You Never Picked Me Last
“Dr. Carr! Is it you? Is it really you?” I turned from where I had been browsing in the bookstore to see a six-foot-six, muscular, good-looking, smiling, sandy-haired young man calling me.
“It’s me, Dr. Carr! Gibby!”
“Gibby, it can’t be. You’re all grown up!”
Looking closer, I would have known those eyes anywhere: serious, intense, penetrating blue eyes. Yes, It was my Gibby, all right.
He leaned down to hug his former elementary principal, and my thoughts went back to that shy, overweight little boy who transferred to our school as he began the fifth grade. He was quiet and withdrawn then.
Gibby had a difficult time the first few months, as do many children when they enter a new school. Some of the boys teased him about his lack of athletic ability when he attempted to play games on the playground. Gibby wasn’t coordinated and had difficulty keeping up. He always appeared to be stumbling over his shoestrings. Most of the time, he was. I would remind him, “Better tie your shoestrings, Son,” and he’d reply, “Yes, ma’am, Dr. Carr.”
Often I would watch the students playing at recess. I noticed that when they began to choose up sides for a game, serious little Gibby would usually be left standing alone. Several times I went out on the playground and said, “I never get to choose a team. May I?” The boys and girls would laugh at their principal who wanted to play, and say, “Okay, Dr. Carr, it’s your turn!” I’d call out a few names and then, around the fourth or fifth spot, I’d call Gibby’ name and a few others who never seemed to get selected by their peers. My team may not have been the best, but we were, by far, the happiest and definitely the most committed, determined, and loyal.
In the early spring of Gibby’s fifth grade year, I held an exercise class on the playground during recess for anyone who wanted to tone up their winter-weary muscles. Girls flocked to this program, and so did a few boys. Gibby was one of those.
We began by walking briskly around the perimeter of the large playground. I led the pack and Gibby invariably brought up the rear, puffing and panting and tripping over his shoestrings. As my group circled, we would pass Gibby who was giving it his all, but nevertheless, lagging far behind. I’d call to him, “Good going, Gibby. Keep it up. You’re getting the hang of it. Uh . . . Better tie your shoestrings, Son.”
“Yes, ma’am, Dr. Carr,” he said, breathing hard and trying to put on a happy face.
After a month, Gibby shed a few pounds and didn’t huff and puff as much. He still tripped over his shoestrings, but he did keep up with the group much easier.
By the fifth week, we had as many boys in our exercise class as girls. I don’t believe the boys were suddenly all that interested in their health, for it was about this time the girls decided to dress out in shorts. We added some floor exercises to our program and held this class in the gym. Gibby was right there, in the back row, stretching and bending, lifting and kicking, as intense as ever. Gibby never gave up or made excuses. The little fellow just wasn’t a quitter. He tried harder than anyone, and I admired his spunk. Many of his classmates did too. In time, he gained confidence and began to smile and talk more. He wasn’t the new kid anymore, and he began to make some solid friends.
Now, after all those years, here we were standing in the bookstore. My little Gibby towered over me.
“What are you doing here, Gibby?” I asked. “I heard you have moved to Georgia.”
“Yes, Dr. Carr. I live in Atlanta now, and I’m division manager of a computer software company. I’m visiting my mom here this weekend,” he replied.
“Well, you look good and sound happy, Gibby.”
“I am happy, Dr. Carr. And I think of you often. You know, it was kinda hard for me to change schools back then and move to a new town, but you were real nice to me.”
“Why, thank you, Gibby.”
“Yeah, you were always laughing, and you made it fun to come to school,” he said. “I’ll never forget your exercise classes. You really made us work.”
Then a big smile lit up his face as he continued, “But, Dr. Carr, you know the thing that I remember most about you?”
“I have no idea, Gibby. What was it?”
“Well,” he said, as he stared at me with those deep blue eyes, “Whenever you got a chance to choose up sides on the playground, you never picked me last.”
“Of course not, Gibby. You were one of my most determined players.”
We hugged again and he said, “I’m married now, Dr. Carr. She’s really nice and always laughing. Come to think of it, she’s a lot like you. And the best thing about her is-from everyone in the world she could have married, she picked me. She picked me first!”
Tears flooded my eyes. I looked down to avoid his gaze and try to regain my control.
It was then that I noticed his shoes.
“Better tie your shoestrings,” I mumbled, wiping away my tears with the back of my hand.
“Yes, ma’am, Dr. Carr,” he replied, flashing that boyish grin.
