The Mafia and the Saints by Todd Lincoln Richards

Author:Todd Lincoln Richards
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: coming of age, trouble, school, teachers, university, high school, college, students, basketball, indians, astronomy, college admission, nasa, solar system, nba, university fiction, students returning to school, college adventure, students town, university campus, university success, astronomy books for kids, astronomy kids
Publisher: Todd Lincoln Richards

Chapter Sixteen

A few nights later, Mr. Shoemaker sat down with Lisa and told her about their visit with Jimmy and his parents. Mrs. Shoemaker had a long day and decided to turn in early for the night. He and his wife had discussed the situation at length on the way home from Jimmy’s house the night before, and he felt he had an understanding of where she stood on the subject. So, Robert decided it was a good time to have a heart to heart with his daughter.

He told her about the clubhouse and the study club Jimmy was part of. He explained that the boys had formed this club initially as sort of a gang, but, after the accident, rethought its purpose. He told her about the way they had moved the cars together and built this great contraption where they all got together and went over their studies every night. Then he told Lisa about the telescope and Jimmy’s fascination with space, stars and the planets.

Lisa laughed and said, “Dad, you did tell him what you do for a living, right?”

“No...actually, I didn’t. I didn’t want that to impact him telling me about astronomy from his point of view. He was so excited. The sparkle in his eyes as he was describing learning about stars and planets - quite honestly, it reminded me of myself at that age. I was astounded, really. I mean, here’s a kid with no background whatsoever in the subject. He watches Neil Armstrong like the rest of the world, but he doesn’t just watch it, he soaked it up like a sponge. He let it influence his dreams. It’s as if he’s out there in the junkyard asking himself, why not me? I can do it. That’s the same pioneering spirit that made our limited knowledge of the universe come to light in the first place. The more I think about it, the more impressed I get. I mean...at 13, he takes what many people would consider to be the most difficult course study textbook in any university, and a junky toy telescope, and he’s devouring the subject, one bite at a time.

“At first, I thought of mentioning what I do. Then I reconsidered, and I’ll tell you why. Almost every person I speak with daily knows of my accomplishments, just as I know of theirs, and they drive conversations with me a certain way because of that. Whether I’m talking with a professor, the Department of Defense, or someone over at NASA, none of them is capable of having a normal conversation with me. It just doesn’t happen. They all look at me as one of the few authorities - if there is such a thing - on theoretical astronomy. There are so many times I’ve seen an eager college student get excited and not know what to say to me. They trip over themselves, it seems. It’s kind of ridiculous, but it happens.

“I’ll tell Jimmy when the time is right. Who knows, maybe he’ll figure it out before then.

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