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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Kids
- Theme: Science Fiction
- Subject: Adventure
- Published: 02/13/2013
A Rock in My Path
Born 1943, F, from Elk Grove, California, United States.jpg)
“Damned old rock.” Timmy lay sprawled in the dirt. He glanced back, making sure Gramma hadn’t heard his angry outburst. She would give him what for if she heard him cussin’. He’d run this path three million times, from his house to the chicken coop and left at the big tree, under the fence and over to Gramma’s house. Every day, he had tripped over the damn rock sticking up in the middle of the path.
Timmy picked himself up, gave the rock a kick to show it who was boss, and ran down the path toward Gramma’s home. Gramma was swell. She didn’t scold when he tracked mud into the house or stepped on the flowers by the sidewalk. She always gave him a big hug, even when he was dirty. A guy was lucky when he had a Gramma, but she didn’t like cussin’, no sirree!
At dinner that evening, Mama served beans again. Timmy shuddered as he swallowed the slimy things, wishing they had fried chicken and chocolate cake.
How was your day, Timmy?”
“Fine.”
“Did you learn something new today?”
“Nope.”
“Did you do your homework after school at Gramma’s?”
“Yeah.”
“Real talkative tonight, aren’t you?” Daddy reached for the beans and ladled out another helping.
“Huh? What does talkative mean?”
“It means you don’t talk to us. You just sit there like a bump on a log.”
“Oh…Um….umm. I know. I keep tripping on a rock between our house and Gramma’s. I’m gonna’ dig it out tomorrow after school. It’s really pretty, with bumpy holes in it, but when I’m running, I trip and...”
“That’s fine, Timmy.”
Timmy reached for his milk. His hand struck the glass. Milk spewed across the table and dripped onto Daddy’s lap.
“Good God, Timmy! You’re so damn clumsy! Just look at these pants! Straight from the cleaners too.”
Mom placed her hand on Daddy’s arm. “Charles, I’m sure Timmy didn’t do it on purpose. Let’s just….”
Timmy's face flamed. Of all things, on Daddy’s clean pants! And now Daddy was mad at him... again.
“Well, don’t just sit there! Bring me a towel and clean up this mess.”
Timmy grabbed the towel and wiped frantically at the milk.
Daddy snatched it from his hand. “Give that to me. You’ll just make a bigger mess than you’ve already made.”
Timmy stared down into his bowl of beans. I’m such a screw-up. Why can't I ever do anything right?
“I’ll need you to move the beehive from the back yard over to Gramma’s garden pretty soon, Timmy. It’s almost time to pollinate her apple trees.” Daddy tossed the soggy towel toward the sink.
Timmy nodded and sighed. Working with the beehives was the worst task on the farm, right up there with shoveling manure.
The next afternoon, Timmy retrieved a shovel from the shed. He’d dig that damn rock up before dinner and tonight at the dinner table, he’d have something to talk about.
Timmy attacked the packed dirt around the rock, but as deep as he dug; the further the rock went into the ground! Just like icebergs. Only the tip of the damned rock showed. Nine-tenths of it was still beneath the surface. His face glistened with perspiration and a dark ring crept down from his shirt collar toward the center of his back.
When eighteen inches of the rock was uncovered, it angled outward and slightly down. The damn thing was a boulder! The dirt piled higher as the hole grew deeper. Pits and valleys appeared on the emerging surface of the rock. Why it almost looked like a meteor pictured in his science book!
Timmy sat at the dinner table, his hands scrubbed and wearing a clean shirt. He bounced a little in his seat, waiting for Mama to ask him about his day.
“How was school?”
“Good. Ask me what I did after school.”
“Did you learn anything new at school today?”
“No. Ask me what I did after school.”
“Did you finish your homework at Gramma’s house?”
“Uh-huh. Ask me what I did after school!”
Daddy’s brow wrinkled and he scolded. “Don’t take that tone when you speak to your mother. Your education is important. Why should we care what you did after school?”
“Guess what! I dug up the rock in the path to Gramma’s house. It’s a meteor from outer space.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Honest, Dad, it is a meteor. I looked up a picture in my science book and it is a meteor.”
“Timmy. We’re not interested in your tall tales. Eat your dinner.”
“But it’s true, Dad. I can prove it. If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself.”
“I have better things to do than look at a rock in the ground. You know how hard I work every day. Did you move that beehive like I asked you to?”