第一选择
我正在一间书店里闲逛，忽然听见有人呼唤我的名字。“卡尔博士！是您吗？真的是您吗？”我转过身，只见一个身高大约6.6英尺，帅气健朗，浅色头发的小伙子正朝着我微笑。
“是我，卡尔博士！我是吉比！”
“真不敢相信。你都长这么高大了，吉比！”
走近再看，他那双认真、热情、清澈的蓝眼睛是如此熟悉。没错，他正是我的吉比。
他弯下腰来紧紧地将我抱住。而我，他从前的小学校长，仿佛又看见了那个略显腼腆、五年级时刚刚转学来的小胖墩。当时的吉比十分文静，而且内向。
跟其他许多转学的孩子一样，最初那几个月，吉比不太适应新的环境。他在操场玩游戏时，有些男孩子总是取笑他没有运动细胞。确实，吉比的动作不太协调，跟不上大伙儿的速度。好像他总会被自己的鞋带绊倒。事实上，他经常如此。所以，我时常提醒他：“你最好把鞋带系上，孩子。”而他则会回答说：“好的，夫人。卡尔博士。”
课间休息时我常常在一边看着玩耍的学生。可是，我发现当他们分组玩游戏的时候，吉比总是孤零零地站在一旁，因为没有人愿意和他一组。有几次，我忍不住走到操场对孩子们说：“我从来没选过队员。我也可以选吗？”校长竟然也想一起玩，孩子们不禁哄堂大笑：“好吧，卡尔博士。该你选了！”于是，我开始点名组队。大概到第四或第五个，我会叫到吉比，然后是其他几个大家都不愿意选的孩子。我们虽然不是最好的一组，但我们肯定是最快乐、最认真、最坚定、最团结的一组。
记得在吉比读五年级那年的早春，我利用课余时间在操场上开设了一堂体育课，好让那些在寒冬缺乏运动的同学们得到锻炼。女生非常踊跃参加，当然也有少数几个男生，吉比就是其中之一。
体育课的第一个内容就是绕着大操场慢跑，由我领队。吉比总是被甩在队伍的最后，喘着粗气，还不时被鞋带绊倒。尽管他竭尽全力地跑，但还是远远落后，大伙一次又一次从他身边超过。当我经过他身边时，我会对他说：“不错，吉比。继续加油哦，你已经大有进步了。嗯，把鞋带系好吧，孩子。”
“好的，夫人。卡尔博士。”他极力挤出笑容，气喘吁吁地回答道。
一个月之后，吉比减掉了好几磅，跑步的时候也不再喘得那么厉害了。虽然他还是经常掉鞋带，但已经能够轻松跟上我们了。
又一个星期过去了，参加体育课的男生已经和女生一样多了。我相信这不是因为男生们突然关心起自己的身体来，而是因为到了这个时候女生就要穿短裤了。后来，我把体育课从操场转到了体育馆，并插入了一些形体训练。而吉比就站在最后那排，还是一如既往地认认真真地做每一个伸展、弯腰、抬腿，踢腿的练习。吉比从不缺席或早退，他不是那种半途而废的人。他付出的努力比任何人都要多，他的勇气让我钦佩，同时也感染了许多同班同学。他逐渐树立了信心，笑容多了，也变得比从前更健谈。他再也不是那个初来乍到的小男孩了。慢慢地，他结交了几个知心朋友。
这么多年过去了，我们重逢在这间书店里。此刻我的小吉比比我高大多了。
“你来这儿干什么，吉比？”我开口问道，“我听说你搬到乔治亚州去了。”
“是的，卡尔博士。我现在住在亚特兰大，是一家电脑软件公司的部门经理。这个周末回来是探望母亲的。”他回答道。
“吉比，你看起来帅多了，听说还很幸福咧。”
“我非常幸福，卡尔博士。我时常惦记着您。您知道，转学和搬家时，我不太适应新的环境，可是您对我真的很好。”
“不客气，吉比。我有这么好吗？”
“对啊，您很喜欢笑。您让我觉得上学是件有趣的事情，”他说，“我永远也不会忘记您的体育课，真的很管用。”
“可是，卡尔博士，您知道最让我怀念您的是什么吗？”他接着说道，脸上的笑容更灿烂了。
“不知道。吉比，是什么？”
他那深邃的蓝眼睛凝视着我，说：“在操场上玩游戏轮到您选队员的时候，您绝不会最后才选我。”
“当然不会了，吉比。你是我的必选成员之一。”
我们再次拥抱在一起。他接着说：“我已经结婚了，卡尔博士。我妻子人品很好，非常爱笑。想起来，她和您有许多相似之处。她最好的地方，是她在众多可选择的结婚对象当中，她选择了我！她第一个就选择了我！”
我的眼睛湿润了。我低下头，回避他的眼光，努力压制自己的情绪。
这时，我注意到他的鞋子。
“还是把鞋带系好吧，”我用手背擦干眼泪，含糊地说。
“好的，夫人，卡尔博士，”他答应着，脸上又泛起了童年时的微笑。
