Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

The bell rang a second time and I set down my music muffs to see what this was all about. No one rings here, out here where there are more pecan trees than people.

It’s a young man peddling papers.

There’s a program, he said. I’ll be able to go to college.

I’m not good with decisions, especially ones I have to make. I don’t want the newspaper, I told him. I am a tightwad but I was being honest. Took it before and seldom did I see it.

But there’s a new delivery program, he said. Can you help me out, man?

I wanted to get back pecking at the laptop. I live on a writer’s wages. This all seemed strange, too. Your salary is paid in tuition? I am not entirely sure what was going through my mind. But, I told him, I’m sorry.

His head tilted, he turned and walked away, an image that remained in my mind the next morning.

This post was added on Sunday, January 20, 2008 by Tom Swift at 17:08 and is filed under Rough Drafts.