“Daddy, what does it mean to be important?”
The man looked at his son carefully, never before having heard his six-year-old ask a question of such substance. Nervously poking at his eggs with his fork, he responded, “Well, Sean, I guess ‘important’ means that you have value to someone. What makes you ask? Is it a word you heard at school, from your teacher maybe?”
Sean absent-mindedly stirred his cereal with his spoon, staring into the bowl as though he still didn’t quite understand. Without looking up at his father, he quietly replied, “Daddy, are you important?”
“Well, Sean, I hope I’m important, at least to you and Mom. Do you think Mom thinks I’m important?”
“I think so, Daddy, I heard Mama tell Mrs. Wilkins that she thinks you might be important.”
Wiping his mouth with his napkin, Sean’s daddy understood. Sean’s mother, Sarah, and Jean Wilkins, their next-door-neighbor, were very close… sometimes a little too close for his liking. Might be? He decided to press on. “Are you sure you heard her correctly? What were they talking about?”
“She told Mrs. Wilkins that if she doesn’t get another baby soon, she’s going to make you go to the doctor to see if you’re important enough to get me a brother or sister.”
Dad sipped his coffee, trying to steady himself before proceeding. “Yea… well, did she say anything else?”
Sean picked up his cereal bowl and carried it to the sink. Placing it on the countertop, he looked back at his father. “Mrs. Wilkins told her to stay away from Mr. Wilkins cuz’ he isn’t important. Then they giggled.”
“Uh—Sean?”
“Yes, Daddy?”
“It’s time for the bus. Don’t forget your lunch.”
The boy picked up his sack and hugged his father before walking out the back door. Jim Briscoe took his phone from its cradle on his belt and touched one button. In a few seconds, he said, “Mornin’… Jim Briscoe here. I’m going to be late this morning, my wife and I are going to have a discussion of some… well, let’s just say that it may or may not be important.”
Bob Church©2/12/07
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