Maya and the Robot

Before heading home, Maya asks Mr. Mac if he knows anything about Dr. Yazzie, a name she read in Christopher’s notebook. Mr. Mac smiles when he hears the name and explains that she was Christopher’s professor of robotics at Stanford. He suggests that she would love to hear that Maya had gotten Ralph up and running. At home, Maya is easily able to find more information about Dr. Yazzie online. She is a global expert in robotics and is specifically interested in how robots interact with humans. Maya drafts an email introducing herself and explaining how she got Ralph to work. She also attaches a video of Ralph and images of Christopher’s notebook, and then asks her mom to proofread the email before sending it.

The next day, Maya’s mom refuses to allow Maya to take Ralph to school because he would not only be a distraction to Maya, other students, and the teachers, but he could be damaged or stolen as well. Most importantly, she also stresses that Maya is at school to learn, and having Ralph make everything easier for her would defeat that purpose.

When Maya arrives at school, Jada and MJ are not waiting at their usual spot by the fence. Instead, they’re near the swings with two other kids from their class. Maya decides to sit by herself because she is worried their conversation will revolve around their shared class and that the other kids might not be friendly. She pretends to not care and read her library book, but she can’t help noticing that Zoe Winters is saying something and laughing. As she tries not to cry, a boy from her class, Elijah, approaches her and tells her that he had borrowed the same book the week before. He is tall and burly like a football player but wears plastic glasses that keep slipping down his nose. Elijah tells her he just moved from Indiana and wonders why she is sitting alone. Maya takes it the wrong way and responds harshly, but Elijah is just looking to make a new friend.

The bell rings and Maya quickly leaves. Elijah loudly calls after her, attracting everyone’s attention, because she has forgotten her notebook. For the rest of the day, Maya pretends to be invisible and wishes she could be somebody else.

It’s Sunday morning and Maya goes grocery shopping with her mom and brother. Because her mom is so busy working during the week, she always looks forward to this time they have together, and this time, Ralph comes as well.

Ralph proves incredibly helpful at the grocery store. He is able to collect and weigh items, and he keeps track of their shopping list and budget. While they shop, Maya’s mom asks Maya about her plans for the science fair. Maya reveals that she wants to do something related to feelings and emotions. She has been feeling a lot of things very strongly lately and wishes she could control them better. As they talk, Maya remembers an incident from school that week. Zoe Winters stole the book she was planning to read, and the experience made her wonder why Zoe always manages to get such a rise out of her. Maya’s mom reassures her that everyone struggles with their feelings from time to time and that it’s what makes them human. Maya then reveals the difficulties she is having now that Jada and MJ aren’t in her class. Her mom comforts her again and explains that while it is difficult, it is a normal part of growing up. People change and grow apart, but what matters most is that they still care about one another.

Maya knows her mom is right and tells her about Elijah, who seems kind and interesting. She is just worried about starting over with someone new in case things don’t work out as well. They’re interrupted by Amir, who has learned how to command Ralph and has been collecting a massive pile of sweet potatoes around him.

Maya’s mom needs oregano to make spaghetti for dinner, so she asks Maya to head to Mr. Mac’s store again. Maya is happy to take a break from her homework, especially if it means she gets to go out with Ralph because it makes her feel independent. When they get to Mr. Mac’s store, he’s attempting to talk to an older man at the counter, but they both look frustrated. The man is looking for directions, but he only speaks Spanish. Mr. Mac apologizes for being unable to help and looks dejected when the man leaves. He laments never learning Spanish in school and vents his frustration about being unable to help people who don’t speak English.

Later that night, after she has finished her homework, Maya is scribbling ideas in her notebook. She can’t stop thinking about the man in Mr. Mac’s store and suddenly has an idea. The next day, she goes to the library and borrows a bunch of audio language courses on CD. She transfers them onto an SD memory card, which she then loads into Ralph. She heads back to Mr. Mac’s to test out her idea. When she gets there, Zaid is buying a newspaper for his grandmother. Maya asks him to say something in Arabic, so he says the word “shukran.” Maya asks Ralph to translate, which he reveals means “thank you” in English. Maya explains what she did, and that Ralph is now fluent in Spanish, French, Arabic, Mandarin, and even Latin. Both Zaid and Mr. Mac are impressed with the work Maya is doing with Ralph.

The next time Maya’s dad picks her up from school, they don’t follow their usual plan. He tells her they’re going to go to her mom’s house so that she can do her homework, and then they’re going to go to Mr. Mac’s store for a special event later in the evening. Her dad seems very serious, and his eyes look sad while he tells her this, so she doesn’t argue with him.

When they get home, she shows her dad Ralph for the first time. This cheers them both up, and her dad can't believe all the things Ralph can do. Afterwards, Maya’s dad reminds her she needs to do her homework. In her room, she struggles to focus and asks Ralph if he knows what lonely means. They talk about feeling sad, which triggers the “SADNESS COMPANIONSHIP SEQUENCE.” Ralph begins to sing and dance, causing Maya to fall off her bed laughing. Ralph asks if she is still sad, and she says that for now, she isn’t, but it’s okay if she is sad again later. She tells Ralph that he is a good friend, and they hug one another.

The sequence makes Maya realize that Christopher must have programmed Ralph to respond to sadness this way, and she starts brainstorming other things she could program him to do. She then remembers that she is waiting to hear back from Dr. Yazzie and checks her email. To her surprise, Dr. Yazzie has already responded. She talks about how Christopher was one of her brightest students and informs Maya of some of the things he was trying to do with Ralph. She also asks if Maya would like to keep in touch and invites her to see her robotics laboratory if she is ever in California, since she is clearly a “very talented young scientist” (137).

Maya can’t believe a world-renowned scientist like Dr. Yazzie wants to meet her and complimented her in such a way. She begins to wonder where Christopher is now, since everyone always talks about him in the past tense. Her dad then comes to her door looking sad and tells her there is something difficult he has to tell her. He explains that they are going to a memorial service for Christopher because he passed away. Christopher has felt like a friend to Maya, despite never meeting him, and she can’t believe he is gone. Her heart aches and she begins to cry.