Timmy lowered his head. “No sir, I forgot. I’m sorry. I’ll do it tomorrow right after school.”
He’d screwed up again. He looked at his mother for support, but she was staring out the window with her spoon poised between her plate and her mouth. There’d be no help from her corner.
Timmy and his mother cleaned up the kitchen in silence. Timmy cleared his throat, his words barely a whisper. “Mom. Why doesn’t Dad like me? I always make him mad. No matter how hard I try, I mess up. How come is that?”
Mama’s hands were wrist deep in dishwater. “Why, Timmy, that’s just not true. Your Daddy loves you. He just works hard and comes home tired. That’s why he’s impatient with you. He’ll have more time when he doesn’t have to work so hard. You’ll understand when you’re older.”
Timmy thought for a bit. “Maybe so, but by that time, I won’t be a little boy anymore.”
Timmy’s mother blushed and turned away.
Timmy lay in his bed that night, staring out the window. Would there ever be a day when Daddy would want to spend time with him? Several months ago, Daddy had promised to take him fishing. Ever since that day, Timmy kept a can full of worms, but day after day, Daddy came home tired and Timmy’s hopes for the promised fishing trip appeared as dead as the spaghetti-like fossils that filled the can.
Timmy smashed his pillow with his fist.
The sky lit up outside his window. Timmy jumped from bed to get a better look. The newspapers were full of UFO stories about such strange sightings. The government declared they were weather balloons, but Timmy believed they were creatures from outer space, coming to spy on innocent folks while they slept in their beds.
Timmy crouched down on the floor and peeked over the windowsill, in case one of the space creatures was looking into his bedroom. Now what? Meteors in the path and now UFO’s in the backyard? There wasn’t much point in calling Daddy. He probably wouldn’t believe this either.
The light right outside flared, lighting up the room. Sweat soaked through his pajama tops and his heart pounded so hard, he thought it would burst through his chest. He squinched his eyes, expecting a big hand to reach down and grab him. Then the light shot off out of sight. He climbed back in bed with his head full of UFO’s, space men, and outer space. “I’m gonna’ go to the moon when I grow up. I’ll land on the moon and the space creature will crawl out of the rocks and, in a real deep voice, like Buck Rogers, I’ll say, 'I come in peace,' and then…”
He dreamed of rocket ships, asteroids and comets. He’d travel throughout the universe gathering souvenirs from the planets and when he came home, Daddy would sit spellbound, listening to every word Timmy told of his adventures across the galaxy.
The following day, as soon as he finished his homework, he raced back to the meteor. “I’ll dig the damn thing out of the ground, then Daddy will believe me.”
He dug until thirty inches of the rock protruded from the hole, now four feet across but the majority of the meteor still hidden in the earth.
He looked up, startled by the appearance of a shabbily dressed old man with stringy grey hair and gnarled, calloused hands. They often saw hobos from the nearby railroad, or camps down by the river. Timmy remembered Gramma telling him that hobos were usually just nice guys out of work, making the best of things.
“Hi. How you doin’?”
“Fine. How are you, son? What cha’ digging there?”
“It’s an old damn rock I’m digging up. It’s a meteor from outer space, you know.”
“Really. Are ya’ sure?”
The old man pulled a dirty handkerchief from his pocket. He spit on the rock and wiped the dirt from the larger pits. The wet area glowed green in contrast to the grayish colored dry surface.
“I think you’re right, son. You’ve got a meteor here, and it’s a beauty.”
“My daddy doesn’t believe it’s a meteor but I’m gonna’ keep diggin’ until I get the whole damn rock uncovered. He’ll believe me then!”
“Do you need some help? You know, I wasn’t always a hobo. Before I was afflicted by hard times, I used to know quite a bit about meteors and asteroids.”
Timmy ran for another shovel and the two worked side by side.
“I have to tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a huge meteor. Why, if I wasn’t on my way to visit my daughter in Southern California, I’d stick around and help you dig this thing out. Why doesn’t your Daddy believe it’s really a meteor?”
“Daddy’s too busy. He doesn’t take much interest in anything I do. Mom says I gotta’ be understanding because he comes home real tired. It’s not because he doesn’t like me, you understand!”
“Why, it’s plain to see, any father would be proud of a bright boy such as ‘yerself. Me, I never had no son, just the daughter, and I don’t see much a’ her anymore.”
