King for a Day

Ben and Will were just finishing the last pieces of their homework when Ellen, their mother, called them to the dinner table. Ben, who was still anticipating tomorrow’s trip, ran to the table as if his pants were on fire.

He filled his plate from whatever bowl was handy and had stuffed his mouth with a forkful of mashed potatoes before he realized that everyone else at the table was staring wide-eyed in his direction.

Jake was the first one to speak. “Certainly, you wouldn’t mind sharing some of that with the rest of us, would you son?”

Ben’s cheeks glowed bright red as he tried to get a muffled apology through cheeks that resembled those of a chipmunk with one peanut too many. It was no use. The words lost their clarity somewhere in the back of his throat...