I was jogging down my road when I saw the neighbor boy Max from three houses down. I was very hesitant of this house because I knew Max’s Dad was a pretty heavy drinker so I was on full alert because his truck was missing from the driveway so I half expected to see him roaring around the corner but didn’t. Most late night nights you always heard yelling and things crashing and breaking. Max was probably four or five and out playing with his toy trucks in the front yard under the big oak tree. This is how Max spent most of his days. I think it was really just away from his wreckage of a life.
I finished my jogging route and had to pass again to get back to my house. When I got within half a mile I saw his Dads truck pull in the driveway. As I drew closer I could hear what sounded like Max crying, but I couldn’t tell do to the hedge between him and I. When I passed I realized that my previous assumption had been correct, it was Max and he was crying. So I cautiously approached to see what was wrong. Then I saw them, Max’s toy trucks were lying on the ground in pieces like they had been crushed by something…someone.
I told him it would be okay patted his head and jogged off. That night I was in a store and two toy trucks caught my eye and an idea immediately struck me so I bought them. The next day I started my route with the trucks in hand. As I passed I didn’t see Max which was wanted. I then crossed their yard in silence and placed the trucks in his Dad’s truck and jogged off. One half an hour later I passed back by the house with a smile and tears filling my eyes as I saw father and son out in their yard playing with the new trucks. As I passed Max came running out to the road to me with a very rambunctious personality yelling “Look, look,…Look what my Daddy brought me”! I nodded and told him that they were wonderful. As I stood up to leave I his dad stood looking at me and mouthed the words “thank you”, I nodded and then jogged away. Still unsure how he knew it was me, just the same I accepted it as the way it was supposed to happen.