Day 6

The Matchbox milk truck was dark blue, a Model A with big chrome headlights and flared fenders, only just out of the packaging. I took it out to the playground at the center of our oval of single-wides. At some point it went missing. I spent a lot of time scanning grass and digging around in the puddles that had formed in the big divots under the swings. A bigger kid helped me look, all sincerity and sleuthing. Years later I realized that this was the day I learned that someone could look right into your face, smile, and lie.