Yes! School’s out and summer is finally here. You’ve had it with your boring teachers and all their dumb rules. You’re going to hang out with your friends and sleep late. You would do these things if you lead a normal life, right? I’m almost thirteen years old and I’m a guy, right? See, It’s like this. Your parents are divorced and it ain’t cool. I mean everything sucks. You’re zapped, you know? Remember all those plans you had for the summer? You know, hangin’ around with the guys. How about if one of your parents had the nerve to remarry and move three states away? Maybe your summer vacations wouldn’t be so much fun, right? The one parent who doesn't want to live with you anymore, now wants you to spend your entire summer vacation with them!

It doesn’t matter that you’re leaving your friends or that you might have a job lined up. Do you know why it doesn’t matter? They whine, "You’ve been with your friends all year and I haven’t seen you!" Who’s fault is that, may I ask? They don’t want you looking for a job either, because they’ll give you lots of spending money. Yeah, right. The same money you would have had to earn if your parents weren’t divorced. Man, there’s something wrong with this scene. I’ll bet you didn’t know that you haven’t lived long enough to know these things, right? That is why you must stay in school, so you can be as smart as them.

Just try asking them for a shorter visit and see what you get! Like my dad’s voice can send chills down my spine, you know? You can’t mention that he’s the one that moved away. You’ll be sent on a guilt trip for the rest of your life. During those "telephone" meetings, did you ever watch the other parent? Sneak a peek some time. If it happens to be your mom, which in my case it is, she’ll have the biggest smile you’ve ever seen on her face. She’s so proud that you have stood up and finally expressed your self. What if it was the other way around?

Mathematically speaking, two times zero equals one big fat one. You have to leave one parent to visit another. This is a situation that you did not create but must abide by. They really "love you and miss you" they tell you. However, what they don’t tell you is that they need you. They need you to get rid of their guilt and to make them happy. Lots of luck, man! You’re on vacation!

Chris and Doug were throwing their tennis balls up against the back of the school building. They always waited until after five o’clock, because by then Mr. Jones the school janitor, was gone for the day. All he ever did was yell at them when they played there.

"Do you have to go?" Seth’s eyebrows came together, as he stopped to look at his friend. "Geez, we’ve only been out of school for two weeks!" he whined, shaking his head. Now he threw his ball even harder, causing him to run backwards to catch it.

"Do you think I want to?" Chris stopped to look back at his freckled-faced friend. "My dad’s been pestering me for a month now." Chris knew that Doug would start pouting as soon as he told him. "You know I’ll send postcards and I’ll even bring you a souvenir!"

"When are you going?"

"Saturday, but don’t and I mean don’t tell the rest of the guys that. Tell them I’m leaving Sunday, okay? My mom will be there, treating me like a little kid. You know, crying and all."

"Yeah, but then they’ll blame me when they find out!" Doug complained.

"Nah, just say my Dad wanted me to come a day earlier. You know, a last minute change in plans. I don’t want them sitting at the pizza house across the street gawking and laughing at me, okay? Please?"

"Well you can’t and don’t ask me again! I’ve asked him a hundred times already!" Chris had asked his father if Doug could come to Virginia and he wouldn’t allow it. "Come on, Doug. Do you think I wouldn't want you to come? But better than that, I’d rather not be going there at all! It’s not easy for me, you know. I’ll be away from you and the rest of the guys for a whole month. Summer will be almost over when I finally get back!"

Doug felt bad now for his friend. "I know, I’m rockin’ your boat, man." He stopped throwing the ball, stooping down pretending to tighten his shoelaces. Without looking up, he said, "I’m going to miss you, that’s all." His voice shook, as he blinked back the tears.

Chris knew his friend was upset. He always got upset when he was leaving for the summer. Chris pretended not to notice and said, "Yeah, me too. Hey, aren’t you bored with this yet? Let’s go over to Seth’s. It’s Thursday and Mom said I can sleep over there tonight with you guys. Tomorrow I have to pack and spend the rest of the day with her. I can’t wait. All she’ll do is cry! Are all women like her? If they are, I ain’t ever getting married.

Doug just shrugged, never answering Chris’ questions. He wasn’t expected to. Chris always sounded off to him because they had been friends since the first grade. They lived on the same street and were always together. From the time they first met, his mom took him and Chris everywhere. When Chris’ parents first got divorced, Chris spent more time at his house than his own. Doug knew why, but never said anything to Chris. His mom had explained to him that he needed family and support. They were always there for each other, no matter what. "That’s what good friends are all about," she would remind him.

They walked down the back alley and when they got to old Miss Tanner’s house, they just gave each other their usual look and grinned. It had become almost a daily ritual. First Chris, being the taller of the two, peeked over the fence. "Her car’s still gone. Let’s go!" The two of them scrambled over the back fence, crouching along the side of the house and then they stopped and waited.

"Anyone comin’?" Doug whispered loudly.

"Nah, we’re good. Let’s go!" Chris ran out towards the front of the house, across the lawn onto the sidewalk, with Seth right behind him. They ran along the walk for a while until they were far enough away.

