From Riches to Rags

Before we begin, let me warn you.  This story does not have a happy ending.

Now that we’re past that, perhaps you will want to know why.  To know why, you will have to know a little bit about myself.  I was one of the wealthiest people in the city.  Cornelius Sterling III,  a new heir to the acquired wealth of my dearly departed father.

Now you would say, how did you get to the street?  Let me just say that I ignored the council of this strange young man.

Now this young man looked like he could be a new high school graduate.  But he told me that he was a seer.  I thought that he was crazy, and I dismissed him.  He said something along the lines that my life was not in order and that bad things would befall me if I didn’t change.  Now where did I hear this before?  I believe that it was from a Charles Dickens classic,  “A Christmas Carol”, wasn’t it?  Now the only difference here is that I’m no Scrooge.  I give to the poor and I am generous with my wealth.

Aside from all the numerous dinner parties that I held with my guests, I am quite a charitable person.  This so-called seer didn’t think so.  He believed that I was hiding something.  I told him that he was lying, and even if he were truthful, that was a very personal matter.  At that, I threatened to call the cops on him.  That finally made him leave.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of him.  The very next day, he came back.  What business did this strange man have at my house?  Day after day he kept coming, and day after day I kept dismissing him.

Finally, the day came when curiosity got the best of me.  I asked the “seer” in impatience.  “Why do you keep coming to my house?  Is it something important that you have to tell me?”

The seer looked at me sternly.  His stare was the kind of stare that could look directly into your soul.  “You are about to lose your wife and your fortune on the same night.  This has been decided before our first meeting.”

This was complete nonsense.  What difference would it make if I had changed anyway?  If this was going to happen anyway and it couldn’t be prevented, why tell me anyway?  This all sounded quite queer to me.

“All of your words are nonsense,” I told him.  “If this does happen, you could’ve saved your breath by not telling me in the first place.  Now, be gone!  Your words are lies.  I do not want to see you again!”

“We will not meet again,” he told me.  “But watch tonight and see if the words of my Master come to pass….”

I shooed the crazy young man away.  Master?  Is there another telling him to say all these words to me?

Looking back, I really should’ve believed it.  Because, that same night, it happened.  Some burglars managed to disable my security system.  They then entered the house and murdered my wife.  I was in another room, working on my memoirs.  When I heard the scream, I immediately remembered the words that the seer told me.

But the money would still be fine, or so I thought.  I called the bank and found out that my wife spent my entire fortune.  Not only that, I had a huge pile of debt.  With that, I sold everything to pay off the debt.

That brings us to today.  I had to sell my fine suit and all I could afford was these tattered clothes and a few days worth of food.

Now I told you that this story does not have a happy ending.  I warned you, didn’t I?

Having suffered an incurable loss, I now drench my tattered shirt every night, weeping for my wife.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

A Second Chance

I looked at all the people around me.  I was overjoyed.  How did I end up here?

It’s not that I hate the new position that I have.  It’s just that I’m not used to having all this attention.  This will definitely take some getting used to, since it all happened so fast.

About two months ago, I was homeless.  I was living on the streets holding up a sign.  This sign was the only thing I had.  My only means of begging for for food.

On that day, instead of food or money, someone gave me something more than that.  It was a finely dressed man who had some kind of sign-up sheet.

He just came up to me and asked, “would you like a job?”  Just like that.  Why would he ask anyone like me?  I smelled terrible and don’t have any skills whatsoever.

I told the man this, but it didn’t matter to him.  He decided to give me a job as a janitor.  A business was looking for a janitor to sweep their floors and he signed me up for it.

Futhermore, the man wanted to buy me lunch.  I didn’t understand this either.  Why would he even care to do this?  Was he trying to prove anything?  I asked him this and he simply said that God loved me.  Why would he?  I got dealt the worst possible hand living on the street!

After the lunch, the man gave me some money.  A few days later, he came back with some clothes.  I then went to a place that had a shower, and I cleaned up.  I then had an interview.  There were several questions.  I didn’t know the answers to all of them, but they gave me the job anyway.

A day later, I started as janitor.  As I swept those floors.  I started talking.  What did I talk about?  Ideas.  I always had these crazy ideas in my head.  Whether it was an invention, or just sounded like a good idea,  I just started talking about it.  I typically did this when I was all alone, and no one was around.  One night, when I was mentioning these ideas, someone heard them.  It happened to be that same finely dressed man that I met earlier.  Upon hearing my crazy ideas, he mentioned another job that I might be good at doing, and that I will be considered for that job.

Big deal, I thought.  These are just a bunch of crazy ideas.  What would he want with them?  About a week later, I was given another interview.  At the interview, all they wanted to hear were my crazy ideas.  With that, I shrugged my shoulders and told them.  They were amazed and gave me a new job right away.  I didn’t understand this.  What did they want with my ideas?  Maybe they were useful after all.

That same night, the finely dressed man invited me to his apartment.  It was really fancy, and had several rooms.  It smelled a lot nicer than the alley.  For my new job, he showed me this thing called a computer.  The fold-out thing that he showed me was a laptop.  Now it was frustrating for me to learn this, but I seemed to pick it up pretty fast.

A few days later, I started my new job.  I started writing all kinds of ideas in my laptop.

That brings us to today.  I am still getting used to all the new changes that have happened in my life.  I may have screwed up in the past, but now, I guess I can say that I was given a second chance.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Forbidden Secret Revealed

Zardin was nervous.  His Zorpozian followers have sudden become curious about a secret that they suspected that he was hiding.  What kind of secret would they be suspecting?  he thought.

The truth is, Zardin knew very well the secret that he was trying to hide from his people.  The suspicion began when two of his closest followers noticed him in a hidden area.  The truth was that Zardin was checking that area to make sure that the place was still sealed.

Zardin has placed a seal on the area where the magic scrolls were located.  Since he couldn’t destroy the magic that he possessed, this was the only way that he could dispose of it.

Zardin didn’t want his people finding out about the magic scrolls.  This was the very magic that ruined his people on his home planet of Vexasis.  When everyone uses magic, that’s where the struggle for power begins.  The stronger kill the younger, until the strongest are left.  Zardin didn’t want his people corrupted in this way.  It would bring an end to Zorpoz, the very planet that he filled with life.  The planet was found in ruins, and it would become ruins once more.

Unfortunately, the two close followers, as cunning as they were, hid while they saw their leader watching the seal to see if it would still hold.  Finally, followers began to ask Zardin probing questions about the seal.  Zardin didn’t say a word.

