A Yurble stole my cinnamon roll! Circulation: 177,117,134 Issue: 320 | 30th day of Storing, Y9
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Alton's Potatoes


by champ100543

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"WRONG! Shoulda guessed 34!"

     I sigh, but grin again when Alton the bright yellow Kacheek thrusts five potatoes into my paws. The rag-like clothes he sports are definitely not like those found in the legendary NC Mall, but riches make no difference to me. All that matters is he, a kind, generous soul who buys potatoes with his small earnings and allows Neopians such as me to count them, and the five potatoes in my paws.

     Alton and I have a deal. We've had it ever since we - Meredith, my owner, and I - moved to Meridell, after she came home bankrupt having lost all of our neopoints at the Poogle Races. We moved from the elusive Faerieland, selling all of our stuff, to a falling-down home here. We barely have enough to buy food, and the Soup Kitchen is too far of a trek to visit every time we become hungry. For this reason we have begun to rely on Alton's potatoes.

     Our deal is this; I support and advertise his game of potato counting, and at the end of each day he awards me with five potatoes. One might think that potatoes every day could get a little boring. As it is, we teeter on the brink of starvation, and a warm bowl of potato soup created with Alton's potatoes is simply divine.

     He grins at me. "Next time you'll get 'em, Gilly." He chuckles. I nod.

     I am a small red Kougra, of fifteen years and thirteen days. My eyes are the palest blue, and my stripes are such a dark maroon they look almost black. I'm not the most beautiful neopet in the world, especially not with my worn down potato sack I wear. I wouldn't wear anything at all if Alton hadn't given me an additional gift for my birthday, one of his many potato sacks. I have treasured it and Meredith's gift - a chocolate cake that looks too delicious to eat just yet - ever since.

     I glance up at him. "I've tried hard to advertise, but no one but me ever comes here," I murmur, feeling ashamed of myself. I want so much to help Alton well, but I am no good at anything. Alton and Meredith disagree, but I know the truth. I can't even count potatoes well.

     "S'okay, Gilly! I want to thank you. More people come more frequently now." His brow furrows out of anxiety. "But there should be a way to get more business, a truly unbeatable way... ah well. You'll come up with it yet!"

     I nod and smile at the confidence he has put into me. "I have to go home now. It's almost suppertime, and Meredith will want these potatoes. Thank you very much, Alton."

     "Don't mention it, Gilly."

     I give him a thankful grin and run up the hill to an old house made of bricks. It is very crumbly and has only one room, but it is beautiful to me. It is home. I open the oak door and walk inside to a room constructed with sod. There are two straw beds, a stone table, three stone chairs (Alton occasionally will dine with us), and a fireplace. A droopy-eyed Meredith is perched in one of our chairs, blinking wildly to fight back her exhaustion.

     She soon hears my quiet footsteps, and sits up. "That you, Gilly?" she asks in a rusty voice. I nod, and a smile lights up her pale face. Black hair swings down to her shoulders, and her hazel eyes are rays of light. "With the potatoes, I see. Hand 'em here and we'll have a baked potato with cheese tonight. I managed to scrape together enough neopoints to play cheeseroller, and I won the Spicy Juppie Cheese! So we'll be eating a feast tonight!"

     We used to have a decent amount of neopoints, and back in the old days, my feast would be chocolates, cakes, and meats. But now my definition of feast is just what Meredith described. I lick my lips happily.

     Before long, she is done with making our supper over the fireplace, and she places it on two wooden planks and puts them on the table. I sit down at the stone table and happily eat the soft, warm baked potato and the melted cheese. Soon I am done, but I am full, too. I walk over to my straw bed and notice that Meredith has done the same. As I lie there and close my eyes, I envision my fresh bamboo bed and pawkeet pillow that had been sold with the rest of our stuff after our move, but the vision dies away as soon as it comes. I am a different neopet now. I am not a spoiled neopet, nor one who is disgusted with a life in poverty. My life here is not perfect, but with Meredith, Alton, and Alton's potatoes, I am happy. I am fine.

     *

     The next day I awake early, as I generally do. I stride over to the window and peer outside, taking in the beautiful sunrise; red, yellow, and pink swirl together to make a magnificent tie-dye painting.

