The First Encounter
“Come on Joey...How about you take the flowers and i carry the basket?”
Joey had spent all day picking the flowers from their garden. She thought they were the most beautiful thing in the whole world.
Especially now that her mom had put a soft ribbon around them.
She was very excited to give them to their new neighbors.
Even if her mom had made her wear a dress.
She hated dresses! She never got to do the things she wanted to in a dress.
Together they walked over to the old Spelling's house and heard children s voices coming from the yard.
“Do you hear that, baby?...I think you're gonna make new friends today!”. Lucy said as they neared the doorway.
A tall, blond woman opened the door and greeted them with a warm smile.
“Well hello!...What do we have here?” she asked surprised.
“Hello, my name is Lucy...I'm your next door neighbor. And this is my daughter Joey. We just came by to meet you and offer you a welcome-wagon”.
Joey instantly pushed the flowers towards Jane Carter and flashed her a huge smile.
“ Oh, how sweet of you to come by!...Please come in and have a drink...My name is Jane”.
The mothers shook hands and Lucy handed Jane the basket of home grown vegetables, jams, jellies and a few other things.
“Wow, this is the nicest welcome I've ever had!...Please sit, sit...I'll just go and get a vase for these pretty flowers”. Jane said as she walked towards the kitchen.
Lucy and Joey sat down on the couch and looked around at all the boxes and toys that were scattered around the living room.
Even though the majority was still in boxes, Jane had already put up some family pictures.
Joey watched the children in the image with curiosity and wondered when she would get to meet them.
“I just made some ice tea...would you like some?”Jane asked as she carried the tray with glasses and tea into the living room.
Joey nodded her head politely and carefully sipped her glass.
“So, where did you guys move from?”. Lucy asked.
“O, from Jamestown, New York. My husband Bob and I had the opportunity to open a nursing home here. We thought it would be a much saver place to raise Nick and BJ”.
“How old are your children?”. Lucy asked. She knew Joey was dying to know.
“Nick is five and BJ is three...As a matter of fact, they are in the garden right now playing...You could go and meet them if you like!”. Jane said to Joey.
That was all she needed.
Joey jumped of the couch and ran to the back door. She really loved making new friends!
As Joey opened the glass door she saw a small girl playing with a rag doll. She had a princess dress on that was way to big for her, but she didn't seem to mind. The girl looked up at Joey and smiled.
“Hi... my name is BJ and I'm this much old” she said as she stuck up three of her chubby fingers.
“My name is Joey and I'm five” she said, holding up her fingers so BJ could understand.
“BJ!...where are you?...Come help me with the hole I ma..”. Nick stopped dead in his tracks.
“Who are you?”. He asked.
He was a lot taller than Joey, blond hair, bright blue eyes. He had a big black dog following him.
She suddenly felt too shy to say anything.
“I'm Nick...Nice to meet you”. He said as he came over and shook her hand. Joey curiously looked up at him, with her big brown eyes.
“Wanna help me dig a hole?...I'm going all the way to China!...You can come if you like”.
She nodded diligently and followed Nick and his dog to his digging site.
“You can use my shovel...It's like the one the builders have...my dad got me one last year for Christmas...O...and this is Sabbath by the way...”.
He said, handing her the shovel and pointing at the Doberman lying next to the hole.
They started digging together. Joey didn't speak. She was very happy listening to Nick go on about his toys and his new room.
Together they walked over to the old Spelling's house and heard children s voices coming from the yard.
“Do you hear that, baby?...I think you're gonna make new friends today!”. Lucy said as they neared the doorway.
A tall, blond woman opened the door and greeted them with a warm smile.
“Well hello!...What do we have here?” she asked surprised.
“Hello, my name is Lucy...I'm your next door neighbor. And this is my daughter Joey. We just came by to meet you and offer you a welcome-wagon”.
Joey instantly pushed the flowers towards Jane Carter and flashed her a huge smile.
“ Oh, how sweet of you to come by!...Please come in and have a drink...My name is Jane”.
The mothers shook hands and Lucy handed Jane the basket of home grown vegetables, jams, jellies and a few other things.
“Wow, this is the nicest welcome I've ever had!...Please sit, sit...I'll just go and get a vase for these pretty flowers”. Jane said as she walked towards the kitchen.
Lucy and Joey sat down on the couch and looked around at all the boxes and toys that were scattered around the living room.
