Traveller by L.W. Samuelson (reading comprehension books .txt) 📖

in ya now. You gonna have some soul you never had before. You already better lookin’.”
Traveller smiled. “Yes, your soul has definitely strengthened mine. I know your pain. You’ve accomplished a lot Willy.”
“Man, you all be fightin’ off a cougar by ya self. I’m surprised yo’ still alive.”
“He jumped me from behind. He was trying to bite the back of my neck. If it hadn’t of been for the coat Lori gave me, I’d be dead. My friends saved me. You with the blood, Lori with the coat. All of you for carrying me off the mountain. If I traveled the universe for another two hundred years, I would never find better friends.”
Lori had her eyes open, listening. Tears glistened, welled up, traveled down her cheeks. “Good morning Traveller. Looks like you have a little color back.”
“Oh Lori,” he said as Willy moved back. He opened his arms and held her as she rested lightly on his chest.
“Welcome back Traveller,” Lori said after a long embrace.
“Good to be back. Where are Jesse and Tim?”
“They decided to spend the night at my parent’s after they knew you were safe. They’ll be here this morning,” Lori answered.
As if on que, Jesse burst through the door followed by Tim. “Hey man, get out of bed. Let’s play some basketball,” said Jesse.
“Yeah man, it’s much safer than wrestling with mountain lions,” Tim chimed in.
When Traveller threw a leg over the bed, Lori freaked. “He’s kidding, she said holding her precious alien down.
“Stupid Jesse,” she said looking at her brother.
Jesse ignored his sister. “We brought you some breakfast,” he said setting a brown paper bag on Traveller’s chest.
Lori grabbed it, looked inside. “A peanut butter and jelly sandwhich? You better ask Dr. Graham first.”
“It’s okay Lori,” Traveller said with his mouth watering in anticipation. “I don’t suppose you brought Lori and Willy one?”
“Sorry, I’m your friend not a saint,” Jesse replied.

Later that day, Dr. Graham visited his patient. Lori had gone to lunch while the three men had very reluctantly returned to Pocatello. Lori had insisted. They had missed enough school.
“How are you?” Dr. Graham asked. His gaunt face and blood shot eyes incongruent with the smile he gave his patient. He placed his stethoscope on Traveller’s chest.
“I’m fine Doctor. Thanks to you. You’re the one that gave me the blood transfer from Willy.”
“Yes, we had no choice. Your heart seems to be on both sides of your chest. It almost like you have two of them. Do you have two hearts?”
“No Doctor. Doctor? I am afraid I don’t know your last name.”
“Dr. Graham,” he said shanking hands with Traveller.
“So what gives? Do you have a heart condition?”
“Not exactly. I’m not a normal human being, but my heart works just fine.”
“Oh it works better than fine. Its strength and efficiency is what kept you alive.”
“So what part of Russia are you from Traveller?”
“Russia? Oh yeah, I’m from uh Benwarsky?”
“You don’t seem very certain. Are you sure you’re from Russia?”
Traveller looked into Dr Graham’s eyes. Their kindness and concern were not to be lied to. “Actually Doctor Graham, I’m from a planet light years away from here. A planet called Lemmus.”
“I knew there was something strange about you. Do your friends know?”
“Yes, they tell me to keep quiet about it or I’ll end up at a place called Roswell where I’ll be experimented on.”
“So why are you here Traveller?”
“I snuck on board a reconnaissance mission to your planet. Four Benwarians were sent to observe and report back to the mother ship.”
“Oh Lord, you’re not going to invade us are you?” Dr. Graham asked.
“I don’t know what the plan is. We’re looking for a home, a planet that can sustain us.”
“What happened to your own planet?”
“It became overpopulated with people. Their way of living caused the destruction of the environment and eventually the destruction of the planet.”
“So what are your plans?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Lori. I just want to be with my friends for right now. I’ve never had friends before.”
“I see. I’ve never seen a human recover like you have. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were able to leave tomorrow. I suggest you get some papers and then work on getting your U.S. citizenship after you recover. Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone your secret,” Dr. Graham said. “How long do we have?”
“Have?” asked Traveller.
“Before your people get here.”
“Oh, they’re light years away, several decades at least.”
“How many are coming?”
“There’s only twenty-four hundred of us left.”
“I hope they are all as kind as you are.”
“I hope so too.”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“I mean kindness might not be an option. The Benwarians need a home with a sustainable civilization. Your world is already overpopulated.”
Dr. Graham’s expression changed from concern to surprise. “What do you think they’re going to do?”
“I would imagine they will do whatever it takes to keep this world livable for future generations. Something you Earthlings seemed unconcerned with.”
“You mean they’re going to invade us?”
“If you wanted a stable home for your people what would you do? If you don’t take care of something, let someone have it that will. We stood by once and watched our home be destroyed. The Sanctum Just vowed not to let it happen again. They vowed to find a home and save the Benwarian race, they can’t do it by allowing the mindless expansion of an earth- destructive civilization.”
“But what about your friends? What about me? I saved your life.”
“I’m sorry doctor,” Traveller said holding his arm. “I have nothing to do with it. If I’m still alive when they get here, I’ll do what I can to save my friends. You are a good man and a friend. I will tell them about you so that they know there is much goodness in this world. It’s not that humans lack heart, is that they lack the foresight and the planning it takes to keep the planet healthy. They lack leadership and a form of government based on the sustainability of the planet.”
“You are truly scaring me Traveller.”
“I am sorry doctor. They probably won’t arrive in your life time anyway. If they do, remember, the Benwarians come not to destroy but to save, to save the planet from its inevitable destruction under the tutelage of unthinking human beings.”
Dr. Graham patted Traveller’s arm. “You’ve given me a lot to think about,” the doctor said.

