10 MATT SPROUTS AND THE DAY NORA ATE THE SUN So as you can imagine what I wanted this summer was to just sit and relax No broken toes No Curse No responsibilities But of course life throws curveballs It all started on a Friday at lunchtime where I was lying in the same spot I was four hours ago on the sofa with my foot hanging off the side the only way to lie on a couch in my opinion But before I could get in another few hours of dedicated video game time Dad walked in Hey buddy Happy first day of summer vacation he said You gearing up for a summer of broken toes Ha ha ha I said sarcastically Let's not even joke about that I gave him a few kicks as he tried to sit down but he grabbed my feet and lightly smooshed them together like golf clubs in a bag Why are dads always so strong I can't wait till I get my dad strength someday
UNDERWEAR 11 You know I'm kidding he said as he pushed my feet to the side and sat down Plus you'll be too busy to worry about your toes anyways Why What do you mean I asked It was obvious Dad had a plan for me He was doing the thing he always does when he knows something my brother and I don't He starts with a bad joke and a smirk and then says something that will most likely disappoint me Well Dad hesitated as the predicted smirk came across his face Remember a couple weeks ago We talked about you getting a job earlier in the summer I squished my face together into a tight ball to try to remember Was I playing video games when you said that Yeah I think you were Dad replied I relaxed my face Then I definitely don't remember I said All parents should know by now that having a conversation conversation with their kid while they play video games is pretty worthless I can barely remember to change my underwear each day and that's with no distractions You must've known this was coming Dad lectured You get a summer job every year Remember doing yard work for Mr. Parcy I always get a summer job at the end of June I corrected Dad And it's early June now What's the rush You're going into seventh grade Matt You're older now It's time to add some more hard honest work
12 MATT SPROUTS AND THE DAY NORA ATE THE SUN Dad always talks about how Elliott and I need to learn the value of hard work He tells stories all the time about when he was our age working long hours in the sun bailing bailing hay or tending to his never ending newspaper route Still I wanted to push back to see how much I could get with away What does honest work mean anyways I asked It means a job you are proud of and one that contributes contributes to society he said Think of it as an entry point into the larger picture of what's important A life skill Building some Don't say it Dad Please I interrupted I knew where this lecture was going It was going to end with the same word that every lecture always ended on Character Dad laughed Building character Noo I moaned and put my head under the pillow on the couch How come my friends like Henry and John got to spend all summer at cool outdoor camp doing things like swimming archery and roasting marshmallows while I had to work on building character Where was the fun in that Dad squatted down next to me and pushed his face into my new fort You knew this was coming buddy C'mon now I actually have some ideas if you'd like to hear em Wait I blurted One of them isn't the Klinkles is it Mrs. Klinkle or as my friends and I prefer to call her The Old Grape Lady was part of the Curse last summer I
UNDERWEAR 13 had to work for her and her husband by picking up rocks in their yard even when I had a broken toe Not only that but she was my substitute teacher and always seemed to know exactly what was going on in my life And I don't know how or why she did it but she ended up giving me a clue to solve the Curse We still hadn't talked after that and even though I owed her a thank-you the thought of working for her again gave me the creeps Not the Klinkles house I shouted Please anything but that Actually I have something different in mind Dad said You've got some options He pulled out a list from his pocket and handed it to me Dad there is only one thing on the list I laughed Why did you even write it down For dramatic effect he joined Well what do you think I looked back down at the list to see my one and only option In Dad's handwriting it read GLICO INDUSTRIAL PLANT POSITION LAWN CARE
