Story-Teller
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Trading Licks
Joey skipped over and hopped up on a bench near the door leading to the courtroom. Joey squirmed back and forth until he got comfortable and then he began to look around. Not far away two deputies stood guarding the courtroom door. On a bench across the way Mrs. Humphries sat working a crossword puzzle while she kept watch on Joey out of the corner of her eye. Mrs. Humphries lived next door to Joey. She had promised Joey’s mother that she would watch him so that his mother could go in and observe the trial.
Joey looked back and forth at the passersby and occasionally traded grins with Mrs. Humphries. After a while he leaned over to one side so that he could pull a sucker from his jeans pocket. After a little twisting and turning, he successfully grasped his candy treat. He took off the red paper and popped it into his mouth.
Joey looked over and noticed another little boy turn away from the water fountain. Water dripped from his chin. The second boy headed in Joey’s direction.
“Hi,” the other boy said.
“Hi,” Joey replied.
“What’ve you got in your mouth?” the other boy asked.
“A sucker. You want a lick?” Joey asked.
“Sure!” the other boy answered.
“You like it?” Joey asked as the other boy removed it from his mouth and handed it back to Joey.
“Yeah. What kind is it?”
“It’s cherry,” Joey answered. “Cherry’s my favorite kind. What’s your favorite?”
“Grape,” the other boy answered. “But I like cherry, too.”
“Want another lick?” Joey asked.
“Sure!” the other boy answered.
For the next several minutes the two boys sat beside each other on the bench taking turns licking the sucker and then handing it to the other boy until there was nothing left but the stick.
“You got any more suckers?” the other boy asked.
“Nope,” Joey answered. “That was my only one.”
“It sure was good, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, and it was even better sharing it with a friend.”
“You mean I’m your friend. I never had a friend before,” replied the other boy.
“Never had a friend! You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Nope. You’re my first friend.”
“See that woman sitting over there?”
“Yeah, what about her?”
“Well, that’s Mrs. Humphries. She’s my friend, too.”
“She’s kind of old to be a friend, isn’t she?”
“Nope. Friends come in all ages and sizes.”
“I didn’t know that. I’m sure glad to be your friend.”
“Me, too,” Joey replied as he scooted over and put his sticky hand around the other boy’s shoulder.
For the next few minutes the two boys sat arm in arm. Neither realized that a shared sucker meant less licks for each of them. Neither realized that a shared sucker could have meant germs. And neither realized that on the other side of the wall that one boy’s father was on trial for murdering the other boy’s father.
Copyright 2002 Steve Demaree
=====
Steve Demaree
1608 Summerhill Drive
Lexington, KY 40515
(606) 271-2416
[email protected]
Submitted by Richard
Joey skipped over and hopped up on a bench near the door leading to the courtroom. Joey squirmed back and forth until he got comfortable and then he began to look around. Not far away two deputies stood guarding the courtroom door. On a bench across the way Mrs. Humphries sat working a crossword puzzle while she kept watch on Joey out of the corner of her eye. Mrs. Humphries lived next door to Joey. She had promised Joey’s mother that she would watch him so that his mother could go in and observe the trial.
Joey looked back and forth at the passersby and occasionally traded grins with Mrs. Humphries. After a while he leaned over to one side so that he could pull a sucker from his jeans pocket. After a little twisting and turning, he successfully grasped his candy treat. He took off the red paper and popped it into his mouth.
Joey looked over and noticed another little boy turn away from the water fountain. Water dripped from his chin. The second boy headed in Joey’s direction.
“Hi,” the other boy said.
“Hi,” Joey replied.
“What’ve you got in your mouth?” the other boy asked.
“A sucker. You want a lick?” Joey asked.
“Sure!” the other boy answered.
“You like it?” Joey asked as the other boy removed it from his mouth and handed it back to Joey.
“Yeah. What kind is it?”
“It’s cherry,” Joey answered. “Cherry’s my favorite kind. What’s your favorite?”
“Grape,” the other boy answered. “But I like cherry, too.”
“Want another lick?” Joey asked.
“Sure!” the other boy answered.
For the next several minutes the two boys sat beside each other on the bench taking turns licking the sucker and then handing it to the other boy until there was nothing left but the stick.
“You got any more suckers?” the other boy asked.
“Nope,” Joey answered. “That was my only one.”
“It sure was good, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, and it was even better sharing it with a friend.”
“You mean I’m your friend. I never had a friend before,” replied the other boy.
“Never had a friend! You’ve got to be kidding!”
“Nope. You’re my first friend.”
“See that woman sitting over there?”
“Yeah, what about her?”
“Well, that’s Mrs. Humphries. She’s my friend, too.”
“She’s kind of old to be a friend, isn’t she?”
“Nope. Friends come in all ages and sizes.”
“I didn’t know that. I’m sure glad to be your friend.”
“Me, too,” Joey replied as he scooted over and put his sticky hand around the other boy’s shoulder.
For the next few minutes the two boys sat arm in arm. Neither realized that a shared sucker meant less licks for each of them. Neither realized that a shared sucker could have meant germs. And neither realized that on the other side of the wall that one boy’s father was on trial for murdering the other boy’s father.
Copyright 2002 Steve Demaree
=====
Steve Demaree
1608 Summerhill Drive
Lexington, KY 40515
(606) 271-2416
[email protected]
Submitted by Richard
