CHAPTER SEVEN

Tom Gets Engaged

At lunchtime, after the teacher had left the classroom, Tom went to sit with Becky and taught her how to draw. They drew only for a little while and then started talking instead:

"Tell me, Becky, have you ever promised to marry a boy before?"

"No. Of course not."

"Would you like to promise to marry someone?"

"Maybe, but I don't know how."

"It's easy. You just agree to marry the boy, kiss him, and that's it."

"Kiss? What for?"

"It's just what people do. Do you remember what I wrote?"

"Yes."

"What did I write? If you don't, I can say it again."

Becky just laughed and said, "Not now."

"But I want to say it now. OK, I'll say it quietly in your ear." He put his mouth close to her ear and whispered the words. Then he sat back and said, "Do you want to say it to me?"

She became embarrassed and asked him to look the other way. Then she put her hand to his ear and whispered the same words: "I love you," and ran away from him. He started to try to catch her as she ran between the tables and chairs in the classroom. Finally, he caught her, but she covered her face with her hands. Tom waited patiently for her to remove her hands, and when she eventually did, he kissed her and said, "Now you've promised to marry me. You can never love another boy."

"OK. And you can never marry another girl."

"Of course. I'll love and marry only you and we'll play together everyday."

"I think I like this kind of promise. What do you call it?"

"It's called 'getting engaged'. I like it too. I and Amy Lawrence were ... "

But Tom stopped when he saw Becky's eyes get bigger. She was clearly not happy anymore.

"You mean you've been engaged to other girls before?" Becky cried.

"Oh ... well, I ... I never did marry Amy and I don't love her anymore."

Seeing that she didn't seem to feel better, Tom took a gold-colored ball from his pocket and tried to give it to her. She took it and threw it on the ground. Tom felt both hurt and angry. He walked out of the school and into the forest, and he planned to stay there for the rest of the day.

Becky thought that he would come back a few minutes later, but when he didn't, she started to call out for him: "Tom! Where did you go? Please come back!" When no reply came, she started to cry even harder than before.

(end of section)