تصمیم بزرگ

CHAPTER SIX

A Big Decision

Walter was waiting for me at the front door of his beautiful house.

“Hi Karen!” he said. “You can leave Tex outside in the garden. Tootsie doesn’t like dogs.”

“I know, and Tex doesn’t like cats either,” I said laughing.

Walter was home alone and we went to his room and sat down.

“Karen, I have some news for you,” he said.

“News? What news?” I asked.

“I want to go to Mitrax with Mr Kent,” said Walter.

“WHAT!” I cried. “Are you joking?”

“No, I’m not joking, Karen,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for me. You know I want to become an astronaut. A trip on a spaceship to another galaxy is wonderful! I can see Mitrax and the aliens who live there. I can study them and see how they live and what they eat. I can find out things that aren’t written in books. This is a great scientific adventure and I’m lucky I can go! How many people have the opportunity to go to and explore another planet?”

Walter was happy and excited.

“But… aren’t you afraid of aliens?” I asked. “What will they do to you?”

“I don’t think Mr Kent and the other aliens want to hurt me,” said Walter. “They just want to study me because I’m a human. I think I can trust them.”

“When will you return to Earth?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, “but I want to return to see you.”

“Are you going to tell your dad?” I asked.

“He’s away on business for a few days,” said Walter. “I’m going to write him a letter and explain everything.”

We talked for a long time and I began to understand Walter’s decision.

“I’ll never see you again,” I said and started crying.

He took my hand and said, “Please don’t cry, Karen. I’ll come back and tell you amazing things.” We were silent for a few minutes.

“Please don’t tell anyone except Barbara about my decision,” said Walter.

“I won’t, it’s our secret,” I said.

“Here, take my school ring. When you look at it, think of me,” he said giving it to me.

“I’ll always think of you,” I said quietly. I put his ring on my finger.

“Listen, Karen,” said Walter, “we have to make a plan for tomorrow evening. When Mr Kent takes the student to the science lab he won’t find his spray. So the student will run away and he will return to his spaceship with no one. He can’t miss his spaceship because it will leave without him. I’ll wait for him in the science lab tomorrow evening and I’ll tell him my decision.”

“Good luck, Walter,” I said.

Walter looked at Tootsie and said, “Can you look after Tootsie when I go away?”

“Well, there’s Tex… but I can look after your cat,” I said. “I’ve got a big garden.”

“Thanks a lot, Karen,” said Walter.

When I got home it was late and I immediately went upstairs to bed, but I couldn’t sleep.

On Friday morning I met Barbara and we walked to school together. I told her about Walter’s decision. She stopped in the middle of the street and almost started crying.

Then she saw his school ring on my finger. She smiled and said, “He likes you a lot.”

At the end of the school day Walter, Barbara and I went for an ice cream. We sat around a small round table and ate our ice cream quietly.

“This is the last time we can have ice cream together,” said Barbara sadly.

The PTA meeting started at seven o’clock. First, the parents visited our classrooms and talked to some of our teachers. At eight o’clock there was a big meeting in the gym with the principal. She was explaining about all the plans for the school over the next year. At about a quarter past eight Mr Kent got up from his chair and went to see Barbara’s family. He whispered something to them and then to Barbara. She was his choice. She got up and followed him. She wasn’t worried because she knew Walter was waiting in the science lab.

They left the gym and went upstairs. I decided to follow them.

“Karen, where are you going?” whispered my dad.

“Oh, I’m just going to the science lab for a minute”.