Still out of breath, Doug kept looking behind him and Chris started laughing at him. "Man, you worry too much. Stop acting so guilty!" Chris would never admit to his friend that he worried also about old Miss Tanner catching them. He tried to act cool and started to whistle.

"One day she’s going to catch us! I think I stepped on her flowers, Chris!"

"Geeze Doug, again? Her flowers have been in the same spot for years. When are you going to learn to jump over ‘em?"

"I forget, okay? I still think we should quit it, before we get caught!"

"Not me! It beats going around the long way. If you’d remember to stay away from her flowers, we could keep this up for years!" Chris was still getting protests from Doug as they rounded the corner to Seth’s house.

The three of them sat up in Seth’s tree house. The guys always stayed in Seth’s tree house in the summer time. His dad had built if for him before the divorce. Seth was proud of it and the guys made sure that they always kept their sleeping bags there. They had a ice chest for soda and even a mini-television that ran on batteries. They turned the radio up and they opened their cans of soda. They could party all night and no one would bother them.

"Hey, Guys! Am I allowed to come up? I brought us a real picnic this time," a squeaky voice was now pleading with them.

It was Jason. "Yeah, sure," they all yelled down, snickering among themselves. They could always count on Jason for lots of food. It was the only reason they put up with him.

"Man, this house is really shaking," said Seth. His black curly head bobbed as he spoke. "He’s going to break the ladder, I just know it!"

"Quit it, Seth! He’ll hear you!" said Doug.

"I heard it already," said Jason, as his pouty round face appeared in the crawl space that was their door. "But you can count on me for the good stuff, right?" he said, now out of breath. He was trying to wiggle his big body into the tree house. The guys started laughing again.

"Hey, I can’t help it if your door’s for midgets!" he exclaimed as he shoved the large brown bag towards Seth. "At least I bring the food," he said, eyeing Chris and Doug.

"Yeah, Jason. We can always count on you for the food. Now whatcha bring good?" Doug asked him, knowing that Jason was hurt by Seth’s remark.

"Lots of sandwiches and birthday cake left over from my sister’s birthday party yesterday," Jason said proudly. He knew he’d always have an ‘in’ with the guys as long as he provided their snacks. "So what's happening?" he asked them, as he started cramming a sandwich into his mouth.

"Woah! Again? You’re lucky Chris," said Seth. "I wish my mom would invite me to visit her this summer. My mom only remembers me about twice a year. You know, Christmas and on my birthday. I know my step dad is the one who reminds her about it." Seth tried to laugh off his words but it didn’t work. The guys knew that Seth’s mom hardly knew he existed.

Chris was quick to add, "Your step dad must really be cool. Like Anne, by dad’s new wife. I didn’t like her at first but now I do."

"How’s that?" asked Jason, shoving the other half of his sandwich into his mouth.

"You know, like she never asks me to do chores or anything. Not like my mom. We play yahtzee together, go to the movies. All that good stuff. The way my mom used to."

"That’s like being with your mother!" Seth announced, secretly wishing he could now be with his mom.

"Nah, not really. I figured it out. She’s never had any kids of her own, so she doesn’t now how to act like a grouchy parent." With that, Chris broke out laughing. He laughed even harder so that the others would follow.

Jason began choking on his food. "How many times have we told you Jason! Don’t laugh when your mouth is full!" Seth said, as he elbowed Chris.

Chris said, "Yeah, but it's always full!" They laughed even harder now at his joke and he loved it.

Doug looked at Jason and felt bad. He always felt uncomfortable when they made fun of him. "Quit it, you guys!"

Chris knew Doug was right. "Geez! I'm only joking with him, Doug." Chris knew Doug didn't like it. He never liked it when they were having fun. "You know another good thing about Anne?" Chris waited for their attention. "She really is cool. She never tells me what to wear or how to where my hat! She treats me more like a friend, you know what I’m saying?" They were nodding but Chris knew they still didn’t understand. "Look, what I mean is this. She doesn’t check on my every five minutes. She doesn’t leave me a key, frozen dinners or notes all over the fridge. She’s really okay, you know?"

Seth asked, "Is she pretty?"

"Yeah, kind of, " Chris answered. "But I can’t even mention her name to my mom. Boy, does she get jealous! I guess it’s because Anne has sort of adopted me, you know? That’s not such a bad thing, I guess." He saw the jealous look on Seth's face.

"That's not bad, I guess." said Seth. "She doesn’t give you chores, she plays yahtzee with you, she takes you places and she’s pretty, right? My step dad is kind of nice too, but he sure isn't pretty! Like I said before, you’re lucky! My parents divorced and I hardly ever see my mom. Your dad calls you every week. Heck, he sends the UPS truck to your house about once a month! Man, the driver even waves to us now, doesn't he?" Seth waited for them to nod. "Did you know that, Chris? He’s almost a friend of the family. Man, I wish I were in your shoes!" Seth was envious of his friend and this time, he didn't try to hide it.

Chris was getting mad. "You think I'm lucky, huh? My dad sends me all that stuff out of guilt. He gets my mom jealous all the time. She said it makes her look cheap. I really should tell her about his dumb games and that she should stop acting so stupid about it."

