My 12-year-old son asked to invite our 78-year-old neighbor, who used to teach at his school, to his Halloween concert — I thought he just wanted to be nice to her, but what he did when he called her onstage made the whole audience gasp.
“Can Mrs. Parker come to my concert?” my son, Owen, asked at breakfast.
“Of course. Why?”
“She used to teach there. I think she’d like it.”
Mrs. Parker lived two houses down. She’d taught at Owen’s school for over thirty years before retiring. Owen got to know her last summer when he helped with her garden. Now he stopped by after school to chat.
When I gave her the invitation, she smiled.
“He really asked for me?”
“Twice,” I said.
On the night of the concert, Owen wore a pumpkin costume we’d made together. He’d practiced his songs for weeks, but on the drive he kept asking if Mrs. Parker would sit near the front.
