Green Beans. (A short story I wrote a few years ago)

Green Beans.
By Ken Mckuhen

The mother shouted for her young son. It was time to come to the dinner table. Mikey, the supercharged eleven year old comes to a screeching halt on his second-hand scooter near the kitchen table. “Hey mom, what’s for dinner?” The mother replies, “Chopped steak and mashed potatoes.” Mikey gets up from the table and walks to the stove. “No green beans mom?” the curious boy asks. His mother realizes that she forgot her only sons favorite dish. Green Beans. She quickly grabs a can from the cupboard and heats its’ contents.

Months go by as do many cans of green beans when Mikey comes home one day to ask his mother a question. “Mom, today at school teacher told all the students in my class that she was collecting canned goods for needy families, can I do it?” The mother nodded in approval and asked the boy what he wanted to donate. “I want to donate a can of my green beans so that someone can have them with Thanksgiving dinner!” The mother hands Mikey a can as he shuffles through a drawer and digs out a magic marker. “Mom, I am going put my name on the bottom so that someone will know I care!” The mother just smiles.

Days later the single mother and her young son are in town, making their selections, picking out everything they need for the Thanksgiving dinner to come. “Oh mom, don’t forget to get green beans, remember I donated my last can!” The mother acknowledged him as she scanned across different items. Once she saw cans of green beans she picked a can up. As she placed it into her basket, she could not hold back a tear when she noticed the bottom of the can said - “Mikey”