The tall, lanky boy had hauled an overflowing cardboard box from the trunk and was walking towards her. "Which way to the kitchen?" he asked.
Lois peeped into the box. It was loaded with groceries - fresh vegetables and fruit, flour, tea, sugar, and bread.
The visitor grinned at her - probably in response to her surprise. "Dave said you'd be needing this," he said.
"Dave?"
"My uncle. He runs the general store." He nodded towards the house. "Around the back for the kitchen?"
"Yes," Lois said, hurrying in front of him. She came to the back door and opened it. The young man slid the box onto the table. "Thank you," she said.
"'S'OK," he said. "I have a cooler with meat, milk, and butter, too. Hang on a minute."
With that, he was gone. Lois checked the contents of the box. Whoever had packed it had thought of everything. She sprinted up the stairs to get her purse.
She returned as the delivery boy came through the door. He pushed the cooler onto the table and began to unpack a few trays of meat. "Thank you," Lois said when he'd finished. "How much do we owe you?"
"Dave said not to worry now. He says to tell Clark to come in when he gets settled."
"Do ... did you know Clark?"
"Not really," the young man replied. "I was only a kid when he left for college and not much older when he left ... the next time. I remember that no one bullied the little kids when he was around. And he was the best point guard the Smallville Bears ever had."
Thanks!
Corrina.
