“Does Billy want a sweet?” cooed Grandmother. Billy peered upwards from under the floppy brim of his hat and bobbed his flushed cheeks yes. Sam felt a drop of sweat roll down his back. He had been told to watch his brother on the four-hour train trip south. He may as well have been handed a rabid squirrel in a burlap sack. Odysseus had an easier journey.
“Smile, Sammy!” Grandfather called as he aimed his Brownie at the boys. Leaning against the station wall, Sam could see over Grandfather’s shoulder to their train car. As the train slowly steamed away, a haggard porter pitched their last remaining trunk onto the platform. A muffled cheer arose from inside the train, drowned out by the train’s whistle.
“Little lamb,” Grandmother chuckled as Billy released the knot of his tie and held out his pudgy fingers for the proffered toffee.
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"Hey, Grandma, Grandpa ... can't you smell little Billy all the way over there? Eww ... and he's sitting on MY suitcase. What do you mean you can't smell him? It was all that candy people kept pushing at him. Put him in a hat, put a scarf around him, brush his sweet little blond hair, and people go goofy over him. If they could smell him now ... they'd be whistling another tune. Oh, jeeze, Billy ... not another one!" (And Billy says "toot!")
ReplyDeleteThe older brother does look a little peaked...
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