CHARLIE ONION: TODAY’S THE DAY. YESSIREE. LET ME SEE. IF I ADD ALL OF MY MONTH’S ALLOWANCE I THINK I CAN GET ROCKET THIS REAL NEAT TRAIN SET.

(CHARLIE ONION COUNTS HIS ALLOWANCE MONEY)

CHARLIE ONION: ALL RIGHT. JUST ENOUGH. I HOPE ROCKET LIKES IT.

(CHARLIE ONION GOES TO THE BIRTHDAY PARTY)

CHARLIE ONION: LOOK AT ALL THE WONDERFUL PRESENTS THAT ROCKET GOT. HE’S GOT HIS OWN ROOM TOO. WHAT A LUCKY ONION HE IS.

ROCKET: THANKS CHARLIE FOR THAT NEAT TRAIN SET. I LIKED YOUR PRESENT THE BEST.

CHARLIE ONION: THANKS ROCKET. I LIKED IT A LOT TOO. CAN I COME PLAY WITH IT SOMETIMES?

ROCKET: SURE CHARLIE. YOU CAN COME OVER ANYTIME.I DON’T HAVE MUCH FRIENDS COME OVER THESE DAYS. WHEELCHAIR KIND OF HAMPERS MY STYLE.

CHARLIE ONION: YOU SEEM TO GET AROUND PRETTY WELL THOUGH.

ROCKET: YEAH, BUT SOME OF MY FRIENDS DON’T HAVE THE PATIENCE THAT YOU HAVE, CHARLIE O.

CHARLIE ONION: I’M REALLY NOT THAT PATIENT.

ROCKET: YES YOU ARE. YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST FRIENDS I HAVE, AND VERY UNDERSTANDING TOO.

CHARLIE ONION: I’M NOT SO SURE…

ROCKET: WELL, ANYWAYS, THANK YOU FOR COMING OVER. I HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD TIME.

CHARLIE ONION: I DID. BYE.

ROCKET: BYE CHARLIE.

(CHARLIE ONION GOES TO OWL’S HOUSE)

(CHARLIE ONION KNOCKS ON THE DOOR TO OWL’S HOUSE).

CHARLIE ONION: FRIEND OWL, ARE YOU HOME?

OWL: WHY YES, CHARLIE. COME ON IN.

CHARLIE ONION: I JUST CAME FROM…

OWL: ROCKET’S BIRTHDAY PARTY.

CHARLIE ONION: YEAH. HOW’D YOU KNOW.

OWL: I KNOW EVERYTHING. DIDN’T YOU KNOW.

CHARLIE ONION: YEAH, I GUESS I DID.

OWL: WHAT’S BOTHERING YOU FRIEND.

CHARLIE ONION: ROCKET SEEMS TO HAVE EVERYTHING IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD OF THE ONION FIELD, AND I HAVE SO LITTLE.

OWL: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

CHARLIE ONION: ROCKET HAD SO MANY PRESENTS. I COUNTED THEM. HE HAD OVER 100 PRESENTS.

OWL: OKAY.

CHARLIE ONION: AND HE HAD HIS OWN ROOM.

OWL: OKAY.

CHARLIE ONION: AND A WHOLE ROOM FULL OF BALLOONS.

OWL: IS THAT ALL?

CHARLIE ONION: I WISH I HAD HALF OF WHAT ROCKET HAS.

OWL: HOW ABOUT ROCKET’S HANDICAP?

CHARLIE ONION: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

OWL: WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN A WHEELCHAIR ALL DAY LONG?

CHARLIE ONION: NO…BUT,

OWL: DON’T YOU THINK ROCKET WOULD LIKE TO WALK AROUND LIKE YOU ARE?

CHARLIE ONION: I GUESS SO. I NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT THAT.

OWL: I GUESS NOT.

CHARLIE ONION: BUT LIFE IS JUST NOT FAIR.

OWL: SURE IT IS. YOU JUST HAVE TO PUT ON YOUR SPECTACLES.

CHARLIE ONION: HUH?

OWL: JUST PUT ON YOUR EYEGLASSES.

CHARLIE ONION: I DON’T HAVE EYEGLASSES.

OWL: I MEAN THE EYEGLASSES OF REALITY.

CHARLIE ONION: OKAY?

OWL: YOU HAVE A LOT GOING FOR YOU, CHARLIE ONION. ROCKET HAS AN ILLNESS THAT HAS TAKEN HIS LEGS, BUT YOU HAVE TWO PERFECTLY GOOD LEGS.

CHARLIE ONION: SO DO A LOT OF PEOPLE.

OWL: AND YOU LIVE IN THE LAND OF IN-BETWEEN WHICH IS A SHORT HOP TO THE LAND OF FOREVER. REMEMBER THAT, MR. ONION.

CHARLIE ONION: I GUESS YOU’RE RIGHT.

OWL: ARE YOU READY YET FOR THE LEAP FORWARD?

CHARLIE ONION: THE LEAP FORWARD?

OWL: YES, THE LEAP OF FAITH THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE IN ORDER TO ENTER THE LAND OF FOREVER.

CHARLIE ONION: NOT YET, FRIEND OWL. BUT SOON. I’M ALMOST THERE, AND I DO HAVE A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

OWL: YES YOU DO, CHARLIE.

CHARLIE ONION: I DON’T HAVE MUCH TOYS, OR A BIG HOUSE, OR MY OWN ROOM, BUT I AM THE LUCKIEST ONION IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD OF THE ONION FIELD.

OWL: I AGREE THERE.

CHARLIE ONION: HAVE PATIENCE WITH ME. I’LL GET THERE. I KNOW I WILL.

OWL: I KNOW YOU WILL TOO.

CHARLIE ONION: OF COURSE. YOU KNOW EVERYTHING.

OWL: YES I DO, CHARLIE ONION.

THE END OF “ROCKET’S BIRTHDAY PARTY”

COPYRIGHT © 2000 BY JOE MEDREK