This is a very short piece that I hope will explain how we all came to be here together in the wonderful world of LFN.

This is written with deep respect for Roy Dupuis and his family.

It's fiction, but I suspect it may be the real truth....

************

The screen door slammed behind him and the seven year old boy came flying into the kitchen.

"Maman!" he yelled. Seeing her standing next to the stove, he flung his arms around her and buried his face in her apron.

"Roy, Darling, what is it? What happened?" Ryna said soothingly to her precious child. She didn't like to admit it, even to herself, but he was secretly her favorite one. His sweet nature and his easy laugh, his shyness, his gentleness, even his eyes were so like hers.

She lifted his chin up with her hand and looked into those eyes now. The tears glistening there did nothing to dim the beauty of those silver-green eyes looking pleadingly into hers.

"They said... They said...." he gasped out.

"Come, sit here next to me. Calme toi, shhhh..." She lead him into the living room and they sat side by side on the couch. She stroked his hair, pushing the curls back into some kind of order.

She felt him relax a little bit and asked him again, "Tell Mama what happened."

"Some boys at school. They were making fun of me." Roy's voice was steady, except for the slightest tremble. "They said..." he stopped again.

"Yes, Darling, what did they say?"

She knew children could be cruel, but she couldn't imagine what flaw they could find to tease her child about. Her son was intelligent and athletic. He was well-liked and, inspite of his shyness, had many friends.

"They said my jaw was too big, that I was ugly and deformed.." Roy answered in a distraught voice.

"Oh, did they?" said Ryna. "What were these boys' names?"

"Jeff, and Ron and Newton, and some others..." the handsome child answered.

"I understand now." She nodded. "There's nothing wrong with your jaw, my love. Or any other part of your face. They just said that because they're jealous..."

"Jealous?" said young Roy, the hurt expression on his face replaced by one of curiousity.

"Darling, did they say this in front of that pretty new girl in school, what was her name?"

"Josephine?" he said. "Yes, Josephine was there."

His mother nodded again. "See, that explains it. They're jealous because she likes you and not them. That's why they teased you and lied about how handsome you are."

"I'm handsome?" the child asked, almost stunned. Though he would grow to have great confidence in himself, he was not vain then, and never would be. A charming modesty would always be part of his character.

"Yes, Darling, believe me! Very handsome.." She stroked his perfect jawline and held his chin in her hand.

Looking into his eyes again, she told him solemnly, "when you grow up, there will be many, many pretty girls who will love you and want to be with you. So many you won't be able to count them all..."

She nodded again. "And everyone of them will say you are the handsomest boy they had ever seen...."

"Vraiment?" Roy said, beaming. His mother never lied to him.

"Oui, vraiment," Ryna said, smiling.

He hugged her and she hugged him back. Patting his shoulder, she released him. "Why don't you go now and play with your chemistry set before dinner?"

"Yes, Maman," he said and raced happily upstairs to his room.

Ryna sighed. He made her so proud. He would make a wonderful scientist someday, and lead a quiet and peaceful life. He might not even have time for girls, so dedicated and devoted as he was to his one true love, Science.

She went back into the kitchen to check on dinner. As she stood at the stove again, she hoped the angels would forgive her for exaggerating like that.

Little did she know that the angels had heard her words and were already hard at work designing things so that everything she said would some day come true. And THEN SOME!

The End

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