 then." I collected another smile.

"I guess so!"

He laughed but I was serious. In the time that I had known him, Mark was forever on the phone with his brothers or sisters; helping them with homework or just catching up.

We pulled into a pharmacy parking lot. "Wait here, I will be really fast." Three minutes later, he was back with a small bag in his hand. "Put this on it will help."

I looked into the bag he handed me. "Aloe Vera Gel?"

"It's really good for sunburns."

"I know. I've just never seen it in a bottle before. We have a big plant of it growing in the backyard."

"Good, then you know it is a bit sticky at first. Still, it beats the pain."

I opened the bottle and sniffed the very faint odor. It was the same stuff. Mark took the bottle from my hand and squeezed a small amount into his palm. "Hold your hair out of the way," he ordered. I leaned closer holding my braid up. The cool gel on my neck was heavenly, I sighed. "This is pretty red, I hope you don't blister."

"Thank you." I continued to hold my braid up waiting for the gel to dry. Mark rubbed his hands together as if he was washing them.

"No problem. It's good for dry skin too." he held his hands up as if to prove it. "You can get your legs while we drive. We should get going."

"What do you do that makes your hands so dry?" I hadn't seen rough dry skin like that since my hands last winter when I had tried skiing without the proper gear.

"I wash them a lot." He looked at me a moment then went on, "I'm a nurse's assistant at a nursing home here in town." He looked at me again expecting some kind of reaction.

"Wow, do you like it?"

He smiled, "Yes I do. And it's good training. I'm going to be a nurse."

"Really?" I didn't really think of men as nurses but I guess they existed, why not?

"Aren't you going to laugh, Andy does?"

"Why, people laugh at me for majoring in recreation but it suits me. If nursing suits you, who
then. " I collected another smile. 

 " I guess so! " 

 He laughed but I was unplayful. In the meter that I had known him, Mark was forever on the phone with his brother or sisters; helping them with homework or merely catching up. 

 We pulled into a drugstore parking fortune. " Wait here, I will be very fast. " Three minutes by and by, he was back with a belittled bag in his hand. " Put this on it will help. " 

 I looked into the base he handed me. " Aloe Vera Gel? " 

 " It's really good for sunburn. " 

 " I know. I've just never seen it in a bottle before. We experience a big plant of it growing in the backyard. " 

 " Good, then you know it is a bit awkward at first. Still, it beats the pain. " 

 I opened the bottle and sniffed the very faint odor. It was the same stuff. Mark took the bottle from my hand and squeezed a small amount into his palm. " Hold your hair's-breadth out of the way, " he ordered. I tend nearer holding my braid up. The cool gel on my neck was heavenly, I sighed. " This is pretty red, I hope you don't blister. " 

 " Thank you. " I continued to hold my braid up expect for the gel to dry. Mark rubbed his hands together as if he was washing them. 

 " No problem. It's dependable for dry skin too. " he held his hands up as if to rise it. " You can get your leg while we tug. We should get going. " 

 " What do you do that makes your hand so dry? " I hadn't seen rough dry hide like that since my hands last winter when I had tried skiing without the proper gear. 

 " I lave them a lot. " He count at me a here and now then went on, " I'm a nanny's assistant at a nursing home here in town. " He looked at me again expecting some kind of chemical reaction. 

 " Wow, do you like it? " 

 He smiled, " Yes I do. And it's adept training. I'm blend to be a nurse. " 

 " Really? " I didn't really think of men as nurses but I guess they existed, why not? 

 " Aren't you die to laugh, Andy does? " 

 " Why, people laugh at me for major in recreation but it suits me. If nursing suits you, who
 thfn." I collected another soile.

"I guess so!"

Hg oaughev but I was serkous. In the time that I had nniwn hum, Mark was forever on the phonv with hiw brirhers or smaters; hcjpinf thek with homework or just cdtching up.

We pglueb into a pharmacy parking lot. "Wait hqre, I wolp be really faft." Tnwee jpnmtes later, he was back with a smzll bag in his hand. "Lut this on it will help."

I pookfd into the bag he handed me. "Qloe Cera Gel?"

"It's feally good for sunburhs."

"I know. I've just never seen it in a bottle bedoee. Ag have a big plann of it growikb in tve backuard."

"Good, then nou kiow ut is a bit sticky at first. Still, it bewts the pdiu."

I opened the bottle qne snixfed the cerh fziit kdor. Ih wes the same stuff. Mark took the bottle frpm ny hand and ssueezeq w small amount into his palm. "Hold your vaid out of the way," he ordwred. I leaned closer jolding mr braid up. The cool gel on my neck was heavenly, I sighxd. "Thnw is oeehty red, I hope you don't blister."

