Buckets of Love

    "Go home Ripline, we don't need any more electricity!" Fesquou shouted at the electricity canvasser.

    Every day he'd walk down Fesquou's street with buckets of the stuff, and they'd bought a couple in the past. They were good deals back then, and they figured they'd stock up while they could. Now, though, they had plenty in reserve, but Ripline was pushing more aggressively now.

    Fesquou and her family were feeling the economic hardship as much as everyone else, in fact that's precisely why they'd stocked up on electricity when they did. Times were good, and they judged it prudent to build a surplus of their resources. Maybe Ripline had been frivolous thus far, maybe he'd found himself upon hard times, or maybe he was just feeling extra motivated recently, but Fesquou didn't care, that boy needed to leave her and her family alone.

    This time, though, Ripline remained in front of Fesquou's house looking dejected. "Oh come on Ripline, get a move on, we don't need anymore electricity! I'm tired of watching out for your face up and down our street. Go bother another neighborhood!"

    "It's. . . It's not electricity this time," Ripline said.

    "I don't care what it is! We've had enough of you walking these streets." Fesquou replied
    Ripline couldn't bear Fesquou's words anymore. He dropped his buckets and ran off sobbing.

    "Good riddance" Fesquou muttered as the boy ran off.

    She stepped out to clean up the spill, but when she arrived at the buckets, she didn't find any electricity at all. Instead of static arcing across the blades of grass, love had spilled across the lawn and was seeping into the ground. Then the reality of Ripline's frequent visits hit Fesquou. He loves me she thought.

    Fesquou ran after Ripline. He had turned the corner, but he couldn't be far. Fesquou rounded the corner herself, and there he was, waiting for the bus. She ran up and jumped onto him. "Oh Ripline, you'd been carrying love in those buckets all this time!"

    "H. . . Hi Fesquou." Ripline stammered. "Well, I didn't know how else to show you, but you never seemed interested. Then, you said all those things, and I knew there was no hope."

    "I'm such a fool! Will you give me another chance?"

    "You mean it?"
    "Yes, I do. As long as you don't try to sell us anymore electricity, yes, I will."
    "No more electricity, deal. Only love!"

    And the two of them took a stroll hand in hand around the ever-so-familiar neighborhood.