After the little girl in the blue dress walked off with the football, I waited a moment, then crossed over to where the blond kid with the crewcut still lay on his back.
As I reached out a hand to him I said, "Let me guess. She's done that before."
The kid smiled ruefully as he took my hand and I pulled him to his feet. "A few times, yeah." His hair was so light in color that with the crewcut he almost looked bald in the late afternoon light, except for a little spitcurl-cowlick thing right over his forehead.
I gave him a dubious look. "You ever actually get to kick that football?"
He dusted off his yellow shirt before answering. "Not really, no."
Picking up his cap, I handed back to him. "So, if you know she's going to yank it away from you every time, why do you keep going back?"
He looked up at me, a sad-looking smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "Maybe she'll change her mind the next time. And if I don't have faith that she can change, will she ever have the chance to?"
I considered this, then nodded. "That's... very insightful for someone your age."
He grimaced. "Well, to tell the truth, I feel like I'm fifty years old sometimes, mister."
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
As I reached out a hand to him I said, "Let me guess. She's done that before."
The kid smiled ruefully as he took my hand and I pulled him to his feet. "A few times, yeah." His hair was so light in color that with the crewcut he almost looked bald in the late afternoon light, except for a little spitcurl-cowlick thing right over his forehead.
I gave him a dubious look. "You ever actually get to kick that football?"
He dusted off his yellow shirt before answering. "Not really, no."
Picking up his cap, I handed back to him. "So, if you know she's going to yank it away from you every time, why do you keep going back?"
He looked up at me, a sad-looking smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "Maybe she'll change her mind the next time. And if I don't have faith that she can change, will she ever have the chance to?"
I considered this, then nodded. "That's... very insightful for someone your age."
He grimaced. "Well, to tell the truth, I feel like I'm fifty years old sometimes, mister."
-- Bob
![[+]](/images/collapse_collapsed.png "[+]")
Spoiler---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.