FORTY-FIVE

I opened the door to Mark's study and asked,"Mark...do you think we could play a game of chess?"

"Oh Timmy, I'm kinda busy, maybe later?"

"Alright..."

That's literally the first time he couldn't make time for me...

Wait, did he just call me Timmy?

I shrugged my shoulders and walked away.

I walked to him a lot later and asked,"Mark, do you think we could go to the park?"

"I'm sorry Timmy, I can't right now, maybe later? Yes, you can organise the meeting."

"What?"

"I'm talking to someone else...no don't do that! Just call the other managers and...no, no, no, no! Ugh! Really?!"

I just slowly left the room.

I went to the park alone and was sitting on a bench alone.

I was silently shedding tears and closed my eyes, when I opened them, I saw a hobo lying on the ground, looking at me through his yellow eyes.

"Aaaah!!!"

"Aaaah!!!"

I jumped on the bench and he scuttled behind a trashcan.

I felt sorry for startling him so I went to apologize.

"Sir?"

He poked his head from behind the bin and I continued,"I'm sorry for screaming."

"Don't worry, it happens all the time, but what's wrong kid?"

"What?"

"You were crying when I saw you."

"Oh that, it's just because my brother doesn't have as much time for me as he used to."

"Tommy, right?"

"Yeah, how do you know?"

"Your brother is Mark Hawkins, C.E.O. of Aqua bolt, the largest shoe company in the world, everyone knows you."

"Oh right."

"What did you want to do with your brother?"

"Irono, have a picnic, play frisbee, play catch, other stuff you do in a park."

"Why don't I do it with you?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Thanks! So how are we going to make the picnic?"

"Leave that to me."

He got up.

A family was having a picnic when a stinky bum just appeared right in front of them and started making weird noises and yelling, he sounded somehow like a turkey when he did that...

They all screamed and ran away in different directions... including the dog.

"Dinner is served."He said.

"Woah."I said.

I was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich when I asked,"So, what's your name?"

"Forgot it long ago, just call me stinky Stan."

"That's not a name."

"That's what everyone calls me."

"Do you like being called by that name?"

"Well...yeah."

"Stinky Stan it is."

When we were done eating, he played frisbee with me.

I threw the circular green disk too high so he missed it. He chased it till it fell in the middle of the pond.

I was bummed out since we had lost it but he lifted me up and walked into the water. He was totally submerged and I picked the frisbee.

We played catch after and he threw the ball over me into a tree. He held his waist as he looked at the blue sphere.

"Now how are we going to get it back?"

"Don't worry, I got this."I said.

I jumped and caught the lowest branch then swung to land my feet on one slightly higher. I waved my hands to balance myself then I held the branch over my head and pulled my lower body up and hooked my knees on it then got on the branch, upside down.

I picked the blue fruit and threw it down, then flipped down and stuck the landing.

Stinky Stan was jaw dropped.

"How did you do that?"He asked.

"My brother taught me...back when he had time for me, so what next?"

"Leave that to me..."

In an ice cream parlour, the people were eating their cold Chinese desserts and going about their daily business when a bum just jumped in through the door and started making turkey noises. Everyone including the bar tenders freaked out and broke through the window and ran away in different directions.

I came in, stunned and he fetched a double rocky road sausage split and I thanked him.

He took me home after a few more stops and I entered the gate and said to Mark,"Mark, I'm sorry for being so late, I just was hanging out with someone."

He looked up from his laptop and said,"What did you say?"

"... nothing. Aren't you coming down to make dinner?"

"Oh sorry Timmy, I can't, the new chef would."

"...well when are you coming down?"

"I can't, I'll take dinner here."

"...right."

I sat down alone at the ten seater dining table. I slowly ate my meatloaf slice and sighed.

I heard a sound on the window and went to check it out...it was Stinky Stan.

I opened the window and said,"Stinky Stan! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to show you something."

"How did you get past security?"

He did his turkey sounds and I giggled.

"Wait, I'm coming down."I said.

I packed my dinner and slid down the stairs.

I ran to him and hugged him.

He took me out and stopped in the middle of the street.

A driver stopped and started yelling for him to get out of the road.

Stinky Stan went to the driver's window and did his turkey sounds. The driver screamed, scampered to the left passenger seat, broke the window, crawled out and ran away.

Stinky Stan bowed as I clapped and he opened the door for me.

I was surprised that he knew how to drive as he took me towards the ocean.

A speed boat with a party crew was at the dock and he did his turkey sounds. All the people jumped off and either ran or swam in different directions.

He got me on the boat and started piloting.

We were moving for about an hour and I couldn't see land anymore, I started to get scared until he said,"Look up."

I looked up and gasped, so many stars! I could see most of the constellations my Astrology teacher taught me about, and the milky way!

"It's only miles away from the big city lights that you can see the stars."

"Wow. Here, I packed this for you."

"...for me? No one has ever given a gift to me before...thank you."

He began to eat the meatloaf and coleslaw.