The library is four miles uphill from my place. Since I’m too lazy to press the clutch in my truck, I ride my bicycle there. It’s hot today and at the top of the final highest hill I was cursing my laziness when I saw on the side of the road a boy of about ten hosting a lemonade stand.
As I stopped in front of this budding business I saw a sign that read “Lemonnade One Cup 50 cnts”. Seeing that the color in the picture was almost white, I asked what flavor he offered.
“Lemonade Ice Cream Slushy.”
Oh God, I thought. Is my stomach going to be able to handle this? But I was thirsty so I tossed two quarters onto the table and he poured me a drink filled to the top. I drank slowly while he talked about the freezing process he and his mom used to make the drink cold (Make it slushy, not frozen hard). It wasn’t exactly what I needed, the kid clearly loved sugar much more than I, but he was correct that it was cold going down.
While I drank my cup I noticed a dictionary next to him on the table and nearby on the ground a magnifying glass. I asked what he was using the magnifying glass for.
“Lighting matchings. I point it at the red tip and they flair up. Over here I have a tar pit. There’s a fly stuck in it. I can melt the tar, but it doesn’t ignite like the matches."
“Interesting,” I said.
I was going to ask about the dictionary to see what words he learned today, but by this time I’d finished my lemonade and was itching to get on my way.
“Thank you,” I said and set the glass down and got back on my bike. “Good luck with your business."
“Thank you,” he said in return as I rode away.