The next morning Lori accompanied Dr. Graham into Traveller’s room. The alien had been out of bed early that morning testing his strength. He felt remarkably recovered from his ordeal. When the good doctor unwrapped the bandages from his arm, the wounds were all but healed. The same for the wounds on the back of his head.
“Amazing!” the doctor exclaimed. “These won’t even need to be redressed.” Dr. Graham looked rested. Traveller’s touch from the night before had reassured him that everything would turn out for the best.
“I’ve brought you some clothes Traveller,” Lori said. “It’s cold outside so I borrowed a couple of my dad’s sweatshirts.”
“I’ve brought you a farewell gift as well,” said Dr. Graham. He placed a larged garment box on the bed.
“Thank you Dr. Graham, but you’ve already done enough.”
“I’m not taking it back. Open it or I’ll keep you here another week,” Dr. Graham menaced.
Traveller smiled at the empty threat. It pleased him immensely that Dr. Graham thought enough of him to buy him a farewell gift. He tried to open it before noticing the scotch tape that held the lid in place.
Lori slid a finger nail under the edge breaking the seal. Traveller eagerly threw the lid off. He gasped with joy. “A new down coat! It’s even blue.” Overcome with gratitude, Traveller jumped from the bed to hug his benefactor. Although he stood impassively, Dr. Graham would remember the moment always.
The doctor cleared his throat. Looking away, he shook hands with the alien and said, “I have other patients to attend to so I’ll leave now. Keep in touch Traveller. If there’s ever anything I can do, let me know.” Dr Graham brushed at something in his eye, turned then left the room.
Traveller looked at Lori, “Why is it that I like human beings better than I do my own people?”Chapter 29 - Citizenship

A week later, Traveller had fully recovered. He took great pride in the claw marks streaking his arm. How many other Benwarians have battle scars? he thought every time he looked at them.
Before they had left Burley, Lori contacted a Mexican that had worked for her father. Raul spoke English and had connections to Burley’s Mexican mafia. Through him she purchased fake documentation papers and a green card for Traveller.
It had snowed on the day they had left her parent’s house in the first week of November. Traveller had watched the snowflakes fall white from the blue sky. “Boni bon bon,” he said several times on the drive back to Pocatello.
He spent the next week watching television, reading, and studying English. Lori had researched the naturalization process. She could marry Traveller and after five years of living in the U.S. he would be granted citizenship, or he could take the naturalization test.
Although she dearly loved her alien, Lori wasn’t ready to be married. Traveller felt the same way, so he decided to take the test. It would give him an excuse to study with Willy who was taking an American government class at the time.
On a Monday afternoon, just over a week after he returned to Lori’s apartment, Willy came over to study. “Man, my professor hand out de citizenship test first day of class. I only got a 55% on it. I be feeling bad till I find out dat only a third of the class passed it. Shoot they be deportin’ me, I can’t pass the test.”
Traveller laughed. “Well that’s all going to change Willy. No brother of mine is going to fail a simple citizenship test. You done got stuck with a study pardoner that will be all over you like a hungry mountain lion you don’t study.”
Now it was Willy’s turn to laugh. “You be all talkin’ like me man. I guess dat blood be stronger than I thought.”
Traveller didn’t tell Willy that he had read the textbook for Willy’s government class. He had studied it briefly before taking a pre-test for citizenship scoring a 99% on the test. If he hadn’t forgotten Sir Francis Scott Key’s name, it would have been a hundred percent.
“Here Willy, you ask me some questions, see if I can answer them,” Traveller said handing the book back to Willy.
“In what year was the United States constitution written,” Willy asked.
“1787.”
“Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?”
“Thomas Jefferson.”
“What are the three branches of government?”
“Ummm… Let’s see. The executive, the judicial and the, ummm . . .” Traveller said pretending he didn’t know the answer.
“The legislative,” Willy answered.
“What is the U.S. Constitution?” Willy continued.
“A plan of government and the principles that guide our nation.”
“Who is considered to be the father of our country?”
“George Washington?”
“Dat’s right.”
“Name the civil rights leader that was assassinated in the 1960s.”
“Dr. Martin Luther King!”
“Dat’s right and don’t you be forgittin’ it,” Willy said raising a hand for Traveller to give him high five.
“Amen brother,” said Traveller in unison with the slap.

Lori came home at 6 o’clock that evening. A light snow had started to fall. Specks of snow dotted her black hair with white when