Godseed

Okay, so this isn't my normal blog entry. This is a short-story I submitted for publication. It got rejected. I can see why now, but I still love it and thought I would share. 😊

GODSEED

     Sam's mom and dad decided to go on a second Honeymoon. As his parents were leaving, he shouted, "If I had known the moon was made out of honey, I would have asked to go too!"

     "Godspeed!" Aunt Meg yelled, waving goodbye.

    Sam looked puzzled. He didn't hear Godspeed, he heard "Godseed". He began to wonder what it meant. At first, he pictured a seed that grew into a flower and kept growing until it touched the sky. Sam had never seen a flower grow that tall. Not even the giant sunflowers in his back yard.

    The next day at school he asked his teacher Ms. Green what "Godseed" meant.

    "Hmmmm," she pondered. "I've never heard of that before. Maybe it means spreading the word of God."     

     Sam imagined it was like catching a cold. He thought that's why people said "God Bless You" when you sneeze. He spent the next morning sneezing and told everyone he had caught the Godseed cold.   

     Jill who sat next to him in art class said, "That's silly. Godseed probably has something to do with doing good deeds."  

     Sam thought Jill was smartest girl in school. He smiled a toothy grin. "I think you're right."

     On his way home from school, he offered to carry his friend Sally's books. Then Jane asked him to carry hers too. Sam couldn't see where he was going over the pile of books and tripped on his shoelace. Books went flying everywhere. 

     Sally and Jane decided to carry their own books the rest of the way home. Sam didn't think Goodseed meant doing good deeds either. Maybe he would never know.

     When Sam got home, Aunt Meg was waiting for him. "Would you like a snack," she asked. "I made your favorite."

     Sam shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

     "What's wrong Sam?"

     "Nobody can tell me what Godseed means."

     Aunt Meg laughed. "Oh, Sam. Do you mean Godspeed?"

     Sam felt silly. "Is that what you said when my mom and dad left?"

     "Yeah, Godspeed means have a safe trip or a good journey, but I think I like Godseed better."

      "You do?" Sam asked perking up in his seat. "What does it mean?"

     "It can mean anything you want it to. I think it means planting the seed of God in somebody."

     Sam looked excited. "So, you could grow it like a plant?"

     "Yup."

     "And you can catch it like a cold."

     "Sure."

     "And you can spread it through good deeds?"

     "Exactly," Meg said. She smiled warmly at Sam. "Think you're ready for that snack now?"

     "Yes, I'm starving. Doing good deeds sure is hard work."

     Meg laughed. She placed a finger on Sam's chest. "But so good for the heart."

     The next day Sam helped Ms. Green clean the chalk boards. He helped Sally practice for her spelling test. And at lunch, he saved a chocolate chip cookie for Jane.

     Spreading goodness was contagious. Sam couldn't stop doing good deeds. Before he knew, everyone else was too.