Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Wow! (03/11/10)
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TITLE: A Friend In Need | Previous Challenge Entry
By cheryl schoenberger
03/15/10 -
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“Sure you can Alex, I am going to help you,” Susie said confidently. “This is what we are going to do. We are going to practice your report every day until you can say it without getting nervous, ok?”
“O-o-ok, if you th-th-think it will work,” Alex said hesitantly.
“Sure it will work, let’s start right now!”
Alex produced a crumpled up paper from his back pocket and began unfolding it to practice reading his report. Susie began rearranging her living room to resemble a classroom with three folding chairs in a row.
“W-w-who is going to sit in the chairs?” Alex retorted.
“Well you need an audience to practice, right?”
Susie disappeared into the den and came back moments later with Rudy, her poodle. She plopped him down on one chair, and tied his leash to the chair leg to maintain her captive audience. Rudy was old and half-blind and did not seem to mind sitting in the chair. Susie vanished again and came back this time with Sophie, a plump rescue cat from the Humane Society. Sophie was positioned in the second row behind Rudy. Lastly, Susie sat down in the third seat.
“Ok, we are all ready Mr. Alex Jones. You can begin now,” she said in her teacher voice.
Alex looked around the room and had to chuckle at his new classmates.
“M-M-My report is on king penguins. Th-Th-The king penguin is the second largest p-p-penguin next to the emperor penguin.”
Alex continued his report until he was through, only stopping briefly for an approving sigh from Rudy. They continued practicing for the big day every afternoon after school, and as the week progressed, Alex was beginning to stutter less and less.
It did not matter to Susie if he stuttered or not, every afternoon, without fail, after he was finished reading his report, Susie would say, “Wow! That was wonderful Alex. You did a great job!”
Alex would look up from his paper and just smile from ear to ear, beaming like a proud peacock.
Report day finally arrived, and Alex was frozen with fright in front of the classroom door, unable to go in.
“Come on, Alex. The bell is about to ring,” Susie said hurriedly.
“I c-c-can't,” Alex stammered, visibly shaking.
“Sure you can, just close your eyes and say a prayer to Jesus asking Him to speak for you and you won't be nervous, ok?”
“H-H-He would do that for me Susie?” Alex asked with hopeful eyes.
“Of course, Alex, Jesus loves you.”
Alex closed his eyes and talked from the heart, "Jesus, please could you talk for me today, ‘cause my words get stuck in my mouth a lot. Please Jesus help me."
Alex and Susie exchanged smiles as they waited their turns to give their report. Finally Mrs. Prescott called Alex up to give his report, and motioned to Susie to go to the office. Susie nodded and quickly left the room and returned with Rudy and Sophie.
Susie plopped Rudy in the front desk, Sophie in the second, and Susie took her seat.
Alex chuckled at his new classmates that had already heard his report a few dozen times, and smiled a grateful smile at Susie. Before he began, he looked up at the ceiling and said, "Ok Jesus here we go!"
The report was read slowly without a stutter, and Mrs. Prescott tearingly uttered when he was finished, “Wow! That was wonderful Alex. You did a great job!”
“Thank you Mrs. Prescott, but to tell you the truth, I wrote my report all by myself, but Jesus helped me read it.”
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I'd have liked a bit more context to establish the ages of the two main characters, and some relaxation of the dialog.
The relationship between your characters was well-written and very sweet.