THE WALK
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Abrams Books for Young Readers New York
by WINSOME
Illustrated by E. B. LEWIS
Written
BINGHAM
My granny is taking me on THE WALK.
“Because leaders are not born,” she says. “They’re made through molding and modeling.”
“What’s the walk?” I ask.
“You’ll see. And there’s a few treasured souls coming, too.”
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
She packed my backpack. Water. Sandwiches.
I fetch her cane . . .
AND WE WALK ON.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
We stop around the corner.
“Are we here?” I ask.
“Not yet.”
A woman pushes a walker down the driveway.
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“Ready?” Granny asks.
“Every time I take this walk,” the woman says, “I feel like it’s 1972 all over again.”
I shut the gate . . . AND WE WALK ON.
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Red-white-blue swirls in a cylinder.
Granny smushes her face against the big window.
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TAP-TAP-TAP ! She raises her right thumb.
“So, we here?” I ask.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
A wave of men stroll outside. They’re prepared and waiting.
“Ready?” Granny asks.
“Yes, ma’am.” The man flips the closed sign. “You know, I thought after 2008, I could skip a few of these walks. But I see we need them more than ever.”
“You right about that,” Granny says. “Now let’s go collect the rest of these treasured souls . . .”
AND WE WALK ON.
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We stop at Mrs. Wong’s. TAP-TAP-TAP!
“We here now? Finally,” I say.
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“Hello, everyone,” Mrs. Wong says.
“This is my granddaughter. Say hello, Manying.”
Manying waves and smiles.
I wave and smile back.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
Mrs. Wong holds Granny’s hand.
Manying holds my hand . . .
AND WE WALK ON.
More stops . . . blocks and boulevards . . . circles, courts, cul-de-sacs, and a Catholic church on a corner.
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This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
Me doing the smushing.
Me doing the TAP-TAP-TAP!
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More people . . .
A sea of faces swimming upstream like a school of fish.
We walk on, traveling in a group, talking like family, together, a community.
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This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
The street is getting noisy and busy. Hustle. Bustle. Clattering. Chattering. People in cars. People on foot.
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Red signs. Blue signs.
HONK HONK! BEEP BEEP!
“When will we be there?” I ask.
“We been walking forever!”
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“The walk wasn’t always this long,” Granny says. “But folks keep making it longer. They don’t want us to say what we have to say. That’s why we have to show up, show out, and show them.”
“Please tell me no more walking,” I say. “My legs hurt.”
Granny giggles. “We’re here.”
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“You’re silly, Granny,” I say. “There’s no school today.”
“School is always in session, baby. And today, the lesson is for the community. It’s like a big test we cannot miss. All these treasured souls, today . . .
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. . . WE’RE VOTING.”
“Your school is our poll site. It’s where we come to vote.”
I walk with Granny into the booth.
“Why do people vote?” I ask.
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“For HOPE, baby,” Granny says. “For hope! Also, you know how me and your momma teach you to speak up?” I nod.
“Well, voting is how grown folks speak up. It’s how we stand up and say what’s on our minds.”
I stand on my tippy-toes reading the names and watch Granny black out the bubbles and drop the ballot in the box.
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When she’s done, we both get a sticker: i voted .
Then we sit on the side, waiting on everybody to finish speaking up, standing up, saying what’s on their minds.
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This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
And when they come out again, we head back up the street. Back to where we came from.
Our sea of faces dwindling, until it’s me and Granny and the lady with the walker.
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This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
And when the lady with the walker opens her gate and disappears, I take Granny’s hand, kiss her fingers . . .
AND WE WALK ON.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
This is an advance, uncorrected proof. Not for resale, duplication, or reposting. Please do not quote without comparison to the finished book.
