An Hour of Tennis at the courts

was more than enough for him. The other children were out exploring and in the sweltering heat. It was only for his mother's pleasure, that Ethan stayed out on courts.
"Can I go now?, Mom?" breathed out the desparate fellow.
It was ten days till his ninth birthday and he wasn't planning to play any tourneys between now and then.
Why was he even out here, he thought, I don't even like tennis. Mom would be disappointed to think, I thought that. "Can I leave, now?"
"Okay, Ethan, 5 more balls and you are done, I think you are really developing and getting the hang of this huh?" said mom, between barking out instructions,"Are you having fun yet, or is it still a chore?"
Ethan would never have told his mother what he really thought about tennis. He just stood at the T and waited for his last 5 balls. Once this was over, his real adventure would begin. He missed 3 of the 5 and mom was more than disappointed, but he was satisfied to have hit 2, dropped the raquet and ran to the gate.
Freedom Park is a big place and he looked to the left and to the right of the gate, there was absolutely no sign of the big kids anywhere. What would he do?
First, he yelled back, "Mom, where are they?" I don't know. A big bubble of disappointment built up in his throat. Mom said, they are somewhere on the path. You can walk that way and I'm sure you'll see the group in a minute or so.
That was so far outside of Ethan's comfort zone, but he was not going back onto those courts.
This meant he was going to have to make his own fun.
Out of the bushes, as though he could feel the bubble in Ethan's throat, came the boldest little squirrel.
I am Indiana Squirrel and I am here to go on an adventure with you Ethan. Ethan took Indiana's hand and they went on an adventure in Freedom Park that prepared Ethan for being 9 years old, like very little else that he had ever seen.
That night when he went to bed, he was a very different sort of fellow. Courage and an appreciation for wildlife was a very new thought.
A bold explorer and a couragious naturalist, came back from that walk, 10 days before 9.