we got home John Henry said helpfully Shall I come up and help you look Mrs Tuttle offered Um no that's okay Tim said pushing his chair back slowly from the dinner table He trudged upstairs to his room and groped under his mattress where he'd stashed his report card in hopes that one of his great aunt Winifred's sayings Out of sight out of mind would hold true In his opinion it was a nasty trick to hand out report cards right before Christmas which was supposed to be the season of joy and glad tidings and ho ho hos He walked back downstairs in slow motion hop ing his peas might at least get cold enough for him to use that as an excuse for not eating them Let's see it sweetie Mrs Tuttle said as he shuffled into the dining room He was nearer his father's end of the table how ever and handed the report card to him Dr Tuttle was in charge of a team of scientists who did genetic research at the University of Vermont Medical Center He believed that grades were the result of genes
Unfortunately he soon passed the report card on to Mrs Tuttle who believed grades had more to do with studying Really Tim she said with a sigh If you spent half as much time on your homework as you do eat ing Winifred's chocolate chip cookies you wouldn't have all these Cs Or that gut John Henry murmured loud enough for only Tim to hear Now Alison Dr Tuttle said gently trying to get down another bite of leathery pork He'd ac tually been wishing Mrs Tuttle spent her time in a different way though he would never have dared say so When she wasn't volunteering at the art museum she was putting in time at the Women's Shelter or working for the local chapter of the Campaign for Women's Rights Aunt Winnie's a good old soul he said I'm sure she's not a bad influence She's fat and weird John Henry said She is not Tim said Living up on that hill all by herself She's so out of touch she's _ Now John Henry said Mrs Tuttle it's not
nice to say mean things about poor old Winnie She's not poor Tim said Don't you be touchy dear And don't forget your peas But Mom they got cold Shall I heat them up for you Tim shook his head with a sigh In fact peas were just as bad hot as cold I finished my meat he pointed out But vegetables help you grow dear And they're good for your eyesight She didn't say Look at John Henry She didn't have to John Henry who didn't have to wear glass es had cleaned every pea off his plate Tim was used to suffering in comparison with his brother but that night it bothered him more than usual He actually lay awake in bed brooding about how he was a year and two months older than John Henry and still worse at just about everything But if nothing else the miserable scrimmage had worn him out so he didn't lie awake too long And when he woke up it was bright and sunny and best of all
Saturday Saturdays were wonderful particularly winter Saturdays This time of year it got dark too early for visiting Great aunt Winifred's hilltop after school so he had to wait till Saturday to see her Saturday was Mrs Tuttle's day at the Women's Shelter and since Tim had slept kind of late she was gone by the time he got down to the kitchen But his father was still there making rings on the front page of the paper with his coffee mug and John Henry was poring over the sports section I could take you boys Christmas shopping Dr Tuttle offered I was thinking I'd hit the mall Monday said John Henry I'm helping Mr Cooley clean his milk ing machines today He's giving me three bucks an hour How magnanimous said Dr Tuttle What about you Tim Do you have something in mind for your mother yet Maybe I'll shop Monday too Tim said Dr Tuttle didn't press the point The truth was he hated taking days off from the lab even on week ends Once he was gone John Henry grabbed his
