As a young boy, I was carefree. Every vacation I looked forward to two things—seeing my grandpa and hearing his wonderful stories. My grandpa was a very good storyteller. He had worked various odd jobs when he was young and wove his adventures and misadventures into fantastic tales. These wonderful tales colored my childhood.

As I grew up, I had to admit that Grandpa’s stories went on a little long, even a little boring and gradually lost their magic. However, not wanting to upset him, my brother and I would sometimes take turns sitting in the living room, listening to grandpa tell his stories.

When my grandpa was approaching 91, he suffered from serious memory-loss. It was kind of what doctors called dementia (痴呆), probably the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Following the doctor’s directions, we moved him into a Sunrise Assisted Living Community, where he could get a better care. After that, grandpa hardly came to our house.

One weekend before my grandpa’s birthday, I came to visit him. Seeing grandpa sitting in his armchair, dull-looking, I was consumed with mixed feelings. I wheeled grandpa to the sunshine in the courtyard, talking to him. He couldn’t express himself clearly and spoke in short bursts, but I listened to him patiently and carefully just as I used to be a little boy.

It was then that I noticed a shadow box with some old and yellowish photos in it. I picked one up, in which my brother, several boys in our neighborhood, and I were playing basketball with grandpa cheering us on twenty years before. My mind flashed back to those beautiful memories. Back then, Grandpa was in good physical condition and we were all wearing basketball jerseys, playing and laughing with abandon. I presented the photo to my grandpa, pointing at each member and reminding him of their names. Incredibly, grandpa could speak out the name of every player. I even caught a soft light in grandpa’s eyes and a smile on his lips.

A bright idea for grandpa’s birthday came to my mind.

Seeing “the same players” playing there, grandpa seemed to have thought of something.

My heart beat wildly as I stared at my phone screen. I re-read the message from my friend, Jane. Someone had upset her by sharing her personal news: she had been refused by her dream school. Jane had shared the sad news with only a few people. She didn’t know who let the word out, but she was really hurt and disappointed.

I felt so bad. I knew how the news had gotten out because I had been the one to tell someone beyond her closest friends. Honestly, I hadn’t realized she meant to keep it so close to only a few in the first place, but at the same time I’d known it wasn’t a good idea when I started to tell it to someone else.

Did she really not know it was me? It would have been easy to admit what I had done and apologize if her message put the blame, specifically, on me. But it read as though it had been copied and sent to several people. Once again ignoring the right choice, I chose the coward’s (懦夫) way out instead.

“I’m so sorry for what happened to you,” I typed. “How awful that your confidence was broken!”

I hoped that would work. Her reply came back within seconds: “Thank you.”

“It would be okay for me to remain anonymous (匿名), wouldn’t it?” I thought to myself.

But, deep down, I knew I’d been the one to break faith and hurt her. I was ashamed, not only of my original action, but also because I’d taken a further step in the wrong direction by covering it up.

I felt painful at church on Sunday, sitting in silence all the time. Later, the speaker asked us to examine ourselves and see if anything stood in the way of holding on to our faith, and if so, not to let anything stop us until we cleared it away. Chancing it all — whatever we feared, whatever held us back — would be worth it to make it right.

I knew what stood between me and the right thing: my image.

The next day, I went straight to Jane.

Keeping up seemed so important when I was a teenager. Back in 1973, if you weren’t wearing Penn Loafers (乐福鞋) you’d just as soon go around in your bare feet. There was only one problem that year, I had bought Oxfords—but Penny Loafers were in.

“I need some money for Penny Loafers.” I told my dad one afternoon at the place where he worked as a car mechanic.

Dad looked at me for a full minute before he answered, “Wear those shoes one more day. Look at every pair of shoes you see at school. If you can tell me that you are worse off than the other kids, I’ll buy new shoes for you.”

The next day, I did what Dad said. I saw many schoolmates wore torn shoes of the likes I’d never had to wear, and shoes with holes in them, but I had no intention of telling him the results.

When school was out, I rushed to the place where Dad worked. It was quiet. Only an occasional clank (叮当声) of metal could be heard as Dad worked under a car. Then dad’s shoes came into my sight. They were old and black, the kind mechanics and service-station attendants wore. I saw the mended soles (鞋底) and the spliced laces (拼接的鞋带) .

“You do what I told you today?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” He looked as though he might know what my answer would be.

“I still want the Penny Loafers.” I forced myself not to look at his shoes.

Dad handed me ten dollars. I took the money and went to the store two blocks down the street. A rack (货架) on a far wall appeared as if it had a million pairs of black Penny Loafers resting on it. On a rack next to it was a sign that reads “CLEARANCE 50% OFF”.Below the sign sat several “young” versions ofDad’s shoes.

My mind was playing Pingpong

I ran back to the shop and put Dad’s new shoes on the seat in his car.

9 . Not being able to see someone you love for a long time is hard, but it does make a reunion（重逢）more special.

Owen and Stevie________several years ago at their school in Chicago. They became close friends and it seemed that nothing could________them. Unfortunately, their friendship was________three years ago when Owen and his family moved to Missouri. Owen and Stevie were________to keep their long-distance friendship.________, it wasn't easy not being able to see their best friend every day.

Recently, Owen's dad was________for a business trip to Chicago. The two families naturally took advantage of this amazing________for a reunion. Instead of telling Stevie the great news, they kept the________from him. When the big day arrived, Stevie was________kept in the dark.

That day, Stevie's mum________to pick him up early. Little did Stevie know that his best friend was________him in the back seat. When Stevie________his mum's car with a basketball in his hand, Owen was hiding in the car. Yet the moment the door opened wide, so did Stevie's________!

“What are you doing here?!” Stevie said with a big________.

"I'm________you in Chicago! That's what I'm doing here," Owen replied, then giving Stevie a huge hug.

“I feel like I'm dreaming,” Stevie said..

A GIFT FOR GRANDPA

Summer vacation was coming. Jack and his brother Berlin were filled with excitement as they thought of visiting their grandparents again.

The big day came at last. After the happy family got ready, they set out for the grandparents’ eagerly. On the way, the brothers were excitedly talking about the fun they had with grandparents.

A little blue house with a tall white chimney finally appeared. Behind the property was the forest carrying their good memories with Grandpa. They arrived at the driveway, at the end of which Grandma was waiting for them joyfully.

Jack and Berlin each gave Grandma a big hug and then swept to the living room, shouting excitedly “Grandpa, we are back!”

Seeing his grandsons, Grandpa was wild with joy and tried to get up with all his strength from the chair but in vain. A helpless expression flashed on his face. Grandma explained that his health was declining rapidly and maybe couldn’t stand up on his own forever. But Grandpa declared stubbornly (倔强地), “I can!” Certainly, he was stuck in his boyish way. Mum and grandparents were happy to meet again after a long time. They sat together and chatted about what happened recently.

The brothers were soon bored with adult conversation, went out and wandered into the forest. Tall trees stretched up to the heavens with large branches crossing each other, while young ones rose straight like soldiers. Grandpa was once a great explorer full of wisdom. He could tell where the birds came from only by their calls and songs. The trees, birds, lizards, lots of bugs...How many merry moments they spent with Grandpa in the kingdom!

But now Grandpa couldn't get up. This made them worried. “We’d think out a way to cheer him up.” Jack said. “Grandpa is a bird lover, and we can catch him a bird.” Berlin suggested. “But he hates birds being caged!” Jack shook his head.

Then a bright idea came to Jack’s mind. “Why not make a cane (拐杖) out of a young tree!”

Berlin thought it was a good idea.

Jack and Berlin handed the cane to Grandpa.