Wish

by Barbara O'Connor

TV and nobody would say the blessing. When it was time for me to leave, I thanked Mrs. Odom, climbed on Lenny’s bike, and set off for home. As I pedaled up the road, I turned and glanced back at the Odoms’ house. I remembered that first day on the school bus when I had seen it and thought it was so sad-looking. Then I pictured all those boys in that little kitchen getting loved on by their mama and that house didn’t look one bit sad anymore.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what mean thing I said to Howard?” I asked her. She shook her head. “No, I’m not.” “How come?” She tossed a handful of peas into the bowl and leaned toward me. “Charlie,” she said. “You can’t judge people for the mistakes they make. You judge them for how they fix those mistakes.”