Unit 08

Just a Little Smile

Mike was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a tape recorder. Mike knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden.

As they walked, Mike discovered the boy's name was James, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.

They arrived at James' home first, and Mike was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mike went home.

They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.

Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, James asked Mike if they could talk.

James reminded him of the day years ago when they first met. "Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things?" asked James. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I stored away some of my mother's sleeping pills. I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others might follow. So you see, Mike, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more for me. You saved my life."