many years ago...
BASED ON A TRUE STORY names and places changed for privacy.
___
BASED ON A TRUE STORY names and places changed for privacy.
___
summer vacation was boring, so boring; better than stupid boring school but boring. i had a tv but my zealous parents forbid me to watch even a bit. they called a neighbor, whose son was a violent bully in my new york public school, and arranged for me to play with their son.
ma drove me in her car to 220 street in new york city. i jumped out and knocked on the door. the bully not named jule peaked out the window and shouted "dont you see the bell?"
he knew i was there so i waited for jule to unlock the door.... and waited.
next i pushed the button for the doorbell.... no sound... it was broken.
so i knocked again.
jule peaked from behind the curtain and repeated "dont you see the bell?" i reply its broken. finally he opened the door.
"hi jule, whatja playing?--"none of ya biznis" he answered tough as ever. i continued "are you watching tv?--we dont have a tv." i knew he was lying kuz i heard him talk about tv shows with a separate bully who he was friendly with.
"go home. why are you here?" he demanded. "my ma arranged for us to play together." jule cussed and then turned back and hollerd "MA WHAT THE BLEEP DID YOU GET ME INTO??"
pa hollerd back "stop yelling!" it was a distant holler. jule left me at the door and the curtain swung back to hide the window. i waited. finally ma came with jule. she opened the door and said "go play in the backyard". jule looked angry but he must obey.
we walked to the tiny city back yard. barely 2 yards wide... i mean 6 feet in this yard. all covered in a layer of poured gray cement. high cement walls separated from the neighboring yards.
in the center was a cherry tree. it was around 4 yards tall and i could see marks where low branches had been cut down like round scars.
jule said "i didn't decide which game, um, which ball to play. so climb the low branch and eat some cherries while i bring something..." as he walked away he added "i will come in ten minutes so if you're bored jump on my trampoline".
i looked up and searched for the bee hive... coming from HIM the bully he probly sent me to the bees... but i saw the branches and no beehive hung. so i climbed the low branch and picked some black fruit. the shape certainly differed from cherry in the shop and the taste differd from the cherry i had tasted in the after school study program sweet cherry candy reward, that i had quit that year. i tried to recall what the fruit-cherry tasted like but this was a thicker sweeter texture and taste. probly he lied that they were cherry but it was sweet n fruit so i picked some and waited. i looked at my digital watch to count the ten minutes. i was certain he would not return and wanted to count the minutes to see if i was wrong.
i ate some more sweet fruit and then climbed down and walked to the trampoline. i started jumping but i did not enjoy it.
suddenly a man exited the back door of the semi-detached house and shouted angrily "get off our sons trampoline!"
i jumped down and said "he let me."
pa stood quietly thinking. "well if he is sposed to play with you, and left you by yourself i am gonna SMACK that brat."
"WAIT!" I hollerd in a panic as the puzzle assembled in my mind. many combinations! which did i have time to say first?? "firstly he promised to bring a ball at 10:20" 10 minutes from when i had looked at my watch. as i hoped, pa asked "and second?" "did you know your son hits kids at school??" pa stared at me gazing "so i should hit him for 2 things. hmm." i protested "OPPOSITE!" then i explained "until now when he made you angry you hit him as a punishment." pa nodded and squinted, clearly puzzled at my long speech. i continued, "then HE hit other kids." pa repeated "i already said i would punish him." i protested "OPPOSITE!" and explained "tell him that its bad to hit..." pa echoed in a cynical tone "tell??" i hurried before he got bored "and that is why you WONT hit him." pa wrinkled his forehead and said "but the punishment is a hit." i added "he likes sweet sugary stuff, right? so that can be his punishment INSTEAD." i made two fists and moved them toward each other attaching the ideas "BECAUSE after you hit him, he hits kids... so tell him hitting in school is bad that is why you wont hit him." pa echoed "no sweets for a month, hmm?" then i lied "like my parents just for a week then if he doesnt hit he can have, as before. "i wont REWARD him for not hitting." so i explained "as before as usual". pa gazed at me clearly shocked. i had time for more "you probly give weekly money allowance. so if he does a second trouble you skip a week as a punishment." pa continued gazing then blurt out "WHAT!!" and ran inside.
had he assembled the many details? adults never listen to kids... i waited for jule.
call it a self fulfilling prophecy but as i expected he continued his familiar bully attitude and had not returned.
from the yard i heard hollering, at 1020, "jule where are you." then a long silence. i guessed that if he stopd shouting then jule must have came. i hoped they were talking. nah. he had not heard me.
finally jule walked out to the yard and accused "why did you tell my father i was sposed to come back?" "kuz he caught me on the trampoline."
