Friday Is Still Fine
Ages 12-15
Dovi turns down the corner of page forty-seven before lending Nosson his puzzle book.
"The answers are at the back," he says. "This one took me three tries."
Nosson looks at the little drawing of a row of doors.
"How long can I keep it?"
"Until Friday."
It is Monday. Dovi has schoolwork and the library book he needs to finish. He hands over the puzzle book closed, with the bent corner showing along its edge.
On Thursday, their teacher sets a pile of returned assignments on the desk.
"You've finished the work for this period," he tells the boys. "You may read quietly until the bell."
Dovi takes his library book from his bag.
It has a chapter about an old mill. Yesterday he read the first three pages. The miller has not yet gone anywhere, and there are four more pages about the wheel.
Two desks away, Nosson opens the puzzle book.
Dovi can see the row of doors.
He knows the wrong answer he chose first. He knows the right one now, but he would like to try the next puzzle again. That has two baskets and a missing apple.
He leaves the mill book on his desk and walks over.
"Are you finished with mine?"
Nosson looks up.
"Not yet. I'm doing this one."
"Could I have it for the reading period?"
Nosson keeps a finger beside the first door.
"I'm using it for the reading period too. You said Friday."
"I know."
Dovi looks at the bent corner. It is his fold, in his book, on somebody else's desk.
Nosson looks down at the doors again, then back at Dovi.
"Do you need it today?"
"I wanted to read it now."
Nosson's finger stays on the page.
Dovi takes his hand off the corner of the desk.
"Friday is still fine."
Nosson turns back to the puzzle.
Dovi returns to his own chair. He opens the library book where his paper marker waits.
The miller examines the wheel.
Dovi reads the sentence twice. Then he goes on to the next one.
Two desks away, Nosson raises his hand to ask the teacher about a word. When he puts it down, he turns the puzzle page. The small bent corner rests on the left now.