honeybabe
Mrs. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me.
I noticed a small boy,
delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean,
hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to
the display of fresh green peas.
I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn't help
overhearing the conversation
between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
"Hello, Barry, how are you today?"
"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them
peas. Sure look good."
"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"
"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."
"Good. Anything I can help you with?"
"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."
"Would you like to take some home?"
"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."
"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those
peas?"
"All I got's my prize marble here."
"Is that right? Let me see it."
"Here 'tis. She's a dandy."
"I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is
blue and I sort of go for red.
Do you have a red one like this at home?"
"Not zackley. But almost."
"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you
and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."
"Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller."
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said,
"There are two other boys like him in our community,
all three are in very poor circumstances.
Jim just loves to bargain with them
for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever.
When they come back with their red marbles,
and they always do,
he decides he doesn't like red after all
and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a
green marble or an orange one, perhaps."
I left the stand smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
A short time later I moved to Colorado,
but I never forgot the story of this man,
the boys, and their bartering.
Several years went by, each more rapid that the previous one.
Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that
Idaho
community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
They were having his viewing that evening
and knowing my friends wanted to go,
I agreed to accompany them.
Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the
relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words
of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in
an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts,
dark suits and white shirts … all very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and
smiling by her husband's casket.
Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek,
spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket.
Her misty light blue eyes followed them as,
one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm
hand
over the cold pale hand in the casket.
Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller.
I told her who I was and mentioned the
story she had told me about the marbles.
With her eyes glistening,
she took my hand and led me to the casket.
"Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you
about!
They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded"
them.
Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or
size,
they came to pay their debt."
"We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this
world," she confided,
"but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in
Idaho."
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her
Deceased husband.
Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.