Mitten According To Mr. Kinder | short story by Laveda D. Rockford

 

Mitten According To Mr. Kinder

Mitt shoveled snow off Mr. Kinder’s front porch, being mindful of the noise the shovel made while crossing the old plank boards. Mitt was not his given name, one day when he was outside, he lost one of his mittens and wore a single mitten all day and Mr. Kinder had called him Mitt ever since.

Mr. Kinder was Mitt’s best friend. Mitt, knowing that his disability made him unable to play the same games as the other children in the neighborhood, spent his late afternoons alone until Mr. Kinder started talking to him across the fence last summer.

The nice afternoon visits turned into having a soda while sitting on Mr. Kinder’s front porch listening to Bach or some other classical music drift quietly through the window to tickle, and at times, to frighten Mitt. Mr. Kinder sometimes would tell him the story behind the musical piece if it was not too scary, to ease the discomfort that Mitt felt when the resounding loud base filled the air. But most of the time Mr. Kinder would be telling Mitt stories of his own adventures when he was a child which were so interesting that Mitt would pay no attention to the changes in tempo and depth of the background music. Mitt grew increasingly fond of Mr. Kinder and wished he could have a dad just like him.

Late last summer, Mitt became Mr. Kinder’s employee. While sitting on the front porch Mitt confided in Mr. Kinder telling him of the hardships and dreams, he and his mother had. Since Mitt’s dad had passed away when he was very young, money was tight and the house that they lived in next door was a one-bedroom rental. He told Mr. Kinder how his mother slept on the living room couch, giving him the bedroom. However, she was saving up to put a good down-payment on a two-bedroom house as soon as she could.

“It takes a long time to save up that much money,” Mitt told Mr. Kinder.

“Yes, you are correct, Mitt. Your mother is doing everything that she can to give you a good life. She loves you so much,” Mr. Kinder responded with a smile.

Mr. Kinder had no idea about their situation until Mitt told him the specifics.

“I want to help Mom, but I need a job, and I don’t know where to find one,” Mitt said.

Just then quiet filled the air as the music in the background stopped. It is strange how God makes things like that happen thought Mr. Kinder reflecting on the information Mitt just gave him in the stillness of the afternoon.

A disabled ten-year-old little boy could not find a job like an able-bodied adult could. How can I help these neighbors of mine, Mr. Kinder thought. And that was the day Mr. Kinder came up with a plan. To ease Mitt’s anxiety, he said,

“Well, I sure could use a helper around here.”

“Really,” Mitt asked.

“Yes, look at this porch. It needs a good sweeping, and I have other little jobs that you can do,” answered Mr. Kinder.

“Awesome,” said Mitt with a smile that showed his shiny teeth.

 

TO BE CONTINUED…

 

© Laveda D. Rockford