Authors: Kate Banks
Boy's Best Friend (17 page)
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:03 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:05 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:24 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I was very precise in my intention to set out for my new home on Cape Cod.
DATE:
Thursday, April 18
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:35 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:16 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:16 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:20 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:27 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I hung around school for about 15 minutes before starting home and Bill Gates seemed to be responding to this because he went out to the gate later than he might have if I'd gone straight home.
DATE:
Friday, April 19
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:32 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:20 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
unplanned stop in front of neighbor's
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:20 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:41 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:45 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I purposefully increased the time it took me to walk home. I hung around the playground awhile and then made a stop in front of the neighbor's house. But Bill Gates was not fooled. He came out to the gate right after I set the intention to head home.
DATE:
Monday, April 22
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:33 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:10 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:10 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:13 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:42 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I took a longer route home, but Bill Gates still went out to wait within minutes of when I left school.
DATE:
Tuesday, April 23
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:35 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:00 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:00 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:00 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:09 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Wednesday, April 24
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:32 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:04 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
stopped at the playground
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME (FROM PLAYGROUND):
3:43 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:48 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:55 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I doubled the time it would normally take me to walk home, but Bill Gates seemed to respond to when I started home from the park.
DATE:
Thursday, April 25
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:28 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:02 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
bus station
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME (FROM THE BUS STATION):
3:28 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:31 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:45 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I arrived home later than normal because I stopped at the bus station. Bill Gates seemed to be responding to the time I left the station.
DATE:
Friday, April 26
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:25 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:02 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:02 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:06 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:16 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Monday, April 29
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:30 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:15 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:15 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:20 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:45 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
I started home from school nearly 15 minutes later than I normally would, and walked slowly. And Bill Gates came out to the gate nearly 15 minutes later than he normally would.
DATE:
Tuesday, April 30
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:24 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:08 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:08 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:07 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:34 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
George came over to my house after school. But that didn't change Bill Gates's behavior. He seemed to know when I was coming, and came out just before I left school. I may have already been thinking about getting home before leaving school as George was coming with me.
DATE:
Wednesday, May 1
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:26 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:03 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:03 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:06 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:21 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Thursday, May 2
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:33 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
bike
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
2:45 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
2:45 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
2:50 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
2:55 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Friday, May 3
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:30 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:05 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:05 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
3:07 p.m.
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:27 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Monday, May 6
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:35 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:03 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
I took a detour past George's house
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:33 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
He wasn't waiting
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:40 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
DATE:
Tuesday, May 7
TIME LESTER LEFT HOME:
7:32 a.m.
MODE OF TRAVEL:
foot
DESTINATION AND DISTANCE:
school; ¾ mile
TIME LESTER LEFT SCHOOL:
3:06 p.m.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY:
none
TIME LESTER STARTED FOR HOME:
3:06 p.m.
TIME BILL GATES SEEMED TO START WAITING OR ANTICIPATING LESTER'S ARRIVAL:
Bill Gates wasn't there
TIME LESTER ARRIVED HOME:
3:41 p.m.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR OBSERVATIONS:
Bill Gates came out to the walkway several times during the day
â
the last time at 2:51 p.m. But he wasn't there when I got home. I didn't feel well because I had just found out about George's dog. So maybe Bill Gates was responding to that.
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Kate Banks
has written many books for children, among them
Max's Words
,
And If the Moon Could Talk
, winner of the Boston GlobeâHorn Book Award, and
The Night Worker
, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She grew up in Maine, where she and her two sisters and brother spent a lot of time outdoors, and where Banks developed an early love of reading. “I especially liked picture books,” she says, “and the way in which words and illustrations could create a whole new world in which sometimes real and other times magical and unexpected things could happen.” Banks attended Wellesley College and received her master's in history at Columbia University. She lived in Rome for eight years but now lives in the South of France with her husband and two sons, Peter Anton and Maximilian. You can sign up for email updates
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