Man Trip Read Free Page A

myself catching a giant fish, tallas me. But I’d never been on a boat bigger than my small rowboat. Never been on a plane, either.
    “I’ll give my friend a call tonight, then. Sound good?”
    “Yeah! But … well, Mom …”
    Ledward winked. “I’ll take care of that part.”
    Holy moley, deep-sea fishing! That would be so totally awesome! “Thanks, Ledward!”
    “No problem.”
    We stood and started back up toward the house. Ledward held his hand out for the tennis ball. I gave it to him and he tossed it over Streak’s head.
    Streak ran after it … and brought it back halfway.
    Ledward chuckled. “Your dog has a sense of humor, I see.”

“D eep-sea fishing?” Mom said.
    The yellow ginger that Ledward had brought her sat in a blue vase on the counter. Stella and Darci were near it, breathing in the sweet smell.
    Ledward spread his hands. “It would be good for the boy. Do you remember you metmy friend Bill from the Big Island? Well, he’s got a boat, and fishing is his specialty.”
    Mom studied me.
    “Calvin has never been on a boat before, let alone on an airplane to get to that boat.”
    “All the more reason to go.”
    I couldn’t stand it. “Mom, I
want
to go. I’ve never—”
    She held up her hand. “All right, all right, you can go.” She grinned at Ledward. “He could use a little man time. All he ever gets is us girls.”
    A huge smile spread across Ledward’s face. “Don’t worry, Angela. I’ll take good care of him. I was thinking we could go next Saturday.”
    This was really going to happen! I was so excited I could kiss a bufo! Maybe I’d even try to cut more grass. Yeah, I’d do that.
    Like, right now.
    But Stella had to butt in.
    “Lucky for you wood floats, Stump.”
    I hated when she called me Stump. I scowled at her.
    “Because when you fall off the boat you won’t sink.” She laughed. “Get it? Stumps float.”
    “Hardy-har.”
    “Not hardy-har, party hard, because that’s what I’m going to do the minute you walk out the door.”
    I looked up at Ledward. “Can we go right now?”

T he next day at school I told Mr. Purdy about the trip.
    “Wow,” he said. “Even if you don’t catch any fish you’re never going to forget being out on that boat.”
    He grinned. “I caught a marlin two yearsago. This was along the Kona coast, right where you’re going. Hit the line at twelve-fourteen in the afternoon. Boom!
Hoo-ie
, that fish was strong. Took me over three hours to bring it in. Four hundred thirty-two pounds.”
    “Wow.”
    Mr. Purdy put his hand on my shoulder. “You know, I just got an idea. Most of your classmates may never get a chance to go deep-sea fishing, even living here in the islands. So what would you think about sharing your experience with us when you get back? Would you be up for that?”
    “Sure, Mr. Purdy.”
    “You’re a lucky boy, Calvin.”
    I thought so, too.

    Later that day, I was sitting at my desk, looking out the window and thinking about the trip. I couldn’t stop dreaming about it.
    “Hi, Calvin,” Shayla said.
    “Uhnn,” I grunted.
    Mr. Purdy was on the other side of the room, passing out a math quiz. I didn’t want him catching us talking again.
    “Did your sister tell you I called you? She said you were taking a bath.”
    A
bath
!
    “I don’t take baths. And that wasn’t my sister.”
    “Anyway, I called about homework. But it’s all right. I figured it out.”
    “Good.”
    I could feel Shayla looking at me, her gaze like the heat off a lightbulb. I made a blinder with my hand on the right side of my face.
    Mr. Purdy handed me the quiz.

    “Word problems?”
    “They’re easy,” Mr. Purdy said. “And you’re a smart boy.”
    I puffed up my cheeks.
    “Shayla,” Mr. Purdy said. “You look especially lovely today.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Purdy.”
    Mr. Purdy smiled and looked up at the class. “Okay, boot campers, you have ten minutes.”
    There were five questions. Five!
    Mr. Purdy tapped my desk.