As the man and boy talked and dug, the hole grew considerably, revealing more of the meteor. “Run get a bucket of water, Timmy, and throw it on the rock. Then it’s bound to show its true colors. You know, there’s them what thinks meteors could be processed into a special kind of fuel. Someday, our ships could fly through outer space faster than the speed of light and reach the other planets with such fuel.”
Timmy felt as though the old man would have an understanding ear, and shared the sighting of the strange lights in the sky. “You don’t think it was a spaceship looking at my meteor, do you? Maybe they wanted to use it for fuel.”
“Well, that’s hard to say, but most likely you was just dreaming, Timmy.”
Timmy stopped digging and stood up straight in the hole. “You don’t believe me either!”
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. I just said you was likely dreaming. There’s a big difference between what we dream and things what be.”
The old man’s words reminded Timmy of his assigned task with the beehive. “Oh no!” His mouth fell open and his cheeks warmed.
“What’s the matter, son?”
“I just remembered I’m spose’ to move a beehive and I got too busy with my meteor and I forgot. I gotta’ do it or Daddy will be awful mad.”
“You’d best get moving and get your job done. Taking responsibilities is important. You run along and I’ll keep digging for a while, until I need to move on to Southern California to see my daughter, you recall.”
Timmy nodded and headed toward the beehive. His steps slowed as he approached the hive so the bees wouldn’t be frightened. He reached the hive box and carefully lifted it like Daddy taught him, and walked slowly toward Gramma’s orchard. The bees buzzed and circled his head. Several landed on his arms. Timmy grit his teeth, knowing that he must not let on how scared he felt. As long as he moved slowly and stayed calm, he wouldn’t be stung.
Step by step, he followed the path toward Gramma’s house. Timmy quickened his pace when he neared the meteor. Would the old man realize he must stop digging lest it frighten the bees? Should he call out and warn the old gentleman or keep quiet and keep walking? He became more anxious, trying to make up his mind and stumbled on a protruding tree root. The bee box fell to the ground. The bees spilled out, buzzing and flying in confusion as the top flew off. Timmy dropped, rolled into a ball and lay motionless, while the bees circled frantically in search of their queen. Within several minutes, they surrounded her, hanging in a seething bundle on a nearby fence post.
Timmy choked back tears. Once again, he’d screwed up and Daddy would be furious. But, now what could he do? Daddy was the only one who could get the bees back into the hive.
The old gentleman helped Timmy to his feet. “Looks like you could use a helping hand.”
“Yes sir. I’ve done it this time.” He dug his fist into his eyes. “I’ve lost the hive. Daddy’s gonna’ really be mad.”
“Just hold on a minute, son. I think I can help.” He picked up the bee box and began to hum a soothing tune, as he walked slowly toward the swarm of bees on the fence post. He reached his bare hand into the swarming mass and gathered a handful of bees and gently dumped them into the bee box. Again and again, he reached into the pulsing mass and dropped handfuls of bees into the box. Only a small number of bees remained on the fence post. He closed the lid. “That should do it, Timmy. I think you can carry the box safely to your Gramma’s house now.”
Timmy’s eyes opened wide. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“Here and there. I’ve picked up a little bit about lots of things over the years.”
Timmy grinned and carried the bee box into Gramma’s orchard.
At dinner that night, he talked about his meteor. “Dad, please come and see it. It’s awful swell, and it’s bigger now than this here table.”
Daddy finally agreed to look at the meteor after dinner. He and Timmy walked down the path together. He lit the way with a flashlight until they reached the yawning hole where the meteor protruded like a giant tooth. The meteor gave off a greenish glow in the moonlight.
“What do you think? Isn’t it swell?”
“Why, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll come home early and help you dig.”
“Would you really? That’s swell, Daddy.” His face lit up with a smile.
That night, Timmy turned on the radio beside his bed. As he lay in bed listening to the music, a light in the sky appeared, hovering over the house and then disappeared. He guessed the space creatures were as curious about him as he was about them.
True to his promise, the next evening, Daddy dug with Timmy until dinnertime, uncovering another twelve inches of the meteor. The hole was so deep, Daddy had to give Timmy a boost when it was time to leave.
For several days, Timmy and his father worked together at the dig site, talking and laughing. Timmy felt this was better than any fishing trip could ever be.
On Friday, Timmy rushed home from school. Imagine his surprise to find a group of his neighbors staring at a backhoe scooping up large bites of earth from around the giant boulder that had once been a tiny rock in his path.
