Tomorrow's Wish: Juniper

Tomorrow’s Wish by Wade Bradford

CONTEXT: Juniper is a shy young woman with learning disabilities. She lives in a small town with her grandmother, sheltered away from most of the world. In this scene, she is talking to her cousin, Megan, about her first and only kiss.

JUNIPER:

I kissed a boy once. At least I tried.

I don’t know if it counts if they don’t

kiss back. But I tried to kiss a boy and

it almost worked. Most of the time Grandma

and I don’t get to see folks much, but we

go into town. Sometimes. And Grandma says

I just have to be careful to mind my manners,

and Grandma says I’m real good at being careful,

but sometimes I get so bored in that little

town. Only one video store. Only two churches.

And the park only has two swings and a pool

that never gets filled up anymore. But in our

little town there is a boy named Samuel.

He's a bag-boy at the grocery store. He does

it just right and never squishes the eggs.

And he has red hair and green eyes. And…

(Laughs at the memory.)

Freckles all over his face! And Samuel is so

nice. So nice to me and Gram. He would always

smile and always say “thank you” and “your welcome.”

If he says, “Have a nice day,” then you do. That’s

how good he is at his job. And I always wanted…

I always wanted to be close to him, or to talk

to him, without Gram around. And one day when

Grandma had a really bad cold I got to go to the

store all by myself. And I bought some oyster

crackers and some medicine. Then I got to watch

Samuel all by myself. Watch him do his bag boy job.

I just stared and stared, trying to count all of

those handsome freckles. Then, he asked if there

was anything else I wanted. I just whispered “Yes.”

(Pauses, closes eyes in remembrance.)

And then I grabbed him by the ears and MmmmmmmMM!

(Pretends she’s grabbing and kissing him.)

That was my first kiss. It was the most romantic

moment of my life. Until the manager pulled me off of him.