The corner of 7th and Westminster.

That’s where Benjamin plied his trade.

A salesman since birth. The salt of the earth. He sold cups of ice-cold lemonade.

“25 cents!” he’d shout from his stand.

And the neighbors would come by the hundreds.

At the end of the day, he’d amble away with tickets to movies funded.

Toy Story and Star Wars in June.

The Goonies and ET, July.

Then came a morning in sizzling August —

the morning it all went awry.

It started with words on a Post-It.

That stung like the slap of a palm.

SORRY HUN. CUB OUT OF LEMONADE. LOVE YA! XOXO. MOM.

“Darn it!” he cried for his customer’s sake —

For he was certain they’d all die of thirst.

But even more troubling, that night was a showing, of the latest from Marvel’s Universe.

Then Benjamin had an idea.

One that he knew was a risk.

But sometimes a risk is worth taking.

He learned that from Lilo and Stitch.

So he went to the fridge and opened its door and snatched from inside it a lifeline.

The icy-cold drink his Mom never shared:

a crystalline bottle of white wine.

“25 cents!” he shouted that day.

And the neighbors came through by the millions.

Happy as clams they left from his stand til’ along came Officer Williams.

Her hands on her hips. Her chin held aloft.

And a look in her eye like Magneto.

“Benjamin Burton,” she said with a frown. “Pour me a cup of that Pinot.”

In a singular swig, she dispatched her wine.

For a minute, Ben thought he was clear.

Then Officer Williams picked up her phone and Benjamin's mother appeared.

The ride home in the Camry was silent.

His mother’s expression a bummer.

And it got even worse when she gave him the news:

“You’re grounded the rest of the summer.”

But that wasn’t the end for our dear Ben. He refused to roll the credits.

Because the second Ben got home and free, the kid subscribed to Netflix.