Clementines and Missing Children

Mary unloaded the paper bag of groceries, first the eggs, followed by the fruit (bananas, apples, clementines), the orange juice, frozen peas, and finally the milk carton.  Only noticing the child's face on the carton as she placed it on the counter.  After placing the groceries in their allocated places, Mary further investigated the side of the milk carton as she peeled a clementine.  Reading about the disappearance of Caroline Murphy from Florida, Massachusetts two months ago and the hotline number to be called if anyone has any information, Mary placed the half peeled clementine on the counter.

Seeing the missing child poster on the milk carton, reminded her of the summer between seventh and eighth grade.  Mary moved out of the kitchen, away from the smell of the clementine, to find the box of childhood belongings and knick-knacks.  Upon finding the box in the back of the hall closet, she nearly tore off the lid looking for the newspaper clipping with the missing child photo.  Throwing all the non-related objects to the side: the pie contest winner ribbons, report cards, post cards, potpourri from camp containing, lavender, clementine peel, dried apple, and rose petals.  At the very bottom, Mary found the folder containing the collection of newspaper articles related to that summer, from Roger Griffin's missing child poster to the articles written by his parents.

She returned to the kitchen, placing the folder next to the half-peeled clementine.  Opening the folder and lifting out the aged newspaper clippings one by one, Mary gazed at the photo of the adolescent man in the missing child article.  The memories of spending the summer by the lake, Roger teaching her hot to ride a unicycle and juggle using clementines, flooded back to her.  Roger had spent the first three weeks of the summer at circus camp, had come back with all sorts of tricks.  His disappearance rocked the small lake town in New Hampshire, posters of his smiling face were plastered everywhere.  Mary picked up three clementines from the fruit bowl and threw them each in the air individually.  Continuing for a few minutes, she let them drop to the counter, landing on Roger's missing child article.

Mary picked up her half-peeled clementine and finished peeling it as she continued to re-read all the articles related to Rogers initial missing child announcement. Moving through the articles from his parents looking for any information on their son's disappearance to the final police report of the finding of a body in the next county.  Mary went on eating her clementine piece by piece recalling the phone call from Roger's parents, the night the police found the body.  That was the night she began clipping together the missing child poster and articles.  Holding onto his missing child poster, with his smiling school photo, helped her remember all the times they juggled clementines and rode unicycles.

Mary finished her clementine, scooped the peel into her cupped hand and turned toward the trash can.  Throwing the peels away, she looked at the face on the milk carton.  Who were this girls friends? Are the police still looking for her? Did she know how to juggle clementines and ride unicycles?