"Why don’t you?" Jason innocently asked.

"Because, Jason. Parents don’t listen to their kids!" Chris just shook his head at Jason, then reached over to grab a sandwich. "Do they ever fight? Your parents?"

Jason almost had a piece of cake plopped into his mouth but stopped in mid-air. Chris’ question had taken him by surprise. "My parents? Geez, I don’t think so. I mean I never thought about it. Nah, probably not. Mom’s too busy cooking to fight and my dad’s too busy eating!" His three friends roared with laughter at his answer. He really didn’t think it was all that funny. They kept it up until Jason himself was almost crying himself with laughter. Jason enjoyed the attention he was finally getting from them. He was a star, even if it was just for a short time.

After a while they became quiet and began listening to the radio. Chris knew it was going to be a long summer without his friends. He never really appreciated them until the divorce. The whole time they were growing up, he just took them for granted. They were at his house most of time, because even before the divorce he had just about every toy a kid could possibly want. His friends came around him like flies. They admired Chris and looked up to him. They knew whatever they needed, Chris had it to give. They had heard their parents make remarks. They were always saying that Chris had his own "toy department". He was the most popular kid in the school and he knew it. The girls were starting to hang around more and that was getting on his nerves. He was tall for his age and good-looking. He was glad he didn't have zits, never broke his nose and that he was tan already. He knew he looked good and sometimes he acted a little too conceited about it. Still, he’d rather be with the guys. At least, he didn’t have to put on a front for them. Well, almost.

They joked back and forth for a long time. Finally Chris said to Seth, "It’s great listening to music without them around, ain’t it? They both hate my music and my Dad blames it all on my mom. I really want to tell him that If he hadn’t left, I wouldn’t be having trouble in school." I heard Mr. Johnson tell my mom that at the last PTA meeting. Chris waited for someone to say something.

Shrugging his shoulders, Seth said, "My Dad never pays attention to what I listen to or my grades."

"Boy, that must be nice."

"Yeah, I guess."

It got quiet and then Doug said, "You know my mom and dad forbids me to play rap, Chris. I only play it when they’re not around. I do my homework too, otherwise I'm in big trouble!" Doug almost bit his off his tongue. He knew he was bucking Chris now and he wouldn’t like it. He waited, holding his breath.

Chris looked at Doug and said, "Well, okay. So? But they wouldn't blame one another if your grades did go down! They wouldn't pick on you, either. I’ve been around your mom and dad enough. You and Jason here have the normal families. Seth and I don’t!" Chris was looking for him to side with him now.

Seth didn't think Chris ever thought about his situation and it took him by surprise. "Um, yeah. Chris is right. You guys have the normal families. We are the victims here. Sometimes, my dad just stares off into space. Last week, I asked him if he had made dinner yet. Do you know what he said?" He waited for their attention. "Nothing! He looked at me like I wasn't even there!"

Doug knew it was their cue to laugh now. It would make Seth feel better and he knew it. Doug started laughing and Jason joined in.

Chris wasn’t laughing and his face became very serious. He looked at Seth and said, "My mom is just the opposite of your dad. When she’s working the late shift at the hospital, she calls every half hour! She nags me about cleaning up my room and staying out late on school nights. She nags me about my homework, my attitude and did I eat anything. When she’s home at night to make dinner, she nags me even more. Geez, she never gets off my back! At least your dad leaves you alone."

Seth took a deep breath, "I guess your mom is too much one way and my dad’s the other, huh? My grandmother always says that someone must be watching over me, without me knowing it. I dunno, but at least I have her, Chris. She makes my favorite deserts and comes here a lot. That way, she can check on me and my dad. Heck, she even yells at my dad like a kid!"

It was at that moment, that Chris finally realized that he and Seth had more in common than he had ever dreamed. "I wish I had a grandmother like yours to talk to. Of course, a grandfather would be even better! But only if he could bake me a chocolate cake!"

Everyone chimed in, agreeing with Chris. Chris already knew that these guys were his friends. Tonight though, it seemed as if they were more like brothers. "Listen up, you guys. I’d like to make a toast." He held his soda high up in the air. "It’s going to be a long summer and I really wish I could stay." There was complete silence now, as they raised their cans up. They’d never seen Chris so serious before. "I’m glad we’re all here tonight." He looked over to Jason, "You too, Jason. I really mean it! I didn't mean to make you mad. Besides, without you we’d all starve!" He slapped him on the shoulder and they began laughing again. This time, they were not laughing at each other, but together in true friendship. They started singing along with the music, with Chris singing at the top of his lungs.

When they got bored with that, Chris brought out the last of his fire crackers he'd brought from Virginia. They would shoot one off at a time, then run and hide. Finally Seth's dad came out to the tree house. "Okay, you guys. That's enough now. The neighborhood will be calling the cops on you." He looked really grouchy and they knew they had better listen to him.

