Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“You had to see it.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Her tone grew tense as she added, “That poor kid was probably mortified, and you made it worse by laughing at him.”
“Ah, come on, Mom. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“I bet if the roles were reversed, you’d think it was huge deal. In fact, you would probably still be upset about it.”
“Well, I’m not a big, goofy dork like he is,” the kid bit back. “And if I got hit in the head by Coach, I’d just hit him back.”
“Yeah, right,” the older one scoffed. “You would be crying and whining just like dough-boy.”
“Okay, that’s enough out of both of you,” the woman snapped. “You know how I feel about name-calling.”
“It’s not like he heard me,” the kid muttered.
“That isn’t the point.” She let out a deep sigh. “You don’t know the kind of life that boy has lived, and I can tell you it hasn’t been easy. The poor kid has been through a lot, and having his friends laugh at him during a moment of weakness doesn’t make it any better.”
The waitress slid my plate in front of me and gave me a warm smile as she topped off my coffee. “Is there anything else I can get ya?”
I glanced down at my plate full of eggs, bacon, grits, and toast, and my mouth started to water. “This should do it.”
“Good deal. I’ll be back to check on ya in a bit.”
As soon as she walked off, I dug in, and damn, if they weren’t the best eggs I’d ever had. I continued eating, and it wasn’t long before I heard the boys going at it again. This time they were talking about a couple of teachers at their school. I zoned in and out while I worked through my breakfast.
Nothing really stood out. Just your basic kid stuff. I tuned most of it out, focused on cleaning my plate, but then, the mother raised her voice, making it clear to everyone within earshot that she was upset.
“What do you mean you haven’t read it? The report is due on Tuesday!”
The boy groaned like she’d just asked him to cut off a limb. “It’s just a stupid essay, Mom. It’s not a big deal.”
“Stupid or not, it’s an assignment, and I expect you to do it.” Her tone was unwavering as she snapped, “You’re reading that book while you’re at your dad’s tonight.”
“But we’re going to the baseball game!” he whined.
“Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
“Mom!”
“I don’t want to hear it,” she clipped, not raising her voice but making sure he got the point. “You didn’t do the work, so now, you’re going to have to pay the consequences.”
I chased a bite of toast with my coffee, pretending like I wasn’t slightly invested. But I couldn’t help the amused huff that escaped under my breath. I smiled, but it faded the second something heavier settled in its place. I’d missed out on moments like this. I never got the chance to scold my son for not doing his homework.
Never got to toss a ball back and forth or teach him how to ride a bike.
Never got to fuss at him or watch him roll his eyes at me.
If I had to guess, I’d say he’d be like his ol’ man. Smart but stubborn, surviving solely on charm, good looks, and a crooked grin. The thought hit me right in the gut, stealing a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
I swallowed it down with another drink of coffee and listened as the mother continued to lecture her son about the importance of doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.
The younger brother poked and teased, but they both ignored him. The mother was determined to make her point, so she tried, “You’re missing out on a wonderful story. It’s one of my favorites.”
“You say that about all the books she assigns.”
“Because they’re all great books.”
“Not this one,” he huffed. “It’s over three hundred pages, Mom. That’s stupid, and the cover is stupid, too. It doesn’t even have a picture. It’s just dumb words.”
“You can’t judge a book by its cover,” she fired back, patience thinning but overruled by determination. “You have to give it a chance.”
I finished off my coffee and pulled out my wallet. I grabbed a couple of twenties and tossed them on the table. I figured it was more than enough to cover my breakfast and the tip. It was time to get back on the road, so I slid out of the booth and started for the door.
But as I passed the booth in front of me, I glanced over and caught a glimpse of the boys. One looked to be nine or ten, face full of freckles and a slight gap between his front teeth. The other was in his teens, and he was tall and lanky in the way teenage boys get when they’ve just gone through a growth spurt.