The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records (19 page)

Mr. Ronaldson fussed and cooed over her like she was a baby; in fact, that's exactly what he called her every two seconds—“You okay, baby? Everything's going to be all right, sugar baby. Come on, babes, we're just about there.” Lee was surprised Rhonda didn't bite her dad's head off for calling her that in public. Instead, she just collapsed into his arms as soon as he was able to cradle her dangling body, harness and all. Lee went over to pat her on the shoulder, and she surprised him again by not only giving him a hug, but hanging on tight an extra second or two before letting go. “Thanks,” she whispered. “Ouch. Ow.”

Good thing it was dark. “Hey, anytime, Rhonda,” said Lee, blushing.

“My name's not … Ow!
Ouch
!”

CHAPTER THIRTY

EVERYBODY READY?

OKAY, JUST RELAX

SOMEONE GET THE DOG TO STOP LICKING HER BUTT
GOOD. WE'RE LOOKING GOOD … ROLL TAPE

Lee stood before the lens of the television camera, trying not to grin from ear to ear, but he was having difficulty with the modesty thing. And why not? Wasn't every day he stood in front of a local television camera for an interview. He fidgeted with Santiago's leash as the news reporter spoke into the camera.

“Thirteen-year-old Lee Einstein McGillicuddy, of 933 Dorchester Avenue, received a special medal of honor, presented by Manitoba's Lieutenant Governor at a ceremony held on the legislative grounds this morning. McGillicuddy spent a grueling twelve and a half hours averting certain catastrophe by preventing the fall of a rock-filled bucket, dangling above the body of a young girl trapped in an abandoned well. Eleven-year-old Rhonda Ronaldson had accidentally fallen into the well, sustaining a broken leg and mild concussion.

“Lee,” said the journalist, turning to Lee with the mike, “how does it feel to be a hero?”

“Well, I don't know about heroism, Greg,” laughed Lee, “but I think I may have broken a world record for sustaining the most mosquito bites per square inch of exposed human flesh. I plan to look into it.”

Greg chuckled. “I understand you have a special interest in breaking records,” he said. “How do you plan to top this one?”

Lee grinned at Rhonda, who stood beside him, sporting a full leg cast and a couple of crutches. “I'm thinking of bouncing a basketball all the way to the North Pole with a team of reindeer tied to my butt,” he said. “And Rhonda here, she's going to be my manager.”

Rhonda grabbed the mike from Greg and spoke into the camera. “For the record, my name's not Rhonda, it's
Ron
. And yeah, I'll be selling tickets to the event. Ten bucks, if you're interested.”

Greg smiled as he recovered the mike from Rhonda and spoke directly into the camera. “Inspired by this young duo's indomitably bright spirit, this reporter, for one, intends to buy a ticket! This is Greg Stanley for
WYG
news. And now, over to you, Roger, for a close-up look at the weather.”

CUT!

Gertrude and Agnes stood off to the side, beaming, as only two proud mothers can. They watched as Lee joked with the cameraman after the interview and asked if he could hold the camera on his own shoulder, just to see how it felt. He winced as the camera came to rest on his scarred shoulder, but even then it felt good.

“It suits you!” joked the cameraman.

“I'd have to gain a few more pounds to carry around
this
mama,” said Lee, handing the heavy camera back.

“How much you weigh, anyway, kid? You're the skinniest beanpole I've ever seen …”

Gertrude smiled at the two of them chatting and laughing. “Agnes,” she whispered, “your suggestion about the two of us giving the kid a gift to let him know we're proud? I've think I've got an idea …”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Santiago nuzzled her nose beneath the spread out Camcorder instructions that Lee had had his nose buried in for the last hour. Lee smiled, put the instruction booklet down on the back stoop, and gave his dog all the ear-scratching, tummy-rubbing attention she deserved.

“Let's go inside, girl,” he said when the breeze began to chill. Santiago's claws scrabbled against the wooden back steps as she scrambled to the door ahead of Lee, imagining the bedtime snack that awaited inside. Lee took one last look into the sky and panned the expanse of twinkling stars, using his fingers as a fake lens for the very last time. “Goodnight, Einstein,” he whispered. “Night, Dad.”

Goodnight, McGillicuddy!

– Albert

Buona notte, Señor McGillicuddy
– Leonardo da Vinci

Your stature reaches the sky, Lee. Star-kissed dreams, my friend.

– Emily

Night, Kid!

– Groucho

Good night, Master McGillicuddy.

– William Shakespeare

Goodnight, friend.

–
Mark Twain

Kalinishta, Lee.

– Plato

Sweetest of Dreams, Lee.

– William Blake

Keep smiling, Lee.

– Charlie Chaplin

Bliss, Lee.

– Buddha

Keep your ears screwed on tight, Lee.

– Vincent

sleep your dreams / dream your sleep.

– e. e. cummings

Jo tau, Mista Ree!

– Confucius

You dared to take the road less traveled. You go, guy!!

– Robert Frost

Hit a homer in your dreams, McGillicuddy!