"Yes sir," they replied in unison. It was still early and they needed something else to do. After Doug said "no way" and the cemetery was out, Chris suggested going over next door to Mr. Peterson's yard. Why he had the best vegetable garden in the whole neighborhood! Chris ordered Jason to hold the flashlight, while they "borrowed" some sweet tomatoes, with Doug protesting all the way. They made more sandwiches with a loaf of bread and mayonnaise, this time supplied by Seth. They partied well into the night, sleeping until almost noon the next day.

"Please, Chris," she begged. "I promise you I won’t cry. I won’t see you for the rest of the summer!" He couldn’t handle it if she started crying again. He didn’t try to explain this to his mother because she wouldn’t understand. Did she ever? It’s not that he didn’t want her to stay, but it made it that much harder for him. Whenever he visited his dad, the same scene would take place. Besides, his friends would laugh at him if they saw her there! Like the first day of school, your mom waiting with you at the bus stop. Sure, right!

She awkwardly patted him on his shoulder saying "Don’t forget to take your vitamins, brush your teeth, and change your underwear every day," she whispered to him now, a little hesitantly.

"Mom!" Chris exclaimed, looking around to see if anyone was listening. He felt kind of sorry for his mom now. She just didn’t understand about the guys teasing him. "Mom, I really have to get on the bus! I want that last seat in the back!" He gave her one last tight squeeze and quickly turned away hoping no one saw him. He had told his friends he was leaving tomorrow, just so they wouldn’t come to gawk. He just knew those jerks were watching him from Tony’s Pizza House across the street. Maybe Doug kept them away, like he had promised.

"Don’t forget to call me tonight!" She yelled to him. He promised her he would, giving her a wave over his shoulder.

It would be a six-hour ride to Virginia. By the time he reached his father’s house in Roanoke, it would really be "late", he had told her earlier. This cleared the way for a shorter "checking in" call. His father always became annoyed whenever he’d call her after his arrival. Their remarks about each other kept Chris on edge, making it impossible at times for him to even mention their names to one another.

Looking straight ahead, he stumbled past the sea of faces to the rear of the bus. He was relieved to find the seat still empty next to the window. He felt everyone was staring at him and was checking him out. He refused to look around him as he placed his backpack in front of him on the floor. He knew that when he looked out the window his mom would be waving to him. Shoot! When is this bus going to move out? Finally the bus started up and pulled out of the depot. He let out his breath slowly, then taking a deep breath, he turned to wave to her one last time. She yelled to him "I love you!" He smiled as he waved back. He knew she would like that, because that was the way she would want it.

When the bus turned the corner and he had lost sight of her, his eyes began to fill up. He tried to swallow but there was that familiar aching lump in his throat now. It happened every time he was leaving and he hated himself for it. Girls were supposed to act this way, not him. Like all the other times, he began to feel miserable. Chris wondered if it was always going to feel this way. Wasn’t it all his dad's fault? It’s because of him that he had to take these bus trips. Chris clenched his fists, thinking that he could handle all of this if he would remember that I have a life too and she would just stop making such a big deal out of everything! Chris rooted through his backpack looking for his radio. It was going to be another long and boring bus ride.

Chris put his walkman on and tried to concentrate on his music. He thanked God that no one could hear it. In a couple of years he figured he wouldn’t have to explain his music to anyone and that would be all right with him. He wanted to go to sleep but he couldn’t because of the lady in front of him. She kept putting the back of her seat up and down. He was constantly shifting his backpack or moving his legs. Adults! Did the world really need them? He was thinking that if he became one, he wasn’t ever going to act like 'em ! Although seeing Anne again was okay. Whenever he wasn’t with Mike, the only friend he had made in Virginia, he and Anne would spend a lot of time together. She didn’t work, so he never had to carry a key or anything. It sure was different there. They would go places and do lots of things. They would play monopoly until his dad came home from work. After supper, the three of them would play yahtzee. Yes, and he could even wear his hat backwards. Why couldn’t his mom be more like Anne? Remembering all this, he turned his hat backwards now, leaning back, trying to stretch out his long legs. Chris fought hard to go to sleep but couldn’t. As usual the night before his trips, he didn't get much sleep. He hated these rides for more than one reason. The most important one was that it made him think too much.

His father had been trying to persuade him to come and live with him. "Your grades haven’t been all that great, Chris. Maybe it’s because of the divorce or maybe it’s because of your mom’s late hours at the hospital, I don’t know." Naturally, it was her fault! "Maybe if you lived with Anne and I for a while, tried a new school and made new friends, things would be better." Sometimes Chris liked this idea. He could get away with a lot more there, away from his mom. Mr. Johnson told his mom maybe she should consider it. However, Chris knew of course, that this decision would not be the right one. Not only for his mother, but for him too. She would cry all the time and then he would feel guilty for leaving her, like today. Whenever he told Doug this, he'd say, "That's the only time I wouldn't want to be in your shoes man!" When it came to vacation time, Chris hated to think about it.