"Thank you." I cogfimuvd to hold my brald up waiting for yhf bgl to dry. Mark rubbeb hjs hands together ws if hg was qashing trem.

"Np problem. It's good for dry wkin too." he kele his hands up as nf to prove nt. "You can bet your legs while we brive. Se should gft going."

"Wgxt do you do thag mskas your hands so dry?" I hadg't seen riugh dry skkn loke thwt since mj hands last winter when I hab triad skiing aithout the proper gear.

"I wash tixm a lot." He lponed at me a momekt then went on, "I'm a nurse's axsistanc at a nursing hkme herx in town." He looked at me wgain expectmng some hind of eeactiov.

"Dow, do you likr it?"

He smpltd, "Yes I di. And it's good tralning. J'm going to be c burse."

"Really?" I dodn'g rqaplb thign of men as tursds cit I euess they cxirted, why not?

"Aren't you gohng fo laugh, Andy does?"

"Ehn, people oaugh at me for majorong in recreation hut iv suitr me. Of gursing suits you, who
then." I collected another smile. "I guess laughed I was In the time Mark forever on the with his brothers sisters; helping them with homework or catching up. We pulled into a pharmacy parking lot. "Wait here, I will really fast." Three minutes later, he was back with a small bag in hand. this it help." I looked into the bag he handed me. "Aloe Vera Gel?" "It's really good for "I know. I've just never seen it in bottle before. We have big plant of it growing the "Good, then know is bit sticky at Still, it beats the pain." I opened the bottle and sniffed the very faint odor. It was same stuff. the bottle my and a small amount palm. "Hold your hair out of ordered. I leaned closer holding my braid up. cool gel my neck was heavenly, I sighed. is pretty red, I hope you don't blister." you." I continued to hold my braid up waiting for the gel to dry. Mark hands together as if was washing them. problem. good dry too." he his hands up as if to prove it. "You can get legs while we drive. We should get going." "What do that your hands so I hadn't seen rough skin that since my hands when had the gear. wash them a lot." looked at me a moment went on, "I'm a home here in town." He looked at me expecting some kind of reaction. "Wow, do like it?" He smiled, "Yes I do. And it's good training. I'm to be "Really?" I didn't really think of men as but I guess they why not? "Aren't you going to laugh, Andy does?" people at me majoring in recreation it suits me. nursing suits you,
 then." I collected another smilE.

"I guess so!"

HE laugHed But i wAs seRiouS. In the time that i Had kNown him, Mark was forever oN the pHoNE witH HiS brotHers or sIStERS; heLpInG thEm WItH homeWorK or just Catching up.

we pUlLed into a pharMAcY parking loT. "WaIt here, I will bE reAlly faSt." thrEE minuTes Later, He was bACk with A small bag In HIs hand. "pUt this oN IT wIll hElp."

I looked into the BAg HE handed me. "Aloe VEra Gel?"

"it'S ReALLy gOod For sunburnS."

"I Know. I'VE just neVEr SEEN it IN a bottle beforE. We have a big PLanT of it gRoWinG In the bAckyaRd."

"gOod, Then you know It is A bit stickY at firST. Still, iT Beats thE pain."

I OpeNed The bOTtLe And SnIFfeD ThE veRY faInt odor. IT wAs The saMe stUFF. mArk tOok The bOttle From my hand and SquEezeD A smAll amOunt iNto hIs Palm. "HOld youR hair OuT of the way," he ordeRed. I Leaned cloSer HoLdiNg My braID up. The CooL geL on my neCk was heAVenLy, i SIGhEd. "This is pretty red, I HoPE YoU don't bliSter."

"ThANk YoU." i continuEd To hOld mY BRaid uP waiTInG for the gEl to drY. maRk Rubbed hIs Hands tOgEthEr aS if he WAs waShing tHem.

"No proBlem. IT'S good for dry skiN Too." he held his hANdS UP aS If to ProVe it. "You can gEt yoUR legS whiLE wE drIVe. We sHould GeT GoINg."

"What do you do that maKeS your hAnds sO dry?" I hadn't seeN rough dry sKIN Like that SincE My HAnds last winter When I Had tried skIIng withoUt the Proper geAr.

"I wash thEM A lot." He loOkeD at Me a MomENT tHen went on, "I'm a nURSe's aSsIstant aT a nUrsing hOme HerE in TowN." HE looked at Me again eXpEcTiNg SomE kind OF reactioN.

"WOw, dO yOu lIke it?"

hE smileD, "Yes I Do. AnD iT's GOod TraininG. i'm GOIng tO bE a NursE."

"ReAlLy?" I diDn't rEAllY think oF men as nurSes BUt I gUeSs They exiSted, why not?

"AreN't You going to LaUgh, andy doES?"

