A Tiny Wish

“If someone said to make a wish, I’d wish for nothing at all,” as ten-year old Lisa said as she poked her peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a fork.  The insides of the sandwich spewed forth in spurts and bursts of purplish liquid and mudslides while the little indentations on the surface made unusual patterns.  “Really,” she continued, “I wouldn’t wish for anything.”1

“But why not,” asked her friend, Cecily.  Cecily and Lisa became friends at Mrs. Kuntz’s third grade class.  “I, at least, would wish for a new car, new house, more money… you know, things like that.”2

“Cecily, why would you wish for things like that when you can already afford it?”3

“Well, it isn’t like I need them.  Daddy is rich after all, but it’s just that Jane’s family has a new car, they moved to a new and bigger house, and her father was recently promoted.”4

“So, you’re jealous, aren’t you Cecily,” accused Lisa.  She carefully picked up her mangled sandwich and brought it close to her mouth.  She took a bite, chewed it thoughtfully, and put it back down again.  5

“No, I’m not,” she replied.  6

“Yes, you are.”  Lisa picked up the newly bit sandwich, examined it, and put it back down again.  “Do you have any milk around here?”7

“Milk?”8

“Yea, milk? Got any,” Lisa asked.  She picked up the sandwich again and peered into one of the holes.  On the other side was a garden with an apple tree.  The apple tree’s branches were laden with bright, delicious-looking red apples.  “On second thought, I’ll just go,” as she pointed, “and get an apple from that tree over there.”    9

Cecily turned around on her seat to look where her friend had pointed, but didn’t see a thing.  She turned back around and gave Lisa a puzzled look.  “What do you mean an apple tree?”10

“Don’t play games with me, Cecily!”11

“I’m not; I just don’t see the apple tree.”12

“What!” Lisa’s eyes gazed over where she saw the tree, and true enough, there wasn’t an apple tree.  “But, I swear, I saw an apple tree right over there.”  She pointed again.  There was still no apple tree with red delicious-looking apples.13

Cecily looked at her as if she had lost her mind.  “Are you sure you saw an apple tree?”14

“Yes! I just don’t understand why it’s not there anymore.”15

“Are you sure it wasn’t a sticker stuck on your sandwich with maybe a picture of an apple tree?”16

Lisa gave her a look.  Then, she flipped her peanut-butter sandwich around, and sure enough, there was a sticker with a picture of an apple tree.  They both laughed.  17

“Hey, Cecily.  Ask me to make a wish,” she said.18

“Why?”19

“Just ask me, please.  I think I have something to wish for now.”20

“Oh, ok,” replied Cecily.  “If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?”21

Lisa thought about it for a moment.  “I wish there was an apple tree in the garden.”22

“Is that all,” Cecily asked.23

She thought about it and said, “Oh! And another peanut butter and jelly sandwich since this one looks like its been through a war.”24

They laughed again.  “Are you sure that’s all you want,” her friend asked.25

Lisa looked around her and nodded.  “Everything I want is here, Cecily, everything.”26

Just then, her mother called them over, “Girls! It’s time for dinner and it’s getting cold out there.  Why don’t the both of you go inside where it is warm?”  27

“OK,” they yelled as they hurried up to run across the beautifully manicured lawn.  Lisa turned back and looked around her again.  Yea, she thought, I have everything that I could possibly want.  28

“Girls,” her mom called out.29

“Come on, Lisa, your mom is calling us.”30

“Coming!”  31