Chris looked out the window and watched the rolling green hills pass behind him. He thought now, "I bet they’re neat when there’s snow on ‘em. It’s so hot! I wish I could go sledding! Across the aisle from him sat even more adults. Chris guessed they were husband and wife because they were arguing with one another about whether they should have sat in the front of the bus. She was wearing an ugly, putrid green dress and her hair was sort of orange. She was holding a handkerchief up to her nose telling her husband that she was getting sick from the fumes of the bus. He was telling her it was her imagination and to stop making a scene. Chris figured she had made a scene as soon as she put on that dress! He just couldn't understand why adults picked on kids and the clothes that they wore.

For a while, Chris enjoyed his bus ride. With his walkman on, he could listen to his favorite rap and he felt really free. He had no one nagging him or telling him what he should or should not do. He felt like an adult, but he was thinking that he could wait a while longer to be one.

He watched the couple across the isle again and saw that the woman still had her handkerchief attached to her face. Her husband’s voice was becoming louder now. Chris shook his head, laid his head back and closed his eyes. I’m never getting married as long as I live, he thought.Then I won’t ever need a divorce. I’m going to travel for the rest of my life. Until he finally dozed off, he was thinking that maybe he should move to some island just for kids. He could be the mayor and his friends could help him make all the rules. Adults wouldn't be allowed there, especially if they were parents!

He slept until the bus pulled into the rest stop and he heard the driver announce that they would have only twenty minutes. Chris got off to use the restroom, to buy a sports magazine, three chocolate candy bars and some gummy bears. When he got back on the bus, he became annoyed to find an old man sitting on the aisle seat next to him. Oh, no! Another adult and an old one at that! Just add it to the list!

Chris wondered if the man was going to be another grouch as he made his way towards the back of the bus. When he was about three rows from his seat, he noticed that the old man looked sort of friendly. He had a cane and Chris noticed that it was poking out into the aisle. How am I going to get by him? I will have to step over it. What should I say? What should I do? He began to panic as he came closer.

"Excuse me, sir, b-but my seat is near the window," said Chris. He had to put on his very best behavior now.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I’d better give you some room to get by then, shouldn’t I?", said the old man softly. Holding his cane that way made Chris think of the shepherds that you usually see on Christmas cards. He had very white hair and a beard to match. Chris thanked him as he crossed over in front of him to his seat.

"I gather you’ve been on the bus for quite a while now, haven’t you son?" asked the old man.

"Um, kinda." Chris replied. He called me son and now I’ve got to be the perfect child!

"What’s your name?" the man asked him.

"Where are you going?" The man asked with some amusement in his voice.

"I’m going to visit my dad in Roanoke, you know, Virginia?"

The man nodded. "Ah, Yes. That’s a beautiful state, isn’t it?"

Chris turned and looked at the man, thinking to himself that he’s probably going to talk the whole darn trip. Now, he wouldn't be able to play his music in peace! He sure asked a lot of questions, too. He noticed too, that he had on too many clothes for the summertime. A shepherd’s robe would have suited him better, Chris thought. At least he would look cooler! He had on a black suit and tie. Chris figured he dressed way too weird. But old people were like that. Remembering his question about Virginia, he answered, "I guess so. I haven’t been to too many places in Virginia except ‘Kings Dominion’ last year with my dad and step mom."

"Kings Dominion? I never heard of that town. Well, that’s strange. I thought I knew all of the smaller towns," the man said, shaking his head in puzzlement.

"Oh, it’s not a town, well not a real one anyway. I mean it’s a real town, but it’s kind of like make believe, you know?" Chris almost laughed, watching the man’s face. He had this real dumb look on it, like the kind his mother would get when he would mention a rock group that she had never heard of.

"You seem to be amused young man. Did I say something funny?"

"You like roller coasters? I guess most of the kids your age like them, don’t they? I must say, I never had the chance to get on one. They look pretty scary to me!"

Chris shrugged and said, "Not me! I close my eyes and throw up my hands when I'm going down those big hills. The scarier it is, the better I like it. It’s a real trip, man!" Chris was convinced now that the old man was really listening to him as he talked. He noticed too, that he had the bluest eyes that he had ever seen. They were weird they way you could almost see through them.

"Do you always wear your hat that way when you go down those big hills?" the old man asked him with a hint of amusement in his eyes. Chris nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

The man thought for a minute and then said, "I guess it would make your ride more streamed-lined I suppose. You know, maybe like a tail section of an airplane to help it fly better. Well, that would explain it, I guess. That’s a very good reason to wear it that way, isn't it?"

Chris laughed thinking that maybe this was one neat old man, even if his hair was pure white. He certainly had more hair than his dad! "My parents hate the way I dress," Chris continued, " Especially the way I wear my hat. All my friends and even my coach wear their hats this way."

Chris became quiet and when the old man didn’t say anything else, he figured he didn’t want to talk anymore. He figured that was just how old people were. You know, they talk a little, eat a little and then they take a nap. Chris looked out of his window once more, which seemed to him to be a very long time. It was so quiet that Chris guessed the man was sleeping and wanted to check him out. Sitting perfectly still and looking straight ahead, he rolled his to the right to catch a glimpse of the old man. Chris would have laughed if could have seen himself. He looked almost like a puppet on a string, with his head held very rigid with only his big brown eyes moving to one side.

