“Over here! Pass it to me!” Benny Alden yelled, waving his arms. He and his sister Violet just needed one more basket to break the tie.
Violet looked over at Benny. She looked down at Soo Lee. Her five-year-old cousin was right beside her. Violet was quick. With both hands, she passed the ball to Benny.
Soo Lee scooted after it. Too late! Benny caught the ball. He took aim and arched it into the basket!
“Eight to ten. You won!” Benny’s older brother, Henry, yelled from across the driveway. “Soo Lee and I will get you next time.”
The Aldens’ backyard basketball game was over. The children plopped down on the cool grass next to twelve-year-old Jessie Alden, who had sat out this game. Their dog, Watch, waited for someone to roll him the ball. He liked basketball, too!
“Henry’s the basketball champ in high school,” Benny said, “but we’re the champs in Grandfather’s driveway. I like our new basketball stand. It’s not too tall. The net over the garage is for big kids. But this one is just right for me and Soo Lee.”
“You two are going to catch up to the rest of us in no time,” Jessie said. “Then watch out, everybody!” She pushed the basketball across the grass with her foot. Watch chased after it. He pushed the ball back to Jessie with his nose. She rolled it to him again.
“Soo Lee was just like a little shadow guarding me,” Violet told everyone.
“Speaking of shadows, look at that.” Henry pointed to a long shadow moving up the sunny driveway.
Watch saw the shadow, too. He let the basketball roll down the driveway. He ran after the shadow instead.
The Aldens heard the fast, pleasant thump of a basketball hitting the driveway. Then, swoosh! The ball sailed right into the big net over the garage.
“Who threw that?” Jessie asked.
The children looked down the driveway. The sun was in their eyes. All they saw were two skinny shadows crisscrossing each other.
The Aldens heard a young woman’s voice. “That’s okay, Watch. We’re friends.”
Watch yipped and yapped and ran in circles. He liked these people with the long shadows.
The Aldens scrambled up from the grass. The two strangers dribbled and ran and jumped. They shot baskets from up close, from down the driveway, from behind their backs. They didn’t miss a single shot.
The Aldens looked at one another. Who were these basketball wizards?
The children heard the screen door bang. Grandfather Alden stood on the back porch. He smiled at the young woman and the young man. Both of them were tall, brown-haired, and fast on their feet.
“Do you know them, Grandfather?” Benny asked. “They just showed up and started shooting baskets in our yard.”
Mr. Alden broke into a big smile. “You know the surprise guests that Mrs. McGregor’s been baking for? Well, here they are!”
The young man and woman stopped playing. They shook hands with Mr. Alden.
“Sorry, Mr. Alden. We got carried away when we saw the basketball roll down your driveway,” the young woman said. “Buzz and I just had to try it out after being cooped up in our car.”
“Come meet our mystery guests,” Mr. Alden said to the children. “Buzz, Tipper, these are my grandchildren. Let’s start with Henry, who’s fourteen. This one is Jessie, who’s twelve. That’s Violet, our ten-year-old. All three of them play basketball on our neighborhood teams.”
“What about us?” Soo Lee asked.
Mr. Alden patted the little Korean girl’s head. “Why, of course, I would never leave you out, Soo Lee. This is Cousin Joe and Cousin Alice’s daughter. And last but not least, here’s Benny. He’s six now. He and Soo Lee are catching up to my older grandchildren in basketball. I just bought them that junior-size stand to practice with. Children, meet Buzz and Tipper Nettleton.”
Henry’s eyes opened wide. “Are you the famous Nettleton twins?”
The young woman laughed. “Sometimes we’re the not-so-famous Nettleton twins, too!”
“Wow!” Henry shook the twins’ hands. “I’ve seen your names all over our Hall of Fame board at school. My high school coach sometimes plays old tapes of your championship basketball games.”
“My coach does, too.” Jessie held her hand out to Tipper Nettleton. “She said ever since you played for Greenfield High, lots more girls sign up for basketball. Congratulations on winning the Most Valuable Player trophy. Nobody from Greenfield ever won it before.”
Tipper smiled. “Thanks. Buzz and I both love basketball. It’s a great game —”
“Enough basketball talk,” the young man said, interrupting his sister. “I’d better get our luggage, Tip.”
Now the Aldens noticed another shadow. This one seemed to pass over Tipper Nettleton’s smiling face.
“Sorry, did I say something wrong?” Jessie asked after Buzz and Grandfather Alden left. “It’s true, though. You really are the most famous basketball player from Greenfield.”
Tipper put her finger to her lips. “Sometimes it’s better not to talk too much about that. Up until I won the MVP trophy last month, Buzz and I have always been proud of each other. But I think he’s getting a little tired of hearing about my award.”
The Aldens were surprised to hear this. They were always happy when someone in their family won something. But they were polite children and didn’t say another word. Everyone headed out front to help Buzz and Mr. Alden with the luggage.
Benny and Soo Lee picked up Buzz’s big sports bag.
“That’s the name of your college, right?” Benny asked when he saw the bright orange letters on the bag. “I can read.”
“And I can carry heavy things,” Soo Lee said. She and Benny each lifted one end of the sports bag. “Benny and I help the teams.”
Buzz cheered up a little when he heard this. “Well, Tipper and I could use a couple of good helpers. We came to coach some of the neighborhood teams. That’s one of the reasons your grandfather invited us to visit.”
Henry lifted a suitcase from the trunk. “I heard you two were coming to Greenfield, but I didn’t know you’d be staying with us! Maybe you can give us some good basketball tips.”
