Pumpkin pie and the friendship-day present

27 August 2008

Once upon a time is a good beginning for a story, particularly a Pumpkin Pie story, which this is, because it’s a story about Pumpkin Pie.

Pumpkin Pie lived with her mother and father, her three sisters, Peach, Plum, and Pecan, and her brother named Chicken.

One day a new family moved into the house next door. They had a pet boa constrictor and a toucan, and books and books full of pictures from all the far away places they had lived. But most importantly they had a little girl just Pumpkin’s age.

Her name was Annabelle, and she and Pumpkin Pie became best friends right away. They had tea parties and played Monopoly. Annabelle taught Pumpkin how to sing songs in a funny language, and Pumpkin taught Annabelle how to jump rope double-dutch.

One day in school, Pumpkin’s teacher announced it was National Friendship Week. Pumpkin Pie ran home after school. She wanted to do something special for her best friend, Annabelle

“Mommy, It’s Friendship Week! Can we make a present for Annabelle?”

Together Pumpkin and her mother made a delicious batch of cinnamon rolls. They wrapped them in pink cellophane with a note: “Happy Friendship Week!” and tiptoed over to Annabelle’s house. They set the plate on the front porch, Pumpkin gave the doorbell a hard ring, and Pumpkin Pie and her mother ran back to their own house.

It wasn’t too much longer before there was a ring at Pumpkin’s door. She opened the door so fast, she caught sight of Annabelle running across the lawn. Pumpkin smiled, there on her front porch was a box that said “For Pumpkin, my best friend!”

Pumpkin carried the box to the table, and carefully lifted off the lid. Imagine her surprise when she found only a pile of mud in the bottom! Pumpkin Pie began to cry.

“Why Pumpkin, what ever is the matter?” her mother asked.

“I thought Annabelle was my friend, but all she gave me was a box of mud!”

“Oh, I’m sure she is your friend, maybe where Annabelle comes from it’s nice for friends to give eachother mud.”

“I don’t think so! I think she’s mean!”

“Maybe you should ask her, I’m sure Annabelle would explain.”

But Pumpkin Pie was so angry she didn’t even talk to Annabelle all day. Pumpkin dumped the box of mud out her window and she just sat in her room and sulked.

All week Pumpkin Pie wouldn’t talk to her best friend. She ran home from school fast before Annabelle could catch up. When Annabelle came by to play with her, Pumpkin Pie pretended to be busy. Pumpkin didn’t answer the phone, and she wouldn’t sit with her at lunch.

It wasn’t until the next Friday that Pumpkin Pie looked out her window and saw some little green seedlings growing out the pile of mud.

And it wasn’t until much, much later, when the small seedlings had sprouted into a bed of beautiful flowers, that Pumpkin Pie finally understood: there are many different ways for people to say “I love you.”

My mommy told me this story or something like it. I’ve been thinking about it a lot recently for a number of reasons; I hope I have changed much in the 15 years since Mom made it up the first time, but I’m still not sure how the story ends.