The old man opened his eyes and quickly leaned over to him and said, "I wasn’t sleeping. He caused Chris to jump, for he had taken him completely off guard. He whispered very softly, "I would love to wear my Cubs hat that way! I really would!", giving Chris a quick wink.

.Chris looked around to see if anyone was sleeping. Why was he whispering? "Then why don’t ya?", Chris whispered back to him. "You can do anything you want, you know?"

"Why in heaven's name would you think that?" the man said, his blue eyes growing wide and serious.

"Because."

"Because?"

"Because you’re an adult, that’s why," Chris said with absolute confidence. "No one can tell you what to do!"

"I guess adults can do almost anything, at least as far as you younger people are concerned. It probably seems like that to you most of the time. However, we just can’t do anything we want to and sometimes even we are told what to do. I know we are adults and heaven knows, I’m over forty." He glanced upwards and sighed. Chris followed his eyes to the ceiling of the bus. Chris didn’t see anything up there worth looking at.

"However, young man," the old man continued, "We adults have rules to follow too." Then he cleared his throat, folded his arms across his chest and shifted in his seat until he was comfortable. After a couple of minutes, he reached into his pocket and pulled a package of peanut butter crackers. He handed them to Chris and said, "I’ll trade you these for one of those chocolate candy bars you have down in there."

Chris said, "Great," and as he reached down for a candy bar he stopped short.

"Wait a minute. How did you know I have candy?"

"Just a lucky guess. All boys that have dark brown hair and eyes eat a lot of chocolate, don’t they?" Now the man’s eyes held a teasing look about them, as they exchanged their snacks.

He made Chris laugh until the old man himself was laughing himself. Chris liked the way he laughed and he couldn’t stop looking into his blue eyes!

Chomping on a cracker, he finally realized exactly what the old man had said. His mom used to tell him the same thing when he was smaller. Funny, he had forgotten all about that until now. He shook his head. This was going to be one really weird bus ride!

Chris was becoming interested in this old man. Although he was an older person, Chris began to like him, almost as much as Anne. For an adult, he was one "cool dude".

They talked for a long while, mostly about sports and school. Chris even shared his sports magazine because the man seemed so interested and Chris didn’t mind at all. The man knew all the sports stars! Why, he even knew who Bret Favre was. He liked the Green Bay Packers as much as Chris did! Wow! Did old people know these things?

The more they talked, the more Chris liked the man. They actually had an adult conversation! He didn’t even mind when their conversation shifted to his family life. Chris began opening up to him, telling him about his parent’s divorce and how upsetting the whole thing had been for him. He had never been able to talk to an adult like this before.

"Geez, do you know that when the divorce first happened, I hated to stay home? I hated to hear my mom cry, you know? Heck, sometimes I wanted to cry myself. If I had, she probably wouldn't have noticed anyway."

The man’s voice became almost whispering now when he said, "Chris, you have had a bad time of it, haven't you?"

When the man whispered now, it didn’t bother him so much. It was like the old man understood everything about him and even how he was feeling. Sometimes, Chris felt as if he even knew what he was thinking!

Chris continued on with, "Well, my mom never wants me to go away to visit my dad and she doesn’t want me to live with him, either. If I tell my mom that I might want to, she gets all upset. And my dad constantly reminds me that I would be better off living with him. Then I get feelin' all bad about my mom and stuff. When I tell him I'll think about it, then he gets all bent out of shape. It’s a real bummer!"

"All bent out of shape? Bummer?" The old man had that funny look on his face again. Only this time, Chris didn’t laugh and he didn't think he was stupid, either. He knew now that he really didn’t understand some of the words that he and his friends used.

"They probably did. It's been too long ago for even me to remember," and with that he let out a long sigh. Chris was wondering how you forgot things like that. How can you forget your grandchildren? He now reminded himself that old people suffered from memory lapses. Of course, up until now, he had thought that the old man was pretty sharp.

"Yes, I suppose I do. I seem to get more of it as time goes on," the man said, his voice trailing off to some far away place.

"Geez, I remember my last visit with my dad. I was standing in back of his chair, while he was reading his paper. I almost saw my reflection, you know?" Chris started laughing now, as he visualized his dad's head. Chris stopped laughing and asked, "Have you ever heard of the game yahtzee?"

"I have and…" The old man waited for Chris to say something more.

"You seem to have a lot of hair yourself there."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm going to be just like you. I'll never go bald! Even if I have to take a million vitamins every day. Why, I would even kiss my mom twice a day! I hope I never act or look like my dad. I'm already almost as tall as him!" Chris popped another cracker into his mouth. This time, he offered the man another candy bar.

The two of them talked for a long time. The man had a way of asking questions, without Chris even being aware of it until after he answered them. An hour must have gone by and finally the man became quiet. When he didn't say anything more, Chris figured he was tired and he was probably napping.

