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Tardy
by Niles Reddick

The boy refused to get in the car and go to kindergarten because he had an erection and it could be seen protruding in his khakis. His mother said it would be fine, they needed to get going or he’d be tardy, and it would go away before they got there, but he didn’t believe her and thought he needed to go to the hospital, that it might break.     

He’d had them his whole life up to kindergarten, but he’d never noticed them before. She didn’t know what to say to him, but she found it humorous and cupped her hand to hide smiles and giggles.

“Come on and I’ll take you to see your dad at work,” she said. “He’ll tell you what to do since he has one.”

With that, the boy jumped into the Oldsmobile 98, being careful to keep the Batman lunchbox on his leg.

The father was surprised to see the car pull up to the office and came outside.  “What’s wrong?”

“This,” Charlie said, pointing. “It won’t go down and everyone will make fun of me.”

“Just push it to the other side,” the dad reassured.

Charlie did, and immediately, the father’s prediction came true. “It’s gone. Thanks, Dad.”

“Sure thing,” said the father, patting him on the head and smiling at the mother.

Charlie was tardy for kindergarten, but the teacher didn’t ask why.