“What’s going on?” Timmy ran up to Daddy.
Daddy shook his head. “We needed the backhoe to finish digging up the meteor. Tomorrow, they’re taking it to the Seattle Museum.”
“No! Daddy! You can’t do that. I don’t want to give it away. I found it, it’s mine!” Timmy looked through the crowd, hoping to find the old man. He might provide some moral support, but he was nowhere in sight.
A newspaper reporter and a photographer approached Daddy. “So, Mr. Davis, tell us how you discovered the meteor.”
“Well, I found it in the path the child takes. Only a little bit was showing above the surface. The boy kept tripping on it, so I thought I’d better dig it up before he hurt himself. When I realized that it was a meteor, I figured it should be in a museum for everyone to enjoy.”
Timmy eyes grew large. How could Daddy say he found it? How can Daddy’s lie?
“Why are you donating it to the Seattle Museum? Why not our local museum?”
“Well, I didn’t exactly say I was donating it, did I? Let’s just say, it’s going where it will do everyone the most good.” He chuckled. “You’ll excuse me now, won’t you?”
Daddy moved away from the reporter. Timmy watched helplessly, nearly blinded by the tears coursing down his cheeks. He turned and ran to Gramma’s house where he threw himself into her arms and spilled out his story.
Gramma walked back with him to the worksite where she found Daddy. “Charles, what is the meaning of this? The child says you’re giving away his meteor. Shouldn’t you have included him in your plans before you made such arrangements?”
“Mother, this is none of your concern. I make the decisions for this family. Just stay out of it. We’ll make it up to him. We’ll get him a bicycle or something. What’s done is done.”
She shook her head and took Timmy back to her house. Even cookies and milk couldn’t fill the hole in his heart.
Timmy went to his room early that night, fighting back the hot stinging tears that burned his eyes. How could Daddy do it? They had worked together on the meteor, sharing an interest and connecting for the first time. And without a word to him….
A bright light lit his dark bedroom. Through the window, a spacecraft with blinking lights spinning around its base, hovered above the house. As he watched in stunned silence, the side of the ship opened. Though he did not move from his bed, he saw himself inside the ship where lights and instruments flashed and winked in the control panel. The pilot was aglow in the shape of a human body, but Timmy recognized the old gentleman who had helped him. There was no audible sound, yet Timmy heard the pilot’s words. “I came to say good bye and thank you. One day you’ll be a pilot, traveling to distant places, and during your lifetime we will meet again. This I promise.”
And then Timmy was in his bed, as though none of it had happened. He lay in the darkness, still feeling the tingling thrill, his breath, quick, excited gasps, his eyes still seeing the inside of the ship and his friend in the pilot seat. Did it really happen? Or was he dreaming?
He awoke to the sound of men shouting and trucks in the driveway. The logging truck had come to take away his meteor. He would probably never see it again, unless they went to the Seattle Museum. He dressed and ran down the driveway, toward the chicken coop, turned left at the big tree and down the path toward his wonderful meteor. He hoped to get one last glimpse of it before the truck carried it way forever.
Then he saw the trucks backing out of the driveway. He was too late. They must have loaded it up already. He approached the area where he’d first seen the rock in his path. Daddy stood with his hands in his pockets, looking into the empty hole. Timmy caught his breath. His wonderful meteor was already gone. He had missed the chance to even watch as it was driven away.
“Daddy?”
“Son.”
“Is it gone?”
“Yes, it’s gone.”
“I slept too long. And the trucks have already taken it away.”
Daddy shook his head. “No, they didn’t... I can’t explain it. The meteor was gone when we got out here this morning.”
“How can that be? No one could have moved it without a crane. It must weigh thousands of pounds.”
Daddy shrugged his shoulders, staring into the empty hole.
“Daddy? Did you see the bright light in the sky last night? Do you think the space ship took it away?”
“I saw it I…just don’t know, son. It’s a mystery, isn’t it? Son?”
“Yes Daddy.”
“I don’t feel much like going to work today. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Well, what I mean is… well, the bottom line is … Would you like to go fishing? Maybe we can talk about what’s been happening here since we found the meteor. I should have asked you…I shouldn’t have;”
“Oh, Daddy. I was hoping you’d ask. I’ll be right back.” He raced back up the path, turned right at the big tree, ran past the chicken coop, down the driveway to the shed where he kept a can of worms, just exactly for such an occasion.