Chris pretended to clear his throat and when the old man didn’t move, he leaned over to look at him. His head was back against the headrest, his eyes were closed and his hands were folded in his lap. His cane was resting against his seat and Chris thought of the shepherds again. He noticed that the top of the handle was metal and shaped like a candy cane. It was a very shiny gold and he lightly touched it, wondering if it was the real thing. It had a glowed and it had strange letters on it that Chris didn’t understand. It must be a million years old! Chris lightly touched the cane, being very careful not to move it. Down further on the shaft of the cane, were rows of engravings of children’s heads. Some were girls and some were boys. It was strange to Chris that they all had wings. They looked just like the Christmas decorations his mom put on top of the fireplace at Christmas time. Looking closer now, he noticed their faces. They looked so real, like they were almost alive. Wow! This is some walking stick, he thought. He glanced up again at the old man. He seemed to be in a very, very deep sleep.

Chris felt a strangeness come over him now, which he couldn’t explain. He felt different somehow. He looked at the figures once more and on closer examination, he noticed that on the last row, there was one last engraving of a boy that didn’t have wings. Who were all those kids, anyway?

Very carefully he took his hand away and looked up once more at the man. Why, he didn't even snore!

Chris put on his walkman, looking over to the old man once more and shrugged his shoulders. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on his music. He became very aware of a strange feeling he was having. It was a feeling of weightlessness, like a floating sensation. He really didn’t want to be thinking about it, but on and off between his music, he would look at the man and wonder about the cane. He began to finally relax and he felt very tired.

Bored of listening to his "rap", he switched the station to a softer rock. He was thinking how his parents would approve of this as he fell into a very deep sleep.

Chris began to dream as always. He had had his share of dreams and nightmares like most kids. But the dream he was about to have would be remembered for the rest of his life.

It was strange from the very beginning. In his dream, Chris couldn't see anything except a white mist and a voice that was coming from the center of it. It was very low and very soft. The voice began telling him that although there had been a divorce, everything would be okay. The voice told him that if he moved in with his dad, it would not be such a bad thing after all. Spending more time with his dad would be good for him, now that he was older. His mother would grow to accept it in time, but she would miss him. She would grow happier as time went on, knowing that he was more content. The voice said that both of his parents really did love him and all they really wanted was for him to be happy.

The voice became even softer now and it kept explaining how changes from a divorce were not always fair. Chris would always remember how the voice told him that he should never feel guilty about the divorce or for any decisions that he might have to make. More importantly, his parents would begin to think about what was best for him and to respect his feelings more.

The voice went on to say that although things had drastically changed in his life, he was not responsible for any of it. He was to remember that they did not divorce him. "Chris, you are still their son and they both love you very much. Don’t be too hard on them or yourself. You will never like it, but you will accept the divorce in time. A bandage will not heal this. The hurt you now feel will begin to fade away. One day soon, your parents will be standing on friendlier ground. It will end all of this confusion for you."

The last words that Chris remembered in his dream was that it would not be too long before his parents realized that he was old enough to decide with whom he wished to live with. "They will realize in time that you love them both, even though you may not always be with them. You cannot be in two places at one time. This has been a big problem for you all along and one that you will not have to deal with much longer."

At the very end of his dream, the mist that had been present began to fade. The voice took on a shadowy form, almost transparent. When the mist finally faded away, Chris realized it was an elderly man. His hair was snow white and so was his beard. His eyes were blue, wearing a white flowing robe and he had wings!

As the image began to fade his last words to Chris were "I am your guardian angel and I will always be there for you." The angel ’s eyes were very loving, as he laid his right hand on Chris’ right shoulder. Chris could feel his touch, even in his dream, it was that real. The angel’s hand was very strong and powerful, leaving him with a sense of security and peace. The angel removed his hand and backed away, far into the distance. Chris yelled for him to come back, but the angel had disappeared. The sound of his own voice caused Chris to wake up from his dream. He was calling out loudly, "Come back! Please come back!"

Chris woke up and sat up quickly. He was rubbing his eyes and looking around. For a moment, he had forgotten where he was. He thought that people were staring at him, especially the couple across the aisle. When he realized that it was only just a dream, he laid his head back, squeezing his eyes extra tight.

The old man patted him on the shoulder. He looked into Chris’ eyes and nodded. "Everything will be okay now. You shall see."

Again, Chris felt the powerful presence of this man and wondered why he didn’t need to explain anything to him…he just seemed to know.

During the time that was left, Chris and the old man talked away. Chris just knew that they would always be friends. Like his friends back home in Jersey. Although he was a senior citizen, Chris figured there was no reason not to be friends. Outside of Roanoke, the bus pulled in for one last stop.

They both got off the bus together. Chris announced to him as they were walking that he had to go to the bathroom and get some more chocolate candy for the two of them. The old man stopped Chris, placing his right hand on Chris’s shoulder. He had a very serious look on his face that looked vaguely familiar. It was almost like it had happened before.

"Chris, this is where I get off, son. I’m meeting someone here in about a half an hour. I'm sorry. I really enjoyed our time together."

Chris was taken back by his words. He did not try to hide his disappointment. "You mean I won’t be seeing you anymore? Well then, I will come and visit you." The old man kept shaking his head.

"I’m sorry, Chris. It’s just not possible." The old man patted his shoulder again before he hesitantly took his hand away. He then quickly added, "But I will be seeing you again, you can be sure of that." His blue eyes almost twinkled when he added, "I will get in touch with you, I promise you that. A promise is a promise, right?"