Buzz finally started smiling again. “That’s why we’re here.”
Grandfather closed the trunk. “Buzz and Tipper are too modest. They’ve also offered to play in a fund-raising game for the new sports center on the center’s Opening Day. And there’s one last surprise. Should I tell them, Tipper?”
Benny and Soo Lee tugged Mr. Alden’s sleeve. “Another surprise?”
Mr. Alden had a hard time keeping secrets from his grandchildren. “Tipper is donating her Most Valuable Player trophy to the new sports center. The mayor will be coming and perhaps television people as well. Now, what do you children think of that?”
“Neat!” Jessie said. “We’ll have a big basketball day in Greenfield.”
Soo Lee put down her end of the sports bag. She looked up at Tipper. “This is heavy. Is your trophy in here?”
Before Tipper could answer, Buzz picked up the bag. “This is my bag. If you want to help Tipper, you can carry her bag instead.”
Benny and Soo Lee didn’t know what to say. They weren’t used to cross words. They watched Buzz head up the porch stairs with his sports bag and suitcase.
Tipper spoke to the children softly. “You know what? I’ll show you my trophy some other time. Buzz is . . . uh . . . tired after our long drive.”
The children led Tipper into the big white house where they now lived with their grandfather. Awhile back, after their parents had died, the children had lived in a boxcar in the woods. After Grandfather found them there, he brought them home to his house, with its comfy beds and delicious meals. As a surprise, he had brought the boxcar home. Now it was a playhouse in the backyard.
“Welcome,” a white-haired woman called out cheerily when she saw Tipper. “I’m Mrs. McGregor, the Aldens’ housekeeper. When I first met you and Buzz, you were just two little babies in a carriage. Mr. Alden told me that your father and grandfather were famous Greenfield players, too. I guess it runs in the family.”
“So does being tall.” Tipper ducked her head under the kitchen doorway so she wouldn’t bang her forehead.
“Well, you must be hungry after your long drive to Greenfield. Come try some of my apple turnovers. I’ve been hiding them from Benny,” Mrs. McGregor said with a wink. “I just sent your brother upstairs. He said he needed a rest. I told him to take the front guest room. I made up the guest bed for you in Jessie’s bedroom.”
Tipper heard a door bang upstairs. “Thank you so much, Mrs. McGregor. That will be fine. Buzz is tired from our trip.”
“Are you tired?” Mr. Alden asked. “We can hold off on Mrs. McGregor’s treats until you rest up.”
Tipper pulled out a chair. She stretched her long legs under the kitchen table. “I’m more hungry than tired. Apple turnovers are one of my favorite things.”
“I know what turnovers are,” Benny announced. “They’re something to eat. And know what else? There are turnovers in basketball, too, but not the kind you eat!”
Tipper’s face brightened when she heard this. “Good for you, Benny! A basketball turnover happens after a player makes a mistake and the other team gets the ball.”
“An apple turnover happens after Mrs. McGregor bakes,” Benny said. “Then the turnovers go to us!”
Everyone laughed at Benny’s joke.
Mr. Alden raised his coffee cup. “Here’s to Tipper Nettleton, the Most Valuable Player in the country.”
The children clinked their milk glasses against Tipper’s glass and Mr. Alden’s cup.
Everyone was quiet as they ate. They heard Buzz’s footsteps in the guest room overhead.
Benny brushed some crumbs from his lips. “Mmm. Buzz is sure missing something good.”
Tipper put down her glass. “Buzz has been missing a lot of good things lately. Every time someone mentions my trophy he makes an excuse to get away.”
This surprised Henry. “I thought twins never got jealous of each other.”
Tipper smiled a little. “Buzz and I never had a smidgen of jealousy between us until now. After all, Buzz plays men’s basketball, and I play on a women’s team. Buzz has always been my biggest fan, and I’m his.”
“So why isn’t Buzz happy for you now?” Jessie wanted to know.
Tipper went on, “My trophy seems to be the problem. Winning it made me happy, but it was hard for Buzz.”
Mr. Alden stirred his coffee and turned to Tipper. “Ah, yes. Your grandfather mentioned that you hope to study medicine after college. I understand Buzz plans to continue playing basketball. I suppose the Most Valuable Player trophy would have helped him more than it will help you.”
Tipper stared down at her plate. “Exactly. That’s why I’m donating it to the sports center. Buzz won’t have to see it around all the time.”
“There, there,” Mrs. McGregor said kindly. “Finish your turnover. You’ll feel better. You don’t know these children. Why, they’ll make Buzz forget all about that trophy.”
Suddenly Tipper pushed back her chair. “The trophy! I didn’t see anyone bring it in. Besides being valuable to me, it’s worth a lot of money. It’s made out of silver.”
The Aldens followed Tipper out to the car. Tipper unlocked the trunk. “It’s not here! I thought Buzz put it behind the suitcases. Wait, I’d better ask him about it.”
Tipper was gone in a flash. A couple of minutes later, she was back. “He said it’s in the backseat.”
Benny and Soo Lee went around to the side of the car.
“There’s something shiny on the floor!” Benny yelled. “See?”
Tipper looked through the car window. “Whew! That’s it. I’ll unlock the door.”
But Tipper didn’t have to unlock anything. When she pulled the handle, the door opened right away. “I can’t believe Buzz didn’t lock the car. Thank goodness no one saw the trophy. If it were missing, it would spoil all the plans for the dedication of the sports center. I’m going to put this in a safe place. I don’t want anything to happen to it before I give it to the sports center on Opening Day.” |