went to see the Russian ambassador in Ottawa , and he said that they would be honoured to receive Mr. Trudeau and that everything would be arranged . I told Pierre it was a go , and asked him who else he would like to invite . He suggested Bernard Lamarre , the head of Lavalin Engineering , and his wife , Louise ; and Paul Desmarais , the chairman of Power Corporation , who brought along his daughter-in-law Helene , who is married to Paul Desmarais Jr . Paul Sr. 's wife , Jackie , could n't come . The Orient Express it was n't . But because it was Trudeau , the Soviets put on three cars just for us . A brand new dining car and sleeping car with private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ luggage and one for each of us . And Trudeau had an entire car . It must have gone back to the czar 's days because there was a large bedroom , full bathroom with a bath , and a full sitting room with a boardroom table . It 's a long journey , seven days and six nights . Trudeau was the only one with a bath , so we all had to ask him if we could use it . And he said , " OK , everybody can come and have a bath every day , but you have to clean up . " So we paraded into his car in our bathrobes and nightshirts every night and had our baths . At dinner and afterwards , Trudeau would talk about politics , the Canadian and world scene . And he would regale us with anecdotes of Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter and all the people he had known at G7 summits , Commonwealth conferences , and bilateral visits . He said that Reagan , for example , was one of the nicest men he had ever met @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whenever he met with Reagan , the president had all his talking points on three-by-five cardshe was totally scripted . So if Trudeau asked him about nuclear disarmament , Reagan would fish a card out of his pocket and read the answer . If he did n't have an appropriate card , Trudeau said , he would tell you an anecdote about Hollywood . But he would never extemporize . Trudeau liked Jimmy Carter very much , but shared the view that he micromanaged the American presidency . Photograph Trudeau in his favourite garb-shorts and sandals-in the Galapagos Islands in 1990 ( top left ) ; hanging out with Charles Bronfman ( top right ) in the 1950s ; aboard a train with Sandra Kolber <p> On the long train journey across Russia , Trudeau often said what a great country it was , extolling the virtues of the Soviet system . " Pierre , " I said , " it may be the worst system that ever existed . " But the Russians took very good care of us , from the moment we stepped on the plane in Montreal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informing us that as a special gesture in honour of Mr. Trudeau , Aeroflot was going to fly non-stop from Montreal to Moscow . " Does n't it usually ? " I asked . " No , " he replied , " normally we stop in Gander because the fuel there is cheaper . " IN THE SUMMER of 1989 , Jean Chretien was getting set to run for the Liberal leadership , and Trudcau was giving him a hard time about Meech Lake . He had even come to the Senate in the spring of 1988 , where he predicted that Meech would mean the end of Canada as we know it . As for the Liberal leadership , Trudeau made it quite clear to Chretien that , as he later put it , " my support is not unconditional " and might depend on Chretien 's position on Meech . I was raising money for Chretien and doing my bit for his leadership campaign , and he mentioned that Trudeau was giving him a hard time over Meech . " Do you want me to talk to him ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " " That would be a big help , " Chretien said . So I asked Trudeau if he would come to dinner at the house to talk about it with Chretien . I told him I 'd invite Marc Lalonde , Michael Pitfield , who had been clerk of the Privy Council under Trudeau , as well as Tom Axworthy , his former principal secretary , who was then working for Charles Bronfman at the CRB Foundation . Trudeau showed up late and wandered into the house wearing sandals , a grungy pair of shorts , and a T-shirt . He was pretty hard on the people around the table who were asking him to ease up in his opposition to Meech . Around 10:30 , he got up to leave . I walked him to the door . " Pierre , " I told him , " it 's very easy for you to be critical because you 're not running for anything . But Jean is running for the leadership , and you ought to support him . " He looked at me and said , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " OUR TRAVELS with Trudeau sadly came to an abrupt end in 1991 , after Sandra 's stroke . It happened that she later received the Governor General 's Award in recognition of her volunteerism . It 's an important honour , and a major black-tie event before 2,000 people and television cameras at the National Arts Centre . While she was incapacitated , her mind was still working quite well , and she wondered if Trudeau would introduce her , either live or on video . He had lunch with me and explained that there were some things he did n't do : he did n't do prefaces , he did n't do introductions . He wrote her a nice long letter of apology , but he would n't do it . There were other things he did n't do-he did n't visit hospitals and he never visited Sandra . That kind of cooled things between us . He did n't go to funerals either , though there were exceptions , such as the funeral of his closest friend , Gerard Pelletier . The last time I saw Pierre was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was giving a dinner in his honour . I flew up to Ottawa with Trudeau on a plane provided by Power Corporation , and it was a very memorable evening . By that time , it was clear that he was not himself . Less than a year later , in September 2000 , he died , and a grieving nation recognized what a different and remarkable leader he had been . In 1993 , when he brought out his autobiography , Memoirs , he signed my copy with an inscription I 'll always cherish : " Leo , intrepid companion of our travels . " I do n't know about the intrepid part , but I was privileged to be his companion on our travels . Copyright 2003 , Leo Kolber and L. Ian MacDonald . Reprinted by permission of McGill-Queen 's University Press . Sidebar TRUDEAU 'S mismanagement of Canada 's finances was one issue on which we agreed to disagree Sidebar HE SAID he did n't do prefaces , he did n't do introductions , he did n't visit hospitals and he did n't go to funerals <p> 
