The Other One Too

There I was not knowing that I had done it right or not.
Running through the living room and into the kitchen.
Stopping there in front of my mom.
She was so happy when she looked down at me.
The kitchen smelled of dough and cinnamon.
She stopped what she was doing, I think she was baking. Because she reached over the stove and gave me a cookie.
“You have made me real proud,” she said and leaned over to give me a kiss on the forehead.
“Mom. Shh,” I said with my hands on my hips. “I’m not a child you know.”
She just smiled at me and said, “ I know my small grown man.”
I walked to the window and saw that my dad was cutting the grass and it made me feel all excited again.
Running out the kitchen through the back hall and out through the side door, I sprang. “Dad, Dad!” I yelled over the sound of the lawn mower.
But he couldn’t hear me.
Is he gonna’ see me? I thought. Dad always said never play or run around when he’s doing the lawn. But I just had to show him.
“Dad, Dad!” I yelled again.
Just then my father was turning a corner with the lawn mower. When he saw me he waved.
“Dad!” I yelled again.
As my father turned around with the lawnmower and was coming towards me, he must have seen how excited I was and stopped the machine.
“What is it son?” He asked as he walked up the side of the walkway brushing grass off his pants.
He stopped in front of me wiping the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief he took out of his pocket and looked down at me.
Is he gonna’ see? I was so happy.
“Dad, look, look!”
My father must have thought that I had gone mad. There I was jumping up and down screaming, “Look, Look!”
“Look at what son?” My father asked, looking at me and over to our house. “Is everything okay?”
“Has something happened to your mother?” He asked, looking past me again.
“No, no Dad, look at me.”
My father stopped and looked at me. He looked me up and down.
He had to see, he just had to. I was so proud.
“Well, son,” he said, “just what am I looking at here?”
As I looked up at him and said, “ Mom says she’s so proud of me,” as the words came out in a rush of air.
“She even gave me a cookie,” I said. As I tried to breathe in just as the words were flowing out of me.
Well, only one, but it was close to dinner time I told him.
With my hands down at my side, my head held high. I put one foot out so my Dad could see.
“Well, son, that is something,” he said as he put his handkerchief away.
“Your Mom’s right, that is something to be very proud of. Very proud indeed.”
This is great I thought to myself, when my mom saw, she gave me a treat.
Just think what my father would give me.
My thoughts were everywhere.
“Son, I’ll tell you what I’ll do for you.”
This is it, maybe he’ll give me some money so I can buy some candy down at the corner store or maybe?
“Son, since you’re so grown up now,” he said with a smile on his face, “I’ll tell you what.” Here it comes I thought, closing my eyes and putting my hand out for my Dad.
“You can help with the rest of the lawn,” he said.
As he turned and walked away I could hear him say.
“Great job on tying your shoe.
But before you help me make sure you do The Other One Too.”…