The Excellent Way #4
Boone was absolutely surprised.
Shooting air rifles turned into something more enjoyable than he first thought. For targets, grandpa had chosen a gallon milk jug, a plastic grape jelly jar, two tin cans…and a water bottle that had contained carbonated water. As Boone watched, grandpa put small rocks in every container. He was just about to call out, “Why the rocks?” When he realized the rocks would anchor the targets. For a few minutes they just pumped BBs into the targets. All three boys enjoyed hitting the targets. Every BB made a satisfying crack as it struck the target.
The next thing Boone knew there was a contest going on.
It was a target contest. Later, Boone would be unable to say whose idea it was. It was just a great plan. The contest was uncomplicated. Each shooter had a turn. The object was to hit every target down the line. Scores were decided by the number of targets each shooter hit. As each person took their turn it became very quiet beside the large machinery shed. The rest of them were listening for the sound of a BB plunking the target. They decided to do three rounds each. The person with the most targets hit was the winner. Boone gave it his best concentration. He really wanted to be named the winner. It was not to be. Noah had the most-steady hand and the best target eye. Weston came in third. And to his surprise, Boone heard grandpa say, “I guess I came in last. Think I’m getting shaky.”
“Grandpa, Boone offered, “It’s not because you are old. Maybe it’s coffee?”
Grandpa smiled as he picked up the targets and dumped out the anchor rocks. “Thanks Boone, I feel better already.”
The boys and grandpa packed up the air rifles in their cases and everyone piled into grandpa’s pickup. Weston was the first to bring it up. Food. They had each eaten a pile of pancakes with sausage for breakfast. Now the subject of food was back.
“Grandpa?” Weston asked with a bright voice, “what’s for lunch?”
The boys all heard the chuckle from grandpa. Then there was silence. Since Weston was honestly hungry and since he had not gotten an answer from grandpa yet, he asked again. Maybe grandpa didn’t understand him.
“Grandpa?” Weston asked with all the politeness he could put into his voice, “what’s for lunch?”
“Oh, Weston, sorry, I heard you the first time.” There was a smile in the sound of grandpa’s answer. “You are hungry again Weston? Just wondering how many pancakes did you have on your plate this morning?”
“Nine, grandpa…nine tasty, golden pancakes grandpa. I think I could eat ten right now. Shooting air rifles has made me hungry. It must be lunch time, right grandpa?”
There was no silence this time, just another chuckle from grandpa and a quick answer. “Weston, it is lunch time already, no wonder you are hungry. But I don’t know what’s for lunch. Grandma is in charge of lunch.”
“Oh, okay grandpa…I wish I knew. It would help me be less hungry.” Weston replied politely.
“Hold on Weston!”
It was Boone joining the conversation. “How does know what you are going to have for lunch help you to be less hungry? That doesn’t make sense to me.”
“Boone,” Weston answered, “It’s easy, when I know what it is I will be eating, then I imagine myself eating it. It takes my mind off of feeling hungry.” Everyone in the pickup said, “Really?”
Weston went on. “Yes, I begin with the food on the plate. I see it, I think about how it smells. If I feel like it, I’ll imagine putting some salt on it. Then I imagine the first bite. With all that going on, I forget how hungry I am.”
As Boone listened to Weston’s explanation his first thought was, “this is absolutely foolish…” He was about to say the words out loud when he remembered what Grandpa had read from the Bible that morning while everyone was filling up on pancakes. He had read verses from the book of first Corinthians. The subject was love. Boone remembered thinking the subject seemed too mushy, it seemed like a message to hear on Valentine’s Day. Love? Love, the most excellent way? Thinking about Weston and what he’d just said, Boone realized that the “most excellent way” would be to keep his thoughts to himself.
When grandpa was reading Boone remembered the word excellent.
He and grandpa had been using it the night before to describe fishing. Grandpa was reading from the Bible about another use of excellent. At that moment Boone thought it sounded like the way of excellence is love. He was surprised when he remembered two of the things about love …it does not dishonor others and it protects others. Right then he realized if he said what he was thinking, he would dishonor Weston. Speaking those words would certainly not protect Weston’s spirit either.
Instead, Boone just said, “Weston, you are making me hungrier!” Boone gave him a soft fist bump on the shoulder. Weston laughed and answered, “Why thanks Boone! I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s hungry.”
Meanwhile, Boone thanked God for setting a guard over his tongue. Boone knew if he’d said what came to mind that Weston’s feelings would have been hurt and the feeling of companionship Boone was now enjoying with Weston would be lost.
Lunch did come.
Grandma had prepared a delicious spread of sandwich making ingredients. The highlight was grandma’s homemade buns. With meat, a little green stuff to keep his mom happy and mustard with raw onions, Boone had a sandwich that cause his mouth to water long before the first bite. When Weston saw Boone adding raw onions on top of his green lettuce, he didn’t criticize Boone.
Instead, he asked a question. “Boone, do raw onions seriously taste good on a sandwich?”
Surprised that Weston didn’t just say “YUK!” Boone gave his honest answer. “They really do. I learned about onions on a sandwich from Grandpa. They add crunch, and serious flavor. They are even supposed to be good for your health-like a fresh vitamin.”
“I think I’ll take my vitamins from a vitamin jar Boone. No onions for me please.” Weston was not impressed with Boone’s choice of sandwich options.
“Well, if you don’t try it, you’ll never know just how good it really is Weston.” Boone was using his best persuasive voice.
Weston replied with two words, “No thanks.”
It did not surprise grandma that the boys cleaned up all of the lunch ingredients, they even ate all of the lettuce. As grandpa finished his sandwich, just a half slice of bread and some meat, greens and of course onions, the young man of few words spoke up again.
“Grandpa, would we be going fishing next? Like right after lunch?” Boone had fish on his mind already.
Grandpa gave up on the idea of a nap. He had already reminded himself that naps could happen after the grandsons went home. But he had a momentary lapse, a nap would be just great, right after lunch. Weston’s enthusiasm to Boone’s question drove the nap idea far away-not to return for the rest of the day.