##1009862 Survival value and truth are not quite the same . . . . Your life will have more spark If your teeth glow in the dark <p> Your life will have more spark If your teeth glow in the dark My last ad campaign for Everbright Toothpaste had been a glorious success , but it had also driven me to quit Olsen &; Olsen in disgust . Which was why was now cruising the deep suburbs in my aging BMW , looking for the Center for Memetics Research . It took me half an hour to find it-a red-brick pancake of a building that might have once been a 1960s primary school , with those silly bubble skylights that seemed futuristic forty years ago . But there was no identification on the building , not even a street number . Three hours and six non-disclosure agreements later , I sat facing my new supervisor , Josh Raines . " Okay , " I said , " now can you tell me what it is that you do here ? " " We conduct research in memetics , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I guess that does n't really answer your question . Follow me . " He led me through a maze of dim linoleum corridors , stopping in front of a closed door , where a blue-gray glow spilled out the bottom . " This is our analysis center . " Josh pushed into the room . A bank of TVs , each one tuned to a different station , flickered on three of the walls , while a mound of books covered the fourth . A gangly scarecrow of a man-all elbows and knees-sat at a desk in the middle of the room , scanning a computer monitor and occasionally glancing up at the TVs . His gnarled hands danced on a keyboard . " Stan , " Josh said to the scarecrow , " I want you to meet our newest hire , Paul Glavin . He 'll be- " " Nice to meetcha , " said Stan . He jumped out of his chair and hopped around the room on bowed legs , staring briefly at each TV , his nose only inches from the screen . " Hee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . We got five hits on the late-night talk shows last night , and a few Internet splashes this morning . " " Stan is one of our trackers , " said Josh . " I think we even picked up a hit on Martha Stewart , " said Stan . " Man , that show 's hard to penetrate . It was the one Genesis launched last week-about using Crisco as bathroom caulk . Never did get anywhere with those bumper stickers you guys released-'What Would Martha Do ? " Have n't scanned the daily papers yet . Just need a few more cups of coffee . " He was like Jed Clampett on Benzedrine . " Stan 'll be retiring next year , " said Josh . " You guys ca n't put me out to pasture , " grumbled Stan , rubbing his white mustache . " I got more experience than anyone else here . I was watchin " for hits on Jack Paar on a little black and white TV before you were born . You need me . I was here when we launched pet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stan bounced out of the room , and Josh motioned for me to sit in his chair . " This is where we monitor the logosphere , " said Josh . " The what ? " " The logosphere-the realm where ideas propagate-newspapers , books , TV , the Internet , even bumper stickers and bathroom graffiti . Back in the " 5s and " 60s , the U.S. government did a series of secret studies in chemical and biological warfare . They would dump clouds of inert chemicals or harmless bacteria on cities and trace how they spread . We do the same thing with ideas . We develop new ideas , dump them into the logosphere , and see how they spread and evolve . " " But why all the secrecy ? " I asked . " Do you give the lab rats a blueprint of the maze ? " Josh thrust a sheaf of papers into my hands . " You 'll join the Genesis team-the people who create the ideas . " " But my background is in advertising , not philosophy . How do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ " Oh , we do n't generate good ideas-that would corrupt the experiment . The whole thesis of memetics is that ideas prosper on the basis of their ability to spread . It has nothing to do with whether they 're true or false . To keep the experiment clean , we generate only bad ideas . " Josh pulled a fat book from the pile and tossed it to me . " Here , do you recognize this ? " I read the title on the dust jacket : Management Secrets of the Three Stooges : Are you a Moe , a Lurry , or a Curly ? " Of course I recognize it . It was required reading when I was at Stanford Business School . I think it even made the Times bestseller list . " " Well , we wrote it here , " said Josh . " One of our greatest successes . And remember all of that alien abduction stuff ? " " You did that ? " Josh beamed . " That was ours . " He began ticking off ideas on his fingers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've ever heard of . And the idea that power lines cause leukemia . And the claim that Elvis is dead- " " But he is dead . " Josh arched his bushy eyebrows . " You 've got a lot to learn . " My first few weeks at the Center were a study in frustration . Every Friday morning I 'd give Josh a new list of ideas , which he would present to some sort of executive committee , and then on Monday afternoon he 'd come back with the bad news : my ideas were unoriginal , or they contained some grain of truth that would " corrupt the experiment , " or they simply were n't bad enough . " Just keep at it , " he would say . " You 'll get the hang of it . " After a couple of months , I got my big break . Josh was reading down the list I had submitted , giving me the usual critique . " ' Cheez Whiz prevents colon cancer . " The committee liked that one , but we tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is snooping on us by selling listening devices disguised as cantaloupes . " There 's actually an element of truth to that one , which I 'm not free to divulge . The Coffee Diet . Just drink three cups of coffee before every meal and watch the pounds melt away . " You 've been talking to Stan too much . But this last one is intriguing . " Teleastrology . " How is that supposed to work ? " " Well , astrology is based on the idea that your destiny is determined by the position of the planets and stars at the time of your birth . Teleastrology assumes that your fate is based on the television shows that were being