LJ Idol 9, Week 4--Nobody can ride your back if your back's not bent
“Do you know the story of the oak and the reed, dearest?” The old woman lifted her granddaughter’s chin with one finger to look into her eyes.
Mia shook her head and snuffled, wiping the back of her hand across her wet cheek.
“Ah, now, the oak was proud, and boasted about his great strength. He mocked the little reed because she bent with the wind, while he remained straight and tall. But then one day, a mighty storm blew in, and the oak who would not bend could not stand against the gale, and he broke. But the reed bent under the wind, as always, and she survived the storm.”
Mia frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked.
“What indeed?” replied her grandmother. “Just think about it for a little while, sweet pea.”
***
“Hey, new girl!”
Mia looked up. It was Cori, the queen bee of fourth grade. “Yeah?” Mia replied.
“Those cookies look really good.” Cori smiled and sat down next to Mia.
“Yeah, my mom made them. She says there should always be something to look forward to on Monday,” Mia said.
“Wanna sit with us at lunch today?”
“Sure!”
“Well, if you give me your cookies, I'll save a spot for you."
Mia held out one of her cookies. “Okay, I’ll share with you,” she said.
Cori giggled. “What am I gonna do with one? I share everything with Taylor and Billy, and that’s not enough to go around. I need all of them. I mean, you probably get to have more at home, right?”
Mia hesitated. The cookies were all she’d get to eat until lunchtime, but Cori was the first kid at this new school to pay her any attention.
“So, are you gonna be one of the cool kids, or not?” Cori asked.
***
“I’m so glad you finally made some new friends, honey!” Mia’s mom said.
Her dad said, “All she needed was a little time. Isn’t that right sweetie?”
Mia ducked away as he reached across the table to ruffle her hair.
“Maybe you should invite this Cori over after school one day,” her mom said as she passed the salad. “It’s not too cold out yet--you can play outside for a while, and she can stay for dinner if she wants!”
Mia shrugged. “I dunno . . .” she mumbled.
“Why not?” her mom said. “You used to have Nikki and Riley over all the time.”
“These kids are cool, but they aren’t Nikki or Riley,” Mia replied, staring hard at her mac and cheese.
“Sweetie, I know this move has been hard on you . . .”
“Just let her be, hon,” her dad said. “She’s made the first step; now let her go at her own pace. She had years of friendship with Nikki, and she’s only known Cori for a couple of months.”
Mia’s mom pursed her lips.
***
Taylor winked as Mia handed over a brownie. “Nice. You always have the best stuff, Mia.”
Mia watched her move to the next row, collecting tribute. She glanced at Mrs. Patterson, but her nose was buried in her gradebook. Cori sat at her desk, examining the booty Billy had collected from his side of the room. Mia imagined having Cori at her house, pawing through her toys. Going home with her favorite Barbie.
“You’re lucky,” whispered Andrea from the desk behind.
“How so?” Mia turned around and raised an eyebrow.
“Your mom only gives you junk food once a week, right?”
Mia nodded.
“And Cori let you in the group, anyway. She usually doesn’t bother with kids who don’t bring treats every day.” Andrea glanced down at the carrot sticks on her desk.
“Yeah, I guess I’m lucky, then,” Mia said.
At lunchtime, Mia carried her tray over to her usual table. Cori was already there, parceling out the treats she didn’t want to some of the other kids.
“Hey, Mia,” Cori said. “I got these chips from Micah, but I don’t feel like potato chips today. You want them?”
Mia scanned the other tables before answering. “No, thanks,” she said. “If you really don’t want them, why don’t you ask Micah if he wants them back?”
The whole table fell silent. Cori’s mouth opened and closed, and Micah’s face turned bright red.
He said, “You can do whatever you want with them. I didn’t want them, anyway.”
“Hey, aren’t you gonna sit down?” Taylor asked nervously, picking at Mia’s brownie.
“Nah. I think I’m going to sit by Andrea today. Enjoy the brownie.” Mia marched over to the corner table where Andrea sat with Luis and Blake.
***
“I’ve been thinking about the story you told me last time I was here,” Mia said, cuddling with her grandmother.
“Oh? And did you figure it out?” Grandma replied.
“I think so. It’s good to be like the reed, and be able to bend instead of break when things get hard.”
Grandma smiled and said, “That’s right, sweet pea. We have to be flexible, because we can’t always have things our way.”
“But Grandma . . .”
“What is it, dear?”
“I think sometimes you can bend too much,” Mia said.
Grandma nodded. “That’s true. The reed bends, but she always gets back up.”
“I think maybe it’s okay to be like the oak, too. You just have to know the difference between when to bend and when to stand tall.”
***
On the first day back from Winter Break, Mrs. Patterson introduced a new student, Sunny, to the class. At snack time, Mia got up from her desk to sit by her.
“Sunny, right?”
The new girl nodded.
“I’m Mia. Hey, are those oatmeal-raisin cookies? They look really good! Did your mom make them?”
“Yeah. She stays at home, so she bakes a lot,” Sunny replied.