Upset at this, the two followers began searching all over for the objects that would break the seal.  They knew that Zardin was hiding something valuable from them, and they were going to find out what it was, no matter the cost.

With that, the search began.  “We’ll show Zardin,” they said.  “What could he possibly be hiding from us?  We are his people!  His own flesh and blood!  Does he not trust us?”

One of the followers got a shovel and they began digging all over Zorpoz.  After what seemed like weeks,  they found what looked like a crest.  The crest was the same one that they saw on the sealed door.

“We found it!” One of them said.  “Now we can break the seal!”

“Wait!” The other said.  “This is only a piece of the crest.  We need to find all the pieces for this to work.”

“Why would he hide these pieces?  Wouldn’t he have destroyed them, so that no one could break the seal?”

“Perhaps the crest itself is magical, and cannot be broken.  Maybe this was the only way that he could dispose of it.”

“Makes sense to me.  Let’s find the other pieces!”

And that is what the two followers did.  They searched for the pieces of the crest, but they never revealed any of them to Zardin.

Finally, about two years later, they found all the pieces.

When they placed all the pieces together, the crest magically assembled, becoming whole once again.

Upon seeing this, the followers gasped.  “It really is magical!” The one gasped.  “Why would Zardin hide something so wonderful from us?

“Maybe he wants the magic all to himself,” the other said.

But this was far from the truth.  Zardin knew the destruction that this magic could unleash on Zorpoz.  It has already ruined his home planet, forcing him to exile.  He didn’t want this to happen to Zorpoz, the planet that he filled with life. If only he knew what his two followers were plotting behind his back!

The two followers waited until evening, when Zardin was resting in his house.

The two entered the temple and approached the sealed door.  They placed the crest on the door, which the matching pattern was.  It was an image of a bright star, shining over a planet.

After that, there was a bright flash.  The seal was broken and the barrier was gone.  The door could now be opened.

The Zorpozian men entered the doors and found a chest containing numerous scrolls.  That whole night, the men began reading those scrolls.  As they finished each one, they became more and more powerful.

By morning, they were as powerful as Zardin was when he left his home planet of Vexasis.  Every scroll was read.

“Why did he hide this from us?”  The one follower asked.

“He didn’t want us to find out.” The other said.  “But now, everyone will know!”

At that, both of the followers used their new magic to create duplicates of all the magic scrolls.  They then shared these scrolls with everyone else that they could find.  Some refused to read them and sided with Zardin.  Everyone else eagerly wanted to know what was written on the scrolls.

Upon waking up, Zardin felt disturbed.  After leaving his house, he found that his intuition was right.  His people were using the same spells that he used to use.   In the distance, he saw his two close followers, laughing.  “What have you done?”  he asked them.

“We found what you hid from us,” the one told him.

“And we shared it with everyone,” the other said.  “Why did you do this?”

Zardin tore his robe.  “Why did I do this? Because it destroyed the planet that I came from!  Now, it will destroy you, too!”

The followers that did not read the scrolls ran behind Zardin.  “Not us, Zardin.  We didn’t read those scrolls.”

The two “followers” laughed at Zardin.  “Destroy us?” The one said.  “It is you who will be destroyed!”

At that, the two followers used a powerful spell and killed Zardin.

When Zardin’s followers saw this, they began to weep.  “Everyone, run from these  wicked men!  They will kill us next!”

Before the two “followers” could do anything, Zardin’s followers ran away, and hid themselves from them.

And with that, the years passed, and the forbidden magic began to fill the planet  (with an exception for what was left of Zardin’s true followers).  Most of the people who once followed Zardin began to forget his teachings.  The two “followers” made up a story to cover up his death, and their story has been used to this day.  The first age of Zorpoz had come to an end.  With the need for a new leader in Zorpoz, the second age was about to begin.  The age that would usher in the first king of Zorpoz….

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Another Night at the Movies

I fired up the projector.  It was time for the movie to start, and I’m the one responsible for making sure that happens.

For those who ask me about my job, I tell them that it’s okay.  Granted it’s not the best job in the world.  But I guess that one advantage of my job is that I get to watch a bunch of movies for free.  No popcorn, of course.  But at least I get to see the movie.

The movie is okay for a while.  But try watching it 50 times.  You will get tired of it quickly.  The same movie over and over again.

The movie is now playing.  This will be the last showing for the night.  After that, I will be going home.  It’s not easy working at this place, but at least the hours are good .  If it were not for the hours, I would probably be working somewhere else right now.

Suddenly,  I felt it.  I had to go to the bathroom.  With the movie already playing, I left and went.  On my way out of the bathroom, I found a huge spill in the hallway.  Someone took their drink and spilled it all over the floor.  No one noticed the spill, so guess who had to clean it up?  Yes.  That would be me.  I grabbed the mop and bucket and cleaned it up.

When I got back to the film room, I found out that the movie wasn’t playing properly.  This was clearly evident from all the complaints I heard in the theater.  With that, I just knew that this night could not end fast enough.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Closing Time

Brad looked at his phone.  The time read 8:50.  Ten minutes before closing.

All the video games were stored neatly and on the shelves.  No one else was in the store, except for one person.

Brad sighed.  “The mall closes in ten minutes.  Please make your selection soon.”

The guy stood there, clueless.  He wore grungy clothes and had long, blond hair.  “Dude….I’m just trying to find this one game.  It’s so awesome.  Do you think you have it, man?”

Brad shrugged his shoulders.  “Now, what game is that?  We have all kinds of games.  A name would help.”

The guy shook his head.  “Sorry, dude.  I don’t have any idea what the game is called.  I just know that it’s cool.  I’ll know what it is when I find it.”

Brad looked at his phone.  Five more minutes.  “You might have to save that for tomorrow.  We close in five minutes.  Come back tomorrow?”

The guy looked at him with a look of desperation.  “But dude!  I just gotta find this game tonight!  I promised this other dude that I would find it!  This game rocks!  If only I could find it!  Plus, I’m a man of my word, dude.”

Brad shook his head.  “I follow store policy.  Look.  The mall closes in two minutes.  Can you just try to find it tomorrow?”

“No, dude!  I’m going to keep looking.”

“Well, you’re going to have to leave now, or else I’m calling mall security.  We close in a minute.”

“Dude….Now THAT is so unrighteous….”

“Time’s up.  Look for your game tomorrow.  We’ll be open at 10 a.m.”

The guy just ignored him and continued looking.  “Just a few more minutes, dude.”

Brad sighed, and called mall security.

