Adam liked to pretend he was a king. From on top of the monkey bars, he could see the entire playground and his forty-seven classmates running around, probably pretending to be other things. He lay back, balancing his back along the bars so he could look up at the clouds. His favorite days were when the clouds passed slowly through the sky. From below his throne, he heard his friend Lisa call him.
“Adam! You have to come down, this is so sad!” He looked down at Lisa. She didn’t have tears in her eyes, but she was upset.
“Do I have to come down or can you just tell me? I’m watching the clouds.”
Lisa looked flustered. “Come down and follow me.”
Lisa was one of Adam’s best friends. They had met in a small group for first communion preparation and over time began to hang out with each other at recess and outside school — they lived in the same neighborhood so this was easy. Lisa still liked to play with other girls, but she managed to split up her time well. Adam liked her because he knew she was even braver than he was.
On the ground, he was no longer a king but an explorer. He followed Lisa, whom he trusted greatly, past the other kids and back to a section of the field where they weren’t supposed to be. Lisa was an explorer too. Some bushes and a fence were near the back of the field, and that seemed to be where she was leading him. He followed without asking questions because explorers didn’t ask questions.
–N.S., Adam the Priest – Short Story
Reader: As a reader I am aware that I have a short-lived patience with some types of writing. I am impatient for something to catch my interest and propel me forward in anticipation, if not breathless anticipation. Some short-story writers have this rocket-propelled language to move the story and me along. Others challenge me to go along and take a chance that they (the writers) know what they are doing, where they are going and why there is such a “soft” entry path. I like the kids. I used to watch clouds while lying in the grass waiting for my turn at archery. And there was a Roberta to match his Lisa. A trustworthy tomboy and really bright student. On the basis of this affinity, I willingly go along with this author and story.