“My mom only bakes on weekends because she works. She gave me a lemon bar today. I’ll split it with you, if I can have a taste of your cookies.”
Mia shook her head and snuffled, wiping the back of her hand across her wet cheek.
“Ah, now, the oak was proud, and boasted about his great strength. He mocked the little reed because she bent with the wind, while he remained straight and tall. But then one day, a mighty storm blew in, and the oak who would not bend could not stand against the gale, and he broke. But the reed bent under the wind, as always, and she survived the storm.”
Mia frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?” she asked.
“What indeed?” replied her grandmother. “Just think about it for a little while, sweet pea.”
***
“Hey, new girl!”
Mia looked up. It was Cori, the queen bee of fourth grade. “Yeah?” Mia replied.
“Those cookies look really good.” Cori smiled and sat down next to Mia.
“Yeah, my mom made them. She says there should always be something to look forward to on Monday,” Mia said.
“Wanna sit with us at lunch today?”
“Sure!”
“Well, if you give me your cookies, I'll save a spot for you."
Mia held out one of her cookies. “Okay, I’ll share with you,” she said.
Cori giggled. “What am I gonna do with one? I share everything with Taylor and Billy, and that’s not enough to go around. I need all of them. I mean, you probably get to have more at home, right?”
Mia hesitated. The cookies were all she’d get to eat until lunchtime, but Cori was the first kid at this new school to pay her any attention.
“So, are you gonna be one of the cool kids, or not?” Cori asked.
***
“I’m so glad you finally made some new friends, honey!” Mia’s mom said.
Her dad said, “All she needed was a little time. Isn’t that right sweetie?”
Mia ducked away as he reached across the table to ruffle her hair.
“Maybe you should invite this Cori over after school one day,” her mom said as she passed the salad. “It’s not too cold out yet--you can play outside for a while, and she can stay for dinner if she wants!”
Mia shrugged. “I dunno . . .” she mumbled.
“Why not?” her mom said. “You used to have Nikki and Riley over all the time.”
“These kids are cool, but they aren’t Nikki or Riley,” Mia replied, staring hard at her mac and cheese.
“Sweetie, I know this move has been hard on you . . .”
“Just let her be, hon,” her dad said. “She’s made the first step; now let her go at her own pace. She had years of friendship with Nikki, and she’s only known Cori for a couple of months.”
Mia’s mom pursed her lips.
***
Taylor winked as Mia handed over a brownie. “Nice. You always have the best stuff, Mia.”
Mia watched her move to the next row, collecting tribute. She glanced at Mrs. Patterson, but her nose was buried in her gradebook. Cori sat at her desk, examining the booty Billy had collected from his side of the room. Mia imagined having Cori at her house, pawing through her toys. Going home with her favorite Barbie.
“You’re lucky,” whispered Andrea from the desk behind.
“How so?” Mia turned around and raised an eyebrow.
“Your mom only gives you junk food once a week, right?”
Mia nodded.
“And Cori let you in the group, anyway. She usually doesn’t bother with kids who don’t bring treats every day.” Andrea glanced down at the carrot sticks on her desk.
“Yeah, I guess I’m lucky, then,” Mia said.
At lunchtime, Mia carried her tray over to her usual table. Cori was already there, parceling out the treats she didn’t want to some of the other kids.
“Hey, Mia,” Cori said. “I got these chips from Micah, but I don’t feel like potato chips today. You want them?”
Mia scanned the other tables before answering. “No, thanks,” she said. “If you really don’t want them, why don’t you ask Micah if he wants them back?”
The whole table fell silent. Cori’s mouth opened and closed, and Micah’s face turned bright red.
He said, “You can do whatever you want with them. I didn’t want them, anyway.”
“Hey, aren’t you gonna sit down?” Taylor asked nervously, picking at Mia’s brownie.
“Nah. I think I’m going to sit by Andrea today. Enjoy the brownie.” Mia marched over to the corner table where Andrea sat with Luis and Blake.
***
“I’ve been thinking about the story you told me last time I was here,” Mia said, cuddling with her grandmother.
“Oh? And did you figure it out?” Grandma replied.
“I think so. It’s good to be like the reed, and be able to bend instead of break when things get hard.”
Grandma smiled and said, “That’s right, sweet pea. We have to be flexible, because we can’t always have things our way.”
“But Grandma . . .”
“What is it, dear?”
“I think sometimes you can bend too much,” Mia said.
Grandma nodded. “That’s true. The reed bends, but she always gets back up.”
“I think maybe it’s okay to be like the oak, too. You just have to know the difference between when to bend and when to stand tall.”
***
On the first day back from Winter Break, Mrs. Patterson introduced a new student, Sunny, to the class. At snack time, Mia got up from her desk to sit by her.
“Sunny, right?”
The new girl nodded.
“I’m Mia. Hey, are those oatmeal-raisin cookies? They look really good! Did your mom make them?”
“Yeah. She stays at home, so she bakes a lot,” Sunny replied.
“My mom only bakes on weekends because she works. She gave me a lemon bar today. I’ll split it with you, if I can have a taste of your cookies.”