'Steve....Can I Have Your Guitar'?...'OK'

by seriousbri cc

BARTLETT was so excited before the PHOENIX RISING SCHOOL gig last Friday..AND he's done hundreds of gigs for almost 50 years of performing on stage for all kinds of audiences....Well, it's because he has a BIG warm/soft spot in his heart for ALL kids. He just loves them. He wants to please them and make them happy and have a good time. The kids at PHOENIX RISING had requested that Steve play for their performances, so then the teacher called..... Steve was so honored and really nervous all at the same time, wanting it to be just right for the kids...AND, all went well. He had a wonderful time and everyone had a lot of fun....BUT, that reminds me of another time that Steve was playing music for three adorable kids in our home that almost ended in...well, let me tell the story. OK?
This story takes place 'round 1997 or so...Steve and I had only been on our farm a year or so. We were out working in a garden one summer when three young girls showed up at the gate on their bikes wanting to help...they lived just down the road. They were tired of their usual summer activities, all three said...'Could they help us, please?'....'OK', Steve said with his BIG SMILE. I knew he'd love this, playing in the garden with these three sweet kids, all under 10, I'd guess...and soon we had all of our seeds out and spread EVERYWHERE, and several small, tender plants being moved here and there...I had just learned, that Steve CAN NOT say 'NO' to kids. This was serious...very serious indeed...and, there gos our precious garden....AND, Steve was just smiling that big smile of his, loving it all, and having a ball. He winked at me and started talking 'bout all of us taking a big hike in the woods nearby, camping out, staying overnight, cooking on a big campfire, making our own trails etc...'What?', thought I...'Here girls, come here I have some cookies inside. Would you like some?'....'sure' said all three at once...running and pushing to see who could get into the house first.  
At first, it all looked like all was going well, I had made the right move in just the nick of time too with this cookie idea. I'm not sure when I first noticed that I was outta control.... probably when the whole two dozen or so cookies were all gone, and they were asking me what's for dinner and if they could stay? I then learned that I CAN NOT say 'NO' to these adorable three either. They sure seemed more experienced, quicker and smarter than I.  I had a feeling that  that they'd done this before, somehow....but that's silly, isn't it?
Then, they saw Steve's guitar in the corner. The special one I had bought him for Christmas, when Steve came walking in the door. 
'Will ya play us a song? huh Steve?...please Steve?'...Well, Steve couldn't say 'No', of course, and burst into a string of fun, happy tunes...the girls loved it.
When the youngest one looked up right into my Steve's smiling happy face, with her big blue eyes and asked so sweetly....'Steve, can I have your guitar?'.
Steve was smiling as he said 'OK' blankly and started to hand over the guitar.....
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'Girls, girls here's a big bag of apples for you to take home, won't your parents be surprised?" I said quickly..as.they all came running to the apples...the guitar now forgotten. 'Yea...Mom will love these' said the middle one, they quickly ran though the front door, hopped onto their bikes and were gone with the apples. 
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Well, now folks, I made  up this last part...''cause we both really don't remember what happened next. It's a BIG blurrrr...What?...but, we still have that guitar and the girls went home.  AND, the story needed an ending, and it's a lot of typing with one finger on one hand...isn't it? AND, ain't it strange that Steve and I both don't remember what happened? The end.