New Friends Share Dreams Of The Future

 Charlotte was really tired today. "I must have had a gazillion customers already. Even with the new help I can hardly keep up. I may have to move into a bigger building. I am so glad they like my food, but I am just pooped."About the time Charlotte thought she could take a break a customer walked in the door. It was the young man that Charlotte had noticed many times. He came in with his sister and parents or sometimes by himself. She went over and asked him what he would like. He said, "I would like a piece of pizza and a Sprite please."

Charlotte said, "Coming right up!" When the pizza was ready the cafe was empty except for Spencer. As she put down his food she said, "Mind if I sit with you for awhile? I need a break and someone to talk to, okay?"

When she sat down with her own cold drink Spencer said, "So what do you want to talk about?" "Oh, I don't care. Do you like sports? I like dancing, fishing, and swimming. I love playing with my kids and I even like visiting with the old uncle I moved in with a little while back. He's really interesting when you get to know him. I don't have any other family but my kids so he has been my advocate. He stands up for me when I don't know the right decision to make. He has set up an account for me to put my money in at the bank. He said someday I will have enough money to maybe buy a bigger building for my cafe. Wouldn't that be cool? It would be a dream come true. I can just see it now; a big building on main street with people waiting in line to get a table. I think I will even change the name to Charlie's. How fun to think about things we would like to do someday."

Spencer said, "I haven't heard that word before. But I think my mom and dad are my advocates. Does that sound right? They make decisions for me all the time. Some decisions I don't like, but they say it's good for me, so I do them. I like to learn new words and do new things. I like school a lot. I am learning to read, and write and draw. Guess what? I started Special Olympics last year, but because of that bad virus making people sick they didn't have it this year. I hope we can go back soon. My sister and some of her friends play basketball and I would like to play too. I guess my dream come true would be to make a basket from a long ways a way. That would take lots of practice though, wouldn't it?  Special Olympics has basketball and all kinds of other sports to play."

Spencer and Charlotte had a good time visiting and telling each other what they would like to do in the future and becoming good friends. Spencer had other friends, but another one was just fine with him. He loved people and it seemed to Charlotte that people liked him too.

After Spencer went home she soon closed up the cafe. It was time to go home and help fix dinner and play with her kids. After dinner she was hoping to talk to her elderly uncle and ask him about Special Olympics. She had never heard of them before.