CHAPTER TEN
At Springfield Elementary, lunch time was long over and the classes were now in the home stretch, soon the final bell would ring and the student body would be homeward bound.
Electing to give herself a bit of a break, and because it was a Friday afternoon, Ms. Hoover had decided to treat the class to a vintage educational movie Dot and the Kangaroo.
Upon hearing what movie was being played from the students flooding into the class room, Ralph froze up and refused to budge from the hall.
"What's wrong Ralph?" Lisa asked, "I love the Dot films, what's so harmful about them"
Ralph repeatedly shook his head, "This is the sad one. The Kangaroo leaves her at the end, she calls and calls to him, but he doesn't stay. He doesn't care"
"Oh Ralph" Lisa said, "The film's trying to teach you about letting things go"
"I don't want to give anything I like up" said Ralph
"Sometimes that's just the cards you're dealt with. You can't halt the way people act when they're challenged emotionally; you have to let them go with your gut. Besides, the Kangaroo does come back to her; I've seen the other movies"
"Yeah, but they're not as good" said Ralph
"I didn't know you had standards for these sorts of disposable kid flicks" said Lisa, "I'm impressed"
"We shouldn't be taught sad things all the time" said Ralph, "Sometimes all Dad talks about is how people he's put little holes in don't get up anymore, and it makes him feel bad about his job"
"I guess in your dad's line of work, tragedies are a constant consequence of trying to keep things together" said Lisa. "Tell you what, when it gets to the sad part, I'll ask Ms. Hoover to let you out of the class, how about that?"
"Will you be staying?" said Ralph
"Of course, it takes a truly bratty brother, a shallow father, and immoral meat-eaters to get tears out of these sockets" said Lisa, "But I'd still feel pretty bad if you couldn't sit through something that could stir the soul"
"Stir the soul? Like soup? Because I like soup. Sometimes I get letters in mine. I like arranging the letters into words nobody but me can pronounce. Mom says it's because they don't exist, but they do because otherwise how could I think them up?"
"Ralph, that's possibly the most philosophical thing I've ever heard you utter" said Lisa
"Want me to tell you about all the words I've made?"
"Tell you what, sit with me through the whole film and tell me them"
"Ms. Hoover doesn't allow talking in class" said Ralph
"Then write them down and I'll read it" said Lisa
"Ok. But you have to say nothing but my words after class" said Ralph.
Lisa giggled, "Not sure how that'll make me look, but what the heck, I don't exactly climb the social ladder too highly as it is" she admitted.
"Lisa…will you be like the kangaroo with me one day?" said Ralph
"I'm more like something else you find in the bush…a boomerang. Set me loose, and I'll always turn around and come right back eventually"
"Boomerangs kill people" said Ralph, "I saw them talk about it on Sherlock once. If you killed me, my dad would have to arrest you"
"I live to be haunted by you Wiggums" said Lisa, giving Ralph a hug, "Not that I will ever really mind that"
"Are we ghosts now?" asked Ralph