Even though the majority was still in boxes, Jane had already put up some family pictures.
Joey watched the children in the image with curiosity and wondered when she would get to meet them.
“I just made some ice tea...would you like some?”Jane asked as she carried the tray with glasses and tea into the living room.
Joey nodded her head politely and carefully sipped her glass.
“So, where did you guys move from?”. Lucy asked.
“O, from Jamestown, New York. My husband Bob and I had the opportunity to open a nursing home here. We thought it would be a much saver place to raise Nick and BJ”.
“How old are your children?”. Lucy asked. She knew Joey was dying to know.
“Nick is five and BJ is three...As a matter of fact, they are in the garden right now playing...You could go and meet them if you like!”. Jane said to Joey.
That was all she needed.
Joey jumped of the couch and ran to the back door. She really loved making new friends!
As Joey opened the glass door she saw a small girl playing with a rag doll. She had a princess dress on that was way to big for her, but she didn't seem to mind. The girl looked up at Joey and smiled.
“Hi... my name is BJ and I'm this much old” she said as she stuck up three of her chubby fingers.
“My name is Joey and I'm five” she said, holding up her fingers so BJ could understand.
“BJ!...where are you?...Come help me with the hole I ma..”. Nick stopped dead in his tracks.
“Who are you?”. He asked.
He was a lot taller than Joey, blond hair, bright blue eyes. He had a big black dog following him.
She suddenly felt too shy to say anything.
“I'm Nick...Nice to meet you”. He said as he came over and shook her hand. Joey curiously looked up at him, with her big brown eyes.
“Wanna help me dig a hole?...I'm going all the way to China!...You can come if you like”.
She nodded diligently and followed Nick and his dog to his digging site.
“You can use my shovel...It's like the one the builders have...my dad got me one last year for Christmas...O...and this is Sabbath by the way...”.
He said, handing her the shovel and pointing at the Doberman lying next to the hole.
They started digging together. Joey didn't speak. She was very happy listening to Nick go on about his toys and his new room.
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“Joey!...Let's go honey...”.
Lucy and Jane came into the yard a little while later.
“Please mom, can she stay for dinner?..Please, pretty please?”.
Nick fell down to his knees.
Jane and Lucy tried to contain their laughter.
“Now, Nick...Get up...It's not polite to beg...”.
“O please, I'll take her home after dinner, I promise!”. Nick pleaded, not quite on his knees, but his baby blue's were working overtime.
“It's OK by me...If Joey's mom agrees”. Jane finally caved in.
“Yes!!”.
“Now hold on a second!...You haven't asked Joey's mom...”.
Nick stopped cheering and realized he hadn't met Joey's mom yet. He was kind of shy around new people.
Lucy and Jane came into the yard a little while later.
“Please mom, can she stay for dinner?..Please, pretty please?”.
Nick fell down to his knees.
Jane and Lucy tried to contain their laughter.
“Now, Nick...Get up...It's not polite to beg...”.
“O please, I'll take her home after dinner, I promise!”. Nick pleaded, not quite on his knees, but his baby blue's were working overtime.
“It's OK by me...If Joey's mom agrees”. Jane finally caved in.
“Yes!!”.
“Now hold on a second!...You haven't asked Joey's mom...”.
Nick stopped cheering and realized he hadn't met Joey's mom yet. He was kind of shy around new people.
He looked up at Lucy and got tongue-tied all of a sudden.
“Mommy...please...can I stay with Nick? We're the bestest friends”. Said a dulcet voice behind him.
Joey skipped up to Nick, put her arm around his shoulders and flashed her mom a million dollar smile.
Nick just looked at her with amazement. It was the first time he heard her speak.
He quickly mimicked her by putting his arm around her shoulder and smiling up at Lucy.
“Who could say no to that!...I would hate to tear “bestest” friends apart!”.
Jane and Lucy laughed.
“OK then,...behave yourself, little lady”. She kissed her daughter on the forehead and walked towards the back door.
“ And Jane...You, Bob and the kids are welcome at our house anytime”.
Jane thanked Lucy on her way out and headed towards the kitchen to start dinner.
Joey and Nick spend the rest of the afternoon laughing and playing in the yard with Jane watching them from the kitchen window.
She felt a great relief that Nick already made such a good friend. They played together as if they had known each other for years!
