"Hi, Mike-One," I said.
"Good morning, Daddy." Very formal, and solemn. A bad sign, I thought.
I gave him a big reassuring grin and waved him into a chair. "This is a pleasant surprise, Mike-One. I hardly ever have a caller during Ice Cream Recess."
He squirmed in the chair, looking down at his feet. "I—I could come back later, Daddy."
"No, no," I said hastily, "that's all right. A feller must have something pretty important on his mind to bring him all the way up to Daddy's office at Ice Cream time."
Mike-One fidgeted. He tugged at a lock of hair and began to twist it. "Well...."
"Come on," I cajoled. "What's it all about? That's what Daddy's here for, you know—to listen to your troubles!"
He scuffed his feet around on the floor. Then he took out a handkerchief and blew his nose. "Well ... see, I got a buddy—well, he ain't really my best buddy, or even second best. Sometimes we play chess together. Or checkers, only he thinks checkers is silly."
I cleared my throat and smiled patiently, waiting for him to come to the point. When he didn't go on I said, "What's his name?"
"Uh ... Adam."