Michael was a friendly little boy but today he was not really feeling up for it. So he did not join the other children in their games and politely went on his way. While he was looking at the green grass he noticed something that almost stood out. It was a stone or more like a pebble. Michael bent down and picked it up to take a closer look. He felt the smoothness of it in his tiny hands and noticed that the colors were different shades of brown.
He liked the stone. The stone was carried to a corner of the playground where Michael could sit down with it. He thought to himself,
“I wonder what it would be like if you could speak?”
“I would say a few words, with the first one being ‘hello’”
Replied the stone. Michael gasped, his eyes growing wide. He looked around thinking someone was playing a trick on him. “My name is Bradly or Brad. Stones didn’t really have names, so I can’t decide between the two. I like both.” Said the little charming stone.
“How can you talk? Can you read my brain?” thought Michael. “I can talk because I want to, and I can read your mind not your brain.” Said the stone.
“Where did you come from?”
“The ground.”
“Are you magic?”
“I hope so. Otherwise, the other stones are just unfriendly.”
“Can I take you home?”
“Please do, that would be grand!”
The bell rang forcing Michael to go back to class. Gently placed Bradley in his pocket, hoping to not get into trouble. Well, Bradley was just a stone so unless Michael threw him (which he won’t and wouldn’t) there is no harm.
While in class he placed the little stone on his desk, so he could hear the teacher and learn the lessons. Bradley liked this. He found the sounds, as he would later say,
Superiority Interesting!
Michael later learned that this was not the correct way to say it. But, by then it had become Bradley’s “catchphrase” so there was no turning back. Michael and Bradley grew up together. Michael physically, mentally, and emotionally while Bradley the last two since stones can’t grow.
One day while Michael was in high school, Bradley managed to fall out of his pocket while he was walking to his next class. Michael did not notice and it was too loud to hear Bradley or the fall that happened. Good thing Bradley is a stone since falling doesn’t hurt them.
Michael sat in his seat and said “hi, hey, hello” to his classmates. He put his hand in his pocket to take out Bradley, his “good luck charm” which everyone accepted and some even have their own. But, Bradley was not there. Panic came across Michael’s face as he wondered where his old friend had gone.
The other classmates had noticed that the little stone, Michael’s good luck charm, was missing and Michael was in a state. When the bell rang for the next class, Michael jumped up and headed out the classroom hoping to find Bradley before the high school crowd passed through the corridor. Michael searched the ground looking for his stoney friend. Other students looked at him weirdly, but they did not get how important his stone was to him. His classmate didn’t either, but they accepted that it was.
Bradley! Bradley!
Michael mentally screamed. But no sound came. His time was up with the ring of the bell for the next class. He headed to it disheartened. While he was walking to his desk, he saw Bradley on it. “Hey Michael,” Bradley said, “They found me and cleaned me up a bit. I think they like me!” Michael looked at his close friends and smiled; they sheepishly smiled back. They did not get the value of Bradley for Michael, but they did not have to. The charming stone was important to him and that was all that mattered.