broadcast at the instant of your birth . " Josh tapped his chin with his pen . " It 's certainly a bad idea . I think we 'll give it a trial run . Draw up a detailed description and we 'll send it over to the Release group . " Teleastrology proved more successful than I had dreamed possible . Within weeks I was writing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote a computer program to automate everything , and in three months we had a magazine , a website , and several home teleastrology kits . But when I saw the letters coming in to the magazine , I began having second thoughts . " DEAR TV SEER , TELEASTROLOGY HAS CHANGED MY LIFE . I WAS AN ACCOUNTANT IN MANHATTAN , AND COMPLETELY MISERABLE . ACCORDING TO MY TELEHOROSCOPE , I WAS BORN UNDER THE SIGN OF BONANZA , SO I HAVE A NATURAL AFFINITY FOR WIDE-OPEN SPACES AND LARGE MEN NAMED " HOSS . " I MOVED TO MONTANA , AND I LOVE IT HERE . TERI LEHRER " Josh was unimpressed with my doubts . " Sure , " he said , " ideas change lives . What 's the problem ? " " But people are taking this stuff seriously . I do n't think it 's right to delude them . " " Do n't get all holier-than-thou on us . I 've looked at your file , the stuff you worked on at Olsen &; Olsen . Do you remember a breakfast cereal called Xylem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I gather they were making it out of sawdust ? " " Well , it is a form of fiber- " " And what about Clear " n " Bright Shampoo , " the only shampoo with no artificial chemicals or additives ' ? " " That was completely true , " I said . " Sure-the shampoo consisted entirely of distilled water . And then there was that line of educational children 's toys : Baby 's First Sewing Machine , Baby 's First Bunsen Burner , Baby 's First Chainsaw- " " Okay , okay , but I quit the advertising business to get away from that kind of stuff . " " And you did get away from it . The work you 're doing here is part of the progress of science . And if that is n't good enough for you , you 're under a one-year contract . Now get back to work . " I trudged back to my office and slumped in my chair . In my absence , another mound of letters addressed to Teleastrology Monthly had piled up on my desk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last I understand why I 've failed at everything I ever tried-I was born under the sign of Gilligan 's Island " , " I have decided to marry a wacky redhead named Lucy . Where do I find her ? " " Can you help me ? I am doing a Ph.D . dissertation on the teleastrological effect of cable TV , specifically , the Golf Channel " . I jumped up and marched down the corridor to Stan 's office . I found Stan slumped over his desk , asleep , the cotton wisps of his hair brushing against a desk plaque that read , " I 'll give up FORTRAN when they pry it out of my cold , dead hands . " " Stan , wake up ! " Stan lifted his head and looked at me with one eye open . " Well , it 's the teleastrologer himself . Damn , it 's almost 3:30 . No wonder I fell asleep . Always need two cups of coffee after lunch . " " Stan , you 've got to help me . We ca n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ genie 's out of the bottle , you ca n't put it back in . Which reminds me-you ever watch I Dream of Jeannie ? Great show-you can catch the reruns on cable . Didja know that they never showed- " " Just do me a favor , Stan . If I can convince Josh that this stuff is true , it 'll void the whole experiment-they 'll have to end it . " Stan rubbed his threadbare head . " I 'm the best tracker they got . Why should I go messin " things up ? " " You are the best , Stan , and they 're going to kick you out the door just for being too old . Just like those TV guys cancelled , uh , Red Skeleton . " " Skelton , his name was Red Skelton . Yeah , he was the funniest guy on TV . And they booted Lawrence Welk for bein " too old , too . " " It just is n't fair , Stan . Do n't let them get away with it . Help me do this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stan tugged his mustache . " Well , I guess it would serve " em right . What do you want me to do ? " " Can you write a program to pull up telehoroscopes and personal histories for all of the Center employees ? Then I 'll line everyone up with the most accurate telehoroscope . It 'll convince Josh that teleastrology really works-he 'll have to pull the plug . Will you do it ? " " Probably take me few days . Better get some more coffee . " Stan sent me the telehoroscopes and personal histories-they were already correlated , saving me the work . And when Josh came to my office to look at the results , he did n't seem particularly flustered . " It happens maybe once or twice a decade , " said Josh , shrugging his shoulders . " The craziest ideas turn out to be true . My predecessor was shocked when they discovered that cigarettes really do cause cancer . Boy , that was a mess . " Josh pulled a memo pad from his pocket . " We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , maybe release some antagonist memes . It 'll die out in a year . " " It 'll die out ? You 're sure ? Even though you think it 's true ? " Josh shook his head . " You 're so hung up on this truth thing , Paul . Ideas do n't spread just because they 're true . Have n't you learned anything while you 've been working here ? " Josh turned to leave , but glanced back over his shoulder . " Next time , try to come up with something really bad . " I finished out the year at the Center and went back to Olsen &; Olsen-I guess there are some jobs worse than advertising . Things would have ended there , if I had n't been grocery shopping on a drizzly Saturday afternoon . As I wheeled my cart of frozen dinners through the check-out line , I caught a glimpse of Teleastrology Monthly . Splashed across the cover was Stan 's grinning face , below the headline , " Newest TV Seer Predicts Your Future . " I skimmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the print across the pages . I raced home in a rage and phoned Stan . " I saw the article . How could you do it ? " " It 's not what you think , " said Stan . " Look , I know the Center forced you out , and you probably needed the money . But how could you lie to so many people ? " " I 'm not lyin " to anyone . You saw the telehoroscopes I sent you . " " Yeah , so what ? You 're not making any sense . " " Didja ever look at your own telehoroscope ? I pulled it up with all the rest . That 's what really convinced me . " He hung up . I pulled up the program Stan had written to generate the telehoroscopes and typed in my own date and time of birth . The response was almost instantaneous : " Paul Glavin : born under the sign of To Tell the Truth . 
