Monday, September 10, 2007

We All Want Ice Cream


The ice cream man stalks our house. Buy once from him and he’ll never leave you alone. His truck is probably owned by the mafia.

My children dream of rich chocolate melting on sugar cones whenever they spot him across the street. He cranks up “All Around the Mulberry Bush” whenever he passes our house. Some days he drives by five times.

Whether we are inside or outside it does not matter. He’s done a headcount and knows we have three small children. Because my children know his signal he thinks we are trapped. Make my children cry he thinks … Mom will pay to make them stop.

Where does the madness end? I pay today and six days after … will that be enough? I peek out the blinds waiting him out. My children are crying.

Ben’s bottom lip is quivering.

Donovan tells me, “Your making my eyes water.”

Callie throws herself to the floor and sobs.

Stricken I peek out again. His car is on idle. What’s that? He’s eating an ice cream cone!

“Let’s go!” I hustle the kids into the car. We forget about shoes. I am making a point.

Sobbing, the kids ask, “Are we getting ice cream?”

I smile in the rearview, “Yes!”

We pass the ice cream truck. All three of my children begin to wail. “We want ice cream.”

“And ice cream we’ll get.”

I pull into the Braum’s drive through a mile from our house. “Three strawberry shakes, please.”

With order in hand we head back to the house.

Incredibly the ice cream truck is still across the street. The driver waves at me. I smile and wave back.

“Out of the car kids.” I unlock doors and pull out kids. Once assembled outside I hand each one a shake. “Now drink up.”

From the corner of my eye I see the ice cream truck pull away.

Victory is sweet!

Because there were strawberries in their shakes they also got a serving of fruit.

That is even sweeter!

1 comments:

karinco said...

That is hilarious! You had me laughing so hard.

I could see myself doing something like that also!! lol

That'll teach that stinkin ice cream man!!

Plus, it always made me made that they were never around when I DID want some!!