< RM > story - Just a Little Smile

Just a Little Smile

Mark was walking home from school one
day when he noticed the boy ahead of him
had tripped and dropped all of the books he
was carrying, along with two sweaters, a
baseball bat, a glove and a small tape
recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the
boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they
were going the same way, he helped to carry
part of the burden. As they walked Mark dis-
covered the boy's name was Bill, that he
loved video games, baseball and history, and
that he was having lots of trouble with his
other subjects and that he had just broken
up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark
was invited in for a Coke and to watch some
television. The afternoon passed pleasantly
with a few laughs and some shared small
talk, then Mark went home. They continued
to see each other around school, had lunch
together once or twice, then both graduated
from junior high school. They ended up in the
same high school where they had brief con-
tacts over the years. Finally the long awaited
senior year came and three weeks before
graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago
when they had first met. "Did you ever won-
der why I was carrying so many things home
that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out
my locker because I didn't want to leave
a mess for anyone else. I had
stored away some
of my mother's
sleeping pills and I
was going home to
commit suicide. But
after we spent some
time together talking
and laughing, I real-
ized that if I had killed
myself, I would have
missed that time and so
many others that might
follow. So you see, Mark,
when you picked up those
books that day, you did a
lot more. You saved my
life."