##1009865 There are two things people like to do with a new phenomenon ; understand it and use it . Sometimes it 's not wise to be too particular about the order . . . . <p> Barb Schoen stood at her kitchen counter and cursed the house flies buzzing around her head . It was always this way come August : long , hot , miserable days filled with the buzzing of black , sticky flies and only the hope of a cool shower to revive her . It made her wonder why she 'd ever claimed that summer was her favorite season . She must have had temporary amnesia at the time . In addition to the fly invasion , her nosey Aunt Lydia always insisted on visiting for two solid weeks during the doggiest of days . The old woman complained continually , especially about Barb 's cooking . The way Aunt Lydia fussed and picked at her food drove Barb crazy . It did n't matter what she prepared , it never met with her aunt 's approval . Going out was n't the answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barb in a restaurant . Barb still could n't face the staff at her favorite Mexican place , even years later . That was bad enough , but Aunt Lydia demanded constant personal entertainment from Barb and Barb 's husband Denny , and found the most imaginative of excuses to snoop through the medicine cabinet . Worse yet , she was due to show up for this year 's visit in two days . In a fit of pique , Barb waved the serrated kitchen knife in the air in front of her , slashing out at the hovering horde of flies . " Aaahhh ! " she yelled primally , taking another swing , but the thought that she might actually hit a fly disgusted her so badly that she quit . Blowing an auburn curl away from her left eye , she returned to the job of dicing the tomatoes she 'd just picked from her garden . It felt good to whack away on the red fruit , to just let go and chop like crazy and use her bottled-up , frustrated energy . " Jeez , Barb @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the screen door belatedly announced his arrival from the garden . Barb looked up at her husband and said , " What ? " He glanced at the red pulp on the chopping board and back at her . They 'd been married long enough to have developed their own non-verbal communication . She knew exactly what he meant-that he 'd caught her in the middle of a rage and did n't approve . She did n't care . " We 've got to do something about these flies or I 'll go crazy , " she said as she rinsed her hands . He set a basket of plump green peppers on the counter beside her . " Like what ? " " Do we have any bug spray ? " For a brief moment , the buzzing dimmed . She dried her hands then bent down to look under the sink . " We ca n't spray the house while we 're fixing dinner . " " I ca n't fix dinner while they 're dive-bombing me either ! " Denny gave her another of his looks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now . " She gave him a look in return : " I 'm not kidding . " " I can get the vacuum and suck them up , " he said . " Eww ! " " Okay , tell you what . Let 's just eat outside and I 'll set up the tiki torches and citronella candles . " He headed outside . " Yeah , whatever , " she said to the slamming screen door . " But I 've got to do something , " she muttered . How can he not be bothered , she thought . She flicked her hand over the bowl that held the tomato pieces , making sure no flies had landed on them , then covered the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator . The fly-swatter hung from a magnetic hook on the side of the fridge . Barb gripped it with grim determination and slammed the business end down on the counter , barely missing the hairy little beast by the sink . She raised it in preparation for another blow , but her target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other flies . She looked around the kitchen and waved the swatter for good measure , but it looked like the flies had flown for cover . " That 's better , " she said aloud as she washed the peppers to add to the salsa . The heat of the day finally broke as Denny took the tuna off the grill . A cool , light breeze wafted the sweet scent of honeysuckle across the picnic table . At last , Barb allowed herself to relax as the gently moving air kept the flying intruders away . Once dinner was over and the Sun had slipped below the horizon , Barb and Denny set about cleaning up and settling in for a quiet Sunday evening . She stacked the dirty dishes and carried them inside , but she nearly dropped everything when she walked into the kitchen . A swarm of flies , even larger than the one this afternoon , greeted her . " Denny ! Did you leave a door open ? " she asked when he joined her . " Ca n't blame me , " @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the screen every time I went through it . " He set the dirty utensils in the sink and went back for the last of the glassware . As he stepped outside , Barb watched two more flies sneak in . " Damn ! " She flung her arms madly around , as if she were hacking her way through dense jungle vines . The allure of raw fish juice and vegetable scraps must be what attracted them . She scraped the plates clean and decided to take the trash out immediately to see if that would n't help . For a moment , while she concentrated on getting the food scraps into the trash , it seemed that all the flies congregated around her , buzzing furiously . The illusion disintegrated the moment Denny returned and the flies were everywhere again . " Here , let me , " Denny said , taking the trash can from her . " Thanks . " Barb rinsed the plates off for good measure and piled them into the dishwasher while Denny carried the trash outside . At least half of the swarm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Barb reached for the swatter again and got off one good swing before the rest disappeared . Where the hell did they go ? She looked around , squinting to see flies against the dark cabinets of the kitchen . Wait , there 's one ! She swung the swatter , but her intended victim flew right past her . She did n't see where it went . Another glance around satisfied her that the coast was clear . Barb slipped the swatter back to its hook and wiped down the counters . Her hands shook with exasperation . Maybe she 'd have another glass of wine . Shortly after the 11 o'clock news , Barb and Denny closed up the house for the night and she convinced him to let her go ahead and spray the kitchen . " Seems kind of silly to spray now . I mean , there 's nothing moving anyway . " " Maybe so , but I know they 're here somewhere . That many flies do n't just spontaneously leave . " " As long as it 'll make you happy . