LV's Memories
Carl was an older man that lived in the neighborhood. LV and his brothers didn't know him personally but since he lived next door to some of their best friends they heard about him often. Many times when the weather was bad Carl used to give their friends a ride to school with his pick up truck.One cold windy winter morning as LV and his older brothers were walking to school they could hear a vehicle approaching from behind them. It stopped next to them and Carl rolled his window down and asked them if they wanted a ride.
They hopped on the back of his truck and sat with their backs against his cab and were on their way to school. LV was thinking that this was working out nicely. It was cold that morning and he would be getting to school so much faster this way.
His brothers started talking. "We don't really know Carl," said Melvin. "
"And Dad and Mom have always told us to never accept rides from strangers." added Vernon.
"How do we know he isn't kidnapping us?" asked Melvin.
LV was suddenly not feeling as happy about this ride. How awful that they had accepted a ride from a man that they didn't know very well at all especially after Dad and Mom had warned them never to accept rides from strangers.
"If he doesn't stop at the school house we will simply have to jump off the back," said Melvin wisely.
That was all LV needed to hear. It was time to jump. Clutching his lunchbox firmly he got up and jumped off the side of the truck. He stumbled and almost fell and got up feeling triumphant that they had outwitted the bad man. It was then that he noticed his brothers were still sitting on the back of the truck and just disappearing from sight over the hill.
He started running after them as fast as he could calling. "Wait for me! Wait for me!"
Carl had seen LV make that flying leap off the side of the truck. He backed up to make sure that he was okay and then told them that they had better walk the rest of the way to school.
Melvin and Vernon got off the truck and scolded LV for jumping. They hadn't wanted to have their ride cut short. LV didn't think that was very nice for after all they were the ones who had suggested that they might be getting kidnapped and he had done the only logical thing in such a circumstance.
Carl still gave their friends rides to school often but he never offered them a ride again.
Isn't it a shame that the comparably few bad guys make us so leery of enjoying the kindness of the good guys.
ReplyDeleteSounds like LV is one who hears and acts to remedy a wrong situation - a good quality even if his timing was off a bit in that instance.
It's a shame the bad people in the world make it so difficult for us to enjoy the good things.
ReplyDeleteI grew up thinking it was normal to offer rides to strangers...my dad did it all the time if someone was stranded on the side of the road, especially in bad weather. But he always told me and my sisters never to accept rides from strangers. I didn't understand it until I got older and now I just think it's sad that genuinely helpful offers have to be clouded be skepticism. Sad testament to the world we live in.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of these comments, but I have to tell you, the first thing I did was burst out laughing! I can just see the wheels of imagination turning in LV's head ... HAHAHA!!!!!
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