"Kids...We adults can learn a thing or two about friendship from them...". she thought to herself as she watched Nick help Joey climb out of the hole.
“Mommy...please...can I stay with Nick? We're the bestest friends”. Said a dulcet voice behind him.
Joey skipped up to Nick, put her arm around his shoulders and flashed her mom a million dollar smile.
Nick just looked at her with amazement. It was the first time he heard her speak.
He quickly mimicked her by putting his arm around her shoulder and smiling up at Lucy.
“Who could say no to that!...I would hate to tear “bestest” friends apart!”.
Jane and Lucy laughed.
“OK then,...behave yourself, little lady”. She kissed her daughter on the forehead and walked towards the back door.
“ And Jane...You, Bob and the kids are welcome at our house anytime”.
Jane thanked Lucy on her way out and headed towards the kitchen to start dinner.
Joey and Nick spend the rest of the afternoon laughing and playing in the yard with Jane watching them from the kitchen window.
She felt a great relief that Nick already made such a good friend. They played together as if they had known each other for years!
"Kids...We adults can learn a thing or two about friendship from them...". she thought to herself as she watched Nick help Joey climb out of the hole.
That thing was getting much bigger than she liked!
After dinner Jane asked her son to walk Joey home.
He grabbed her hand tightly and led her back to her own doorstep, Sabbath at their side.
“Wanna come over to my house tomorrow?”. Joey asked her new best friend.
“OK...”. Nick answered. He was reluctant to let go of her hand.
“OK...Bye”. Joey let go of him and opened her front door.
Nick waved at her one last time before she closed it behind her.
He felt kind of sad that the day had gone by so fast.
Playing with Joey was so much fun!
He had never met a girl who liked to play with cars and stuff, like he did.
And when they were digging the hole, she got dirt all over her dress. But she didn't seem to mind!
Just as he turned around to walk back home, he felt a little tap on his shoulder.
Nick turned around and saw Joey again.
Before he could speak, she jumped up and kissed him on the cheek.
Then she flashed him that angelic smile and ran back in to the house, leaving Nick with a goofy look on his face.
Jane and Bob were watching t.v. together when Nick got back in.
“ Goodnight mom and dad!”. He yelled before running towards the stairs.
“ Where are you off to in such a hurry, sport?”. Asked Bob, confused.
He must have misunderstood his son, the king of "bedtime stalling".
After dinner Jane asked her son to walk Joey home.
He grabbed her hand tightly and led her back to her own doorstep, Sabbath at their side.
“Wanna come over to my house tomorrow?”. Joey asked her new best friend.
“OK...”. Nick answered. He was reluctant to let go of her hand.
“OK...Bye”. Joey let go of him and opened her front door.
Nick waved at her one last time before she closed it behind her.
He felt kind of sad that the day had gone by so fast.
Playing with Joey was so much fun!
He had never met a girl who liked to play with cars and stuff, like he did.
And when they were digging the hole, she got dirt all over her dress. But she didn't seem to mind!
Just as he turned around to walk back home, he felt a little tap on his shoulder.
Nick turned around and saw Joey again.
Before he could speak, she jumped up and kissed him on the cheek.
Then she flashed him that angelic smile and ran back in to the house, leaving Nick with a goofy look on his face.
Jane and Bob were watching t.v. together when Nick got back in.
“ Goodnight mom and dad!”. He yelled before running towards the stairs.
“ Where are you off to in such a hurry, sport?”. Asked Bob, confused.
He must have misunderstood his son, the king of "bedtime stalling".
Jane shrugged, just as surprised.
“ I have to go to sleep right now, dad!....Bye!”. He answered before rushing to his room.
Jane and Bob looked at each other.
“ What the hell got into him?!?”. Bob exclaimed. Jane just burst out laughing.
Nick changed into his pj's as fast as he could and jumped into bed.
Brushing his teeth would simply have to wait!
He forced his eyes shut and tried desperately to fall asleep.
He couldn't wait till morning...
“ I have to go to sleep right now, dad!....Bye!”. He answered before rushing to his room.
Jane and Bob looked at each other.
“ What the hell got into him?!?”. Bob exclaimed. Jane just burst out laughing.
Nick changed into his pj's as fast as he could and jumped into bed.
Brushing his teeth would simply have to wait!
He forced his eyes shut and tried desperately to fall asleep.
He couldn't wait till morning...
