kenneth had had a long day, but he decided to see mrs williams before he left. he had already put her off two nights in a row, and he decided to get it over with.
“you wanted to see me, mrs williams?” he asked without looking her in the face, as she settled her bulky form into the one little chair he had for visitors in his little office.
“it’s about doris, sir.” doris was one of kennerh’s sixth grade pupils, an apathetic and anonymous child, but one that would surely be graduated in a few weeks, before the summer break began.
“what about doris, mrs williams?”
“it’s about the stars, sir.”
“stars?”
“yes, sir, the stars that the children get for doing something good - for doing something special.”
“of course. and what about those stars?”
“well you see, sir, doris has never gotten one of those stars. not one, in the eight years she has been in school, in pre-school and in the six grades.”
kenneth wanted to say, “has she ever deserved one?” but he just said, “and?”
“it’s just a little thing, sir, but it seems to mean a lot to her. she is kind of a lonely child, and doesn’t get along very well with the other children… and… and for some reason she has become kind of obsessed with these stars and… it would just mean so much to her if you could give her one… just one… before the end of the school year. she is so nervous, you see, about going on to middle school…”
kenneth interrupted. “has doris done anything in particular, anything special that she feels she deserves a star for?”
“um - not that i know. but it would just mean…”
“i am sorry, mrs williams, but the stars are given to the children for a purpose. a purpose that was determined…” he started to say, “before you and i were born” but was that true? “if we started giving out stars for no reason, just on a whim, it would mean…”. what would it mean? “it would mean the end of civilization.”
“oh. well, sir, i just thought it would not hurt to ask.”
“that’s all right, ma’am. we appreciate that you care enough to come in and talk to us. so many parents these days don’t have enough interest to do that.” kenneth recited the rote phrases. of course he would have liked to never have to set eyes on a parent.
*
it was a humid night. after his encounter with mrs williams, kenneth decided to treat himself to a trip across town to danny’s, which he had not visited for about a week. he hoped sonia would be there.
danny’s was the last old fashioned bar in the city. it did not do a very good business and would probably close soon.
when kenneth walked in it was empty. the single tv above the bar was turned down low.
danny’s had a constant turnover in bartenders, but kenneth recognized this fellow, and felt that the recognition was mutual.
none of the bartenders liked kenneth much because he never left tips. kenneth did not believe in tipping, especially people he was convinced made more money than he did. he thought that anybody who received tips, and panhandlers, all made more than he got in his paychecks.
sonia was not at her usual place at the bar. sonia was the town tramp, and had been for a long time. the young people in town, male and female, generally left it as soon as possible, and no young woman had stayed behind to challenge sonia’s position.
“has sonia been in tonight?” kenneth asked the bartender.
“no, man. i guess you didn’t hear. sonia collapsed outside about a week ago. 911 came and took her away.”
“oh. is she all right?”
“i don’t know, brother. i haven’t heard anything. i suppose you over to the hospital and ask. or maybe the police.” the bartender gave kenneth an evil little smirk, almost as evil as the one kenneth had given mrs williams earlier in the evening.
kenneth just nodded.
“what can i get you?” the bartender asked.
“a heineken.”
“coming right up. you want the tv turned up?”
“no, that’s all right.”
kenneth finished his heineken and went home. he was sure he would never see sonia again. there was no way he was going to ask the hospital or the police about her.
he cried himself to sleep, as he done so many times in the past.
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