A Rock in My Path(Elaine Faber)
“Damned old rock.” Timmy lay sprawled in the dirt. He glanced back, making sure Gramma hadn’t heard his angry outburst. She would give him what for if she heard him cussin’. He’d run this path three million times, from his house to the chicken coop and left at the big tree, under the fence and over to Gramma’s house. Every day, he had tripped over the damn rock sticking up in the middle of the path.
Timmy picked himself up, gave the rock a kick to show it who was boss, and ran down the path toward Gramma’s home. Gramma was swell. She didn’t scold when he tracked mud into the house or stepped on the flowers by the sidewalk. She always gave him a big hug, even when he was dirty. A guy was lucky when he had a Gramma, but she didn’t like cussin’, no sirree!
At dinner that evening, Mama served beans again. Timmy shuddered as he swallowed the slimy things, wishing they had fried chicken and chocolate cake.
How was your day, Timmy?”
“Fine.”
“Did you learn something new today?”
“Nope.”
“Did you do your homework after school at Gramma’s?”
“Yeah.”
“Real talkative tonight, aren’t you?” Daddy reached for the beans and ladled out another helping.
“Huh? What does talkative mean?”
“It means you don’t talk to us. You just sit there like a bump on a log.”
“Oh…Um….umm. I know. I keep tripping on a rock between our house and Gramma’s. I’m gonna’ dig it out tomorrow after school. It’s really pretty, with bumpy holes in it, but when I’m running, I trip and...”
“That’s fine, Timmy.”
Timmy reached for his milk. His hand struck the glass. Milk spewed across the table and dripped onto Daddy’s lap.
“Good God, Timmy! You’re so damn clumsy! Just look at these pants! Straight from the cleaners too.”
Mom placed her hand on Daddy’s arm. “Charles, I’m sure Timmy didn’t do it on purpose. Let’s just….”
Timmy's face flamed. Of all things, on Daddy’s clean pants! And now Daddy was mad at him... again.
“Well, don’t just sit there! Bring me a towel and clean up this mess.”
Timmy grabbed the towel and wiped frantically at the milk.
Daddy snatched it from his hand. “Give that to me. You’ll just make a bigger mess than you’ve already made.”
Timmy stared down into his bowl of beans. I’m such a screw-up. Why can't I ever do anything right?
“I’ll need you to move the beehive from the back yard over to Gramma’s garden pretty soon, Timmy. It’s almost time to pollinate her apple trees.” Daddy tossed the soggy towel toward the sink.
Timmy nodded and sighed. Working with the beehives was the worst task on the farm, right up there with shoveling manure.
The next afternoon, Timmy retrieved a shovel from the shed. He’d dig that damn rock up before dinner and tonight at the dinner table, he’d have something to talk about.
Timmy attacked the packed dirt around the rock, but as deep as he dug; the further the rock went into the ground! Just like icebergs. Only the tip of the damned rock showed. Nine-tenths of it was still beneath the surface. His face glistened with perspiration and a dark ring crept down from his shirt collar toward the center of his back.
When eighteen inches of the rock was uncovered, it angled outward and slightly down. The damn thing was a boulder! The dirt piled higher as the hole grew deeper. Pits and valleys appeared on the emerging surface of the rock. Why it almost looked like a meteor pictured in his science book!
Timmy sat at the dinner table, his hands scrubbed and wearing a clean shirt. He bounced a little in his seat, waiting for Mama to ask him about his day.
“How was school?”
“Good. Ask me what I did after school.”
“Did you learn anything new at school today?”
“No. Ask me what I did after school.”
“Did you finish your homework at Gramma’s house?”
“Uh-huh. Ask me what I did after school!”
Daddy’s brow wrinkled and he scolded. “Don’t take that tone when you speak to your mother. Your education is important. Why should we care what you did after school?”
“Guess what! I dug up the rock in the path to Gramma’s house. It’s a meteor from outer space.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Honest, Dad, it is a meteor. I looked up a picture in my science book and it is a meteor.”
“Timmy. We’re not interested in your tall tales. Eat your dinner.”
“But it’s true, Dad. I can prove it. If you don’t believe me, come and see for yourself.”
“I have better things to do than look at a rock in the ground. You know how hard I work every day. Did you move that beehive like I asked you to?”
Timmy lowered his head. “No sir, I forgot. I’m sorry. I’ll do it tomorrow right after school.”
