The truth is, I guess my parents ask me about you because I talk about you a lot. Especially because I keep telling them over and over about the day I learned they were still alive. You have probably forgotten, but every detail of that day is burned on my memory. It started out being the worst day of my life. A really bad day. Do you remember?

We were at school and all day you were really bugging me, worse than usual it seemed. And everything else was rotten. Mr. Simmons was after me to star in the new school play, and Wolfgang was pushing everyone around on the playground. And Rhonda was at her fashion police worst, bugging me about my 'kilt.' And Curly was more crazy than usual, bad even for him. And Harold was complaining to me about some problem he had. And Sid was all worried about some stupid thing he had done. And I accidentally caused Eugene to fall down the stairs and he had to go to the nurse, and he called me a jinx. Even Gerald was mad at me because we were arguing whether Mickey Kaline was the best home run hitter of his time. It seemed like everyone had a problem to solve, and the problems all had to be solved at once. And it was up to me to solve everything and make everybody happy. That's a real burden. I like to help people, but I'm not perfect. What if I get it wrong? What if I give the wrong advice? What if I overlook someone? What if there is someone who needs me and I don't even know they need me? It gets to be too much sometimes.

To top it all, at recess I was talking to Lila, just trying to be nice, and she got annoyed and told me to stop hanging around her. She said she didn't even 'like me' anymore. And there I was sitting in class, and feeling really terrible, and this spitball comes out of nowhere and hits me in the head. And I whipped around and I could see you making another spitball, and you snarled "What?," at me, and well... I guess I just lost it. I snapped. I got really mad and just took all my anger and dumped it on you. You must remember. I shouted, "Why do you act that way. Why are you so mean? Why do you have to act like such a jerk all the time? I used to think that deep down you were nice, and were just afraid to show your good side, but I guess I was wrong. You're nasty and cruel and evil. You're just a bad person through and through, and you'll never change. Never! I hate you and I never want to see you again!" Then I realized that I was screaming at the top of my lungs, and the whole class was frozen in silence, and everyone was staring at me. And you had this look of utter horror on your face. I don't blame you. It must have been awful to have to listen to that. I felt like a complete and total idiot. Then Mr. Simmons took me for a talk with Principal Wirtz, and I ended up in detention. Well, I deserved it. I shouldn't have acted like that. I felt just terrible about everything once I cooled off. I know this is really late, but I've never been able to muster the courage until today. I'm sorry. My behavior was totally inexcusable. And I've never forgiven myself for it. I should never have lost my temper like that. Like I said, it was a really bad day.

Anyway, I went home, feeling lower than low. I went into our boarding house kitchen, and got myself some milk and cookies. I was still feeling bad for shouting at you. I decided to phone you and apologize. And then the doorbell rang. I opened it up and boy, was I surprised. There you were, standing on the front step of the boarding house. And till my dying day I'll never forget the look on your face. You looked so scared. I never felt so ashamed of myself in my life. I was going to start saying I was sorry, when you asked if you could come in. You sounded so meek, almost a whisper. You said you had something really important to tell me. So I took you into the kitchen, and sat you down, and poured you a glass of milk, and gave you a plate of cookies. Then you took my hand and said, "Arnold, there's a reason I act the way I do."

And then the phone rang.


It was the embassy in Central America, and they had found my parents. And then they put them on the line. And I heard my mother's voice. And I talked to my mother and father for the first time in six years. Needless to say, I was stunned and shocked and out of my mind with happiness. I'm sorry to say I completely forgot you were there in the room with me. The only thing I can remember is that once I gave the phone to Grandpa and Grandma I turned around and you were still standing there, and I grabbed you and gave you the biggest hug I ever gave anyone in my life. (Now that I think of it, you're about the only person outside my family I've ever hugged. More than once too. Isn't it funny how you were always around when I needed to hug someone?)


And then I went really crazy. I kissed you. Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking straight. I hope you didn't mind. I was carried away by the moment. I guess I would have kissed Abner if he had been standing there. (Not that I'm comparing you to Abner! I mean, he's a great pig, and he never smells, and he never rolls in the garbage, and he's always clean and fat and pink and cute and curly-tailed, and always cheerful and kind-hearted and lovable, but he's not like you at all.)

And then I told you everything about my folks, how they had been lost for six years, and how they had been found, and how they were heroes to the villagers in that remote mountain valley, and how they were offered special research grants as a reward for their saving all those people from the epidemic, and how they couldn't leave, and how they wanted me to fly down and join them right away. And you said that was great. And then I was rushing around and telling all the boarders, and yelling at the top of my voice. But when I turned around, you were gone. And that was the last time I saw you. And that very week you came down with that illness, and I never saw you again, and you never did tell me what was the important thing you wanted to tell me about.

And that's how the worst day of my life turned out to be the best day of my life. Have you ever had something like that happen to you? Where the day starts off really, really bad, but suddenly turns out really, really good? Even great? I suppose there are some people who start off having a really bad day, and then it suddenly turns even worse, and ends up really, really, really bad. I can't imagine what that would be like.

But I hope that one day you will have a wonderful surprise like I had that day. Where maybe the day didn't go so well, but something really, really nice happens, and suddenly it turns out to be the best day of your life. Everbody deserves a day like that.

Mom is calling me for supper. I will finish this later.