A story on a hero

While I am writing this, it is Tuesday.  On Tuesday I go to my creative writing class in the morning, and I have a date with Tanguy at night.

I ring at his door at six pm, he opens immediately and hops to the porch on the back of the house. We sit together on the double rocking chair as he chooses a book. I always get four or five books at the library. The first book he reads himself. He is on reading level two now. This is the hardest part, because he is a little impatient. Afterwards he can choose a story for me to read to him. And we end with a game, the best part. Certainly if he wins.

In the meantime his dad is still working outdoors, and his mom is busy in the kitchen or tending to his baby sister. She always brings me some homemade cake and coffee. Today she made a potato cake with herbs, sweet and delicious.

It is through a project in our hometown called ‘Boek op Bezoek’ (book pays a visit), which recruits volunteers to help out at the children’s homes to give one on one attention, for which there is no time at school.  I see Tanguy every week. He is in second grade now and has trouble with reading and vocabulary.

The first few times Tanguy was very shy. Now he has become more talkative and asks many questions. Today he asked me what I like to do. I told him I love to write.

“Do you write stories?”
“Yes I do!”
“What kind of stories?”
“All kinds.”
“Can you write a book for me?”
“Oh, that’s a good idea. What should it be about?”
“About a hero.”
“Exciting. And what does this hero do?”
“He can fly.”
“That’s really awesome. And how does he look?”
“He has laser eyes, that can make things move around.”
“Wow, this is going to be a special story. And what should we call the hero?”
“Tanguy.”