He’d screwed up again. He looked at his mother for support, but she was staring out the window with her spoon poised between her plate and her mouth. There’d be no help from her corner.
Timmy and his mother cleaned up the kitchen in silence. Timmy cleared his throat, his words barely a whisper. “Mom. Why doesn’t Dad like me? I always make him mad. No matter how hard I try, I mess up. How come is that?”
Mama’s hands were wrist deep in dishwater. “Why, Timmy, that’s just not true. Your Daddy loves you. He just works hard and comes home tired. That’s why he’s impatient with you. He’ll have more time when he doesn’t have to work so hard. You’ll understand when you’re older.”
Timmy thought for a bit. “Maybe so, but by that time, I won’t be a little boy anymore.”
Timmy’s mother blushed and turned away.
Timmy lay in his bed that night, staring out the window. Would there ever be a day when Daddy would want to spend time with him? Several months ago, Daddy had promised to take him fishing. Ever since that day, Timmy kept a can full of worms, but day after day, Daddy came home tired and Timmy’s hopes for the promised fishing trip appeared as dead as the spaghetti-like fossils that filled the can.
Timmy smashed his pillow with his fist.
The sky lit up outside his window. Timmy jumped from bed to get a better look. The newspapers were full of UFO stories about such strange sightings. The government declared they were weather balloons, but Timmy believed they were creatures from outer space, coming to spy on innocent folks while they slept in their beds.
Timmy crouched down on the floor and peeked over the windowsill, in case one of the space creatures was looking into his bedroom. Now what? Meteors in the path and now UFO’s in the backyard? There wasn’t much point in calling Daddy. He probably wouldn’t believe this either.
The light right outside flared, lighting up the room. Sweat soaked through his pajama tops and his heart pounded so hard, he thought it would burst through his chest. He squinched his eyes, expecting a big hand to reach down and grab him. Then the light shot off out of sight. He climbed back in bed with his head full of UFO’s, space men, and outer space. “I’m gonna’ go to the moon when I grow up. I’ll land on the moon and the space creature will crawl out of the rocks and, in a real deep voice, like Buck Rogers, I’ll say, 'I come in peace,' and then…”
He dreamed of rocket ships, asteroids and comets. He’d travel throughout the universe gathering souvenirs from the planets and when he came home, Daddy would sit spellbound, listening to every word Timmy told of his adventures across the galaxy.
The following day, as soon as he finished his homework, he raced back to the meteor. “I’ll dig the damn thing out of the ground, then Daddy will believe me.”
He dug until thirty inches of the rock protruded from the hole, now four feet across but the majority of the meteor still hidden in the earth.
He looked up, startled by the appearance of a shabbily dressed old man with stringy grey hair and gnarled, calloused hands. They often saw hobos from the nearby railroad, or camps down by the river. Timmy remembered Gramma telling him that hobos were usually just nice guys out of work, making the best of things.
“Hi. How you doin’?”
“Fine. How are you, son? What cha’ digging there?”
“It’s an old damn rock I’m digging up. It’s a meteor from outer space, you know.”
“Really. Are ya’ sure?”
The old man pulled a dirty handkerchief from his pocket. He spit on the rock and wiped the dirt from the larger pits. The wet area glowed green in contrast to the grayish colored dry surface.
“I think you’re right, son. You’ve got a meteor here, and it’s a beauty.”
“My daddy doesn’t believe it’s a meteor but I’m gonna’ keep diggin’ until I get the whole damn rock uncovered. He’ll believe me then!”
“Do you need some help? You know, I wasn’t always a hobo. Before I was afflicted by hard times, I used to know quite a bit about meteors and asteroids.”
Timmy ran for another shovel and the two worked side by side.
“I have to tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a huge meteor. Why, if I wasn’t on my way to visit my daughter in Southern California, I’d stick around and help you dig this thing out. Why doesn’t your Daddy believe it’s really a meteor?”
“Daddy’s too busy. He doesn’t take much interest in anything I do. Mom says I gotta’ be understanding because he comes home real tired. It’s not because he doesn’t like me, you understand!”
“Why, it’s plain to see, any father would be proud of a bright boy such as ‘yerself. Me, I never had no son, just the daughter, and I don’t see much a’ her anymore.”
