March Slice of Life No. 30
It was very warm afternoon on a mid-August day the summer EN was four. I loaded the blender with the ingredients for a chocolate smoothie and threw in the lone banana from the fruit basket on the counter. I poured Carl a tall glass. As I was pouring mine, EN showed up at our back door.
{Background: EN is our youngest grandson. He and his four siblings and parents live around the corner. Our backyards are separated by a hedge and fence but joined by a walkway and gate.}
EN eyed our tall, frosty glasses filled with the color of chocolate. I asked if he like some, and he said he would. I poured him a smoothie and gave him a blue-striped straw, one that bends for easy drinking. He sucked a long, slow drink. As he did, a frown crept across his face, but he said nothing. He put his smoothie back on the table and studied it.
Carl and I were quietly enjoying our smoothies.
EN picked up his smoothie and cautiously took another draw on the blue-striped straw. It wasn’t as long this time. I wondered if the cold was giving him a brain-freeze. Again, he wrinkled his face, put his smoothie on the table, and said not a word. Clearly, he wanted it, but something puzzled him. There was something wrong, and he wasn’t sure what.
I remembered we had some whipped cream. So even though our smoothies were nearly half gone, I squirted dollops of whipped cream on top. As I did, I said to Carl, “I just used one banana this time. What do you think?”
EN looked at his glass of cold chocolate now topped with whipped cream with the blue striped straw sticking out and spoke in a very flat voice, a voice that defied disagreement. He spoke to no one in particular but to all who were listening, “TM likes bananas. NT likes bananas. BN and EM like bananas. I don’t like bananas.”
He looked at his glass with sadness.
If you don’t like it, you don’t like it.
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Thank you to
Two Writing Teachers
This is lovely. I love the way kids express things through facial moments, gestures or words! I was wondering how the banana was going to feature!
How disappointing to have something you expected not be what you expected after all. I can imagine EN’s disappointed face,
This gentle delivery made me see exactly what EN was experiencing. I even imagined his facial expressions after the first taste and wondered what he was thinking too. Super writing, I am learning to emulate.
Colors and details bring this story to life. Well done.
Love your slice – kids sure do know their own minds!
Oh! Poor kiddo. “He looked at his glass with sadness.” I can just see it. Well, as you said, “if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.” And… this gives me an idea for another slice – maybe next month.
Yep–you can’t fool kids when it comes to food! He can’t be tricked!
The spirit of this slice is amazing
Thank you, Tammy.