Being Sorry

They were laughing hysterically. I've seen them do that before. They were running around in the yard. I've seen them do that, too. Then, outside my window in plain sight for me to see, one of them began throwing a chair around -- or at least that's how it seemed to me.

They were laughing. The chair was lying askew on the ground. And one or two of the boys were on the ground, too. The volume was climbing, and they were tugging on something else, and it was impossible to get any work done. So I stood up and walked outside.

What's going on? I asked as I came around the corner. The lawn chair had been thrown again. Come on, you guys. You'll break something.

They were quiet. They all looked at the chair. I looked down at it lying on its side. It was broken, the corner of the seat severed from the left front leg.

Oh man. You did break something.

The boys stood still, looking quite somber. Devin, who had evidently been at fault, refusing to heed the pleas of his friends to cool it, was rolling on the ground holding his shoulder in mock pain. He looked up but said nothing.

...

Some days latter, outside the garage, I tapped Devin on the shoulder.

Devin, I said, Come on over here. There's something I want to talk about.

He followed me to the corner of the garage where the chair, broken three days before, was lying on the drive. I motioned at it. He looked at me -- silent.

There's something about this that bothers me.

A question mark appeared above his head. He was not sure was was coming next.

It's not that I'm angry about this broken plastic chair. Things like this happen. What bothers me is that you didn't even apologize.

Oh, he meekly responded.

I waited. He said nothing more.

So here's what I want you to do.

He looked at me -- waiting.

You have to deal with throwing it out. I want you to take this chair home and throw it out in your garbage can. It won't fit. When you have to explain where it came from, that will be a substitute for not apologizing to me.

Ok, he said in a still-meek tone.

As we turned to walk inside the house, I heard him say, I'm sorry.

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