Nonny was a happy boy. He liked many things. He liked hugging Mamma, and hugging Gramma, and playing with his sister Lee-Lee. Sometimes he liked hugging Lee-Lee too.

Nonny especially liked walking to the store with Gramma. He liked to hold her hand, and keep her safe when they crossed the street. He would tell Lee-Lee to watch on one side, and he would watch on the other side—every day the same way!

There was something else that Nonny really liked. Probably, he did not like it as much as Mamma hugs, or Gramma hugs, or going to the store, but if he had already gotten his hugs, and if he had already walked to the store with Gramma, then the very best thing after that was ice cream cones. Oh, Nonny loved to sit with Gramma and Lee-Lee at the park, he loved to look up at the blue sky, and he loved to watch the clouds while he ate his ice cream cone. Especially a vanilla ice cream cone!

Well. One day, Gramma and Nonny went to the store alone. Lee-Lee was still taking her nap, so she could not come. Nonny felt very important, because he had to take Gramma across the street all by himself. He looked right, and he looked aaaaaaall the way around Gramma to the left, and he looked right again. Then he said, "Let’s go, Gramma!"

But Gramma did not go. She said something, but Nonny could not hear her. (You have to be very quiet to hear Gramma, and it was not quiet outside.) Nonny pulled Gramma and started to cross the street. ZOOM! A car went by so fast, Nonny could feel the wind it made.

Gramma pulled hard on Nonny’s arm. He could feel his heart beating thump-thump-thump-thump! Gramma knelt down, and she held him close. He could feel her heart beating too. She said, "Nonny! What are you doing? It was not time to go!" Nonny did not say anything.

After that, he did not want to go to the store. He wanted to go home. He did not feel happy.

"Look at my shopping list, Nonny," said Gramma. "We must go to the store. We must buy some carrots, and three potatoes, and two apples."

"I want to go home!" said Nonny.

"But nothing has changed. Here is my shopping list, just the same."

Gramma took Nonny’s hand and they crossed the street. Nonny did not look both ways. He waited for Gramma to go.

When they got to the store, Gramma shopped. Nonny did not watch her. He did not smell his favorite things, like bananas, and bread, and coffee. He did not smile at the man who took the money.

Gramma looked at Nonny, so sad. She knew that little boys and girls like to help people. They do not like to make mistakes. Gramma decided something.

When they left the store, Gramma said, "Look, Nonny! I have just enough money for one ice cream cone. Would you like to buy an ice cream cone?" Nonny did not answer. He looked at the ground and wished that he could be a bug. Bugs do not have to worry about taking grammas across the street.

Gramma found the ice cream man and asked for vanilla. Nonny did not think vanilla sounded very good. He was not happy, even though Gramma had just the right amount of money. "Nonny, you must smile," said Gramma. "Here is a very nice day, and we are together. Be a happy boy!" But Nonny did not think it was a nice day, and he was not a happy boy.

"Here is your ice cream cone," said the ice cream man. "You should eat it on the way home. Look at the sky!"

Nonny looked at the sky, and Gramma looked at the sky. It was not blue. Gramma said the sky looked like rain, but it did not look like rain. It looked like a very big gray cloud.

As they walked home, Nonny ate his ice cream cone. He decided that vanilla is still a good kind of ice cream, even on days when the sky is not blue. In fact, vanilla is still good when you have to walk fast and lick the drips at the same time.

All of a sudden Gramma yelled, "Nonny!" He heard a car honk loud at him and felt the wind go by. Gramma pulled his arm and he almost fell down. Nonny’s ice cream did fall down. It fell onto the street. All he had was an empty cone. Nonny cried.

He did not know why he cried so much. He cried all the way home, even though it rained and he liked to walk in the rain. He cried even more at home, even though Mamma gave him an extra special hug. He cried the most when Mamma said he was tired and he had to take a nap. What a terrible day! Everything was bad for Nonny. He could not remember ever having a nice day. He did not like his room, or Gramma, or Lee-Lee, or anything!

Nonny sat on his bed. He would not lay down. He cried and cried and cried. He cried because he lost his teddy bear at the park last year. He cried because his papa was far away and did not come home very much. He cried because he wanted to be the only baby, and he did not get to be the only baby ever since Lee-Lee was born. And every time he thought of his ice cream in the street, he cried all over again!

Pretty soon, Mamma came in his room. Nonny was not crying any more. He was sleeping. "Nonny, wake up," said Mamma. "It is time for dinner."

Nonny climbed onto Mamma’s lap and tried to wake up. He snuggled close, and Mamma held him very tight. He liked her smell.

"Do you feel better?" asked Mamma.

"I did not get to finish my ice cream," said Nonny—but he did not feel as bad as he did before. Dinner smelled good. He wiggled his nose, because he smelled something he liked very much.

Mamma smiled. "Would you like some spaghetti?"

"Yes!" said Nonny. He jumped up and took Mamma’s hand. He pulled her all the way down the hall to the kitchen, and she laughed. Mamma had a nice laugh.

Nonny ate all of his spaghetti. He felt very happy. In fact, he felt silly because Lee-Lee giggled and bounced when she ate her spaghetti. She had spaghetti sauce on her nose!

Nonny did not remember that he was sad about his teddy bear. He did not even remember that he missed Papa. He liked his room, and he liked his sister, and he liked telling her about the store, and the man who takes the money, and how it rained on the way home. He especially liked telling Lee-Lee all about crossing the street, because her eyes were very wide and he felt very important.

Nonny told her, "You must look both ways, Lee-Lee! If you do not look both ways, a car might come and you might drop your ice cream in the street!" He told her all about his ice cream in the street, and the horn honking, and the way his heart beat so hard! Lee-Lee listened, and she looked very worried. Nonny decided that this was one of those times when he liked to give his sister hugs. And so he did.

© 2001 by Sally J. Latham