– Cornelius McGillicuddy

INTERVIEW WITH COLLEEN SYDOR

It's a pretty obvious question but where did the idea for this intriguing story spring from?

I remember seeing an illustration once of a boy standing on the edge of a barn roof with outstretched arms on which he was wearing a large pair of homemade, rather suspect-looking wings. That picture stayed with me. It spoke of longing and a burning, youthful desire. It spoke about believing and “wanting” to the max. In
The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records
, Lee knows that his personal records mania is only a stepping stone on the way to “becoming.” The fact that he doesn't know exactly what that will be only serves to make him more tenacious and I find this a very positive and endearing character trait.

Lee and Rhonda are different ages and different genders; yet they have a strong, though unstated, friendship. Do you think this kind of relationship occurs a lot between boys and girls of these ages?

I think that in the general mainstream scheme of things, this kind of relationship does not exist in great numbers (probably because of unspoken gender and age related rules and expectations). However, often kids are “thrown together,” for example as cousins or family friends or, as in the case of Lee, by proximity. Rhonda lives across the street from him. Since they're both stubborn and independent, they gravitate toward one another and the friendship—albeit outwardly grudging— develops naturally.

Lee is in many ways a lone wolf. He doesn't have a lot of friends his own age, and yet he has a strongly focused life, and doesn't seem lonely. Do you think there are a lot of Lees in this world, who pursue their own interests without appearing to need companionship?

Yes. And I am one of them. That's probably why I'm an author. I'm able to do my work for the most part by myself. It takes a lot of different kinds of people with different needs and inclinations to make the world tick. Sometimes I fall into the trap of feeling a little bad or “unusual” about not needing a large social network. Then I give my head a shake and paint a picture or write a story and know that I'll surface when I'm ready. My friends are patient with me.

Rhonda is a feisty, complicated character. While this is primarily Lee's story, Ron is almost as interesting as he is. What is her place in the story?

Rhonda never started out having a specific agenda or “place” in the story. She simply appeared as I started writing and I couldn't deny her a depth of character. She is secondary, but she came to me alive and breathing and I didn't want to stifle her verve. I really like Rhonda.

In your story, you give the adult characters more than a one-dimensional role in the story. Why did you choose to do that?

Again, I didn't “choose” consciously to bring dimension to the roles of the adults in the book. But I find colorful characters more interesting to read and write about. Also, as I'm writing, I can't help listening to how the characters wish to be presented. Writing has a lot to do with a certain kind of intuitive “listening.” I know this sounds a bit goofy but it delights me when I start “hearing” their voices and hence their roles instead of forcing them to life.

What about Santiago's role?

It seemed natural to me that since Santiago is such a big part of Lee's life, he also needed a “voice.” I've never owned a dog but I imagine that dogs, cats, any kind of living being that's important to someone else, must have the same tinges of compassion, joy, and empathy that we as humans experience. I know this is a little anthropomorphic, but that's the fun and poetic freedom of being an author. I say what goes—unless my editor suggests I rethink. In this case, I know my editor is a dog lover and perhaps that's what saved Santi's unusual depiction in this book!

One reader of this book compares the story to those written by Mark Twain. Whether that's true or not, both Lee and Rhonda are given the freedom to discover their world so that they can have independent adventures that help to strengthen and enlarge their characters. Do you think we need to give young people more independence so that they can realize their potential?

Absolutely! It seems we often hear the old sentence that begins: “Back when I was a kid …”—words that usually tell stories of kids free to adventure together, not needing or particularly desiring the presence of adults in their neighborhood networks. Within reason, I think it's healthy for kids to be intensely with other kids to the extent that they forget they have parents and care-givers. Being lost in “play” and discovering independently and unabashedly has to be a good thing, I think.

You've used some of the conventions of film and TV scene-setting as the story develops. Why?

Just as I “hear” what my characters wish to say, I often “see” scenes unfolding like a movie being played just for me. With this book, I completely gave in to the idea of fast-moving movie scenes and I used a director's voice to allow the reader to also “see” the scenes unfolding. Usually a book is written from the point of view of only one character, but this technique allowed me to achieve multiple perspectives and even have some of the various scenes happening simultaneously. The director's voice helped make the transition between perspectives clear and obvious. I also felt that this would appeal to the young readers of today who are used to, and delighted by, fast-paced media of all sorts.

In this story you have been able to skillfully blend the comic and the dramatic. How does that mix reflect your own view of the world?

When I go to a movie, for example, I am particularly drawn to scenes where something intended to be funny makes me feel sad, or something sad can make me laugh. I think this has something to do with willingness (on both the viewer and the character's part) to be vulnerable—to remember that sometimes our underwear is showing and it's okay.

What advice would you give to young writers?

Love lots, fear nadda, and
WRITE
!!

Colleen Sydor was born and raised in Winnipeg, where she lives with her husband and three children. She brings quick wit and a lively sense of language to her books for young readers. Four of her books have won the McNally Robinson Book For Young People award. Sydor's children have always been grist for her writer's mill. She finds that as they grow in feet and inches, so her stories are lengthening as well.
The McGillicuddy Book of Personal Records
is her second novel for young adults.