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Perfect

7:30 p.m.
Cindy is here. Her shift will start early tomorrow and it was just easier for her if she could spend the night in my home. Sometimes I get so tired of seeing her.
Then I remember all the little treasures that also come with friendship(the treasures like 'my no power to the downstairs appliances' she already fixed tonight).
With the kids snug in bed, and two hours of daylight left, I wanted to spend it outside.
I said to Cindy, "Wouldn't it be nice if Terri came down for a coffee?"
"Sure," she replied.
"Why don't you play on my PC while I go get her?" I said. "It will only take me a few minutes. It is a nice out on the porch evening."
"Alright," she says, not caring, her mind already on what she can do on the PC while I am gone. She loves my computer. I know she hopes I will take my time on my walk.
I step out in my runners, that I just do not wear enough, and I start heading up the 12 or so houses to Terri's.
It has been awhile since I have been out for a walk on a beautiful evening at 7:40 by myself. I am double lucky because tonight is one of those comfortable is a pair of jeans night. I am so glad my Sunday evening is going to be wonderful(the power issues kept me wound up all day).
I pass by my lawnboy's house and he is outside, on his porch enjoying his evening with a 7-Up. I shake my head at him in wonder and say "Of course, you would have the most wonderful lawn on the block. I am so lucky I have you to do my mine."
He grins at me. I have noticed he does my lawn, while not as good as his, better than he does for anyone else. It's because of my sunny disposition. But truth of the matter, I am thrilled I have him to cut my grass. It is one less thing I have to make time for.
It was nice to see him tonight.
Up two house from Lawnboy's, Little Pudge, who has played with my son on a few occasions, stops me by screeching the brakes on his bike. About half a foot from hitting me. He gives me a wild grin and says "Hi! How are you?" He is 6.
I grin down at him. "Hey, buddy."
"Where ya going?"
He knows Terri. She has lived here for 5 years.
"Terri's," I say.
"Today I got stung by a bee."
"For real?" I gasp at him. "It hurt or what?" The whole time he is riding his little red two-wheeler beside me.
"Oh, man!" he rolls his eyes, then he looks up at me and shrugs. "Yeah, but not too much. See my finger?" He offers up his pinkie. It is covered in the classic brown Band-Aid.
"Maybe you should stop trying to catching bees," I say to him, as I walked up Terri's driveway.
"I got bored of spiders," he says from the sidewalk.
I knock on Terri's door. One of her daughters answers the door.
"Oh, is your mom not home?" I smile and shake my head.
"No, she just stepped out."
"Alright," I say. "Tell her I was here."
I step down the stairs and notice Little Pudge is still on the sidewalk.
"You wanna walk me back as far as your house, kiddo?" I ask him.
"O.K." he says, gallantly.
"Thank you," I smile down at his round little head.
"One time, last summer, I caught a toad," he breathes out.
"How long you have him for?"
"Oh, wow!" his eyes open-wide. "Hours and hours!"
"Oh, goodness," I act like I am shocked. "What did you keep him in?"
"A pail. I put grass and everything in there for him. Mom would not let him in the house. He ran-away when I went in for supper.
I wish I could catch another toad."
I smile at him as we reach his house. "You will catch many more. Wow! You got lots of toys! Don't forget to pick them up. Your mom would like that."
"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, jumping off his bike.
I turn back to look a few steps later and he is picking up his toys. Good. His Mom really will be happy.
I grin and shake my head in awe again at Lawnboy, now fussing over his grass as I pass by him. Before I know it, I am climbing up my own front stairs.
I poke my head in the door.
"Cindy. Terri was not home. I am going to sit on the porch and write for a bit."
She does not remove her eyes from the computer screen.
"Okay," I am certain she said. She grumbles something and the only word I hear is coffee.
"Pardon?"
"I will make you a coffee and bring it out in a minute."
I grin. She knows I will stay out longer with a coffee. And this is good because I want to stay out longer.
I take a deep breath and let my thoughts collect. I just start writing when Cindy brings out my coffee. I see the steam rising from the cup and I cannot wait to take a drink.
"Cindy-you rock!" I thank her.
"Yeah, I know...I am going in," her hand is back on the front door handle.
"See ya," I am already writing.
The door closes behind me and I stop writing.
I think I can get back to it after I spend three seconds enjoying the first swallow of coffee on this out on the porch with a coffee evening. With or without people.
And I do enjoy it.
I have had the most interesting thoughts today and I want to get them put down. I pick back up my pen and begin again.
"You bellowed?" calls a voice from the edge of the sidewalk; after I had wrote about half a page.
I look up. I clap my hands.
What a fantastic evening! Terri has come for coffee!

All because I sometimes get tired of Cindy.
Friendship can be so strange...

Comments

Karri Bowman said…
where can we get our own Little Pudge boy? I would have let him keep the toad...
Queenie said…
He is there...you might have to travel up a few more blocks than usual...

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