Little Giant

I got a call yesterday afternoon from the receptionist at the children's dentist's office. They had several cancellations for today and were going to have a quiet, uneventful day unless they could rebook some people. They asked if I'd like to bring Dane in for his check-up which was scheduled in December, but we missed because he had a Field Trip that day and was re-scheduled for February 23. I gladly agreed.

I picked him up from school, ran him to the dentist and then took my favorite 6-year old son out to lunch. He chose Pizza Hut, so he could use one of his Book-It coupons.

Daelyn and Dane happily munched on breadsticks with sauce from the bar while Dane waited for his personal pan pizza to be delivered. I was working on a lovely salad when a young, thin black man walked past me. To say he was tall was an understatement. He came near to touching the ceiling. I was so shocked, quiet little me couldn't help herself. I blurted out, "Good grief, you're tall," to this perfect stranger. "Just how tall are you?"

"Me?" he said, quite innocently, "I'm short." Then he grinned at me and continued, "I'm 7'7" or 7'8"."

Now, I ask you, if you were that tall, don't you think you'd know your heighth? Unless, of course, he's related to that old bean stalk of Jack's and is growing so fast he loses track. All the same, I was suitably impressed. I jumped up and asked him if I could stand next to him and get a real feel for just how tall he was, which I did. I came up to about the middle of his chest, which he thought was hilarious.

Throughout lunch, as he made his way back and forth to the Buffet Bar, we would speak to each other. Our favorite discourse was when Dane commented that next to him, I looked like a Hobbit, and he looked like Gandolph.

Now, depending on which one of the epics you're reading, Gandolph is either Grey or White - neither really seemed to apply to this young gentlemen. But I passed along the information, anyway. He was so good natured, he cracked up and repeated it back to me, emphasizing that "he was Gandolph"!!!

Later, he stopped by our table again and asked me if I liked sports. I responded affirmatively and he told me that his "little brothers" play college ball - one for Duke and one for Virginia Commonwealth. I laughingly asked just what he meant by "little". He motioned above his head and said, "You know, LITTLE." Then he snickered again.

"You see, I'm the oldest, but I'm the smallest in my family," he went on to say. "My baby brother, who plays for Duke, is 7'9" and weighs 350 lbs. Compared to HIM, I'm the baby."

We visited for quite some time. He was a very nice young man - pleasant, well-mannered, and very well-spoken. He said he had played basketball in Alabama, but doesn't play anymore. He's a working man now.

Before he left, I asked him his name so I could watch for his brothers on T.V. He said their family name is Roland and his brother that plays football for Duke is Frederick Roland.

Thanks, Mr. Roland, for the entertaining lunch, and all my best to your "little" brothers.