Storytime

Some life-lessons you have to learn the hard way

Once upon a time, an eleven-yearold boy named Nathan had almost finished his homework assignment on likes and dislikes. His “likes” list read: Hockey, my coach and my teammate Amanda. Dislikes: Airing my hockey bag stuff, and my nickname, Nay Nay (so babyish!). Closing his laptop, Nathan went to bed. He had early morning hockey practice the next day.

After practice, his mom reminded him to air out the stuff in his hockey bag. This chore involved spreading everything out in the sunshine on the back deck.

“I will in a minute,” Nathan promised. “It’s your responsibility,” Mom said, firmly.

“I know,” answered Nathan, but he started playing a game on his phone and forgot yet again. In the locker room at the rink the following week, the Weasels —Nathan’s team—were suiting up for a very important game against the Badgers. When Nathan lugged his hockey bag in and opened it to get his gear, his teammates and coach gasped and pinched their noses. Even Amanda held her nose and looked disgusted.

“It smells like dirty socks,” exclaimed Brian, Nathan’s best friend. “No, worse, like rotten eggs,” said another.

“Like a sewer!” “Or dead fish!”

Nathan’s face began to turn red at all these taunts from his teammates, but he continued to suit up. He had to for the sake of the team. He was a very fast skater and his coach was counting on him.

“Nay Nay—stinky Pants!” the Weasels chanted over and over. Even Amanda joined in.

“Get out there,” ordered the coach. “Maybe the fresh air will blow some of the stink off you, Nay Nay.”

Nathan flinched on hearing his hated nickname coming from his coach. Even his ears, which were sticking out of his helmet, turned red. He couldn’t look at Amanda.

Out on the ice, there was a conference between the coaches at the end of the first period and Nathan found his stinky self sitting in the penalty box.

“Sorry,” said his coach, “but your smell is just too distracting.”

When it looked as though the Weasels were getting beaten by the Badgers, however, and the final period was almost over, Nathan’s coach relented and put him back in the game.

After all his rest in the penalty box, Nathan was raring to go; all the crowd saw was a blue streak as he scored the winning goal in the Badgers’ net.

In the locker room, the Weasels had a new chant for Nathan with lots of fist bumps and helmet rubs, “Yay, Yay, Nate! Yay, Yay, Nate! Yay, Yay, Nate!”

Even Amanda joined in.

At home, Nathan did two things. He spread out all of his hockey gear to air out on the deck—without being told. Then he changed his Likes and Dislikes lists. Likes: Hockey, my coach, Amanda and my new nickname. Dislikes: none.