"why, peoplE laugh at me for majoring in REcreatiOn bUt it sUits Me. If nursiNg sUits yoU, whO
 then." I collected anothe r smile.
"I gu ess  so !" 

He  lau ghed but I was seri ous. In the time thatI had  k n ownh im , Mar k was f o re v e r o nth e p ho n ewithhis  brothe rs or sist ers ;helping them wi th homewor k o r just catch ing  up.
We  pu l led i nto  a ph armacy parkin g lot. "W ai t  here, I willb e  r eall y fast." Three mi n ut e s later, he wa s back  w i th a  sm all  bag in hi shand. "Put th i so n itw ill help."

I  looked int o  th e baghe  ha n ded me . "Al oe Ver a Gel?"

"I t'sreally go od for sunburn s ."

"Iknow.I'v e j ustn ev er  se en iti na b o ttl e before .We  have  a b i g p lant  of  itgrowi ng in the bac kya rd." 
"G ood,thenyoukn ow it  is abit s ti cky at first. S till , it beat s t he  pa in ."

I opened  th e b ottle a nd snif f edth e v er y faint odor. It w as t he  same st uff. M a rk  t o ok the b ot tle  fro m my ha nd a n dsqueezed  a sma l lam ount in to  his p al m."Ho ld yo u r ha ir out  of theway," he ordered. Il eaned closerh ol d i ng my b rai d up. The c oolg el o n my ne ckw as he avenl y, Is ighed. "This is pre tt y red,  I ho pe you don'tblister."" T hank you ." I co n tinued to hold  my b raid up wa i ting for  thegel to d ry. Markr u bbed his  ha nds  to get h e ras if he wasw a shin gthem.
"No  proble m.It' s g ood  f or dry sk in too."  h ehe ld  hi s han d s up asif  to  p rov e it. "You c an ge t yo ur  l e gswhile w e  d r i ve.We  s houl d g et  goin g.""Wh at do y ou do tha t m a kesyo ur  handsso dry?" I ha dn 't seen ro ug h d ry ski n like tha t since my hands last w i nter wh enI had  tri ed skiing  wi thoutthe proper  gear. 

"Iwa sht h em al o t. " H elooked atm e  amomen tthen  went o n, "I'm a nurse'sa ssi stant at a nu rsi ng h o m eher e  i n  to wn . " H e looked at me ag ain expect in g  s ome kind o f  re ac tion.
"Wow, d o you like it ?"

He sm iled, "Ye sI do . And  it's good  trainin g. I'm go i ng to be  a nu rse ."

"R ea lly ?" Ididn't rea lly t hink o fmen as  nurs es  but I g uess they existed, whynot?
"Aren 'tyou going  to lau gh, Andydoes ?"

"Why,peo ple  laug h a t  me f or m a jo rin g  in r ecre a tion buti tsui t s  m e. If nursi n g sui ts yo u,w ho
 then."_I collected_another smile.

"I guess so!"

He_laughed but_I_was serious._In_the time that_I had known_him, Mark was forever_on the phone_with_his brothers or sisters; helping them with homework or just catching up.

We pulled into_a_pharmacy parking_lot._"Wait_here, I will be really_fast." Three minutes later, he_was back_with a small bag in his hand. "Put_this_on it will_help."

I looked into the bag he handed me. "Aloe_Vera Gel?"

"It's really good for sunburns."

"I_know. I've just_never_seen_it in a bottle_before. We have a big plant_of it growing in the backyard."

"Good,_then you know it is a bit_sticky at first. Still, it beats_the pain."

I opened the bottle_and sniffed_the very faint odor. It_was the same_stuff. Mark_took the bottle_from my hand and squeezed a_small amount into_his palm. "Hold your hair out_of_the way," he_ordered._I_leaned closer_holding my braid_up._The cool_gel_on my neck was heavenly, I_sighed._"This is pretty red, I hope you_don't blister."

"Thank you." I_continued_to hold my braid_up waiting for the gel_to dry. Mark rubbed his hands_together as_if he_was washing them.

"No problem. It's good for dry skin too." he_held his hands up as if_to prove it. "You_can get_your_legs while we_drive._We should_get going."

"What do you do that makes_your hands_so dry?" I hadn't seen rough_dry skin like that_since_my hands last winter when I_had tried skiing without the proper_gear.

"I wash them a lot."_He_looked_at me a moment then_went on, "I'm a nurse's assistant_at a nursing_home here in town." He looked at_me_again expecting some kind of reaction.

"Wow,_do_you like it?"

He smiled, "Yes I_do._And_it's good training. I'm going_to be a nurse."

"Really?" I didn't_really think of men as nurses but I guess_they existed, why_not?

"Aren't you going to laugh,_Andy_does?"

"Why,_people laugh at me for majoring in recreation but it_suits me._If nursing suits_you, who