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NOTES 1.'OifABDA STORY FOR UNCLE IRVING

I have to write a storY for unc~e Irving.
IqUnS I real.ly don' t have to, but I to1d
him 1: woula~' and I suppose IShOuld try ..
I told uncle Irving after he qaw me the
pen and pencil set: "Haw If II write a story

for you."
The gift was a strange qesture.

I bad qone to Jtq grandpIU'ellts' one sunday

afternoon. It was late May and I had just come

froa the beach •. ~ I reached the door of my

qrandpare:nts' apart:JIIent, I could bear voices

inside, not just the usual droning ofGranilpa t s

TV set. It was Uncle Irving and ,Aunt Birdie.

Aunt Birdie is one of Grandpa.' s sisters. She

and Uncle Irving live :in the nextbui lding from

my grandparents'.. When I see them on the street

or on the boa,rdwallt, .I usua].ly try to avoid

them. As a ~ ruJ,.e they make :me nervous.

But Uncle Irving going all the way baCk to

his apart:DIent in the other buj 1dj 119 just to get

me the pen and pendl set-it vas real.1Y quite

strange. Grandma said it was beCause I said

"Bel.l.o, Uncle ~.. to him when I came .in

and I was smil.inq when I said·it, ].ike I was
qlad to see bia. ",It was calling him by .name

like that that did it," Grandaa said. "Be

doesn't get too much .respect. It vas 1ike an

honor forhi:lll." .An honOr to be ~ed Uncle

Ixv.ing? I guess it was. For a few lDinute.s

later, he jUJll.Ped up and said, "I 1)aveto get

sCB:!thing for Richard." Just like that. It

vas all very peculiar. Even AUnt BiJ:die l:ooked

at hia strangely: she haSJ1't ~ W! in years,

I think-not that I care. But I never t:hOI1Cd.Jt

Uncle I.rv.i.Dg ]J.ked,~ either .. ait;hongb I baan'~

given the :matter much thought. Yet I sappose

I toleratebi1'l\ as .much as an~ will. Uncle

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