Seconds later, the mall cops showed up.  “Is there a problem?” one of them asked.

“Yes,” Brad told him.  “This gentleman here will not leave, and it’s after store hours.  I need to close, and I can’t do that as long as he’s here.”

The mall cop sighed.  “Sir, do you think you can leave now?  Gamer’s Paradise is closed and will be open for you tomorrow.”

The guy shrugged his shoulders.  “Dude.  You’re not the boss of me.”

Just as the guy continued looking, he was seized by the mall cop.  “In here, we are.  Come with us.  You’re in violation of mall policy.”  The mall cop cuffed the man and took him away.

“Dude!” The guy cried.  “You can’t do this!  I even remembered the name of the game!  Don’t worry, Surfing Rampage, I’ll be back for you!”

Right after the guy was dragged away, Brad closed the store and left.  Thinking about the guy, he sighed.  If that guy would’ve followed the rules, everything would go a lot more smoothly….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Room Service

I approached the elevator and sighed.  Of all the people that I waited on here, this guest has got to be the rudest one that I ever had to deal with.

Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do here.  In the the service industry, the customer is always right.  In the hotel industry this is definitely the case.  Especially when it’s a valued guest that has rented the most expensive room at the hotel: The Presidential Suite.

I arrive on the 48th floor, ready to take on Mr. Johnson’s request.  For a man who rents out a room that costs more than $10,000 a night, I better get it right.

I open the door to find an angry Mr. Johnson, tapping his feet.

“What took you so long?” Johnson shouted.  “I want my caviar and gourmet crackers.  I want my Perrier!  Get it now,  or you’re in big trouble.  I’ll see that your boss hears about this.”

I looked at him with a forced smile.  “It will be just a second, sir.” I told him.

I left the room and entered a storage room.  With this also being the concierge level, all of his precious supplies were there.  I fetched them and gave him what he wanted as quick as possible.

Getting back to the room, I gave him his stuff.  “Here you are, sir….” I said, with a forced smile.

“It’s about time,” he sneered.

I then stood there, expecting a tip.

“Well?” He sighed.  “Are you going to leave?  I got what I wanted!”

“Sir,” I sighed.  “I was just wondering if you had a tip.”

Johnson stared at me with a smug face.  “Oh,” he said.  “A tip.  Well, here’s one.  Be faster with my food and drink next time!  I’ll call you again if I need you, okay?  Now, get lost!”

Leaving the room, I sighed.  Of all the people that I ever had to deal with, this guy was the worst.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Man of the Forest

Raphel frolicked in the forest.  As he did this, a sudden sense of joy filled him.  The forest was his home.  The only one that he knew.

Everything that Raphel did was something that he learned on his own.  Since he was abandoned in the forest at age 5, he had to learn all the basics all by himself.  The basics to survive.

At the mature age of 18, Raphel could do this well.  He crafted his own clothes and was a rather skilled hunter.   He could shoot a deer within 300 yards without missing.  While his speech was somewhat limited, he pretty much used it to communicate with the forest.

Suddenly, a team of strangers entered Raphel’s forest.  These were intruders.  Raphel didn’t know what to make of them.  They were civilized and wore civilized clothes.  At that moment, Raphel was faced with a challenge.  Should he make friends with these outsiders, or should he kill them?

Suddenly, flashes came from the group.  One of them was holding a strange box that produced flashes.  Raphel didn’t know what this strange box was, but he didn’t like it.

Approaching the group at a distance, he hid himself in the woods.  He grabbed one of his arrows and placed it in his bow.  Placing the group in his sights, he pulled back the bow….should he let go, or should he stay his hand?  Raphel didn’t know.  All he knew was that he didn’t like these people intruding on his forest.  The more he thought about it, the more determined he was to let go of the bow….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Gaming Junkie

I turned on my console.  Which one, you say?  It was actually one of the older ones.

In the basement, my gaming room is like a command center.  Three computers, all connected on-line.  I have more than one of the latest consoles, just in case one of them breaks down.  I also have consoles from every generation.  I have a bookshelf, but it doesn’t have a single book in it.  It is filled with games.  Games from every era.  There are so many that there are actually 4 bookshelves just to store all the games.  Even with that much shelf space, I still have stacks of games that I can’t put anywhere.  My fifth bookshelf has strategy guides, programming manuals, and several video game reference books.

I’m the master when it comes to video games.  My friends always say “Zack, can you help me with this?”  or “Zack, can you help me build my computer?”  I do have to say that I’m a total techie, and a champion at video gaming.  I have won several competitions, and have tested several new games.

My goal is to design the next great video game.  The landscape would be breathtaking and the difficulty would be fair.  More challenging areas would be designed for those who want it.

Right now, I’m drained, so I’ll down another energy drink.  I’ll update my blog and check out the latest in video gaming news.  I have several things that need to be done before I call it a night.

As for girls, I am actually kind of busy to be dating them right now.  If they will join me in a multiplayer game, I would be more than happy to hang out with them.  I’ll even let them collect the spoils on my next dungeon raid.

Back to the older console,  I turned it on, and began playing.  After mere moments, I tied one of my all-time records.  One of many I have set.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Ice Cream My Way

Molly looked out the window.  It was a sunny day, and really hot outside.  She heard the sound of music.  It was the magical, colorful music you would hear on a hot summer day.  The sound of an ice cream truck.

The sound got louder and louder.  With that, Molly ran outside and down to the end of the driveway.  She had five dollars in her hands.  She knew exactly what she wanted.

The ice cream truck finally came into view, and stopped by the driveway.  The stand opened, with the ice cream man standing behind it.

“So, what will it be today, young lady?” The ice cream man asked her.

“I’ll have the everything ice cream,” Molly asked with a smile.

“Five dollars, please.” The ice cream man requested.

Molly gave him the five dollars and received a pint of everything ice cream.  And that’s just what it was.  Molly entered the house and got a spoon from the kitchen.  The ice cream tasted like whatever flavor she wanted.  “I want strawberry,” she said with a smile.

After Molly tasted the ice cream, the flavor was indeed what she said.  Strawberry.  She then tried some other flavors.  Her next spoonful was butter scotch.  The one after that was cookies and cream.  After that, was chocolate fudge.  The ice cream was indeed magical, and only the ice cream man knew the secret to making it.

Molly then wanted bubble gum ice cream.  With that, her next spoonful tasted like bubble gum.  After that, it was mint chocolate chip, vanilla, chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo and rainbow sherbet.  Molly ate every bite, each one a different flavor.  And every flavor was good to the last spoonful.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Dead End Job

Frank looked at the clock and scowled.  1:30 again.  Time to go to work again.

