He Used To Be The Six Million Dollar Man

And the story goes like this:

A little boy with olive skin, green eyes and curly black hair stands in front of a school. It is the first day of something called kindergarten. There are three other boys, G, Robert and Damon standing with their mothers. A week ago we all went to a party at some girl’s house. It was in her backyard. I didn’t know her but I like having ice cream there. Mom said that I should try to meet the other kids because we are all going to the same school.

I’d rather be at her house again eating ice cream. I am not real interested in listening to G’s mom introduce all of us boys to each other.  Our teacher is a lady named Ms. Lane. I am not real happy about being with more girls. Mom and dad didn’t listen to me and brought home two more sisters. Mom says that they are twins and that means they are extra special.

I think that they are extra annoying. All they do is cry. My other little sister annoys me too. She is always following me around the house and wants to go to school with me. This kindergarten thing is ok. There are a lot of kids but we don’t all go at the same time. Some kids go in the morning but I don’t really know them because I go in the afternoon.

We sit on the rug and listen to Ms. Lane talk. I look at the clock on the wall but get upset because I can’t read it. ‘G’ can and he tells me what time it is. Since that first day of school we have played together lots of times. I have no idea that 37 years later we’ll still be friends or that I’ll be in both of his weddings. He lives around the corner from me and has two hamsters. I like him because he likes to play games and ride big wheels with me. Besides he always has a Twinkie in his lunch. He shares it with me. I wish that my mom would give me one in my lunch.

One day a boy named Joey rolled a tire on top of me. I didn’t like being trapped on my back like a turtle. It made me angry, but I didn’t punch Joey. I was afraid to get blood on my hands. I know about it. Robert told Ms. Lane that Danny hit him so she told Robert to hit him back and Robert did. I have never seen so much blood come from a nose. It dripped all over the floor and Danny cried.

Sometimes we get to use tools. ‘G’ and I like to take saws and cut pieces of wood. One time when we are cutting I stop paying attention and start cutting my fingers. ‘G’ notices and tells me to stop. We wonder why I didn’t notice. It is very cool that I didn’t cry. One of the other kids in class rides in a car that has the same name as the president, Ford.

He took over for the other guy, Nixon but I don’t really know why. I just know that some mommies don’t like him. One of the boys in class says that his daddy was a soldier in Vietnam. We want to see a real army man but he never comes to school. They drive a Volkswagen Bus. I like it because it has a bed in it. My daddy drives a blue Dodge Dart, wish we had a van.

Some kids get to walk to school but I don’t. Mom drives me both ways. Every day she makes lunch for me. I have a metal lunchbox. It is a Six Million Dollar Man lunch box. That is my favorite show. My parents gave me a Steve Austin action figure for Chanukah. He has a bionic eye. Sometimes I jump off of the monkey bars and pretend I am him.

We are learning how to read. The book is called Dick and Jane. Robert’s older brother says that Dick has one too and then laughs. I ask mom to tell me why this is funny. She says to ignore him. I like to read for her but I don’t like when she puts Muenster cheese in my lunch box.

(0riginally posted here)