Sheknew,forexample,moreaboutbaseballanditshistorythanmyfatherdidandwasalwaysreadytoarguethemeritsofPeeWeeReese(herfavoriteshortstop)againstChicoCarrasquel(mine).’thappenatschool,-fieldsontheafternoonofthelastdayofthat,,she’dtakenusonafieldtrip,literally,throughthebrightyellowandgreenofcornandwheatstalksthatweretallerthanIwas（andthanshewas,too）butstilltwoorthreemonthsshyoftheirharvest.
Wewandered,aslargegroupsofchildrenarewonttodo,oureyescatchingwithfascinationoneverybugandbirdandleaf,everyoneofwhich,unfailingly,:TheIlinoisprairielandwasflat,,listeningtotherustleofthewindthroughthegentlywavingcrops,thecriesofthecrows,,though,thetriphadbecomerepetitious—morefields,morecrops,morebirdcalls—andI,certainlyamongothers,,ithappened:There,intheabsolutemiddleofnowhere（straightoutofwhat,someyearslater,IwouldthinkofasTheTwilightZoneoraStephenKingnovel）,onthesideofanothersingle-laneroadhundredsofyardsfromanythingthatresembledcivilization,,justawoodencountersixoreightfeetwide,fivefeethigh,twofeetdeep,withpolessupportingawoodsheetthatservedassuncoverforthegrizzled,butsmiling,middle-agedmanwhostoodbehindit.
Thewords“IceCream—10Flavors”,anyflavorwewished,,naturally,boundless,,,“Whatwouldyoulike?”Iliketothinktherewasatwinkleinhiseyesashedidandthatwhatfollowedwasaritualbetweenthem,althoughthefewkidswho’’sclassesinyearsbeforehadn’,
thensaid,“IthinkI’llhaveaconewithascoopofeach.”Hedidn’tbataneyelash,?Alltenflavors?Inonecone?,thiswomanwhowassmallerthantheoldestofherstudents,wasgoingtoeataten-scoopicecreamcone?Withthesameaplombshedisplayedintheclassroom,“Mmm”andsmiled.
Andwewatched,agogwithenvy,assheconsumedeverysweetmound, movinghertongueupanddownfromvanillatostrawberrytobutterpecan,,wewalkedbacktotheschool,perhapsjustamileorsoaway,packedupourthings,saidgood-byetoherandeachother,,Itoldmyparentsabouttheevent,and,ofcourse,,,Isupposed,,andthoughwelooked,Ineverfoundthaticecreamstand,,fiftyyearslater,thoughthelittleelseIcanrecallaboutthatfirstschoolyearisonlydimlyremembered,,asIwatchchildrensittinginthesunoutsidemoderntwenty-orthirty-flavoricecreamemporiums,Iwonderifperhapssheisn’tsomewherewatching,awell-filledwaffleconeinhand,stillenjoyingitmightily.