Frank had his work shirt on, with work pants and a cap.  He totally hated his job.  Minimum wage was all that they paid him.

Frank drove off to work.  The place where he worked was Joe’s Pizza.  He hated working at Joe’s.  So much repetition.  Same pizzas, same work, same part-time schedule.

Despite all this, Frank put on his poker face.  It was an expression that he wore well and used it to hide his negative attitude toward the place where he worked.

Once at Joe’s Pizza, Frank began working.  Frank didn’t mess around.  He was a very good worker.  He just didn’t enjoy the work.

Frank longed for a job where he could express his creative talent.  A job where he could spend numerous hours writing and actually get paid for it.  This is the kind of work that Frank longed for.  However, this work is only a hobby for Frank.  Hobbies don’t make any money.  Getting published does.

As Frank worked, the dream of being published lingered in his mind.  With that, he worked hard at Joe’s Pizza, unwilling to let that dream go.  He sheeted out the dough.  He made the breadsticks.  He prepared the salads and wings.  He worked as hard as he could, longing to pursue his dream when he got home.

While Frank was in a dead end job right now, he hoped that someday that he would get out of it.

“Someday….” Frank sighed.  “I surely hope that happens.”

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Saying Goodbye

It was late July.  That’s when it happened.  The saddest part about it was that it happened without warning.

This loss is not of a person, but of a cat.  An orange, striped cat named Tigger.

Of all the love and affection that he wanted,  I made sure that I pet him.  But how I wish that I could’ve done more.

There were times where I was on the computer, and all he wanted was to be pet.  Someone to pay attention to him.

During my last official week with him, my sister called.  She wanted to know how Tigger was doing.  I told her that he was doing fine.  She then gave me one last request.  She told me to hug Tigger for her.

When I saw Tigger, I did just that.  I hugged him, showing him that I cared.

During the last night that I saw Tigger, he was outside on the lawn in the backyard.  When my mom tried to pet him,  he wasn’t happy.  He wasn’t in a very good mood.  It was like he was trying to tell her something.  Perhaps it might have been that he was going to die soon.

It might have been just that.  The next day, he didn’t come back.  Several more days passed after that.  Still no sign of that lovable orange cat.

With that, it was now official.  Tigger died in the woods.  He was 12, and will be missed by all who knew him.

With Tigger gone, the loneliness began to set in.  My mom has always had a cat, but never a smoky gray one like she wanted.  The search now began for a new cat.  Not a replacement, for no cat can replace Tigger.  Not a replacement at all, but a new cat that we could all grow to love.  With that, the search officially began….

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©2012  K. L. Walker

Sunburn

Haley entered with her mother, father and younger brother, Hayden.

Something bothered Haley.  She winced, cringing with pain.

“Did you have fun at the beach today, Haley?” The mother asked her.

“Mommy, it hurts!”  Haley cried, holding back tears.

The mother frowned.  “What’s wrong, Haley?”

“There’s red on my skin, mommy….” she whimpered.  “It’s red and it hurts.”

The mother looked at her in embarrassment.  Didn’t I cover every inch of her body with suntan lotion?  I must have missed a spot…. “Haley honey, that’s a sunburn,” she told her.  “Show mommy where it hurts.”

Haley reached her hand over the back of her neck, and felt all down that area.  “Ow!  It hurts!”

The mother looked at the sunburned area on the back of her daughter’s neck and hugged her.  “Oh Haley!  You got burned real bad there.  Let mommy put something on it to make it feel better.”

The mother took Haley to the bathroom.

At this time, Haley was writhing in pain.  “Mommy, it hurts!  Please get rid of this pain!”

The mother opened up the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of lidocaine gel.  “Here.  Let me rub this on the back of your neck.  It will make it feel better, I promise.”

Haley looked at her mother, wiping away her tears.  “I hope this works, because it still hurts.”

The mother squirted out some lidocaine gel, until she had a large glob on her hand.  She then began rubbing the glob on the back of Haley’s neck, until it was completely rubbed in.  “Feel better, honey?”

Haley smiled.  “Yes mommy!  A lot better.  When will the sunburn go away?”

The mother looked at Haley’s sunburn.  “In a couple weeks.  Just be patient, dear.  You’re five-years old.  You can handle it.”

Haley sighed.  Stupid sunburn, she thought.  Listening to her mother, she ignored the sunburn.  With the lidocaine, it didn’t hurt as much.  With that, she entered the living room and began playing with her toys.

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©2012  K. L. Walker

No Parole

Matt squinted his eyes, tying to stay awake.

It was another sleepless night, since it was so noisy in the cell.

Looking at the tally written on the wall, he sighed.  Of his total sentence, he served 15 years.  For the last five of these years, he was on  good behavior.  Hopefully, his case will get re-evaluated, or maybe he can get a pardon granted to him.

All Matt knew is that he learned his lesson.  He was a changed man, not like the man he was when they first threw him in there.  Yes, that life was full of trouble, but it’s not the life he lives anymore.

Matt was grateful.  If it wasn’t for that chaplain that visited, he wouldn’t know where he would be.

Looking at the wall, Matt sighed.  He only had the rest of his life to go.  Closing his eyes, he imagined himself in a different place.  This is how he kept his sanity while he was there.  With his eyes closed, he didn’t see his orange jumpsuit.  He was wearing something different.

Finally, Matt opened his eyes.  He sat down and began reading  the one book that influenced him the most….

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©2012  K. L. Walker

For the Fans

Jim got off the airplane and walked through the concourse at a brisk pace.  There was a book signing in twenty minutes.  Because of the delay, his plane didn’t arrive on time.

As fast as he could, Jim ran down the conveyor that was filled with people, all going in one direction.  Another conveyor went in the opposite direction.

This book signing was important for Jim.  This was his next best-seller.  Already having two best-sellers in the past, he didn’t want to leave any of his fans disappointed.

Finally, Jim was outside of the airport.  10 minutes remained.  Jim called down a taxi and entered it.

“To Borders, on 5th and Broadway.” He ordered the cab driver, handing him some extra cash as an incentive for him to go faster.

The cab driver pressed down on the accelerator.  He was fast.  But regardless of how fast he was, Jim was already going to be late.  The cab slowed down and stopped behind a bunch of other cars.  There was a traffic jam.  With that, it was certain.  Jim was not going to make it to his book signing on time.