As the man and boy talked and dug, the hole grew considerably, revealing more of the meteor. “Run get a bucket of water, Timmy, and throw it on the rock. Then it’s bound to show its true colors. You know, there’s them what thinks meteors could be processed into a special kind of fuel. Someday, our ships could fly through outer space faster than the speed of light and reach the other planets with such fuel.”
Timmy felt as though the old man would have an understanding ear, and shared the sighting of the strange lights in the sky. “You don’t think it was a spaceship looking at my meteor, do you? Maybe they wanted to use it for fuel.”
“Well, that’s hard to say, but most likely you was just dreaming, Timmy.”
Timmy stopped digging and stood up straight in the hole. “You don’t believe me either!”
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. I just said you was likely dreaming. There’s a big difference between what we dream and things what be.”
The old man’s words reminded Timmy of his assigned task with the beehive. “Oh no!” His mouth fell open and his cheeks warmed.
“What’s the matter, son?”
“I just remembered I’m spose’ to move a beehive and I got too busy with my meteor and I forgot. I gotta’ do it or Daddy will be awful mad.”
“You’d best get moving and get your job done. Taking responsibilities is important. You run along and I’ll keep digging for a while, until I need to move on to Southern California to see my daughter, you recall.”
Timmy nodded and headed toward the beehive. His steps slowed as he approached the hive so the bees wouldn’t be frightened. He reached the hive box and carefully lifted it like Daddy taught him, and walked slowly toward Gramma’s orchard. The bees buzzed and circled his head. Several landed on his arms. Timmy grit his teeth, knowing that he must not let on how scared he felt. As long as he moved slowly and stayed calm, he wouldn’t be stung.
Step by step, he followed the path toward Gramma’s house. Timmy quickened his pace when he neared the meteor. Would the old man realize he must stop digging lest it frighten the bees? Should he call out and warn the old gentleman or keep quiet and keep walking? He became more anxious, trying to make up his mind and stumbled on a protruding tree root. The bee box fell to the ground. The bees spilled out, buzzing and flying in confusion as the top flew off. Timmy dropped, rolled into a ball and lay motionless, while the bees circled frantically in search of their queen. Within several minutes, they surrounded her, hanging in a seething bundle on a nearby fence post.
Timmy choked back tears. Once again, he’d screwed up and Daddy would be furious. But, now what could he do? Daddy was the only one who could get the bees back into the hive.
The old gentleman helped Timmy to his feet. “Looks like you could use a helping hand.”
“Yes sir. I’ve done it this time.” He dug his fist into his eyes. “I’ve lost the hive. Daddy’s gonna’ really be mad.”
“Just hold on a minute, son. I think I can help.” He picked up the bee box and began to hum a soothing tune, as he walked slowly toward the swarm of bees on the fence post. He reached his bare hand into the swarming mass and gathered a handful of bees and gently dumped them into the bee box. Again and again, he reached into the pulsing mass and dropped handfuls of bees into the box. Only a small number of bees remained on the fence post. He closed the lid. “That should do it, Timmy. I think you can carry the box safely to your Gramma’s house now.”
Timmy’s eyes opened wide. “Where did you learn to do that?”
“Here and there. I’ve picked up a little bit about lots of things over the years.”
Timmy grinned and carried the bee box into Gramma’s orchard.
At dinner that night, he talked about his meteor. “Dad, please come and see it. It’s awful swell, and it’s bigger now than this here table.”
Daddy finally agreed to look at the meteor after dinner. He and Timmy walked down the path together. He lit the way with a flashlight until they reached the yawning hole where the meteor protruded like a giant tooth. The meteor gave off a greenish glow in the moonlight.
“What do you think? Isn’t it swell?”
“Why, I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll come home early and help you dig.”
“Would you really? That’s swell, Daddy.” His face lit up with a smile.
That night, Timmy turned on the radio beside his bed. As he lay in bed listening to the music, a light in the sky appeared, hovering over the house and then disappeared. He guessed the space creatures were as curious about him as he was about them.
True to his promise, the next evening, Daddy dug with Timmy until dinnertime, uncovering another twelve inches of the meteor. The hole was so deep, Daddy had to give Timmy a boost when it was time to leave.
For several days, Timmy and his father worked together at the dig site, talking and laughing. Timmy felt this was better than any fishing trip could ever be.
On Friday, Timmy rushed home from school. Imagine his surprise to find a group of his neighbors staring at a backhoe scooping up large bites of earth from around the giant boulder that had once been a tiny rock in his path.
