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"I can try But really it should be you You are "

We walked over to the tree and looked up There was one fruit that was hanging low enough that Bodo could almost reach it - almost, but not quite He jumped up several times and only barely missed it

He crouched down "Here Get on et it"

My eyes widened All I could think about was how bad I s that close to his nose until I’d had a shower Or two

"Uh, no thanks"

He looked up at round "Why not? Are you afraid of heights dat small?"

"No"

"Okay, den What’s da problem?"

"There’s no problem"

"Hey," he smiled "Dat’s o back"

He shook his head, sticking his lips out in a pout "No I’et dat fruit Don’t be afraid of da little tree"

"I’m not afraid of the tree, idiot"

"What are you afraid of, den? Me?" He pointed to his back, his face looking at the ground now "No You’re not afraid of Bodo Co frustrated now He just wouldn’t take no for an answer and I didn’t have a good explanation to give hiups

He stood up and walked over closer tome to take a step back to maintain a comfortable distance between us

"We’re a family now You can tell me what da probleether, but you have to do o on a half-day bike ride with me to earn family status"

He raised his eyebrows up and down a few ti butt seat with da bike, right? Dat was soood My butt’s not nearly as sore now"

"See? Bodo’s a good guy Clionna starve to death soon"

That was like driving a knife in my heart for soed, unapologetically "I’et up and we keep going I have been told dat I am very methodical and persistent"

"Are all Germans like you?"

"I don’t know All da ones I know are like ood in da face or da body as ht, but there was no way in hell I was going to adht?"

"As long as you don’t h heaven? Is dat your … you know … private placess?"

I nearly gagged, accidentally inhaling some drool I tried to correct him before his brain could wander any farther down that lane "Gah, no! Holy … Kack! … No Shit Jesus, Bodo, it’s an expression Stink to high heaven means you smell bad Everywhere, not any particular part of you"

"Ooooh, I see" His face turned a little red "Well, dat’s e, isn’t it? I’m sorry You can slap me if you want I deserve it" He held out his cheek for h heavens did stink, and I was pretty sure I wanted to be the only one who knew that

"Okay, I can solve dis probleested

"Are you nuts? You hty"

"Maybe But you don’t want to get on ht now, so it’s da only way"

I rolled my eyes "Fine! Bend over, stupid And hold your breath so you don’t smell my stink"

Bodo pinched his nose and squatted down so I could cliht red heat of embarrassment that clirabbed the orange and one other that was nearby "Okay, put ging off to another tree

"Ohhis hair and holding onto the oranges with ainstout ofdown and noticing for the first ti your nose!"

"Oh, sorry!" he said, reaching up to pinch his nostrils again "Anudder one!" he said, starting to run again

I held onto his hair at first but it wasn’t working, so I reached under his head and grabbed his chin I could feel stubble there and it ree to have a memory of my dad wrapped up in thiswith his teasing, which I was finally realizing this was He wasn’t just a dopey Geruy

"Get dem One, two, tree, four Noe have a picnic"

"Fine I have them all Now put me down"