Jim sighed, and called the book store on his smart phone.  “This is Jim,” he told the manager of the store.  “I am going to be a little late.  You might want to tell everyone else who is there.  My plane came in late, so please let them know.  Be there as soon as I can.  Bye.”

Jim hung up and sighed, when he saw the traffic jam.  In looking at all the cars in the New York City traffic, a sudden realization came upon Jim.  This was going to take a while….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Punishment

Natalie scowled, as she stared at her daughter Sidney, who was throwing a temper tantrum in the laundromat parking lot.

“I wanna go home!!!!” Sidney whined.

Natalie sighed.  “Sidney, stop it right now! We can’t go home until the laundry’s done.  Please calm down.”

Sidney wouldn’t listen.  She only screamed louder.  “I WANNA GO HOME!!!!”

Natalie, already frustrated, gave Sidney her pacifier.  “Use this, honey.”

Sidney threw the pacifier back at her face.  “NO! I wanna go home, mommy!  I WANNA GO HOME!!!!!”

Suddenly, a man came out of the laundromat, carrying two bags of laundry.  At the sight of Sidney and Natalie, he  put the laundry in his car and left as quick as he could.

Natalie still needed to get her laundry.  Well, it wasn’t just her laundry.  It was hers and Sidney’s.  Natalie picked up the pacifier.  “Here, Sidney.  Let’s go back inside and get our laundry.”

Sidney stomped her feet on the ground and screamed.  “NO!  I WANNA GO HOME!!!!”

“Fine.  You’re waiting in the car.  I’m getting the laundry.”

Natalie put Sidney in her car seat and gave her the pacifier.  “Mommy is not happy with you at all, Sidney.  I’ll be back with the laundry.”

Natalie re-entered the laundromat, her face red with embarrassment.  Why does she have to do this every week?  There were some people who yelled at her that were still there.

“Learn to control your child, lady!” One of them shouted.

Natalie sighed, and went to the dryers.  All of her laundry was done.  She began filling her five bags of laundry.  After the bags were filled, she carried them out in two trips.

After all the laundry was in, she closed the trunk and entered the car.   Sidney was sitting in her car seat, sucking on her pacifier, all sad and worn out from screaming.

Natalie pulled out of the laundromat.  “Sidney, you are in big trouble when we get home.”

Sidney removed her pacifier.  “No trouble, mommy…”

Natalie nodded.  “Oh yes you are.  You will be punished when you get home.”

Sidney began to cry.  “Don’t punish me, mommy!”

“You embarrassed me at the laundromat again.  You threw a big fit there and in the parking lot.  You are getting punished for that.”

Sidney began to scream again.  “Don’t punish me, mommy!  DON’T PUNISH ME!!!!!!”

“Oh! Now you’re DEFINITELY going to get punished!”

“Na-ah!”

“Oh, you are.  You just talked back.”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!”

Natalie sighed.  “Sidney, you have just turned four.  Is this how a four-year old girl is supposed to act?

Sidney continued whining.  “No, mommy….”

“Well, shouldn’t a four-year old girl be punished when they throw a fit?”

“NOOOOO!!!!”  Sidney screamed loudly.

Natalie continued driving, and the arguing continued until they got home.

Natalie let Sidney out of her car seat and got her laundry out of the car.  With her husband being gone on a business trip, she had her hands full for the next two weeks.  She entered the house with Sidney and three bags of laundry.  “Sit there in the living room,” she told her.

Natalie went back out to the car to get her remaining things: her last two bags of laundry, her purse and her diaper bag.  She then closed the trunk and the car and entered the house.

Once in the house, she grabbed a wooden paddle and approached Sidney.  She removed her jeans and her diaper.  “Bend down,” Natalie ordered.

“No!” Sidney shouted.

“I said, BEND DOWN!”

Sidney listened, and she bent down.

During the next couple minutes, Sidney was screaming in pain.  “Ow! OW!!!!! That hurts, mommy!!!!!”

Natalie redressed Sidney.  “Now Sidney, do you know why you got spanked?”

Sidney was in tears.  “I….I was a bad girl!”

“And why were you a bad girl?”

“I threw….a fit.”

“Now, what do you say, when you’ve been bad?”

“I’m…sorry, mommy!”

Natalie looked sternly at Sidney.  “Good.  But you are still in trouble.  There will be no ice cream on Friday.  If you are a good girl….”

Before Natalie could finish, Sidney started screaming again.  “I WANT MY ICE CREAM!!!!!”

Natalie sighed.  “Do you want the paddle again?”

“NO!”

“Now, go to your room.  It’s time for your nap.  I want you to think about what you’ve done.  After your nap, I want you to apologize.”

Sidney sadly walked off to her room.

Natalie sighed.  She made Sidney her bottle.  When is she going to stop using this?  She then took the bottle to Sidney, who was lying down in her crib.  She gave her the bottle and left the room.

After that, things got quiet in the house.  Natalie began to think about Sidney, and the ways that she has behaved in the past.

Natalie cried.  It is official.  I AM a failure as a parent….

Even to her, the word failure was an understatement.  She was the worst parent in the world.  Her only daughter Sidney is four.  She still sleeps in a crib. She still drinks from a bottle.  She still needs her pacifier.  She still isn’t toilet trained and she can’t even dress herself.

To all her friends, she was called a pushover.  “Why do you let her walk all over you?” they ask her.

Natalie took offense to this.  I mean, it’s not like she hasn’t tried.  Oh, how she tried!  According to her, she has tried harder than any other mother to raise her child.  Pushover? I’ve tried everything and nothing has worked.  How do you raise an impossible child?  Any other kid is teachable, but not Sidney….

For Sidney, everything was a fight.  When Sidney was almost two,   Natalie tried to get her to use the sippy cups.  Sidney, however, refused, and wanted to use the bottle instead.  She even forced her to use the cups by taking way her bottle.  When she did this, Sidney threw a fit.  Every week, she tried the sippy cups on Sidney, and took away her bottle.  Every week, she threw a fit.  Finally, when Sidney was three and a half, she gave up.

Natalie’s next battle with Sidney was with her crib.  One day, when Sidney was almost three, she bought her a beautiful new bed.  Big mistake.  Sidney totally hated it, and threw a fit until she got her crib back.

Besides that, there were numerous other battles that Natalie had to fight Sidney with.  The battles against Sidney’s stuffed rabbit (no other rabbit would do), Sidney’s tattered blanket and especially Sidney’s pacifier.  In each of these battles, Natalie fought long and hard.  But in the end, she lost.