     I glance at Meredith, who, like me, is awake and yawning. I stare at her for permission. She laughs and waves her hand. “Go on outside,” she tells me. I murmur a thanks, widen the oak door and run outside into the glorious day.

     Down the hill and into the grassy valley. I see Alton standing there, as usual, with a broad smile on his face - wait, just a minute. There is no smile on the yellow Kacheek's face today. His happy-go-lucky personality generally prevents him from sulking, but sulking he is. My friend is genuinely sad.

     I walk up to him. "Whatsa matter, Alton?" I ask.

     He glances up at me. "Oh, it's you. ‘Least I gots one person still who puts me before mah... mah... competition!" He clenches his fists. I am perfectly dismayed. My friend is good-natured, usually, and now he is angry and sad. Not like Alton at all. He points across the street for an explanation.

     I gasp.

     There, standing on the side of the road, is a building. A building of copiers, stealers, and those-who-use-other's-ideas-to-earn-neopoints. And there is a long line. Much longer than you ever saw at Alton's old but friendly stand.

     The sign says Extreme Potato Counting.

     "I'm so sorry, Alton..." I start. He nods up at me.

     In a gruff voice, Alton says, "Guess no one's gonna come here now. Might as well retire..."

      “No." I protest. I cannot imagine life without Alton or even his potatoes. And I will never find out what it's like. Never.

     "But what am I supposed to do?" he asks helplessly. His stuck out lip and sad expression remind me of a puppyblew's.

     "'Member what you wanted, Alton? An idea, a sure-fire idea to get millions o' customers here to count potatoes day by day. And I'm gonna think of one, and we'll steal all of those Extreme Potato Counters right back here!"

     He nods at me again, but for the first time, I have the feeling that he doesn't believe what I have said.

     *

     I have just eaten my potato soup and I am lying here on my straw bed, listening to the wind whistling and Meredith's gentle snoring. I am trying in vain to come up with an idea to save Alton and his potatoes. I can think of nothing, nothing at all. My heart is sinking by the minute, and I am falling into a black pit of exhaustion. Time ticks away, and outside it grows darker, and inside all I want to do is sleep... but my loyalty to Alton prevents that. I have a mission, to think of an idea, and if it's the last thing I do it'll still be worth it.

     Suddenly I sit up in bed. I have thought of an idea, so perfect that no one will ever go to Extreme Potato Counter again. So perfect that Alton will have all he has ever wanted, and I will always get exactly what I want; a daily game of Potato Counter, Alton's friendship, and five potatoes a day.

     *

     FREE POTATOES FOR THE POOR!

     That's what the banner above the Potato Counter says. It works like the Soup Kitchen, but a bit different; for Neopians with ten-thousand neopoints and under, Alton gives them five potatoes each. Five potatoes mean so much to me, and I know that they have touched the lives of all who take them from a beaming Alton. Alton is happy, too - he is glad to do charity work and glad to have bettered the lives of all of the Meridellians. Many Neopians now respect Alton and admire him; his generosity has touched them as much as the potatoes have.

     And me? I've learned a few lessons. Five potatoes can mean so much. A bit of generosity in a selfish world can make a difference. Strive to be charitable and think of great ideas to help others be charitable.

     There's still a line outside of the Extreme Potato Counter, but it's so much shorter, and crowds of people gather around Alton's Potato Counter stand. I'm so glad I thought of the idea, for it has given poor Neopians hope, happiness, and food and my dearest friend happiness too.

     So now I walk up to him. He immediately spots me, the red Kougra, at the back of the crowd and shouts, "Make way for Gilly, everyone!" The crowd parts and I walk through, a wide grin lighting up my expression.

     "Play one game, will ya, Gilly?" he questions me, laughing. I nod, and immediately scan the potatoes.

     "65?" I hazard a guess.

     "Yep! 65 potatoes in 34 seconds... 75 neopoints!" he exclaims, thrusting over a small bag to my pure joy. I lift it, and it feels heavier than I think neopoints should be. I open it up. Alton grins proudly.

     In it I see many gold coins, and something else.

     Five potatoes.

The End

 
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