“Here, take this.”
Michael Estabrook
When I was 12 my Grandpa Fred
taught me an important lesson.
I had finished a little job for him,
I forget now, swept-up the boiler room,
stacked some newspapers or cans,
emptied the dumbwaiters. So he said,
“Here, take this,” handing me
a couple quarters, but I said no.
“Here, take this,” he said again, his hand
with the quarters in it stretched
out before me. I shook my head,
“No, no I can’t.”
“Here, take this,” he said one
more time, his arm getting heavy.
I said no one more time, and he said
“OK” and shoved the quarters
back down in his pocket.