But Natalie’s biggest failure would have to be her inability to toilet train Sidney.  Before Sidney turned two, Natalie showed her the potty.  She even bought a potty for Sidney, but she showed no interest.  Maybe a few more months and she’ll be ready….  After a few months, she got the same response from Sidney.  Not interested.  At three, Natalie was desperate.  She bought every book she could on toilet training and used all the techniques.  She even showed Sidney a few cartoons on DVD.  Sidney just didn’t want to learn.  Numerous times, she let Sidney watch her go to the bathroom, hoping that Sidney would get the idea.  Instead of watching her, Sidney would rather play with her toys.  While Natalie has given up on pretty much everything else, she wasn’t about to give up on this one.  This was the only thing that Sidney did not fight with Natalie about, because she just wasn’t interested.

Natalie sighed.  Why doesn’t she want to learn?  She doesn’t even let me know when she needs to be changed!

A couple hours passed.  At that time, Natalie decided to check on Sidney.  Her nap should be done by now….

Natalie entered Sidney’s room.  Sidney sat in her crib, sucking on her pacifier. Her bottle sat nearby her, all empty.  “So, big girl,” Natalie stated, “do you have anything that you want to say to me?”

Sidney took out her pacifier and climbed out of the crib.  She then ran up to Natalie and hugged her.  “I’m sorry, mommy…..”

Natalie needed to hear it again.  “What was that, my girl?”

Sidney looked up at her with a sad face.  “I’m sorry, mommy!”

“So, did you learn your lesson?”

“Yes I did, mommy.”

“So, what are you going to do next time you want something and can’t get it?”

“Be a good girl.”

Natalie was moved, but she still wanted to be sure.  “You know that I am still a little upset about what happened at the laundromat.  There is still no ice cream on Friday.  But, if you are a good girl all the rest of this week, I may change my mind.”

At that, Sidney smiled, and jumped up and down.  “I’ll be a good girl!”

For Natalie, it was so relieving to see her girl like this.  She is usually only happy when she gets what she wants.

Natalie’s attention then went to the empty bottle laying in the crib.  At that, she sighed.  That’s right.   I have to change her….

Natalie laid Sidney down and changed her.  After that, she showed Sidney her potty, telling her how she needs to start using that.  Sidney walked away.  Natalie smiled, and walked toward Sidney.  “Sidney, you know that good girls use the potty.  You want to be a good girl, don’t you?”

Sidney nodded.  “Uh-huh!”

“Then be a good girl and let me know when you need to go next time, okay?’

“Okay mommy!”

Hours passed.  Amazingly, Sidney kept her promise.  For the first time, she used the potty.

The days passed.  Sidney was a good girl, just like she promised.  For the first time, she did not throw a fit and she minded her mother.  For Natalie, it was a miracle.  Sidney has never behaved so well like this before.  While Natalie was not able to fix all of Sidney’s habits, her being obedient was a start.

Finally, it was Friday.

Sidney, all excited, ran toward Natalie with a big smile on her face.  “Mommy!  Can I have my ice cream now?”

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Presentation Day

Tina was nervous.  This was the day that she had to give her presentation at work.  Weeks ago, she was asked to give a 7 minute presentation on workplace safety.  While Tina knew a lot about workplace safety, she really didn’t spend that much time practicing.

With merely 3 hours remaining before her presentation, Tina sat in her office, quietly practicing her presentation.  This was going to get done.  She knew what she was going to say.  She just needed to organize her ideas into a clear and coherent message.  And this message had to be condensed into 7 minutes.

With too much material already, Tina started cutting material out of her speech.  For safety hazards, she omitted a few, decided that she would only outline the most important ones.  For the safety precautions, she removed a few steps and shortened a few others.  If anything, she could direct everyone to the website at the end of her presentation.  Also, with her being the expert on the topic, anyone could talk to her at the end if they had any questions.

With the speech hovering around 7 minutes Tina was now confident.  With an hour remaining, she knew that she could give this speech.  All she needed now was to polish her speech.  A few gestures, and vocal variety, when she explained certain scenarios regarding safety in the workplace.  The other thing she needed to polish was her conclusion.  Other than that, Tina was ready.  If done well, she knew that she could get that nice promotion.  A bonus would also be added to that.   With that, Tina  took a deep breath, and spent the remainder of her time practicing….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

Soup of Ages

The man was baffled.  He had no idea how he got here.

The only thing that he could remember was being at the Renaissance fair.  After that, a blinding flash.  And then, he woke up.

He awakened next to a mysterious building in a small medieval town.  The building had a strange smoke spewing out of the chimney.

Curious of this, the man entered the building.  In the building, he noticed a long hallway of cauldrons, all of them with steam flowing up from them.

The man then approached the cauldron.  He grabbed the spoon to take a sip.

“My, you’ve come fast!  A customer at last!”

The man gasped.  “Wha….? You startled me.”

The man suddenly noticed a mysterious figure standing next to him.  It was a hooded old man, with a long white beard and a walking stick.  “Taste and try, the soups are nigh.”

The man was confused.  He was also starting to get hungry. “There are strange smells in these soups.  What’s in them?”

“That, I can’t tell.  But they all work quite well….”

“Work?  What do you mean?  Are these soups spiked?”

“A voice for a taste.  For a cup, a day you will waste.  A bowl for a year.  For a cauldron, a lifetime you will bear.”

The man scowled.  He was now frustrated.  “Is that some kind of riddle?  Now, how much do these soups cost?”

The old robed man smiled.  “Tastes are free!  The rest cost a fee.”

“How much?  I’m starving here!”

“How much, you say?  Here’s what you pay.  An hour’s wages for a cup, with a day that will perk you up.  A month’s wages for a bowl, with a year that will make you whole.  A year’s wages for a pot, and a happy lifetime is what you got.”

The man began to growl.  “What does all this mean?  And do you have to always speak in rhyme?”

The old robed man began to snicker.  “Don’t ask me.  Just try them and see!”

The man sighed, and began looking at all the cauldrons.  Above each cauldron, he noticed a sign.  “Age 3?  Age 4?  Age 5? What flavors are these soups?”

“Try and see!  The tastes are free!”

The man walked down the whole length of the room,  the hallway was long, which was weird to him since the building didn’t look that big from the outside.  As he was walking, he noticed cauldron after cauldron, each emitting their own strange smells.  Finally, he got to the last cauldron.  “Age 100?  What is in these soups?””

“Stop asking and see.  Try a taste, just for me.”

