Chapter 6

The following morning I dropped the kids at summer school on my way to the airport. Jannie is eight; Damon just turned ten.  They’re really good kids, but they’re kids. You give them a tiny advantage, they take a lot, and then they take a little more. Someone, I don’t remember who, said that’American children suffer too much mother and too little father.’ With my kids, it’s been the exact opposite.
‘I could get used to this,’Jannie said as we pulled up in front of the Sojoumer Truth School. Helen Folasade Adu - Sade - was singing softly on the CD. Very nice.
‘Don’t get used to it. It’s a five-block walk from our house to school. When I was a little boy in North Carolina, I used to walk five miles through tobacco fields to school.’
‘Yeah, right,’ Damon scoffed¹. ‘You forgot that you used to walk barefoot. Left that part out.’
‘I did. Thanks for reminding me. I used to walk barefoot through those nasty² tobacco fields to school.’
The kids laughed and so did I. They’re usually good to be around, and I’m always videotaping them. I do it in the hopes that I’ll have nice movies to watch when the two of them go bad in their teenage years. Also, I’m afraid I might get CRS someday - the can’t remember shit disease. It’s going around.
‘I have a big concert on Saturday,’Damon reminded me. It was his second year with the Washington Boys Choir³ and he was doing real well. He was going to be the next Luther Vandross, or Al Green, or maybe he was just going to be Damon Cross.
‘I’ll be home by Saturday, Damon. Trust me, I wouldn’t miss your concert.’
‘You missed quite a few already,’ he said. It was a sharp little dig.  ‘That was the old me. This is the new and improved Alex. I’ve also attended several of your concerts.’
‘You’re so funny. Daddy,’ Jannie said, and laughed. Both kids are smart, and smart-assed as well.
‘I will be home for Damon’s concert on Saturday,’! promised.’Help your grandma around the house. She’s almost a hundred years old, you know.’
Jannie rolled her eyes. ‘Nana’s eighty years young, or so she says.  She loves to cook, do the dishes, and clean up after us,’ she said, imitating Nana’s wicked cackle.’She truly does.’ ‘Saturday. I can’t wait,’I said to Damon. It was the whole truth and nothing but. The Boys Choir was one of Washington’s secret treasures.  I was ecstatic that Damon was good enough to sing with the group, but most of all that he loved what he was doing.  ‘Kisses,’! said.’Hugs too.’
Damon and Jannie groaned⁴, but they leaned in close and I wondered how much longer they would be willing to give me hugs and pecks⁵ on the cheek. So I took an extra few while I could get them. When the good times come with your kids, you’ve got to make them last.
‘I love you two,’ I said before I let them go off to school. ‘What do you say?’
‘We love you too,’Damon and Jannie chorused⁶.
‘That’s why we let you embarrass us to death in front of our school and all our friends,’Jannie said, and she stuck out her tongue.  ‘This ;s your last ride to school,’ I told her. Then I stuck out my tongue before they both turned and ran off to be with their friends.  They were growing up way too fast for me.

1 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

2 nasty   

adj.令人讨厌的，困难的，恶劣的，下流的

参考例句：

• She got a nasty knock on the head when she fell.她跌倒时头部受到严重碰撞。
• When this material burns，it flings off a nasty smell.这种物质燃烧时发出一股难闻的气味。

3 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

4 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 pecks   

啄( peck的名词复数 )； 匆匆的一吻

参考例句：

• The hen moved the chicks along with pecks. 母鸡用喙啄着小鸡往前走。匆匆的一吻
• She does not like the hen that pecks all day. 她不喜欢这个整天啄来啄去的母鸡。

6 chorused   

v.合唱，齐声背诵，异口同声地说( chorus的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The papers all chorused the praises of the President. 各报都异口同声地对总统表示赞扬。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The audience chorused its approval by loud cheering. 听众们用高声欢呼来齐声表达他们的赞同。 来自辞典例句