My neighbour's son

All I wanted to do was make a sandwich, that's all but what started as a simple trip to buy bread ended up in a very funny, complicated journey.

I realized I was out of bread just when I was about to make the sandwich, so I had no choice but to go and buy bread, so I walked to the mall since it's close and I walked alone. "Mrs. Wayne can I go with you?" said the little boy from next door and I wanted to say no but he is just too cute to resist so I agreed and we walked together. He was just being a kid, singing songs and picking up objects like every child and I was so hungry that I did not even pay attention to all the things he did. The road was slowly getting smaller as we were getting closer, "ouch!" cried out little John in pain, "oh good God, what's wrong?" I replied, "nothing I just wanted to confirm if you were paying attention to me" he replied and continued walking.

We walked a few blocks and then out of nowhere a car splashes water on me and the boy just stood there looking at me, "John can you please stop staring at me, it's weird" I said but instead of looking away, he reached out of his pocket for a handkerchief and gave me to wipe my face, it was like I was walking with a little gentleman. "Thank you little Johnny," I said and his facial expression changed, "okay, let us not get carried away, my name is John, not Johnny just simple John so can you please not add anything to it? Johnny is my Dad, not me, clear?" and I was so flabbergasted that I had to say clear too to prevent any more awkward encounters. We continued walking and he was still singing his sweet songs as we go.

I just wanted to get bread, not get stuck with little John, I mean he is a nice, respectful child but honestly speaking this is the worst shopping trip I have ever taken and little John is just minding his own business. "Let's wait before we cross the road in case," I said and before I could even finish the sentence he interrupted, "I know the rules of the road Mrs. Wayne, I am homeschooled" and I just wanted to cut his throat out at that moment but I did not. We crossed the road and I was so happy that we finally reached the mall because the hunger was slowly increasing but before we could even buy bread, little John wanted to go to the restroom and as the adult, I had to take him but trust me I did not want to.

"You can wait outside thank you," he said with his soft voice and I waited outside, everyone kept on looking at me as I was in the male restroom and from the door I could hear his sweet songs so I waited outside. "Miss you do realize you are standing outside the male restroom right?" said someone and when I picked my head to look who it was, I nearly died, "Thabo?" I said and he just looked at me without a word. "Excuse me, babe? Can you go in and stop talking to that old lady?" said a shouting voice from the shops and the guy was so distracted to where he knew me from that he did not even respond and the shouting girl called me old, great, what could go wrong?

"Uhm! Mary Wayne from North West, it really is you" he replied and I was glad he remembered me but before we could even hug each other, John stood in between us and coughed. "Excuse me for just intruding but who is this?" he said with an attitude and Thabo just smiled and kept quiet, "John this is my friend from the other side of Kimberly and Thabo, John," I said. "I did not know we are bringing other people" John replied while giving Thabo an ugly look, "I just bumped into her, she did not bring me along" poor Thabo replied and John just turned away. "I apologize, he is just crazy and overprotective," I said to keep the peace but Thabo said that John is not what I mentioned but he is just disrespectful and rude.

I agree with Thabo of course but John is not my son and how he was raised has nothing to do with me but finally, we were going to the store now to get my bread and then I can finally ditch the spoilt kid. "John I came to get freshly baked bread at this bakery and then after we are leaving right?" I said looking at him, "wrong" he replied and I just knew whatever was coming out of his mouth can not be good. "You did not ask me what did I come here to get, did you honestly believe that I took my precious time to just accompany you here? Please" he continued and I just looked at him without saying a word because all I wanted to do was kill the little brat, I mean what did I get myself into here?

"What did you come to get John?" I asked, he smiled and said, "I thought you will never ask, I came to get two muffins for us plus chocolate for you because tomorrow is your birthday" and my heart melted, maybe little John is not a bad person after all. We went inside the bakery and we started to get the stuff, "what is your favorite muffin flavor?" he asked with a beautiful smile and I said, "I want the vanilla with custard one" but instead of being shady about it, he said, "alright that explains why you are a sweet person, you eat a lot of sugar" and he continued getting them. I went to get the freshly baked bread and then we qued to go and pay but what happened next was just the last nail to the coffin.

John put all the stuff in one basket and I thought it was only logical since we were walking together but when it was time to pay little John looks at me along with the cashier and I just stood there knowing I only had the money for bread, not chocolates and muffins. "Are you going to pay or what?" said the gum-eating cashier, "can you take out the muffins and the chocolate? I just need the bread" I replied and she just gave me an evil ugly look while she was just chewing that gum in my face. She took them out but then I realized I have change for one more item, so I gave John an ultimatum, the muffin or the chocolate and he just looked at me sadly.

"The muffin was for our lunch and the chocolate was for your birthday, what do you want me to chose?" he said emotionally, I admit I felt guilty but it was his choice to make and he sadly said, "the chocolate" and walked away. I paid for the chocolate and the bread but I felt so guilty that I asked the cashier to add both the muffins and do a cashless transaction. "This is not your personal financial office, you don't get to change how we handle payments" she rudely replied and I just wanted to slap the fake wig out of her empty head. "Fine then put it on my tap," I said, but she laughed and said, "excuse you? What tap? This is not a bar and you are not the owner" and I just looked at her crazy.

"Look my father owns this bakery so please just tell him I will give him the money when he comes home," I said with patience and then her attitude changed, "I would be damned, you are Mary Wayne of Wayne Bakeries?" she said but I just looked at her silently. "I am so sorry, just that we are not used to seeing you around that's why I never expected you, how are you?" she continued, "can I just get the stuff please?" I said while rolling my eyes. "Of course and we have a special, buy two muffins to get one free," she said with a huge smile on her face while packing the stuff. "Thank you," I said while leaving the store and then when I gave John his muffin and the chocolate he was so happy he even hugged me for the first time.

Well maybe the trip was not that bad at all and honestly speaking John is not a bad kid, just that he has a mouth that just blows up in his face unhinged and that is what makes him a kid. We went home happy and I got my bread but before we could reach home, John took his half share of the muffin and gave it to Lauren his school mate and she was so happy she even kissed him on the cheek. Did I just witness kids fall in love? It has been a crazy day but the ending went well and I got to see different shades of John and I love him, even more, every day. I told my husband how crazy my day was and he laughed because he is the one who told John to accompany me as he feared I will get bored walking alone.

The End.