Myles, Ten.

The next morning i woke up feeling like i was about to collapse. Why i was so tired was beyond me. After my morning routine i went down stairs. No one was home though, my mother must of been at the store or out with one of her friends. I looked around the kitchen for a note and found one on the refrigerator.

AT SUES, WHEN YOU WAKE UP EAT SOMETHING THEN COME ON OVER.
LOVE, MOM.

I wasn't going to go over there of course. Instead i decided to fixed myself a turkey sandwich and then after eating i went up stairs. Just as i was lying on my bed the phone rang, with my eye shut i felt for the phone on my night stand. I picked it up, "Hello Dean residents.". "Oh Hello, hunny." my mothers voice sang. "Hi mom, why are you calling? I hope its not because i didn't come over there because i'm not really up to it today." "Oh that's not it at all," she answered quickly. "Sue and i want to go shopping and i was wondering if you would watch Christopher for the afternoon." there was a long pause "Myles refused to do it and Sue is willing to pay you 5 dollars an hour." She added with a hopeful sound in her voice. With a sigh i agreed to it, why not let my mother have a nice day with a new friend, i bet Sue would like it to.
About 15 minutes later they dropped Christopher off and left. He just stood there wide eyed looking around at all the junk that had collected in my house over the course of the last 18 years or so. I noticed how short he was, he looked to young to be 6 but was. Myles and him looked nothing alike. Christopher had golden locks and blue eyes, just like a little angel would have. "Christopher, are you hungry?" i asked him hoping that would keep him busy for a while. He nodded and him and i went to the kitchen to make something.
"What do you want to eat?" He pointed to a box of cereal on the counter. I got a bowl and the milk out. When i started to pour the cereal into the bowl in a small voice he said "Can i help?". He up at me and blinked several times. I couldn't help it, i smiled a wide warm smile at him and he smiled back. I was a great feeling to. So together we made his food and then he ate it, giggling and smiling the whole time. After he finished i cleaned up, washing all his spoon and bowl.
"Can we go outside?" he asked with a hope in his voice. He gave me another wide smile. How could i say no to that? "Sure." i said. We started for the front door, as i stepped out i noticed that he wasn't next to me anymore. I looked back at the door, i saw he was just standing in the door way. "What's wrong?" i asked tilting my head. He frowned and his eyebrows went up slightly. His hand extended in the air. I smiled again, this amazed me. This little boy made smile after smile come from my lips. On top of that he wanted me to hold his hand as we walked. When you young you don't see how people dress or look, you see how inside of them. Whether they are a good person or not. You see them as a protector. I went back for him, wrapped my fingers around his little hand, and we were gone.
The breeze felt good as we were walking down the path to the pond on the far side of the field. It was a long walk but it was worth it. I didn't think he minded though. He pointed to things and asked what they were, asked me questions about my house and family, and told me about his family. I found out that his father had died in a car crash. Myles and him were driving one rainy night and there car crashed. Myles was banged up pretty bad but there father had die. This all horrified me. Something like this coming from the mouth of a 6 year olds mouth. Then he told me this happened when he was only 1. He didn't remember his father, so it wasn't hurtful at all for him to talk about.
"Look Christopher." I said pointing to a bird that was landing on the pond, now only 60 yards in front of us. That was enough for him to stop talking about his father and what happened all those years ago. Now he was staring at the water and tugging on my arm to go faster. I quicken my pace to match his or to keep him from ripping my arm clear out of the socket, which ever it was we got there a little sooner. I sat on the grass while he played in the water closest to me. "Christopher, don't go on to the dock." i hollered at him as he stepped his foot onto one of the worn wooden boards of the dock. I hadn't been on it since i was young, for all i knew he would of fallen right through.
He moseyed over to me and sat down. He didn't see what his brother saw, to be young was a great thing. "You know," he began, "only mommy calls me Christopher. You can call me Chris if you want to." Then he cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered "I don't really like being called Christopher anyway." Then he looked around as is someone might have been listening to his confession. "Ok Chris" i said. He flashed me a wide beaming smile. The simplest things brought young children so much joy. Sometimes i wished i could still feel that way. To be 6 and care free. You don't know what's going on between your parents, in the money department, or anything else. Little things were all you needed to brighten your day, like finding a marble in the dirt or having your favorite food for lunch. What happened to that simplicity inside of everyone, i thought.
I heard a creek coming from the dock. My thoughts were shattered and my gaze shot up. Chris had gotten up when i was deep in thought and ran over to that old dock. He only got to the third plank but i decided that was far enough. "Christopher, I'm not telling to stay off that dock again." Disappointed he got off the dock and sat by the water fiddling in the sand. It got late quickly, so we started to head back. This time before we started walking i held out my hand. He willing grabbed it and grinned at me. The walk felt just as long as it did on the way there, but the sun was setting so it was gorgeous enough to make up for it.
As we walked into the drive way our mothers pulled up. "Did you guys have fun?" Sue asked Chris. "Mommy, Cindy took me for a walk to the pond and we saw a bird and it landed on the pond. We made food and i helped mommy." He rambled on like that for a while. Then she loaded him in the car, handed me 20 dollars and thanked me. She didn't have to, it was fun, I thought to myself. "So Cindy, you never answered. Did you have fun?" My mother asked me. "Yes mom, i did. Chris is a really great kid." She smiled. I was odd for me to like someone right off the bat, but what could i say he was a great kid. Unlike his brother.