"Well." Rose looked thoughtful, "It could be really neat if there was a real mermaid, I guess. I mean, that would mean that magic existed right?"
"Yes!" Billy shouted excitedly, "And that the stories are true. If you look in the right place and are persistent, you could find a way to make anything happen... Just like that."
"Like making Pocky rain from the sky..." Rose's eyes got a far way look.
"If you could do anything, that's what you'd do?" Billy asked incredulously.
"I really like Pocky..."
"But, I mean, if you could stop all the unfairness and injustice in the world? Wouldn't you want to do something more important than make it rain snack foods?"
"Well..." Rose was rocking the chair back and forth again, "I guess I could do that annnddd make it rain Pocky." She looked at Billy inquiringly, "If I could do anything, right?"
Billy sighed. Sometimes it seemed like he was the only person in the world who understood anything. But, if he wanted to achieve his goals he had no choice but to get her help.
"Anyway," He began, "They're having an exhibit at the aquarium this weekend and I wanted to go. It's $40, and I wondered if you would lend me the money..."
"The one in Terrence?" She asked. Instead of tilting her head, her mouth was pressed into a thoughtful line that reminded Billy of her mother.
"Yes. I think so, anyway." He hadn't actually paid that much attention. But he was pretty sure that was the only aquarium in the Mizuma Valley.
"Isn't that like, an hour away?"
"Well, so what?"
"How would you get there?"
"Well, I-" He stopped. That wasn't something he had thought about. The money had been such an obvious obstacle, he'd focused on that and excluded all the other problems.
Transportation in a small town is an extreme difficulty that most people from the city don't really understand. When the nearest town is at least 10 miles away, the options are limited. Something like a bus or a train certainly cannot be found. Bradley didn't even have a taxi service.
"Would your mother take us?" He asked, knowing the answer.
"Yes!" Billy shouted excitedly, "And that the stories are true. If you look in the right place and are persistent, you could find a way to make anything happen... Just like that."
"Like making Pocky rain from the sky..." Rose's eyes got a far way look.
"If you could do anything, that's what you'd do?" Billy asked incredulously.
"I really like Pocky..."
"But, I mean, if you could stop all the unfairness and injustice in the world? Wouldn't you want to do something more important than make it rain snack foods?"
"Well..." Rose was rocking the chair back and forth again, "I guess I could do that annnddd make it rain Pocky." She looked at Billy inquiringly, "If I could do anything, right?"
Billy sighed. Sometimes it seemed like he was the only person in the world who understood anything. But, if he wanted to achieve his goals he had no choice but to get her help.
"Anyway," He began, "They're having an exhibit at the aquarium this weekend and I wanted to go. It's $40, and I wondered if you would lend me the money..."
"The one in Terrence?" She asked. Instead of tilting her head, her mouth was pressed into a thoughtful line that reminded Billy of her mother.
"Yes. I think so, anyway." He hadn't actually paid that much attention. But he was pretty sure that was the only aquarium in the Mizuma Valley.
"Isn't that like, an hour away?"
"Well, so what?"
"How would you get there?"
"Well, I-" He stopped. That wasn't something he had thought about. The money had been such an obvious obstacle, he'd focused on that and excluded all the other problems.
Transportation in a small town is an extreme difficulty that most people from the city don't really understand. When the nearest town is at least 10 miles away, the options are limited. Something like a bus or a train certainly cannot be found. Bradley didn't even have a taxi service.
"Would your mother take us?" He asked, knowing the answer.
