I Screamed
I heard familiar music. I turned off the sound of the tv to make sure the music was coming from outside. Yes, it was from outside. The melody of the tune meant only one thing; the Ice Cream Man was on my street! It’s been such a long time since he has traveled to my neighborhood.
Sure I’ve got ice cream in the freezer, but this is ice cream from the man himself. Besides, the Ice Cream Man doesn’t just sell ice cream, he sells memories and joy and all that good stuff. I grabbed my wallet and stepped outside the door. I walked in the direction of the music and began to turn the corner of the building when all of a sudden I was blasted in the face with a thick stream of water. The water startled me, and in a spontaneous moment the f-word came out of my mouth.
Seconds after swearing, I saw one of the neighborhood boys standing five feet in front of me holding a big water blaster rifle in his hands with a frightened look on his face. I felt so bad for swearing in front of a child who is no more than eleven years old, and I was sorry for obviously scaring him. I told him that I wasn’t swearing at him, but that I swore because he startled me. He told me that he didn’t mean to shoot me, but he thought I was his friend that he was playing with. I told him that he blasted me real good and we both laughed.
I bought popsicles for myself and for the boy and his friend. I apologized again for swearing, and he graciously assured me that it was alright. “It’s okay,” he said. “I hear it at home all the time.”
Have a Great Aloha Friday!
July 22nd, 2005 at 3:26 am
I would have swore too, and felt badly about it after. It was so cool of you to buy them a popsicles and apologize. How sad that the boy hears it all the time at home. That’s just not right…
Aloha Friday!! *HUGS*
July 22nd, 2005 at 3:28 am
Icre Cream man ice cream is the best! We had a truck go by Tuesday, I think it was. I hadn’t heard that tune in so long, I didn’t know what was happening so we didn’t get anything. Great memories, though, of when I was small. Have a great Aloha Friday, Kane!
July 22nd, 2005 at 3:35 am
What a GREAT Kane story! Thanks for sharing. Now I have to go find some ice cream.
July 22nd, 2005 at 7:27 am
Ha!! That is a great story, Kane!! It’s funny what little obstacles we withstand to catch the ice cream man. What a blast from the past! I haven’t heard the ice cream truck music for decades!!! Happy weekend, Kane!
July 22nd, 2005 at 11:10 am
mmMMmmm… ice cream….
i know waht you mean. i get this giddy giggly feeling whenever i hear the sound of the ice cream man coming around my neightborhood. there haven’t been a lot of kids on my street to appreciate the ice cream man in the past 10 years… until recently, families with 5-10 year old children have started moving into the neighborhood. and once again, i’ve been hearing that wonderful music from down the block… it’s so true. the merry melodies sure do bring back some great memories…
have a great weekend! and i hope that truck comes your way again. and seeing that it’s going to be 102 degrees this weekend, i hope he wanders down my way too…
July 22nd, 2005 at 11:25 am
Kane, you big potty mouth!
July 22nd, 2005 at 5:16 pm
One of my first memories, when I was two, was of Mr. Softy (local ice cream truck guy) (type much when you’re drunk?) going down my street just after my mother had put me to bed…and she’d always have to take me out of bed to get an ice cream…think she’d learn, eh?
July 23rd, 2005 at 4:52 am
I like that story. You got to be a kid for a moment and the kid got his reward. Have a great weekend and watch out for those kids. They know how to get a free ice cream now.
July 23rd, 2005 at 2:05 pm
Kane, you have such a kind heart. Here is this kid that had no business wetting you, and you bought him ice cream.
The ice cream truck came through our apartment complex two weeks ago. Although no one bought any treats, just a few had smiles, me included.
July 23rd, 2005 at 7:36 pm
Good thing you didn’t have your camera! I’m sure that would’ve been a great photo, though
Also, I totally want to be your neighbor.