Some kids around here have been trading me their nice marbles in exchange for some food.”
“Oh I got a marble too!” said Barry, digging into his pocket. “I only got one though.”
“Is that right? Let me see it,” said Miller.
The boy stuck out his hand, and a single blue marble sat in his palm. “Here it is,” he said proudly. “She’s a beauty, ain’t she?”
“Sure is,” said Mr Miller, examining the marble. “Hmmm, the only thing is that this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?”
“I might have something like that back home, yeah.”
“Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and the next time you come around this way, let me take a look at that red marble of yours,” Mr. Miller told the boy.
“Really!? I sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.”
Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, “There are two other boys like him in our community, all three of them are poor young things. Such a shame. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. He trades them for marbles. First he says he doesn’t like the colour they have. Then when they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, and so on.”
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man’s kindness.
A short time later I moved to Colorado, but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.
Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts, all very professional looking.
