“Many are called, few are chosen.”
Kell had heard that old adage many times from his parents.
He never really understood what that meant until quite recently. There was a great contest in town. The town committee usually did this once a year as a way to get the townsfolk to interact with each other. The winner was to be chosen on how he or she learned a lesson. On how much they knew. Kell was considered to be one of the most intelligent men in town. The contest rules gave no indication as to what one had to be learned in, so Kell was reading everything he could get his hands on. He was also brushing up on shooting, riding, hunting, and fishing skills. He was already an accomplished hunter, skinner, and tanner. As a bonus, he could sing with the best in the town choir. By all rights, Kell thought there was really no contest to be had.
Surely, as learned as Kell was, there was no way he would not be chosen. He had always prided himself on his intelligence. He did not date or have lady friends. He thought them fickle and ate into his time studying and expanding his knowledge. He certainly did not play with the children that lived in town the way other men did. He had more important things to do. Besides, children were messy and always wanted to question everything. He had no time for silly answers to stupid questions.
The administrator stopped by that next morning.
“Here are your instructions as to what your quest is, Kell,” he said. “You must do everything within the instructions or you will have to forfeit your place in the contest.”
“Thank you,” Kell replied. “Just let me read through it and make sure I have no questions before you leave.”
Kell opened the envelope and started reading. His jaw slowly dropped and he slumped in a chair. He looked up at the administrator and back down at the paper he held in his hands. He slowly shook his head.
“Surely you jest?” Kell asked. “This must be a joke.”
“It is not a joke, I assure you,” answered the administrator. “This is the quest the town has chosen for you and you must complete it or lose your chance to win.”
“It says that I have to care for and entertain a child from the town for twenty-four hours and this would determine if I would make a good father.”
“That is correct, Kell. You have a whole day to become accustomed to children. The town saw fit to realize that you need the experience and in doing so, this will ensure you are ready to be a father when the time comes,” replied the administrator.
The child, whose name was Karr, was dropped off at Kell’s house the next morning by the same administrator and his mother. Karr smiled timidly from behind his mother’s leg. He looked to be about seven or eight. He had big green eyes and light brown hair. He looked as thin as a match to Kell. Perhaps the mother could not afford much food for the child. The mother left after a quick hug to Karr and the administrator said he would be back in the morning to get the child. Then he left. Kell was all alone with Karr and had no idea what to do. This was a new experience for him.
“May I have a drink? I am thirsty,” said Karr.
“I can do that,” replied Kell. That was simple. He walked off into his kitchen while the boy wondered around the den looking at Kell’s books and other objects of interest. He was curious as to why this man did not like children. The entire town knew this but thought he needed to be shown children weren’t that bad.
Kell came back into the den and handed Karr the glass of orange juice and said, “Please do not touch my books and things. I do not want them getting messy with little finger prints.”
“I wasn’t going to touch them, sir,” Karr said. “I am just curious about you is all. It looks as though you read quite a bit.”
“I do and I don’t want my books destroyed.”
“Is this why you don’t like children? We are messy?” asked Karr.
“It is one of the reasons, yes,” was Kell’s response.
“Well, that is silly, sir. Life is messy. Even I know that and I am only eight, sir.”
“In either case, what would you like to do today?” asked Kell.
“Sir, I would very much like you to take me swimming,” Karr said.
“Swimming?” “You’re sure?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. Very much so.” Karr said. “I am a very good swimmer. I can swim underwater and everything.”
“Okay, I think we can do that,” replied Kell. “Just let me change into swimwear and we will go outside. I have a small pool in the backyard.”
Kell walked into his room and put on swimming trunks. So far, this wasn’t that bad. He could do this. Surely the child wouldn’t be too difficult. He seemed well behaved thus far. He started humming a little tune and walked into the bathroom and grabbed a couple of towels. The child was standing where Kell left him, waiting patiently.
“Are you ready?” asked Kell.
“Yes, sir,” Karr said with a small smile. His face seemed to be glowing with anticipation.
Together they walked into the backyard and Kell sat the towels by the edge of the pool. Karr dived in the pool with what Kell thought was a perfect swan dive and was quite impressed. Indeed, the child could swim, he thought. Just look at him go. Kell dived in as well and the two spent the afternoon swimming. At lunchtime, Karr asked if he could have something to eat as he was famished. He climbed out of the pool and dried his face and arms off and sat in a patio chair. Kell climbed out, wiped himself down and tied the towel around his waist.
“I’ll be right back. I will go make us some lunch,” Kell told him.
“Okay. Thank you.”
While Kell wondered off into the house to make lunch, Karr got up and checked out the flowerbeds full of mums and marigolds. The bees were buzzing all about and Karr knew this man would make a great father. He could tell because he thought Kell was being patient and giving his best effort in trying to make sure he had a good time. Maybe his mother would like Kell. He was, after all, young and strong. Mother was always worrying about how to feed them and she seemed so lonely that Karr often wished his father hadn’t died in the war leaving her all alone. He walked back over to the patio and sat back down. Kell came out carrying a tray full of sandwiches and tall glasses full of lemonade. He sat them on the patio table and sat down across from Karr.
“Help yourself,” he said.
“Thanks, I am so hungry,” said Karr and he picked up a sandwich and took a bite. Ham and cheese. Karr was excited. It had been awhile since he had had any ham, let alone cheese. He took a long drink of the lemonade and smiled. He couldn’t wait for the administrator to come back the next day so he could tell him that Kell would be a great father.
After the two ate lunch, Kell carried the tray back in the house and told Karr he could pick out one book to read. Karr picked out "A Tale of Two Cities" and sat in a chair across from Kell reading into the evening. Kell had never seen a child so content to just sit and read. He thought this was wonderful and started thinking perhaps being a father would not be the worst thing to ever happen to him. He made a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs and put Karr to bed in the guest room.
“I will see you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Will you read me a story?” Karr asked in a tiny voice, fearing he might say no.
“I can do that. What would you like to hear?” he asked.
“Anything really. My mother reads to me all the time. I can’t sleep without a story,” Karr replied,
So Kell went and picked out "Gulliver’s Travels' and started reading. The boy was out before he had gotten to chapter two. He closed the book and laid it on the nightstand. He turned the light out and pulled the blanket up over Karr and left the room.
This next morning, the administrator and Karr’s mother showed back up to get Karr. Karr begged his mother to let him stay another night but she said he had school in the morning and that he had intruded on Kell long enough. Kell’s response was that Karr was welcome to stop by anytime. The boy’s mother smiled.
“That is nice of you, sir. Thank you. Apparently, my son likes you,” she said.
“He was well behaved, did not destroy my things, and was respectful. I am glad I got to spend a day with him,” came Kell’s reply.
The administrator and the mother and child left. Kell felt a bit empty and resolved to do something about it soon. The administrator showed up the next day and announced that “Many are called, and few are chosen,”
“You will be given thirty days in which to find a wife and marry her. The town is tired of seeing you alone without an heir,” replied the administrator. “If you do this, the town treasury will pay for the wedding and the honeymoon.
Kell stood thunderstruck and smiled a goofy grin. He now knew what he had been missing in all his years of studying and furthering his knowledge. Someone to share it with.