The old man replied, "My name is John and I will get in touch with you very soon," he reassured him. Chris relaxed a little, because for some reason he believed him. Chris heard the announcement that they would be boarding in ten minutes. "John, I’ve got to go to the bathroom. Please wait 'till I come back, so I can say good bye to you, okay? Please! I won’t be long!" Not waiting for John's answer, Chris hurried away. Before he disappeared into the restroom, he turned to see John waving to him. He smiled giving Chris and "okay" signal. Chris waved back and disappeared into the men's room.

Chris hurried as fast as he could but it didn’t help. When he returned to the place where they had been, John was gone. He panicked again as he quickly searched for him throughout the whole station. He never saw him on his way back to the bus. He remembered his Coke and candy. He rushed to the vending machines, got what he needed and ran back towards the bus. He climbed the steps, turning around once more, hoping to see John once more.

Chris asked the driver if he happened to see which way the man with the white hair had gone. "He had a white beard, too," Chris said to him.The driver looked at him like he was crazy.

"Sorry, son. I don't remember anyone like that," he said apologetically.

Chris began to feel like he had been betrayed. I was wrong about him. He’s like all the rest of them! They never keep their promises. He doesn’t care about me! No one cares!

With a heavy heart, he headed back to the rear of the bus. He looked up and saw a girl sitting in John's seat. As he drew closer, he wondered just how big a smile a girl could put on her face.

"Hey, you don’t mind if I sit here, do you? I’m tired of that bunch up front," she replied, waving her hand. She didn’t wait for Chris to say anything and she kept right on talking. "I wanted to ask you earlier but I didn’t have the nerve." She tilted her head back, pretending to fix her hair. She was trying hard to really make a good impression on him. She was flirting with him now, batting her eyelashes. "Hey, you’re kinda cute. I guess you already know that, huh?"

When Chris could finally get a word in, he told her it was okay to sit with him. He knew John wasn’t coming back. He would never believe that. Besides, he thought the girl was kind of pretty with her long blonde hair. She didn’t have too many freckles and her eyes were green.

"My name is Patrice and don’t call me Patricia or pat!"

She dressed really sharp, but she talked too much, like the rest of the girls he knew. When she finally did stop talking, he asked her why she didn’t like her other seat. He tried to forget about John, but it wasn't easy.

"Why do you ask such a stupid thing? Being around adults and old people? They bore me to death! Don’t you feel the same way?"

The girl gave him a very puzzled look, as she announced, "What man? There wasn’t anyone sitting here. I’ve been trying to get up enough nerve to come back and sit with you the whole trip, because the seat was empty." She noted Chris’ puzzled look, along with his disbelief. "Really, there hasn’t been anyone sitting in this seat the whole time that I’ve been on this bus!"

Chris was surprised when she said this and he knew she was mistaken. "No, no. You're wrong. He had white hair, lots of it and a white beard. He even carried a cane like the shepherds do on Christmas cards! You had to have seen him!" He tried to convince her. However, the more he talked about it, the more upset he became. He noticed that she was getting upset now, too.

Her voice became very loud when she answered him with, "I’m going to say it one more time. There was no one sitting with you!" She began to eye him very suspiciously and Chris knew now that she thought he was crazy!

He was feeling confused again and began thinking that maybe it was all a bad dream. But it wasn’t a dream! It couldn’t have been a dream. Well, part of it was. The dream part was good. The rest wasn't! He tried to convince her again and she finally stopped him.

"Are you one of those crazy people? I hope not! You see wierdos like you all the time on TV. You’re not, are you?" she asked, now eyeing him suspiciously.

He figured that he had better quit this conversation now or she would get up and sit somewhere else. He didn't really feel like sitting alone, now. He brushed her off saying "Your probably right. I probably was dreaming the whole time. You know how real dreams can be sometimes." He was hoping he had finally convinced her because she was looking at him like he was an alien from outer space. "In fact, I know now it was just a dream," as he watched her face slowly relax. Yes! I think I've finally convinced her I'm not crazy!

Chris heard her talking, and he was pretending to be listening to her. The truth was he hadn’t heard a word now. His mind was on John, his dream and the strange things that had happened. She said she never saw him and I know he was right here! Chris shook his head in disbelief, as the girl rattled on and on.

Chris kept thinking about everything, while Patrice kept talking away. "Hey! I asked you a question. "Where do you live in Roanoke?" She knew that he hadn’t heard a single word she had said. Men! Did they ever hear anything? "Want some gum?" He looked at her but didn't answer. Now very irritated, she picked up a magazine, chewing and cracking her gum.

Chris would never be the same again. I don’t believe in angels. They're just decorations! It’s really stupid! I’m being stupid! But things were beginning to add up and Chris couldn’t deny what he knew to be true. Geez, I lied to him about my name and he called me Chris at the bus depot. Chris brought his hands up now, covering his face in embarrassment. John knew all along! He's an angel! A real live angel! He began shaking his head again. Nah, angels don’t ride buses…Well…do they?

The End.............