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then gave the baseboard a shot for good measure and put the can away . She hurried out of the room . " Phew . I feel like I need another shower . " " Make it quick . I 've got to get up early in the morning . " Barb skinned out of her clothes . They smelled like sweat , charcoal smoke , fish and bug spray . Yuck ! She 'd just run these down to the laundry room now rather than leave them in the hamper in their bedroom . This way she would n't wake up in the middle of the night with that stink in the air . Naked , she tiptoed in the dark to the basement and flung her clothes toward the washer . She 'd worry about being neat in the morning . As she made her way past the kitchen , the insecticide fumes invaded her nose , but it was the buzz that made her stop and turn the light on . Three or four big black flies buzzed in a holding pattern in the middle of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like escapees of a genetics experiment gone wrong ; the kind that thrived on chemicals and just kept growing bigger . Exasperated , Barb stomped into the kitchen and snatched up the swatter . She was determined to get herself a trophy . But like magic , the moment her hand touched the handle , the flies were gone . " Barb , are you coming to bed or what ? " Denny 's tired voice called out from the bedroom . He never could fall asleep until she came to bed , too . " Be right there , " she said . She could feel her heart rate pick up and her breathing quicken , which was n't good , considering what it was she was breathing . She dropped the swatter , slapped the lights off and hurried to the shower . She was n't sure how long she 'd been standing in the warm water , but it was long enough for her toes to feel wrinkled . There was a knock at the door . " Yeah ? " she asked over the rush of water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a back wash ? " " Sure . " He slid the shower curtain open just enough to reach inside with one arm . She handed him the soap and turned her back toward him to lather . " Denny ? " " Yeah ? " She hesitated . How could she ask what was on her mind without sounding crazy ? " Promise not to laugh , but it seemed that every time I grabbed the fly swatter tonight , the flies vanished . " " Well , then use the swatter . " He handed back the soap and rubbed her shoulders . She leaned into his massage . " That 's not quite what I meant . I did n't have to even use the swatter . All I had to do was just reach for it . It was like they knew what I was going to do before I did it and they made themselves scarce somehow . " Denny did n't say anything to that . He finished his scrubbing and reached into the stream of water to rinse his hand off . " Denny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the towel before he looked up at her face and said , " You 're saying they 're psychic ? " " Telepathic , maybe ? " she asked back . " I think you need to get some rest . You worked hard this weekend getting ready for your Aunt Lydia 's visit . " He turned and left . She was tired all right , but she did n't think she 'd get much sleep . By the time she got up the next morning , Denny had already left for the office . It was later than she usually slept , but it had been near sunrise when she finally drifted off . Her dreams had been frustrating , as though she were searching for an answer to her problems and they danced just out of her reach . Just like the flies and her fly-swatter , she thought . As she entered the kitchen , she braced herself for the maddening buzz , but a solitary fly hovered over the sink where Denny had left a used coffee filter to finish dripping . Maybe the spraying helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hung in the air , so she opened the windows a crack . With a sense of relief , Barb took her first shower of the day . Once she was clean , she remembered her dirty clothes from last night lying in a heap on the laundry room floor , so she gathered up the rest of the laundry and took it downstairs , too . That was when she discovered where all the flies had gone . They hovered over her clothes like a black cloud . She slammed the door to the laundry room to keep them from escaping to the rest of the house . She looked around for another swatter , or a newspaper to roll up , but except for the appliances and the clothing , the room was otherwise empty . She noticed that as she was actively looking for a weapon , the flies seemed to decrease in numbers , but the moment she gave up , they returned in force . What if she thought so hard as to believe that she held a swatter ? Would the flies go away ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? Well , she had a captive audience . She concentrated on the feeling of a fly-swatter handle in her hand ; how the rubber-coated loop of wire felt snug in her palm , how her fingers grasped it . She imagined the heft and springiness of the tool , the snap of the thin , webbed plastic slapper when it hit a countertop . She could hear the whish of air as she wielded it against her enemies . She could read the words Plasti-Swat on one side of the molded red plastic and Made in Metropolis , IL on the other . The fly-swatter was real . Slowly , she opened her senses and brought her attention to the room around her . Her arm was poised to bring down mass destruction upon the invading hordes , but she was alone in the room . She checked the door leading back upstairs , but it was still closed tight . She did n't know where they went or how they did it and she did n't care as long as they stayed away from her . She went ahead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where she laid her " swatter . " Eventually , curiosity