When I realized the recycling truck had gone by (after doing some errands), I went back to get our big blue box. Opening the gate, I looked out for it and couldn't see it. So I did some back alley wandering, nope, it was gone. Our neighbors were still there, others brought in I guess....so someone snitched it? That tends to happen, but this was our first box, a ten dollar price tag on that and only the 3rd week out. Frustrated, I went one way down the alley, then the other scanning the ground, other driveways. A short way up the alley, I came upon 3 chubby kids, one with a small backpack and hat, holding onto a basket of apples. Nothing out of the ordainary. It actaully looked cute, faces looking like they were trying to sort out a problem.
As I came up, the little girl with the hat on said, "Is this your apple tree?", pointing to a large tree behind a fence, huge delicious apples hanging there for all to see. "Nope", I said, "but those are great looking apples!" She looked up and said, oh so innocently, "Do you think you could climb up there and get some for me?" The other faces looked at me, questioningly..."will you?" painted on their faces. Well, I know I used to climb trees like a monkey, but now, well, accident insurance would have to come first and then a very heave-ho type of effort might be made. They saw my consternation..."ok, Johnnie, you go up there then!". The girl in the hat, I noted was the expedition leader and took charge effectively. The gate was broken, looked like no one cared about that tree, hundreds of apples lay underneath it, some with wasps devouring its meat. I decided to stick around, in case any "owner" of the tree came out of the house and make sure the kids didn't get injured. Plus they were soooo darn cute!! Johnnie shook the tree, down came apples, he shook it again, down came more apples. For about 15 minutes the 2 other girls loaded their little basket, their arms, her little backpack with apples. I offered to get a bag for them, while Johnnie was saying that they could "share all these apples with the community". Really, he was cute and sincere!
I lead them like a pied piper, to my back gate. So many questions they had, "Is this where you live? Do you have puppies? This is so nice! Can I use your bathroom? What is that?" The last question, was directed to a tomato I pulled off my plant while they were swinging on our garden swing, and the cucumber I found in my little garden patch. Johnnie had the answers, the girls were in wonder! I introduced them to Cyclone, her ball, the Furby Park on the other side of the road, and walking back to the gate, one of them quired, "Why are you so nice 'ta us?". THAT was so cool, I love that question!! I thought about it and then said, "You know God loves kids"....Johnnie piped in, "And He made kids"..... "Yah! and I love kids, so He brought You here, so I could be nice to you." "Oh". Little Hat girl, looked at me and said, "Can I go up and play with your kids toys?" "Nope, not today, their not home plus I have some work to do", I answered. The other girl asked for a banana....alright, time to go! "Thanks for visiting me!" I said. They filed out the gate, with their apples and I'm sure 50 more questions. My mind went back to the recycling bin, who cares? I just spent 30 minutes with the three best cuties in the alley. Go figure....
No comments:
Post a Comment