Jimmy by Robert Whitlow

Author:Robert Whitlow [Whitlow, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Inspirational, ebook, book
ISBN: 9781595541598
Google: UKXrLcCDBQEC
Amazon: 1595541594
Barnesnoble: 1595541594
Goodreads: 1831641
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2004-11-30T05:00:00+00:00

— Twenty —

The school year ended, and Jimmy was promoted to the eighth grade. Two days later he celebrated his fourteenth birthday. The night before the big day, he lay in bed wondering about his presents. With Buster in the backyard and his red bicycle leaned against the railing of the front porch, Jimmy had everything a boy could possibly want.

Jimmy didn’t like big birthday parties. When he turned six, Mama invited his whole first-grade class to a party at the local roller-skating rink, but after thirty minutes, Jimmy went to the car.

Jimmy went downstairs for breakfast. Mama was fixing pecan pancakes with link sausage. Birthdays were different from Christmas. On birthdays he had to wait until the afternoon to open his gifts.

“Happy birthday,” she said.

“Good morning, Mama. Where’s Daddy?”

“He had to go to work early so he can come home for your party.”

After breakfast Jimmy and Mama spent two hours working in the flower beds. Mama raised flowers in broad bands across the front and side of the house. The plants needed a lot of watering and weeding. Daddy had spread several dump-truck loads of river-bottom dirt over the red clay, and Jimmy liked the feel of the rich soil between his fingers. He kept a plastic cup beside him, and as he pulled up the weeds, he searched for earthworms. He put moist soil in the bottom of the cup and dropped the worms on top. When he had a few wiggling creatures in a pile, he added another layer of soil and repeated the process. Grandpa believed homegrown earthworms, so long as they were fresh, caught as many fish as the ones bought at the bait store.

Buster liked to dig in the flower beds too, but he couldn’t tell the difference between a daisy and a dandelion, so one of Jimmy’s jobs was to keep the dog entertained. Jimmy brought two tennis balls outside and threw them across the yard for Buster to fetch. The black-and-white dog was tireless, and even on the hottest days he never stopped returning the balls and waiting for another one. Sometimes Jimmy would reach over and scratch Buster’s belly. A certain place Jimmy scratched caused the dog’s hind leg to twitch rapidly back and forth. Watching the dog’s leg shake made Jimmy laugh. Buster didn’t mind. He closed his eyes and let his tongue hang out the side of his mouth.

MAX ARRIVED MIDAFTERNOON CARRYING A LARGE PRESENT wrapped in yellow paper. Jimmy saw his friend’s arrival from his bedroom window and ran downstairs to greet him. As he threw open the front door, he saw Max lifting his bicycle from the back of his mother’s van.

“Happy birthday!” Jimmy called out.

Max rolled his bike up to the porch and leaned it against the steps.

“That’s what I’m supposed to say. It’s your birthday.”

“But I want you to have a happy day on my birthday.”

Max came into the house and handed Jimmy the present. “Guess what it is.”

Jimmy took the box and shook it. It didn’t make any sound.

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