“What’s going on?” Timmy ran up to Daddy.
Daddy shook his head. “We needed the backhoe to finish digging up the meteor. Tomorrow, they’re taking it to the Seattle Museum.”
“No! Daddy! You can’t do that. I don’t want to give it away. I found it, it’s mine!” Timmy looked through the crowd, hoping to find the old man. He might provide some moral support, but he was nowhere in sight.
A newspaper reporter and a photographer approached Daddy. “So, Mr. Davis, tell us how you discovered the meteor.”
“Well, I found it in the path the child takes. Only a little bit was showing above the surface. The boy kept tripping on it, so I thought I’d better dig it up before he hurt himself. When I realized that it was a meteor, I figured it should be in a museum for everyone to enjoy.”
Timmy eyes grew large. How could Daddy say he found it? How can Daddy’s lie?
“Why are you donating it to the Seattle Museum? Why not our local museum?”
“Well, I didn’t exactly say I was donating it, did I? Let’s just say, it’s going where it will do everyone the most good.” He chuckled. “You’ll excuse me now, won’t you?”
Daddy moved away from the reporter. Timmy watched helplessly, nearly blinded by the tears coursing down his cheeks. He turned and ran to Gramma’s house where he threw himself into her arms and spilled out his story.
Gramma walked back with him to the worksite where she found Daddy. “Charles, what is the meaning of this? The child says you’re giving away his meteor. Shouldn’t you have included him in your plans before you made such arrangements?”
“Mother, this is none of your concern. I make the decisions for this family. Just stay out of it. We’ll make it up to him. We’ll get him a bicycle or something. What’s done is done.”
She shook her head and took Timmy back to her house. Even cookies and milk couldn’t fill the hole in his heart.
Timmy went to his room early that night, fighting back the hot stinging tears that burned his eyes. How could Daddy do it? They had worked together on the meteor, sharing an interest and connecting for the first time. And without a word to him….
A bright light lit his dark bedroom. Through the window, a spacecraft with blinking lights spinning around its base, hovered above the house. As he watched in stunned silence, the side of the ship opened. Though he did not move from his bed, he saw himself inside the ship where lights and instruments flashed and winked in the control panel. The pilot was aglow in the shape of a human body, but Timmy recognized the old gentleman who had helped him. There was no audible sound, yet Timmy heard the pilot’s words. “I came to say good bye and thank you. One day you’ll be a pilot, traveling to distant places, and during your lifetime we will meet again. This I promise.”
And then Timmy was in his bed, as though none of it had happened. He lay in the darkness, still feeling the tingling thrill, his breath, quick, excited gasps, his eyes still seeing the inside of the ship and his friend in the pilot seat. Did it really happen? Or was he dreaming?
He awoke to the sound of men shouting and trucks in the driveway. The logging truck had come to take away his meteor. He would probably never see it again, unless they went to the Seattle Museum. He dressed and ran down the driveway, toward the chicken coop, turned left at the big tree and down the path toward his wonderful meteor. He hoped to get one last glimpse of it before the truck carried it way forever.
Then he saw the trucks backing out of the driveway. He was too late. They must have loaded it up already. He approached the area where he’d first seen the rock in his path. Daddy stood with his hands in his pockets, looking into the empty hole. Timmy caught his breath. His wonderful meteor was already gone. He had missed the chance to even watch as it was driven away.
“Daddy?”
“Son.”
“Is it gone?”
“Yes, it’s gone.”
“I slept too long. And the trucks have already taken it away.”
Daddy shook his head. “No, they didn’t... I can’t explain it. The meteor was gone when we got out here this morning.”
“How can that be? No one could have moved it without a crane. It must weigh thousands of pounds.”
Daddy shrugged his shoulders, staring into the empty hole.
“Daddy? Did you see the bright light in the sky last night? Do you think the space ship took it away?”
“I saw it I…just don’t know, son. It’s a mystery, isn’t it? Son?”
“Yes Daddy.”
“I don’t feel much like going to work today. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Well, what I mean is… well, the bottom line is … Would you like to go fishing? Maybe we can talk about what’s been happening here since we found the meteor. I should have asked you…I shouldn’t have;”
“Oh, Daddy. I was hoping you’d ask. I’ll be right back.” He raced back up the path, turned right at the big tree, ran past the chicken coop, down the driveway to the shed where he kept a can of worms, just exactly for such an occasion.
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