day i discovered blue

Sometime before dad "went away," as mom says, we had new neighbors. It was a big event; hardly anyone ever moved into our side of the city, the suburbs.1

Mom and I, holding hands, walked two streets down to the Fisher's home. They lived in a two floor house, painted white, which stood out from the other dark colored homes. I was getting restless from carrying the rhubarb pie; I wanted very much to get back to coloring in my book.2

"Fine, I'll take that. Go sit down on the pavement, and wait for me." Mom went ahead to their house, and ringed the bell. Some kind soul opened the door; I didn't see who she was, or what she looked like. I don't think it was the ma'am of the house, she would have sounded tired from receiving visitors all week.3

I took out my notebook and my box of crayons, and set to coloring. I started singing, too.4

"So many surfaces so colorless and bland
I’ve got so many colors in my new box in my hand
One day I’ll think about getting
But today I’m just gonna color the sky.."5

"Juice box, paper hat, and a line of pixie stix."6

I look towards the source of the voice that had unexpectedly interrupted the holy calm. A boy about my age, with blonde hair and a smile was standing there.7

"Who're you?" I asked.8

"I'm Joseph Fisher. I just moved here. I go to Hanshew also." 9

"How d'you happen to know where I go for schooling?"10

"Your mother. Quite a baker."11

"Careful, she put poison in there. What team you on?"12

"Teal."13

Darn. "I guess I'll be seeing you around."14

"What classes do you have? I have band the first, then science, gym the third, reading for fourth hour, pre algebra the fifth, social studies the sixth, and language arts the last."15

Double whammy. "I'll have sixth and seventh period with you."16

"So." He sat down next to me. "What 'chu doin'?"17

I thought I heard something like a snicker. Oh, yea. A middle schooler, coloring. I wanted to punch his bonkers out, but that wouldn't have been nice to do to a new soul around here, and mom would'a whalloped me with her frying pan if I had, so I just let him see.18

"May I draw something?" I nodded.19

He took some crayons, turned to a new page, and drew white cotton candies, a yellow circle, green waves, and colored the background blue. Pure blue.20

I frowned. "The sky ain't blue."21

"Sure it is."22

"How d'you know?"23

"The sea."24

"What about it?"25

"The sea is vast. There's more of it than the sun. See, the sea has all these fish and plants in it. Green, white, orange, whatever color you can think of. Those colors come together to make the sea blue."26

"What does that have to do with the sky?"27

"The sea reflects the sunlight bounching off of it to the sky, which in turn makes THAT blue."28

"But the sky ain't blue. At least now, it ain't."29

"Go to the beach sometime. I'll show you. Hey, what's your name?"30

"Rosaline Lee. Call me that, I'll kill you."31

"Then what do you want to be called?"32

"Rose. 'Bout you, Joseph Fisher?"33

"Just Joseph."34

We both sang.