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Synopsis
A father tells his son the story of how he damaged a neighbor's garden when he was a boy and what he did to make amends.
Children's Literature
A father and his daughter are preparing their garden and, as he does every spring, Dad tells the story of the year he was ten and what happened to Mr. Bellavista's garden. He and his friends were playing baseball and the ball landed near Mr. Bellavista's tomatoes. Yielding to an impulse, Dad threw a tomato instead of the ball back to his friend. What ensued was the tossing and smashing of all the vegetables in the garden, much to the dismay of Mr. Bellavista. The young lad feels remorse, but just doesn't know how to make it up. When spring comes the next year, he works with Mr. Bellavista to create a new garden and ends up cultivating a friend. The story is set in an immigrant neighborhood with the people and city surroundings masterfully depicted in watercolors-a period piece with a timeless message.