The man sighed, and walked back down the long hallway.  He began to smell the cauldron marked “Age 2”.  As he sniffed the cauldron, a flood of memories entered his mind. He could smell everything that he ever experienced when he was just two. Pleasant smells and horrible smells.  Every smell that he could remember from that age was there.

The man then grabbed the enormous wooden spoon, and filled it with the steaming hot broth.  He then poured it into his mouth.

Almost instantly, every single thought that he had when he was two years old entered his mind.  “Soup taste stwange….” he said in a much younger voice.

Suddenly, he cupped his hand over his mouth.  “What was that?” He said, now in his normal voice.

The old robed man tapped the man with his walking stick.  “Don’t you remember?  Can’t you see?  A taste for a voice!  That one was free!

“That was weird,” The man said, shaking his head.  “I would rather forget being that age, seriously.”

“From youth to sage, I’ve every age!  Try more and see!  The tastes are free!”

The man walked a little ways down the hallway, past all the cauldrons with single digit ages.  The man then saw the cauldron marked “Age 14”.  Now this was a fun age!  He thought.  I had so much fun back then….He then smelled the cauldron, and could smell every smell that he experienced when he was 14.  After that, he tasted the soup.  “I love this flavor!” he shouted in his 14-year old voice.

After this, the man proceeded to try some other soups.  He tried ages 17, 18, 21, 25 and 28.  Each of them brought back fond memories and familiar smells.  With each of them, his voice sounded the age he tasted.

He kept tasting, age after age until he got to his current age: 35.  He already knew what that soup tasted like, so he turned to the mysterious old robed man.  “I’ll have a whole cauldron of age 35,” he told him.  “I know this is a dream, and I will awaken from it very soon.”

The robed man smiled.  “A year’s wages, then!  And you can have the cauldron.”

The man opened up his wallet and pulled out a few 20’s.  “I don’t know if this will cover it, but here.”

The robed man frowned.  “That paper will not do.  It is gold I need from you.”

The man sighed.  “This is all I have.  Will you accept any other form of payment?”

“There is nary a thing I can do.  Our dealings are through.”

“Are you sure about this?  I am starving!”

“Sure as one could guess, that is, unless….”

The man stared at him impatiently.  “Unless what?  I could wake up any minute!”

The robed man smiled, and got out a tattered piece of parchment.  “The king came by today.  An extra cauldron, he did pay.  For the age, he didn’t say. So, just choose one anyway.”

“So he paid for an extra one and didn’t pick it up?”

“Indeed!  What a waste!  He left with great haste!  So that’s what I can do.  A free cauldron for you.”

With that, the man ate as much as he wanted from the cauldron marked “age 35”.  Since he was 35, his age didn’t change.  The more he ate of the soup, the more he liked it.

Weeks passed.  The man didn’t wake up like he hoped he would.  Everyday, he kept eating the soup.  It kept him well nourished and healthy.  After eating the soup for about a month, the cauldron was finally gone.

The man then left the mysterious building.  After being here for a month, he was now wondering how he was ever going to leave.  As soon as he wondered, he woke up.

The man was at the Renaissance fair.  It was only a dream.

But as the years passed, the man realized that it wasn’t a dream.  After a decade, he realized that he was still 35.  A couple more decades passed.  He was the same age.

Then, he remembered the words from the old robed man: “A voice for a taste.  For a cup, a day you will waste.  A bowl for a year.  For a cauldron, a lifetime you will bear.”

After reciting these words a few times in his head, the words that stuck out were  “For a cauldron, a lifetime you will bear.”

Those very words haunted the man.  As he heard those words, he realized that the taste of that soup was still in his mouth.  The taste has been there for all those years, and he finally realized it.

So the man lived on, remaining at the age of 35 for the rest of his life.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Chance

William stood there, frozen in fear.  He was very nervous.

Right next to him sat the girl of his dreams.  Valerie Greenwood.  He wanted to ask her out, but he was too afraid to.

“Do it.” A voice said.

“Come on, Will!  Ask her out!” Another voice said.

William took his seat, shaking his head.  “I can’t, you guys….”

One of the guys smirked.  “Why not?  Are you chicken?”

“Come on.” The other one said.  “You know you want to.”

William sighed.  He knew that if he refused, he would never be able to live it down.  So he got up and approached Valerie.  “Hi Valerie….You look nice today….”

Valerie looked at William and smiled.  “Well thanks.”

William  sighed.   Not like that, you idiot!  He thought.  You need to say it with more confidence!  He looked at Valerie again, and focused, his heart beating extremely fast.  “So Valerie….Are you doing anything tonight?”

Valerie shook her head.  “Well, I do have homework tonight. But other than that, I’m not doing anything.  Why?”

William stared at Valerie in complete terror.  This was the moment he was waiting for.  Was he really going to ask her out, or will he blow it in front of his friends?  William gulped, gathered all the composure he could, and began speaking….

______

©2012  K. L. Walker

The Gift of Time

A curse.  That’s what it was.  At least he thought it was.

Zachary Willowbrook looked at himself with regret.  Zachary was special.  This was what his mother always told him.  But why did it have to happen?  Zachary didn’t know.  All he knew is that it happened.

One might even argue that what Zachary was born with was a gift.  Going back to the beginning, Zachary Willowbrook was born on February 29, 2004 in the city of Nimbleburg, Ohio.  It was not apparent then that there was anything wrong with Zachary.

Upon leaving the hospital, Zachary was a normal child.  His mother was so excited to have her first child.  The father was especially proud, since he would be able to have a son to raise.

As the time passed, it was then that they noticed that something was different about Zachary.  This occurred about a month later, in the evening.

The mother approached the phone.

The father shrugged his shoulders and sighed.  “What’s the problem, Stacy?”

Stacy began to sniff, and wiped away a tear.  “Davy, our child is not normal.”

David frowned.  Even though he preferred the name David, she still called him “Davy”.  Looking at the worry in his wife’s face, he decided that tonight was not the night to argue.  “What do you mean he’s not normal?”

“Haven’t you seen him?  It’s been exactly one month since we took him home from the hospital, and he doesn’t look any more than a week old!”

“Just give it some time, honey.  Maybe there is some kind of delay in his development.”

Stacy placed the phone back on the receiver.  “I hope you’re right, Davy. He’ll surely grow in the next few months, won’t he?”

Three more months passed.  There were several more sleepless nights, with each parent taking turns tending to Zachary.  One sleepless night in particular was nearing an important milestone.

David squinted his eyes and placed his hands over his ears.  “Your turn.  I tended to him last time.”