overcame her . She took the stairs two at a time and checked the kitchen . No buzzing . She toured the rest of the house . All quiet . She could hardly believe it . One final question nagged at her brain , so she returned to the laundry room and closed the door . Amid the humming and sloshing of the washing machine , Barb dropped the idea that she held the fly-swatter and instead , imagined a days-old garbage can full of rotting food . The stench of decomposing banana peels and tomato cores about made her gag . That did it . All around her , the flies were as thick as , well , flies . There was no garbage within fifty feet of the laundry room , and yet the flies were there . If they were n't clued into her thoughts , she did n't know how else to explain it . Once again , Barb held her trusty swatter in her hand , ready to cleanse her world of the black menace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its cycle and Barb tossed the clean clothes into the drier , then headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee , and to think about this new-found power . She sat at the kitchen table , staring out at her backyard through the window . Her smile grew as she realized that she need n't be bothered by August flies ever again . Summer just got a whole lot more pleasant . Now , what to do about dear old Aunt Lydia . . . With thanks to Ray Wiebke. 
##1009869 Beyong being seriously old , Biddy was stubborn . Kwame knew it would take nothing short of genius to get his ailing friend to the hospital . <p> <p> The first time I saw Einstein was sitting right here on the front steps , " Biddy Owens said . " I was eating some ribs when he came and started sniffing around . Well , as skinny as he was , and the way he was shaking , I knew he was hungry . So I asked him what he wanted . " " Einstein 's a dog , " Kwame said . " And dogs ca n't talk . " " Everything talks , boy , " Biddy said , squinting one eye and looking down at the 12-year-old in front of him . " We just ca n't understand everything . When I asked Einstein what he wanted , he looked over toward the bones I had laid on the steps . Then he looked over at me . I knew he wanted one of them bones by the way his eyes spoke to me . @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him . Einstein and I have been teammates ever since . " Kwame could see Biddy Owens and his dog , Einstein , being friends . Both of them looked like real neighborhood characters , as if they did n't belong anywhere in the world except on the stoop of 145th Street right there in Harlem . Wherever Biddy went , or sat , Einstein would be right next to him . Einstein could run and jump well enough , but whenever he went with Biddy , that dog would walk just as slowly as Biddy did , even stopping and resting along with him . Biddy was having trouble with his legs and had a lopsided way of walking . You could tell he was n't comfortable even when he was just standing still . Biddy 's white hair was gathered mostly on the sides of his head , and stuck out from underneath the old baseball cap he wore in summer and winter . His clothes were never really dirty , but they could always use some ironing , and once in a while there were holes in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wore . But he always had a smile on his face and a story to tell . Most of the stories were about when he had played in the Negro Baseball League . Sometimes he brought his old scrapbooks out to show to the neighborhood kids . In the scrapbook were yellowed pictures of old baseball players and stories about how Biddy 's team , the Birmingham Black Barons , had done . Kwame liked Biddy a lot . He liked his dog , too . Einstein was a mixed breed . " He 's half bulldog , half terrier and half bloodhound , " Biddy Owens said . " I think you have too many halves in there , Biddy , " Kwame replied . " That 's why he keeps that tail of his wagging , " Biddy said . " He needs to keep one half in the air while he 's balancing the other two . " And then Biddy laughed and laughed at his little joke . Kwame did n't think the joke was that funny , but when Biddy Owens laughed that high little laugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . Once Kwame asked him why he had named the brown and white dog Einstein . Biddy said it was because he was the smartest dog he had ever seen . " Is that because he 's supposed to be able to talk ? " Kwame asked . " No , " Biddy said , " because he was smart enough to find a friend when he needed one . Now , you have to admit , that 's pretty smart . " Biddy Owens was old . Miss Esther , who lived over the bakery , said some people were old , and some were seriously old . " And that man is serious ! " she said . Biddy called himself a useful man . He would sweep up the sidewalks in front of the buildings and stores from John 's Fish Shack all the way to the corner even though it took him all morning . Women on the block , or at least on that end of the block , would often make breakfast for him , and more than one person would bring a little something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories about how great the players had been when Biddy was in the Negro Leagues . Some of the stories were hard to believe , but they were still fun to hear . " I remember one time my team , the Black Barons , was playing against the Negro League All-Stars . Old Satchel Paige was pitching for the All-Stars and he was working on what he called his hesitation pitch . " " His name was Satchel ? " Kwame asked . " That was his name , and pitching was definitely his game ! " Biddy said . " Well , the score was pretty close , one to nothing in favor of the All-Stars . Then , in the ninth inning , with two out , Satchel loaded up the bases on purpose . " " On purpose ? " " Yes , he did . The next batter on our team was Willie Mays . And you know how Willie hated to lose . Satchel threw a fastball past Willie , and Willie just nodded because he was timing it . Then Satchel threw another fastball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast . When Satchel was throwing it right , his fastball was just a white blur and a pop when it hit the catcher 's glove . But Willie just shook his head and smiled , because now he thought he had the timing down just right . Then Satchel reared back and threw that hesitation pitch . " " Then what happened ? " " The