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FOOD FOR THE SOUL
By Judy Thomas
http://www.judythomas.info
http://jhthomas.blogspot.com

“Mama, I’m hungry.”

His mother sighed and looked up from the pile of mending in her lap.

“I know, Jerry. And, as soon as I finish this job for Mrs. O’Leary and get paid, I’ll go to the store and
buy a potato to make some soup. But, if I don’t finish soon the store will be closed. So, be a good boy
and finish reading your story.”

He walked over to the open window, gazing out at the school playground that bordered the small shack
he shared with his mother.

“Mama,” he called back over his shoulder. “That crazy old German man is out in the playground again
and he’s spinning around on the merry-go-round.”

“Don’t talk about people that way,” his mother said, her tone sharp. She laid the pile of clothes aside
and walked to the window. “Mr. Dzierzon is Polish, not German, and he’s a respected beekeeper. He
knows more about bees than anyone else.”

“That might be so, but he’s still crazy as a loon. Just look at him.”

At that moment, Mr. Dzierzon looked up, spotted them watching him, and waved. Then, the wacky bee keeper composed a song in the playground for the poor family and sang it for them. They were silent for a long moment.

“Mama, that was almost as good as a meal,” Jerry said.

Mr. Dzierzon walked to the door of the shack and bowed when the mother opened the door.

“I have some bread and honey. Would you share it with me? It’s much too much for one poor man and
I would enjoy the company.”

The mother looked at her son, smoothed her hair back with roughened hands, and smiled.

THE END

Copyright 2006 Judy Thomas  All Rights Reserved
This story may not be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the author.