Sara

Grade 12

Ms. Carroll

Reitz Memorial High School

The Surprise

Timmy had never been surprised in such a horrific way until that one Summer day. Unable to sit still, Timmy ran around the entire yard in circles acting like a race car driver. His short, stumpy legs scurried through the grass, trying to mimic the speed of an actual race car.

"Faster! Vroom!" Timmy shouted as he started running more quickly around the yard.

At only eight years old, Timmy dreamt of one day calling himself a race car driver. He even tried his best to look like an official driver. In fact, Timmy's prized possession was his helmet. He loved it more than anything and wore it all the time.

Although, the brim of the helmet came down completely over his eye brows and almost covered both of his eyes. Due to the size of the helmet, he constantly adjusted it for clear vision. Putting his arms straight out in front of him, Timmy pretended to hold a steering wheel as he frantically moved it from side to side.

"I am going to win this race if it's the last thing I do!" Timmy announced. "At this speed no one will beat me! I am as fast a lighting!" he added with a sense of pride and confidence.

His jagged teeth caused him to talk with a lisp, but that did not stop him from using his loud, powerful voice. While Timmy ran faster and faster, his gigantic helmet fell over his face causing his vision to become completely blocked. Not able to see anything, Timmy crashed into a tree branch and hit his head and fell to the ground.

"Ouch! That really hurt!" Timmy thought to himself.

Sitting up he realized the tree branch ripped a hole in his favorite race car shirt. He saw an opened wound through the tear on his shirt. Timmy only noticed a few specs of blood. He

panicked. Furrowing his brow with a terrified look on his face, Timmy shrieked at the top of his lungs, "Mommy! Mommy! Help me!"

Luckily, the kitchen window was wide open, and Timmy's mother heard his cry. Anticipating what trouble Timmy got himself into now, she hurriedly ran out the door.

"Timmy!" she yelled, "What happened?"

Continually crying with a wavering voice, Timmy responded, "I ran into that stupid tree

branch and got hurt!"

"Timmy, only you would get hurt wearing a helmet," said his mother as she sighed with

frustration.

Interrupting her, Timmy said, "But mom! I couldn't see where I was going!"

She immediately announced, "Timmy, something needs to be done about this. We need

to fix it."

"What did I do?" Timmy thought. "I just got hurt. How is that wrong?" He felt confused about his mother's angry attitude towards him.

Looking over his shoulder, Timmy saw a big, white truck pull into the drive way. He

knew dad was home.

Timmy yelled, "Daddy! You're home!" At that moment, Timmy felt more at ease. Walking over to see his son and wife, Timmy's father replied, "Hey partner. What

happened?"

"This dumb branch made me fall and bleed everywhere," Timmy stated.

"Oh wow bud! That branch tore your favorite shirt," his father said disappointingly.

"I know..." Timmy sadly responded.,

Looking at his wife, Timmy's father asked, "Well how was your day honey?"

Showing anger in her eyes, she gave him a stern look and said, "Mike, we need to talk."

Knowing that look from before, Mike replied, "Okay. We can talk after dinner." Looking down at Timmy and then back at his wife, he clapped his hands together and said, "Alrighty. Let's go inside and get something to eat." Cradling Timmy in his arms, Mike and his family went into the dinning room to eat their dinner.

Throughout the entire meal, the room was silent. Occasionally someone asked, "Can you pass me the potatoes?" or "More salt please," but other than that, it became a different scene than normal. The only other sounds were the clinking of forks against the plates.

Timmy became very concerned about what he did to cause this awkward moment. He thought about his mother getting upset and remembered her words after the accident. "'Something needs to be done about this,"' her words haunted him. Timmy thought to himself, "What does this mean?"

After dinner, his mother said, "Timmy, it's time for you to take a bath. Please, go upstairs, and I'll be there to help you in a minute."

"But Mom," Timmy whined, "Can't I watch a little television first?" Normally, he could talk his way out of immediately taking a bath in order to watch a few minutes of television. Tonight was different.

"Timmy, you need to listen to your mother and do what you have been told," Mike demanded.

"Okay," Timmy quickly replied.

After his bath, Timmy got into his pajamas and went into his room. In search of a good book for his parents to read to him, he finally found one that caught his eye. Patiently waiting for

his parents, Timmy became restless and laid down on his bed. When the door finally opened, his parents entered the room with a concerned look on their faces.

Timmy stated, "I picked a book that looks really good. It's about a race car driver."

Giving each other a quick look, they both said, "Sorry but not tonight honey."

With that response, Timmy became devastated because of all the rejection he had taken. After their nightly prayers together, both parents kissed him and left the room.

"What is going on?" Timmy thought, "I must have done something really bad to upset them so much." Hearing his parent's voices down the hall, Timmy conjugated a plan. "I know what to do," he said aloud, "I will listen to what they are talking about and find out what the problem is."

Opening his door only wide enough to hear the voices, Timmy tried to listen as attentively as possible. Because of the distance between the bedrooms, it became difficult to catch everything they said.

He heard his mother say, "Please, don't tell Timmy about this."

"Of course not! I can't imagine his reaction when we do tell him," Mike responded. "I know we are doing this for his well-being, and I am sure he will be much happier,"

said his mother.

"Yes, I think this will solve all of our problems. He deserves much better than he has now," Mike responded enthusiastically.

Hearing this, Timmy finally knew what they were talking about. The; ,y wanted to give him away! He created too much trouble for them, and now they would let him go.

"I thought they loved me!" Timmy cried, "I am their only son! Why would they get rid of

me?"

Continuing to listen, Timmy even heard his father say, "'Let's just give 'em away." Timmy thought, "My own parents want to give me away, but I am not going to let that happen without a fight."

Running down the hallway, Timmy threw open his parent's bedroom door. Bursting in the room Timmy yelled, "How can you two do this to me?"

"Do what to you Bud?" Mike shockingly replied.

"I heard you!" Timmy cried, " I heard everything you guys said. That's right. I know that you are going to give me away!"

"Give you away?" shrieked his mother.

"Oh my goodness! We would never give you away, Son! Not in a million years," Mike

cried.

"Sure you aren't," Timmy offensively said, "Then what were you guys talking about? Huh?"

Looking at each other and smiling, both Timmy's parents nodded. "Go ahead sweetie, you tell him," his mother said..

"Timmy, we were going to buy you a brand new helmet and surprise you with it. That's why we didn't tell you about everything," Mike stated.

"What?" Timmy screamed in excitement, "Are you serious? This can't be happening!" Timmy had wanted a new helmet for so long because the other one did not fit. Now, he would finally get a new one that fit him perfectly.

"We both love you so much son and only want the best for you," replied his mother, "We were tired of seeing you get hurt from your old helmet."