“Well…” said Dad and put his cup down. “That’s what I wanted to know, so I can go now.” He hadn’t even finished his coffee. He stood up and I did, too. Then he gave me a big hug, and for a minute I wanted to never let him go.
“Bye, son,” he said. “I’ll try to see you more often.”
“Sure, Dad,” I said. I had learned by now that I couldn’t trust anything he said.
Mom came to the door. Suddenly Dad hugged her, and to my surprise, she hugged him back. Then he turned and ran down the steps. When he reached his rig, he shouted, “Take good care of Bandit.”
I thought of Dad hauling a load of broccoli across the country and all those places in my book of road maps, and I didn’t like to think of Dad alone on that long haul driving all day and most of the night, thinking of Mom.
“Dad, wait!” I yelled and ran to him. “Dad, you keep Bandit. You need him more than I do. Please take him. I don’t have any ways to amuse him.”
Dad smiled at that, and whistled, and Bandit jumped into the cab as if that was what he really wanted to do all this time.
“Bye, Leigh,” Dad said and started the motor. Then he looked out the window and said, “You’re a good kid, Leigh. I’m proud of you, and I’ll try to be a better Dad.” As he drove off, he yelled, “See you around!” and was more the way I had remembered him.
When I went inside, Mom was drinking her coffee and staring into space. I went into my room, shut the door and sat listening to the gas station go ping-ping, ping-ping. Maybe it was broccoli that brought Dad here, but he had come because he really wanted to see us. He had really missed us. I felt sad and a lot better at the same time.
Vocabulary
adj – adjective (прилагательное)
adv – adverb (наречие)
conj – conjunction (союз)
interj – interjection (междометие)
n – noun (существительное)
phr.v. – phrasal verb (фразовый глагол)
prep – preposition (предлог)
pron – pronoun (местоимение)
v – verb (глагол)
амер. – американизм
бот. – ботанический термин
зоол. – зоологический термин
идиом. – идиоматическое выражение
разг. – разговорное выражение
A
across adv напротив, по ту сторону
afraid adj испуганный, боящийся
age n возраст
alarm system n сигнализация
alone adj одинокий
along 1) prep вдоль; 2) adv вместе, с собой
although conj хотя
amuse v развлекать, веселить
another adj другой
answer 1) v отвечать; 2) n ответ
antique adj антикварный
anymore adv (амер.) больше не
anything pron что-нибудь
argument n ссора, спор
army n армия
ask v спрашивать
asphalt n асфальт
attention n внимание; pay – to уделять внимание чему-либо
author n автор, писатель
autograph 1) v надписывать, ставить подпись; 2) adj ~ed подписанный, с автографом
avoid v избегать
awake adj бодрствующий, не спящий
award n награда
B
backwards adv задом наперёд, наоборот
bake v печь, выпекать
bakery n пекарня
bandanna n бандана, косынка
bark v лаять
bathroom n санузел
battery n батарейка
beard n борода
beauty n красота
bedtime n время ложиться спать
beg v просить, выпрашивать
beggar n попрошайка
begin 1) v (began, begun) начинать; 2) ~ing n начало
behind adv позади
besides adv кроме, кроме того
bill n счёт
blackboard n классная доска
blame (for) v обвинять, винить в чём-либо
blank adj пустой, озадаченный, сбитый с толку
blizzard n снежный буран, пурга, метель
blow v (blew, blown) дуть
blue adj (разг.) тоскливый, печальный
bookmark n закладка для книг
boot n ботинок
bored adj скучающий
boring adj скучный
born adj рождённый
borrow v брать (книги в библиотеке)
bother v беспокоить, волновать
brain n мозг
brave adj храбрый
break v (broke, broken) ломать, рушить
breath n дыхание
breeze n лёгкий ветерок, бриз
bright adj яркий, ясный
bring v (brought, brought) приносить
broccoli n (бот.) брокколи (капуста)
broker n посредник, брокер