My father was a highly educated, intelligent gentleman. He could debate or discuss for 1on almost any topic and hold your attention in the process. I thought there was 2 he wasn't able to do.
A few days 3 my younger brother's 7th birthday, Dad planned to put together a shiny new 4 as a special birthday surprise. After nearly an hour of 5 the instructions, Dad was still unable to put the new bike together. Later he folded up the paper of instructions, 6 his tool box, and decided to take the bike back to the local toy store and pay extra money to have it 7 assembled(组装) there. Then, a(n) 8 came to him, as he called out to Lovett, the quiet little man who mowed our grassland.
"Lovett, have you ever assembled a boy's bicycle?" As Lovett walked towards the bike, Dad handed him the paper of instructions. Lovett handed it 9 to him, saying," No, thanks. I can't read. When you can't read, you have to 10." Less than 15 minutes later, the new bicycle was fully assembled, with no spare parts 11. Dad shook Lovett's hand, patted him on the back, thanked him and hid the bike.
On the night after my brother 12 his simply new gift. Dad announced at the family dinner table 13 had happened several days earlier. He took great delight in telling it 14 —he used it as an example of thinking.
He did not 15 illiteracy (文盲) , but strongly taught us to use our 16. The joke was on my father, 17 he was able to turn it into a learning tool, and I liked him even 18 after the incident. I also gained a respect for Lovett. To me he had always been the old yard man who didn't say much, but after that day, he seemed to smile 19 , even walk taller. It's amazing what a real nod of 20 can do to lift people up.
