PART TWO

Jason White was not a stupid man, in either sense of the word. For one, his teachers said that he was the smartest, most politest little boy they'd ever taught.

The second, and most important reason, to him, was that he was only five-and-three-quarters years old. And yet, as he stared at Mister Clark on the T.V. standing there in his "SUPERMAN" costume, picking the bus up, he couldn't understand why the adults around him were so clueless.

Sure, Mister Clark sometimes accidentally-but-really-on-purpose will trip over the desk, and sometimes he'll spill the 'hot' coffee on his hand, and say, "Gosh darn that's hot," but really, can't they see that it's all pretend?

Even his mommy, who still hasn't been to the pulitzer, can't see what he saw the first time Mister Clark stood beside him.

Nope, Jason White is most definately not a "Stupid man," even if the word "Stupid" got him sent to time out.

"Uncle Perry!" the little boy yelled as he entered the newsroom. The man was the smartest, funniest man that he knew, if anyone knew, it'd be Uncle Perry.

"Hey there buddy," the gruff man said, bending down to pick the five year old up, "what're you doing down here? Where's Lois?"

"Mommy went to the roof, but she said she was going to the bathroom."

"And Richard?" the man asked, wondering where his father was. Jason bent over to his ear, "he had to go to China to cover the 'lympics, uncle Perry."

The man nodded. "I thought he was leaving tonight," he said to the boy. Jason sighed, he really wanted to ask Uncle Perry something, but mommy said to always be polite (even though she never did when covering a lead!)

"Yep, but the plane people called, he had to go early."

"Well, how bout you just sit in here, I've got some new crayons and a Superman and Batman coloring book you can use."

Jason smiled, as the man put him down on the ground so he could walk.

When the door was closed, he'd ask the question so Mister Clark's secret wasn't told to anyone else.

As the door closed, he said, "Uncle Perry, can I ask you a question?"

"What's up munchkin?" the man asked. Jason smiled.

"Why does Superman wear glasses when he's Mister Clark?"

Perry turned to him and said, "you know, that's a good question. And you want to know what Mister Clark said?"

Jason jumped up, his eyes wide with excitement. "Yep, I sure do Uncle Perry!"

"Well, he said that sometimes when he was little, about your age, he started looking through walls, and that it got so bad, that he was seeing everything all the time. Even yucky stuff, like mommy and daddy kissing."

Jason's nose scrunched up, and said, "girl's are yucky!"

The man smiled, wanting to laugh at his nephew's innocence. "Well, Mister Clark's mommy, Martha, and his daddy, Johnathon, got him a pair of glasses that have stuff that Mister Clark can't see through."

"Oh," Jason said, "they help Mister Clark not see through stuff!" he said. The man nodded.

"Uncle Perry, are ya gonna get a sclusive, and interview Mister Clark now that you know he's Superman?"

"Nope, Mister Clark does a lot of stuff for a lot of people, so I figure that the Daily Planet can keep this secret, even if we don't keep everything else a secret."

"When's Mister Clark gonna tell his secret, do ya think, Uncle Perry?"

"I think," the man said, pausing, "I think that when Mister Clark is ready to tell his secret, he'll tell me. And then, I'll tell you so you can tell mommy, alright?"

"Thanks, Uncle Perry," the boy said, hugging him as the door opened, revealing a very disheveled Clark. He was covered, head to toe, in soot from the Volcanic eruption that Superman had been at just minutes ago.

"Hi Mister Clark!" Jason said, running over to the man and jumping into his arms, sure that the man would catch him, after all not even Superman would let him fall and get hurt.

To the surprise of the newsroom that had gathered to watch, Clark did exactly that.

"Hey Jason, it's... it's good to... to see you."

"Munchkin, how bout you go back to mommy's desk, while Clark tells me about his assignment, you know that grown-up talk is boring."

Jason nodded, and as he closed the door said, "thank you Mister Clark."

No one, not even Perry, saw the glimmer of a tear in the man's eyes as he looked towards the little boy, and only Perry heard him say, "you're welcome, son."

End, Chapter