“She's　…　she　died？”

He　nodded。　“And　I　miss　her　terribly。”　He　tossed　a　branch　into　the　heap　and　chuckled。

“There's　nothing　like　a　head…strong　woman　to　make　you

happy　to　be　alive。”

The　last　thing　in　the　world　I　expected　was　to　bee　friends　with　Bryce's　grandfather。　But　by

dinnertime　I　knew　so　much　about　him　and　his　wife

and　the　adventures　they'd　had　together　that　it　seemed　like　I'd　known　him　for　a　very　long　time。

Plus；　all　his　stories　made　the　work　seem　easy。　When　I

went　in　for　the　night；　the　bushes　were　all　pruned　back；　and　except　for　the　enormous　heap　in

the　center　of　the　yard；　things　were　already　looking　a

whole　lot　better。

The　next　day　he　was　back。　And　when　I　smiled　and　said；　“Hi；　Mr。　Duncan；”　he　smiled　back

and　said；　“Call　me　Chet；　won't　you？”　He　looked　at　the

hammer　in　my　hand　and　said；　“I　take　it　we're　starting　on　the　fence　today？”

Chet　taught　me　how　to　plumb　a　line　for　the　pickets；　how　to　hold　a　hammer　down　on　the　end

of　the　handle　instead　of　choking　up　on　it；　how　to

calculate　an　adjusted　spacing　for　the　pickets；　and　how　to　use　a　level　to　get　the　wood　exactly

vertical。　We　worked　on　the　fence　for　days；　and　the

whole　time　we　worked　we　talked。　It　wasn't　just　about　his　wife；　either。　He　wanted　to　know

about　the　sycamore　tree　and　seemed　to　understand　exactly

what　I　meant　when　I　told　about　the　whole　being　greater　than　the　sum　of　its　parts。　“It's　that

way　with　people；　too；”　he　said；　“only　with　people　it's

sometimes　that　the　whole　is　less　than　the　sum　of　the　parts。”

………　Page　49………

I　thought　that　was　pretty　interesting。　And　the　next　day　during　school　I　looked　around　at　the

people　I'd　known　since　element