"Let's make up a story together!" I playfully suggest to the currently good-humored teenage boys packed into the Micah van. "Once upon a time there was a dog--"
"And he died, the end!" Josue loudly interrupts with a flashy grin. Everyone bursts out laughing, myself included.
I try again, "Once upon a time there were two fish--"
Edward #3 doesn't like my start and goes for his own, "Once upon a time there was a huevo interrado!" Everyone (but me) laughs with him. Some sort of innuendo involving eggs.
"Once... upon... a tiiiiime--" I say with raised eyebrows. Edward #3 finishes, "There was a culebra interrada!" Another innuendo. This time involving a snake. Classic. I ignore the intended reference and try to roll with it, "--a snake who lived in the jungle, in a tree." Edward #3 ignores the continuation and repeats his innuendo. Inappropriate teenage boy joking ensues.
"Alright, alright," I roll my eyes with a grin. They're engaged enough with me that I give the storytelling one more shot:
"Once upon a time there was a blue turtle, and all the other turtles made fun of him because he was different--they'd tease him, call him names..."
For some reason, all of the boys are listening. They don't add on, though, so I keep going...
"This made the blue turtle so sad that one day he found a place alone and cried. And as he did a mermaid found the blue turtle so she asked him, 'Why are you crying?' The blue turtle told her about the other turtles--how they would make fun of him and how he didn't want to different anymore. Since the mermaid was a magic mermaid, the blue turtle then asked her if she could use her powers to make him look like the rest. 'Yes, I can, but you won't like it,' the mermaid answered, 'if I do, I must warn you, you won't be able to remember who you are anymore.' The turtle didn't care about the mermaid's warning and pleaded, 'Make me like them!' And so, she did.
And now the turtle was just like all the other turtles, so they stopped making fun of him. But for some reason, he was always sad. Something never felt right, like he was always missing something. And no matter what he did, he could never figure out why. So one day, he found a place alone and started to cry.
The magic mermaid again found the turtle and asked him, 'Why are you crying?' The turtle told her all about how he always felt sad and how nothing ever seemed right, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never figure out why. The mermaid then revealed how he had once been a blue turtle but had changed his colors to be like all the others. He had forgotten who he was, which was why he was sad.
The turtle begged the mermaid to turn him back, so the mermaid said to him, 'I have been guarding your color inside of me to give it back to you one day, but I have to warn you, when I do you will no longer have me. I have given my life to guard yours.' The turtle didn't have a choice in telling her no. After saying this, the mermaid cried, and all her blue tears fell on the turtle and turned him blue once more.
The blue turtle finally knew who he was again. And not only him. All of the other turtles changed into all sorts of colors--the mermaid had been guarding their lives, too. Now there were so many colors of turtles!
Except... they couldn't see the mermaid anymore... and yet, they had her in their hearts and in their colors, and she had even poured out her magic into them, too. The end."
After finishing my impromptu tale, I look around and my eyes land on innuendo boy. He is staring at me in awe. We fist pump, and all of us finish the van ride in silence.
Later that evening, I watch those same Micah boys put on their fanciest jeans, snazzy hats, way-too-much cologne, and cool attitudes before strolling around the neighborhood. Where did all the little boys I once knew go?
Oh my little turtles, I long for the day you will come Home... To the One who holds all your colors.
"And he died, the end!" Josue loudly interrupts with a flashy grin. Everyone bursts out laughing, myself included.
I try again, "Once upon a time there were two fish--"
Edward #3 doesn't like my start and goes for his own, "Once upon a time there was a huevo interrado!" Everyone (but me) laughs with him. Some sort of innuendo involving eggs.
"Once... upon... a tiiiiime--" I say with raised eyebrows. Edward #3 finishes, "There was a culebra interrada!" Another innuendo. This time involving a snake. Classic. I ignore the intended reference and try to roll with it, "--a snake who lived in the jungle, in a tree." Edward #3 ignores the continuation and repeats his innuendo. Inappropriate teenage boy joking ensues.
"Alright, alright," I roll my eyes with a grin. They're engaged enough with me that I give the storytelling one more shot:
"Once upon a time there was a blue turtle, and all the other turtles made fun of him because he was different--they'd tease him, call him names..."
For some reason, all of the boys are listening. They don't add on, though, so I keep going...
"This made the blue turtle so sad that one day he found a place alone and cried. And as he did a mermaid found the blue turtle so she asked him, 'Why are you crying?' The blue turtle told her about the other turtles--how they would make fun of him and how he didn't want to different anymore. Since the mermaid was a magic mermaid, the blue turtle then asked her if she could use her powers to make him look like the rest. 'Yes, I can, but you won't like it,' the mermaid answered, 'if I do, I must warn you, you won't be able to remember who you are anymore.' The turtle didn't care about the mermaid's warning and pleaded, 'Make me like them!' And so, she did.
And now the turtle was just like all the other turtles, so they stopped making fun of him. But for some reason, he was always sad. Something never felt right, like he was always missing something. And no matter what he did, he could never figure out why. So one day, he found a place alone and started to cry.
The magic mermaid again found the turtle and asked him, 'Why are you crying?' The turtle told her all about how he always felt sad and how nothing ever seemed right, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never figure out why. The mermaid then revealed how he had once been a blue turtle but had changed his colors to be like all the others. He had forgotten who he was, which was why he was sad.
The turtle begged the mermaid to turn him back, so the mermaid said to him, 'I have been guarding your color inside of me to give it back to you one day, but I have to warn you, when I do you will no longer have me. I have given my life to guard yours.' The turtle didn't have a choice in telling her no. After saying this, the mermaid cried, and all her blue tears fell on the turtle and turned him blue once more.
The blue turtle finally knew who he was again. And not only him. All of the other turtles changed into all sorts of colors--the mermaid had been guarding their lives, too. Now there were so many colors of turtles!
Except... they couldn't see the mermaid anymore... and yet, they had her in their hearts and in their colors, and she had even poured out her magic into them, too. The end."
After finishing my impromptu tale, I look around and my eyes land on innuendo boy. He is staring at me in awe. We fist pump, and all of us finish the van ride in silence.
Later that evening, I watch those same Micah boys put on their fanciest jeans, snazzy hats, way-too-much cologne, and cool attitudes before strolling around the neighborhood. Where did all the little boys I once knew go?
Oh my little turtles, I long for the day you will come Home... To the One who holds all your colors.