ball came out of Satchel 's hand like a meteor pushed by lightning itself ! Then , just as Willie started to bring his bat around , that ball hesitated in midflight , did a dipsy doodle , backed up a little bit while Willie was finishing his swing , smiled as the umpire called strike three , then slipped across home plate as pretty as you please . " Everybody who heard that story moaned and groaned , but Kwame heard four people telling it themselves over the next few days . And whenever Biddy even looked like he might want to tell a story , people who had a few minutes would stop to listen to it . As funny as Biddy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also kind of sad to see because of the way he limped when he walked . He was certainly far from his baseball-playing days . Leaning way over on his walking stick , Biddy would step forward on his right leg , and swing his left leg around . It was a hard way to walk , but Biddy Owens never complained . People on the block did n't talk about it much , either , not until the ambulance came one bright Saturday morning . An ambulance was not a big deal , but still people gathered around watching to see who had called for it . It turned out that it was Miss Esther . She lived on the same floor as Biddy and had heard Einstein barking and barking . He never barked at all in the house except when someone came to the door , and when Biddy had answered it or told him to " Hush ! " he would . Miss Esther went over to see what was wrong and called to Biddy . " You all right in there , old man ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came back the quick answer . Miss Esther listened for a while and later she said she heard something that sounded like dragging across the floor . She tried the door , found it unlocked and opened it . That 's when she saw that Biddy had fallen and was still lying on the floor . Einstein was sitting by his side , and when he saw Miss Esther he started whining . Miss Esther went over to see what she could do . There was a small cut on Biddy 's forehead , but it did n't look too bad . " What happened to- " Miss Esther was going to ask what had made him fall when she saw Biddy 's leg twisted under his body . She helped him turn over and lie flat . There was pain in the old man 's face , even as he was complaining when Miss Esther called for an ambulance . Kwame came as soon as word hit the street that it was Biddy Owens who had needed the ambulance . By the time he got upstairs , the emergency medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bandage on Biddy 's forehead , but it was his leg they were concerned with . They said he needed to go to the hospital and have it taken care of or he would be falling down a lot . " I 'm not going nowhere ! " Biddy said . " And if I do n't give my permission you ca n't take me nowhere . Not in these here United States of America , you ca n't . " " If you do n't know what 's wrong with your leg you need to find out ! " Miss Esther said . " Woman , I know what 's wrong with the leg . The doctors want to operate on it and put a steel pin in it like I 'm some kind of robot man , " Biddy said . " I do n't have time for all of that foolishness . All I need is to get some rest and I 'll be all right . Just all mighty right ! " " You were lucky this time , " the technician said . " Next time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . And with that leg I know there 'll be a next time . " Biddy gave the technician a mean look and sucked his teeth . Then , when the ambulance had left , he asked aloud , talking to no one in particular , just who did they think he was to just spend his time lying around in some hospital while poor Einstein was home starving to death . " That Einstein is nothing but a dog ! " Miss Esther said . " You are a human being . You have to worry about yourself , not some mixed-breed , floppy-eared mutt . " " The day when I stop worrying about my little buddy , " Biddy said , " is the day when I hope they bury me in the cold , cold ground . Einstein and me are on the same team . And you do n't let your team down ! " " You could put Einstein in a dog kennel for a few days , could n't you ? " Kwame asked . " Why would I put the dog in jail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face Kwame . " He 's not a criminal . And do n't you think I have n't looked into one of them high-priced dog hotels ? I can hardly pay my rent now and I know I ca n't afford $75 a week for Einstein when the doctor tells me I 'm liable to be in the hospital for three weeks . " Kwame did n't have an answer for that . He and Miss Esther had learned two things : how much it would cost to put Einstein in a kennel , and that Biddy had already been discussing the situation with a doctor . But the words of the emergency medical technician stuck with Kwame . Sooner or later , Biddy Owens was going to be in serious trouble . Kwame asked his parents how he could raise the money to help pay for the kennel , and they did n't have any idea . " That 's far too much money for somebody from this neighborhood to be giving away , " his father said . Kwame knew his father was right . But that did n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This time they had found Biddy Owens lying on the third-floor landing . At first they thought he was unconscious , but he was only asleep . He admitted reluctantly that he had fallen , could n't get up and had lain there all night . Kwame could not bear the thought of it-or something worse-happening again . He had an idea but had to clear it with his parents first . The idea seemed so good to him that he ran down 145th Street to his own building and up the three flights to apartment 3-S . " You 're talking about taking on a lot of responsibility , " Kwame 's mother said as she made dinner . She had already cut up a pile of onions and mushrooms for the stir-fry she had planned . " Dogs are funny . They get attached to an owner and they keep searching for him . They 're hard to control until they get used to you . If anything happened to Einstein while Biddy was in the hospital , you 'd feel terrible . " " But can I ? @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . " As I said , we do n't have space for a dog in our apartment , but if you want to get up every morning and go to Biddy 's house to take care of him , I imagine we can