Hello!

THANK YOU:

Elaine Dawkins, for her advice, and reviews. You are such a great reviewer! (And you are a great writer, and your story is really great too!)

Charlene Bates, for her encouraging and hilarious reviews! You always make me laugh. You live up to your name Charlene Bates/Charlie Bates! Yes I'm sure that Patrick would love to have you as his friend)

IlseAverilHaynsworth, my own sister, who never fails to leave a wonderful and encouraging review! Thank you so much for your advice! You are such a sweet sister) And about Patrick's name not being Jewish, well... you'll just have to keep reading to find out why!

O.K. on with chapter four! This is a lot more interesting than the last chapter. Hope you all enjoy it ;)

CHAPTER 4

A FRIEND, MAYBE

A couple days after his birthday, Patrick was down at the little pond half a mile from his family's farm, trying to catch some fish.

He was having quite a lot of fun, wiggling his toes in the squishy mud then, prancing around and acting as if he were an elephant or horse or cow or even chicken! He finally settled down and decided to do some fishing and see if they would bite. He talked to himself, hummed to himself, then impatiently pulled his rod up to see if he had caught anything, although he hadn't felt a yank on his poll! He did this a couple more times when he thought he felt someone's eye's on him, he spun around, his eyes darting this way and that, next he thought he heard a stifled giggle, he heart was beating rapidly. He jumped up and began running hellter-scelter through the woods.

"Wait!" He heard a voice behind him say, "Please wait!" He slowed to a stop, and turned around and found himself looking straight into the shining brown eyes of another boy. Patrick stood shocked, his mouth and eyes like big O's. Never before had he been alone with another boy he didn't know what to do.

"Well now," the strange boy said. "What you staren at? Act like you never seen another boy before!"

"Oh! I'm sorry sir." Patrick exclaimed closing his mouth.

"Sir, you call me?" The strange boy asked. "Hmmm... You're mother must teach you good manners."

"Yes, she does. Sorry, I didn't mean to call you sir. I...I didn't mean...forgot...I..I just... I forgot you were a boy my age." Patrick looked down at his grimy, bare feet, suddenly feeling very hot, sweaty and uncomfortable.

"S'right. You mind if I play with you a while?"

"Course." Patrick said, softly, leading the way back to the muddy pond. "I'm just fishing."

"Oh, well, there's more we can do besides fishing, can you swim?"

"Yes." Patrick answered. "My father taught me."

"Alright, after some fishing lets go for a swim. That's why I came here in the first place." He laughed. "Alright with you?"

"Fine."

"Good."

As the boys sat down on the bank and applied worms to their fishing hooks, (the boy had brought his own fishing pole,) Patrick became more at ease with this new boy. Maybe this boy would be the friend he had been waiting for. Then again maybe not. He decided not to get his hopes up.

"By the way," the boy said, shaking Patrick out of his thoughts. "My name's Jeremy. Jeremy Davis."

"Pleased to meet you Jeremy. And my names Patrick Fall."

They shook hands.

"You have any brothers or sisters?" Jeremy asked.

"No. Just me and my parents." Patrick answered.

"Single child then?"

Patrick nodded.

"Ah. Well I've got twin sisters about three years old. Oh! I'm eleven, how old are you?"

"Ten. I had my birthday two days ago."

"Really. Do you have any friends?."

"No."

"Not one?!"

"No."

"Any neighbors?"

"No."

"Have you ever talked with another child before?!!"

"No."

"Never?!!!"

"Never."

"Ever seen a boy before?!!"

"Yes. Lots of times in the market."

"Well now, that explains why you were so shocked when you met me!"

"Yeah,"

"Where do you go to school and church at?"

"I do both at home."

"Both at home, says you! Well I never!" Jeremy exclaimed.

Patrick blushed.

"Why are you so deprived." Jeremy asked.

"I d'know. Whenever I tried to ask to ask my parents questions like: "Why can't I go to school with the other children" or, "Why can't we have are Sabbath with the other people at church" or..."

"Sabbath, you say?" Jeremy interrupted. "That's what the Jews call their Sunday meetings, the Sabbath. Are you a Jew?"

"Oh no, I'm not a Jew, I've never heard of them before."

"What Religion are you then?"

"I d'know."

"Then how do you know that your not a Jew?" Jeremy questioned again.

"Because if I was, my parents would have told me!" Patrick said exasperated.

"Guss you're right. But you had better make sure with your parents that your not a Jew because I'm not allowed to mess with Jew." Jeremy said in a commanding voice. "Where do you live?" His voice softened some.

" 'Bout half a mile from here, I..."

"Oh look!" Jeremy exclamed. "You caught something!"

Patrick pulled up his pole, but it was only a small fish, so, he thew it back.

"Alright." Jeremy said, after a bit. "I'm tired of fishing, lets go for a swim." He stood up, and stripped down to his trousers, and dove in. Patrick flowed his example, and soon they were having a marvelous time splashing and dunking each other. "This is what it must feel like to have a friend." Patrick thought, swelling up with happiness.

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Later that evening, Patrick and Jeremy parted promising to meet each other same place next day.

As Patrick trudged home, he thought about what Jermy had said about Jews. What if his parents said they were Jews, would he lose Jermy? Maybe he should just say that they wern't Jews and be on the safe side. But that would be telling a lie, and Patrick had been taught to always tell the truth no matter what. He would ask, but he was quite certen that they were not Jews.

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Well there it is. Hope everyone enjoyed it!

Cheero D