those marvelous lunches
when I was in grammar school
my parents were
poor
and in my lunch bag there was
only a peanut butter sandwich.
Richardson didn’t have a
lunch bag,
he had a lunch pail with
compartments, a
thermos full of
chocolate milk.
he had ham sandwiches,
sliced beef sandwiches,
apples, bananas, a
pickle and a large bag of
potato chips.
sat next to Richardson
as we ate.
his potato chips looked
so good—
large and crisp as the
sun blazed upon
them.
you want some potato
chips?” he would
ask.
and each day
would eat some.
as I went to school each
day
my thoughts
were on Richardson’s
lunch, and especially
those chips.
each morning as we
studied in class
thought about
lunchtime.
and sitting next to
Richardson.
Richardson was the
sissy and the other
boys looked down
on me
for eating with
him
but I
didn’t care.
was the potato
chips, I couldn’t
help myself.
you want some
potato chips, Henry?”
he would
ask.
yes.”
the other boys got
after me
when Richardson
wasn’t
around.
hey, w ho’s your
sissy friend?
you one
too?”
didn’t like that
but the potato
chips were more
important.
after a while
nobody spoke to
me.
sometimes I ate
one of Richardson’s
apples
or I got half a
pickle.
was always
hungry.
Richardson was
fat,
he had a big
belly
and fleshy
thighs.
he was the only
friend I had in
grammar
school.
we seldom spoke
to each
other.
we just sat
together at
lunchtime.
walked home with
him after school
and often some of
the boys would
follow us.
they
would gather around
Richardson,
gang up on him,
push him around,
knock him
down
again and
again.
after they were
finished
would go
pick up his lunch
pail,
which was
spilled on its
side
with the lid
open.
would place the
thermos back
inside,
close the
lid.
then I would
carry the pail as
walked Richardson
back to his
house.
we never spoke.
as we got to his door
would hand him
the lunch
pail.
then the door would
close and he would
be gone.
was the only friend
he had.
sissies live a hard
life.
Other works by Charles Bukowski...