put up with it for a couple of weeks . " Kwame could n't wait to tell Biddy the good news . It would n't cost him anything and Einstein would be just fine when he got out of the hospital . " And who is going to take care of you ? " Biddy asked . " I ca n't have you getting up that early in the morning and being tired out even before you begin school . Maybe next summer , when school is out , we can talk about it . " Next summer ? " Miss Esther said when Kwame repeated the conversation . She stood with one hand on her hip . " Is that what he said ? And this just the start of the school year ? What is wrong with that man ? " Kwame was beginning to believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital for the operation . He had one more idea . He had to ask his father and Miss Esther , and when they both said they would help , he went back up to see Biddy . " I think I 've got the answer , " Kwame said . " My father and I will build Einstein a dog house up on the roof . He can live in the doghouse while you 're gone and Miss Esther and I will take food and water to him every day . " " Boy , what are you talking about ? " Biddy leaned back and squinted both eyes . " Are you kidding me ? " " No , " Kwame said . " It 's the perfect solution . " " I got something to show you , son , " Biddy said . He held onto the table for support as he made his way across the room to the old wooden closet next to his refrigerator . He opened the closet and pulled out a big book . He told Kwame to come and get the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did so and waited until Biddy had got back across the room and sat heavily on the wooden chair . He watched as Biddy turned the pages of the book , which was filled with pictures of baseball players , some schedules , and even a pennant that was folded . Biddy opened the pennant and Kwame saw three B 's on it . " That stands for the Birmingham Black Barons , " Biddy said . " But that 's not what I wanted to show you . " Biddy turned the pages until he came to a picture of a bus . " There it is , " he announced proudly . " It 's just a bus , Biddy , " Kwame said . " No , it 's not ! " Biddy said . " That was our home when we were on the road . We lived in it and slept in it when we were touring . We did n't put one ballplayer up on the roof and another one under the bus . We were teammates and we stayed together ! Can you understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant . It meant that Biddy was not going to the hospital to have his leg fixed as long as he could find an excuse not to do it . And that 's how things went for the next two weeks , with Kwame becoming more and more worried about Biddy being alone and maybe falling down and hurting himself seriously . Then he saw a story in the newspaper about the start of a baseball playoff game and how an old-time Negro League player was going to throw out the first ball . The player had not played on Biddy 's team , but Kwame still wrote to the New York Yankees , one of the teams that was going to play in the game . He told them about how Biddy had played in the old Negro Leagues , about Einstein and how much Biddy needed to have his leg cared for . He thought they might write Biddy a letter to encourage him to have his leg fixed . The answer had come in a phone call , and Kwame 's mother was the one who received it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday , when the Yankees had a day off ? " He 's always home these days , " Kwame 's mother had said . " His leg is too bad for him to even get up and down the stairs . " Kwame was sitting on Biddy 's front stoop when the limousine came . He had imagined a ballplayer coming in his uniform , but instead there were three ballplayers from the Yankees , a photographer , a league official , and an old black man who Kwame guessed was the man who had played in the Negro Leagues . Kwame introduced himself and they asked if he would take them up to see Biddy . He tried to look serious , not to show how glad he was that the big-league players had shown up after all , and that he might be able to help his friend , Biddy . Biddy was surprised when he opened the door and saw all of the people standing in the hallway , and even more surprised when he found out who they were . But he squared his shoulders back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were all talking about baseball as if they had been friends for years . " Who 's this guy ? " The ballplayers were sitting around Biddy 's table looking at his scrapbook . Biddy looked at the picture and said it was Piper Davis , the Black Barons " shortstop . " I remember him . That boy could play some ball , too . " The other Negro League player was even older than Biddy . " Even if he did n't play for the best team in the league ! " Well , that got the two old men arguing while the young ballplayers it went through all the scrapbooks . The photographer took at least 50 pictures , some of them with Biddy and Kwame and the Yankee ballplayers . " So if we see about the dog , you going to have your leg taken care of ? " one of the Yankees asked as they were getting ready to leave . " Well , I guess you people are determined to put old Biddy in the hospital , " Biddy responded . " No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , " the Yankee said . " Is n't that what we do ? " " Yes , I guess it is , " Biddy said . " I guess it is . " So the Yankees had Einstein taken to one of the nicest kennels in New York while Biddy had his leg repaired . When it was all over , and he was back on 145th Street , he said it was n't a big deal , but he had been a little nervous about it . " You got a good heart in you , Kwame , " Biddy said . " And getting those ballplayers up here to work on me tells me you 're not as dumb as you look . I might rename you Einstein the Second . " Kwame smiled . He was n't sure he wanted to be named second to a dog , but Einstein was a special dog . After all , he had found a friend when he needed one . <p> Sidebar " You all right in there , old man ? " MIss Esther asked , Biddy replied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ <p> Sidebar " we lived in that bus when we were touring , " Biddy said as he looked through the scrapbook. " we were teammates and we stayed together . " <p> Sidebar " I remember him . That boy could play some ball , too . " <p> 