Дмитрий Леонтьев – Don't trust anyone (страница 9)

In the garage he found his Dad waiting for him. Kevin was so excited that he was slightly trembling. He knew that his father loved making presents and this scooter would be the best he could find. He imagined that his new scooter should be green like Robert’s, but faster, stronger and more powerful.

He also pictured how he would ride the scooter on his street, with his friends and maybe even go with Robert to his ‘arcane’ place.

At last Kevin found himself before the garage door.

“Daddy,” he called out excitedly expecting to hear his father’s voice in reply.

But, exactly at that moment, something loudly crashed down on the floor.

“Oh, …Kevin, is it you?” Fred asked him from inside.

“Yeah,” Kevin shouted.

“I can’t come and meet you right now…, but you can come inside,” the male voice said from the garage.

Kevin dared to walk inside. At first he noticed his father standing almost in the dark and then the box he was holding in a gift wrapping with a big bow. It was his new scooter.

“Oh, my gosh!” Kevin yelled joyfully jumping and clapping his hands.

“Yeah, dude,” his father reacted with a big satisfied smile on his face.

“Yippee,” Kevin shouted and came closer to his gift.

“Now it is all yours,” Fred said and gave Kevin a pat on the shoulder.

Kevin opened the box and was now staring at the scooter gently touching it with his palm.

In spite of the fact that it was different from Robert’s scooter, Kevin was overjoyed and could not believe his eyes. It was white and big and shiny.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have time to organize a proper award ceremony..,” Fred began to apologize.

“Thank you so much,” Kevin interrupted him and gave him a grateful hug.

“Hey,” somebody called cheerfully from outside. It was Linda who had come to look at Kevin’s reaction.

“Thank you, mum,” Kevin turned to her and went up to give her a hug as well.

“So,” Fred said. “Let’s test it,” he added and rolled the bike out of the garage.

“Max, what are you doing here?” Linda was surprised to see the dog outside the garage.

Fred carefully turned the scooter around and got it ready for Kevin.

“”Here you go!” he told Kevin.

“Me?” Kevin asked looking delighted.

“Of course, you should go for a ride right now,” Fred declared.

“Maybe at first you should show him how it works?” Linda interfered.

“It’ll be easy,” Fred said without any doubt on his face.

“Ok, Kevin,” he addressed his son. “Start the engine by turning this key to the right, ok?”

Kevin stood listening attentively to his father.

“Yes, easy,” he agreed.

“When the scooter gives a vroom-vroom sound, it’s ready to go,” Fred imitated the sound of the engine pulling a funny grimace and looking quite ridiculous face. Linda and Kevin burst out laughing.

“And after that you can sit here,” Fred pointed to the saddle. “Then put your right hand on the gas handle and slowly turn it adjusting the speed.”

“Yes, got it,” Kevin answered climbing on the saddle.

“But you forgot about one important thing,” Fred reminded Kevin.

“What?” Kevin asked.

“About the brakes!” Fred exclaimed.

The remark was met with a gale of laughter from Kevin and Linda. Max joined them with barking at the scooter.

“And this is the brake,” Fred uttered pointing to the left handle, “And, please, be careful!” he asked his son.

Then Fred added “The scooter cost me a lot, but your life is priceless.”

“Sure,” Linda couldn’t help agreeing.

“I just want to tell you that you must be very careful!” Fred repeated.

“Ok,” Kevin said mounting on the scooter.

Following his father’s advice he touched the key and turned it. The scooter started.

“Begin to move slowly,” Fred said.

Kevin gently touched the right handle and slowly turned it down.

“I am riding, I am riding,” Kevin shouted with excitement.

“Hooraaaay!” Fred shouted raising up his arms.

“Be careful,” Linda repeated.

Max ran after Kevin wiggling his tail.

“I can do it, I can do it,” Kevin shouted riding in the yard.

CHAPTER 3

Evening came. Kevin was wallowing in his bed fiddling with a yoyo. He was overjoyed that day as, first of all, he had completed his 8th moronic grade and now had three whole months of holidays and second and the most important he had got his brand-new promised scooter.

His dog Max as usual was lying in the bed next to Kevin following the movements of the yoyo ball.

Kevin was thinking about something from time to time suspending the yoyo with his palm and then spinning it back up.

Suddenly Kevin quickly jumped down from the bed and headed for the landline phone he had in his room. Grabbing it from the table, he dropped it on the bed. Lying down, he dialed a number and put the handset to his right ear. Several beeps later he heard, “Hello.”

“Good evening Madam Brown, it’s Kevin,” Kevin said into the handset.

“Oh, Kevin, wait, I will call Robert,” Amanda Brown uttered.

Several seconds later, Robert answered.

“Hello,” he said in a slothful voice.

“Hello,” Kevin said into the phone continuing to play with the yoyo with his other hand.

“What’s up?” Robert asked.

“Do you remember our conversation?” Kevin asked.

“What conversation? You left me hanging out there and even didn’t let me finish,” Robert remarked discontentedly.

“I guess I should eat my words,” Kevin admitted and stopped throwing the yoyo ball.

“So what do you want to hear from me?” Robert asked.