The Mogul And The Muscle

“Sounds good.”

We followed Sheri down the hallway, past banks of dented, slate-gray lockers. The faint sound of construction carried from the other side of campus, a series of loud bangs and the low hum of heavy equipment. She turned at a set of double doors leading into the old gymnasium.

Kids from the ages of six to fourteen sat on the bleachers, along with both paid and volunteer adults. Their voices filled the air, echoing off the concrete walls.

Much to my relief, Jude didn’t insist on walking in first, nor did he do his customary sweep of the area. He followed just behind me, slightly to my right, keeping a comfortable distance.

Sheri and I stepped up to the microphone and she called for quiet. The kids shifted in their seats and a hush settled over the gym. Sheri introduced me and I waved to the kids while they applauded, then thanked them for inviting me to visit.

My talk was short and sweet, focusing on why art, science, and engineering projects are not only fun, but good for growing brains. I mentioned a few of the projects Spencer was working on, particularly the flashy ones like advanced rocket technology, earning me excited oohs and ahs from the crowd.

When I finished, there was more applause. Then the teachers and volunteers led the kids to their respective workspaces. I chatted with Sheri about construction progress until it was time for me to make the rounds and see what the kids had been working on.

Jude was our silent companion as we walked to the first converted classroom. Instead of desks and chairs, it had long rectangular tables where the kids could build, paint, tinker, and craft. A dozen kids stood in front of their various creations, faces beaming with excitement and pride. A few wore safety goggles and one had donned a white lab coat.

I cast a glance at Jude. Brandy had said he seemed to have an ability to make himself appear less intimidating, and I could see what she meant. He was still enormous, but his posture was less rigid, his facial expression almost friendly.

“Okay, everyone, Ms. Whitbury is going to come around and take a look at your projects,” Sheri said to the eager kids. “This is your chance to show off your hard work to someone new.”

I visited Kid-Ovation every few months, and I always made sure Sheri and the teachers didn’t make a big deal out of the fact that I was the primary benefactor and main source of funding for their program. I didn’t want the kids to feel like they needed to perform for me. I simply enjoyed the chance to see what their creative minds came up with.

“Hi there,” I said to the first child, a girl with big brown eyes and dark braids. Her nametag said Alicia. “What are you working on?”

“It’s a catapult.” She moved the contraption, made primarily of large colored craft sticks and rubber bands. It had a plastic cup filled with mini marshmallows on the arm. “I made a different version, but it didn’t shoot anything very far.”

“Does this design work better?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said with a grin. “Wanna see?”

“Fire away.”

She pressed the arm down and let go, sending three mini marshmallows flying.

“Nice trajectory,” I said.

“Thanks.”

“Have you tried shooting the marshmallows into someone’s mouth?” Jude asked.

Alicia grinned. “Not yet.”

“You know what, I volunteer,” Jude said. He crouched down next to the table.

Oh my god, could he be any cuter?

“I think you just want marshmallows,” I said.

“Hey, this is for science,” he said. “Okay, kiddo, marshmallow me.”

Alicia laughed and the rest of the kids quieted, watching. She loaded her catapult, pressed down the arm, and let loose.

All three marshmallows hit Jude in the face, none making it into his open mouth.

“Aw,” the kids said in a disappointed chorus.

Jude picked up the discarded marshmallows and tossed them in the trash, then got back into position. “That’s okay, let’s do it again.”

Alicia’s tongue stuck out while she carefully loaded the catapult and repositioned it. When she was satisfied, she looked at Jude. He gave her a thumbs-up.

The room quieted with a collective intake of breath. Alicia pressed down on the arm, hesitated, then let go.