Just In Case

I recall a boy from grade school … Fred … quiet, not popular … he sat with me at lunch … brought his lunch in a paper bag … a sandwich, maybe some kind of fruit, a cookie … I recall that Fred always had something extra in his lunch bag, an extra apple or brownie in wax paper. Fred said it was “just in case” food. I asked, “Just in case what?” Fred said, “In case someone’s hungry and doesn’t have enough.” Kids made fun of Fred. He was a bit of an odd duck, but I’ll never forget that … extra food … “just in case.”