Stacy staggered out of bed, barely able to keep her eyes open.  “No it’s not.” she yawned.  “I changed him last time. It’s your turn.”

David closed his eyes and groaned.  “He’s crying now.  You go see him.  Stacy?”

The crying got louder.

David grabbed his wife and began shaking her.  “Stacy!  Wake up!”

Stacy awakened, her eyes wide open and squinting.  “What?  What is it?”

Stacy listened to the cry. “Oh.  It’s our son.  Did you see him yet?”

“No.  I thought it was your turn.”

Stacy scowled.  “Let’s both see him!”

David sighed and quietly moaned.  “But I’m tired….”

“So am I, Davy!  Tired or not, we got to take care of Zachary.”

Stacy, in her nightgown, put on her robe and grabbed David by the hand.  He was wearing just a T-shirt and red briefs.

They ran to Zachary’s room.  From last time, Zachary didn’t look much different.  His face looked a little older, but that was about it.

Stacy picked Zachary up out of his crib and rocked him back and forth.  “What’s wrong, Zacky wacky?”

Zachary looked at Stacy and smiled.  “B-b-b-b….!….aa!”

David yawned.  “Shouldn’t we change him?”

Stacy shook her head.  “No.  I changed him an hour ago.  He doesn’t smell like he needs to be changed again, either.”  Stacy sat Zachary back down in his crib.  He was now falling asleep.  Upon looking back at him, she began to shake her head.  “No….”

David placed his hand on Stacy’s arm.  “What’s wrong, honey?”

Stacy placed her hand on her face.  “Shouldn’t he look older than this by now?  Davy, it’s been 4 months since we had Zachary.  He doesn’t even look like he’s 4 months old.”

“How old does he look to you?

“I don’t know!  Maybe about a month old.”

“Stacy.  You’re worrying too much.  Just give it more time.  He’ll grow.”

Stacy hugged David, as she wiped away a tear.  “I hope you’re right, Davy.  I hope you’re right.”

Both David and Stacy left Zachary’s room, their eyelids still heavy.  This left Zachary all alone.  He slept peacefully in his blue crib.  His blue crib sat in a room surrounded by blue.  Different shades of blue.  Baby blues and darker shades of blue for his crib.

Stacy designed what she believed was the perfect room for a baby boy.  According to her, she was quite successful.  A banner of different animals ran the whole perimeter of the room.  Everything was spaced evenly apart from each other.  The changing table, the dresser, the crib and the rocking chair.  The room was clean, with everything neatly organized and everything in its place.

Zachary slept on.  He was greeted by pleasant dreams, which brought a smile to his face.  During that night, he didn’t wake up again.  At least not until morning.

Eight more months passed.  It was now March 1, 2005.  Looking at the calendar, Stacy cried.  With Zachary being born on February 29th, she could not celebrate his birthday this year.

And how bad she wanted to celebrate his birthday!  She had everything thing planned.  Balloons, toys, her family, and a tiny cake, just for Zachary.  When she saw the date, she decided to cancel everything.

When David saw her do this, he was shocked.  “Why did you cancel?” he said with a sigh.  “We can still celebrate his birthday, even though it’s not the 29th.”

Stacy shook her head.  “No! His birthday is going to be celebrated on the 29th!  Now Davy, how would you feel if your birthday was not celebrated on the same day?”

“I wouldn’t like that.  So, now what?  Do we celebrate his birthday in 2008, when he’s four?”

Stacy stared at David, with a crazed look on her face.  “Yes.  And we can make it an even bigger celebration, since it only comes around every four years.  Let’s do that, okay Davy?”

It’s David….David quietly muttered to himself.  “Alright honey.  We’ll do that.”

With it being one year since Zachary was born, Stacy started to worry again.  She brought David into the room and pointed her finger at Zachary.  “Does this look like a one-year old to you?!”  Stacy shouted.  “Tell me, David.”

David hesitated.  “Well….”

“TELL ME!!!!”

“He doesn’t, honey.  Not at all!”

“We’re taking him to a doctor. Something is definitely wrong with him.”

And with that, Stacy set up the appointment with the pediatrician.  She picked up Zachary and carried him to the car.  She fastened him in his car seat.  She and David got in the car and drove to the doctor’s office.

Dr. Miller carefully examined Zachary.  After running a few brief tests, he spoke to Stacy.

“Your child is very healthy,” he told her.

“He’s not,” Stacy argued, shaking her head.

“Let me explain,” Dr. Miller said.  “Now Stacy, how old is your child?”

“Zachary is one.”

“Now that is something that troubles me.  After looking at your child, he clearly looks about 3 months old to me.  A very healthy 3 month old, but nowhere near 12 months.  His development is normal.  His bones, muscles, everything.  What’s not normal is his aging.  Now, what day was he born?”

“On a Sunday.”

“I mean, what date?”

“February 29th.  About last year exactly.”

Dr. Miller smiled.  “But it’s March 1st today.  Your child was born on a leap year.  Even more rare, on a leap day.  Even with this being so, your child should age normally.”

Stacy sighed.  “But he’s not!  Has this even happened before?”

Dr. Miller shook his head.  “Oh heavens, no!  In all the years of my profession, I remember one other patient that was born on February 29th.  It was a girl named Madelyn and she aged normally.  Your case is special.  I have never seen anything like it before.  With this being the case, I don’t know why it’s happening.”

Stacy was now in tears.  “How are we going to treat Zachary?  He doesn’t age!”

“It seems like he is aging to me.  Just very slowly.”

“At what rate is he aging?  How can we speed up his aging process?”

Dr. Miller stared at Stacy.  “Calm down.  I don’t know how fast he’s aging, but I know how we can figure this out.  Bring him in next year.  We’ll see if he’s twelve months then.  Hopefully, everything should balance and the aging should catch up.  As for speeding up the aging process, I don’t have an answer for that.  I am not an expert in that field.”

Still sobbing, Stacie got up and left the room with Zachary.

David sighed.  “She’s upset.  We’ll see you next year, doc.”

With that, another year passed.  Stacy was now eight months pregnant with her second child.  The date was March 1, 2006. Exactly one year later.

With that, Zachary looked a little older.  Not much different. Just slightly older.

After coming back from Dr. Miller, Stacy now knew how slow Zachary was aging.  Zachary was now two, but the pediatrician placed his age at 6 months.  “Three months, Davy!” Stacy sobbed.  “Zachary is only aging three months a year!”

Stacy couldn’t figure it out, and neither could David.  All they knew is that they had a special child.  A child blessed with the gift of time.

______

©2012  K. L. Walker