GONE IN A FLASH
Henry is home from his school for a long winter vacation. One of the errand destinations I can usually take him to fairly easily is our local Trader Joe's, a grocery chainstore. It is a small sized shop, brightly lit, with cheerful cartoon signs all over and I guess the feng shui is good because we can usually get in and out pretty quickly and smoothly. Unlike bringing Hen along to the local supermarkets at which Paul and I have amassed many a blood-curdling tale: having to abandon carts midway the expedition due to Hen's sudden terrors or rages, apologizing for knocked-over displays and the startling of elderly folks and babies. Well...OK, enough about that. Trader Joe's often gives away balloons to little kids. I sometimes get one for almost thirteen year old Henry (still a little kid in many ways.) He bobs it around delightedly in the store and carefully carries it into the car to take home. But INVARIABLY, as soon as home is reached, he opens the door and quite deliberately lets it go.....

We watch it ascend into the heavens. Then he gets upset when it doesn't come back. How to explain?