"i hate you. kuz of you i cant have candy this week." he sulked clearly stifling anger. "he was gonna hit you," i hurried. i saw i had time to add, "until now he hit you. right?"
jule blinked three times.... then hollerd WHAT!!!!! and ran inside.
now what should i do? would he understand the new punishment was INSTEAD of a hit and bring a ball or was he angry so i should leave.
pa came out to the yard and told me several things. he handed me the candy bar, that he had planned on giving to jule and hissed at me "you are SUCH a KID!!"
finally he said i should go home and then in a harsh tone ordered "look at me!" then he winked one eye and screamed in angry tone "NEVER EVER jump on our trampoline. promise me you wont jump on it". "i promise," answered. "i cant hear you. PROMISE you wont use our trampoline." so i announced "i'm sorry i wont anymore." he winked and mived his hand like pushing me out of the house.
i walked thru the dark home n out the front door. i wondered "if jule saw that pa stop hitting, would he also stop hitting?" either way i got a candy out of it.
i enjoyed the sweet candy as i walked home to 240 street. my parents were not home so i noticed which channel their tv was at and flipped from channel to channel to see something interesting.
most stations were static some had boring talking... the home door was opening before i found anything, so i switched the two dials back to their position and grabd a book. i snuck out from the room as they unloaded bags of food. i snuck into my room and then from there yelled "his pa sent me home".
"get down here." i handed the book from their bedroom. and they scolded, "serves you right for being mean to their son. no surprise you have no friends. we work so hard arranging for you to have friends and you are rotten to them."
i knew i must not reply... but at least i got a candy bar.
THE END
ma drove me in her car to 220 street in new york city. i jumped out and knocked on the door. the bully not named jule peaked out the window and shouted "dont you see the bell?"
he knew i was there so i waited for jule to unlock the door.... and waited.
next i pushed the button for the doorbell.... no sound... it was broken.
so i knocked again.
jule peaked from behind the curtain and repeated "dont you see the bell?" i reply its broken. finally he opened the door.
"hi jule, whatja playing?--"none of ya biznis" he answered tough as ever. i continued "are you watching tv?--we dont have a tv." i knew he was lying kuz i heard him talk about tv shows with a separate bully who he was friendly with.
"go home. why are you here?" he demanded. "my ma arranged for us to play together." jule cussed and then turned back and hollerd "MA WHAT THE BLEEP DID YOU GET ME INTO??"
pa hollerd back "stop yelling!" it was a distant holler. jule left me at the door and the curtain swung back to hide the window. i waited. finally ma came with jule. she opened the door and said "go play in the backyard". jule looked angry but he must obey.
we walked to the tiny city back yard. barely 2 yards wide... i mean 6 feet in this yard. all covered in a layer of poured gray cement. high cement walls separated from the neighboring yards.
in the center was a cherry tree. it was around 4 yards tall and i could see marks where low branches had been cut down like round scars.
jule said "i didn't decide which game, um, which ball to play. so climb the low branch and eat some cherries while i bring something..." as he walked away he added "i will come in ten minutes so if you're bored jump on my trampoline".
i looked up and searched for the bee hive... coming from HIM the bully he probly sent me to the bees... but i saw the branches and no beehive hung. so i climbed the low branch and picked some black fruit. the shape certainly differed from cherry in the shop and the taste differd from the cherry i had tasted in the after school study program sweet cherry candy reward, that i had quit that year. i tried to recall what the fruit-cherry tasted like but this was a thicker sweeter texture and taste. probly he lied that they were cherry but it was sweet n fruit so i picked some and waited. i looked at my digital watch to count the ten minutes. i was certain he would not return and wanted to count the minutes to see if i was wrong.
i ate some more sweet fruit and then climbed down and walked to the trampoline. i started jumping but i did not enjoy it.
suddenly a man exited the back door of the semi-detached house and shouted angrily "get off our sons trampoline!"
i jumped down and said "he let me."
pa stood quietly thinking. "well if he is sposed to play with you, and left you by yourself i am gonna SMACK that brat."
"WAIT!" I hollerd in a panic as the puzzle assembled in my mind. many combinations! which did i have time to say first?? "firstly he promised to bring a ball at 10:20" 10 minutes from when i had looked at my watch. as i hoped, pa asked "and second?" "did you know your son hits kids at school??" pa stared at me gazing "so i should hit him for 2 things. hmm." i protested "OPPOSITE!" then i explained "until now when he made you angry you hit him as a punishment." pa nodded and squinted, clearly puzzled at my long speech. i continued, "then HE hit other kids." pa repeated "i already said i would punish him." i protested "OPPOSITE!" and explained "tell him that its bad to hit..." pa echoed in a cynical tone "tell??" i hurried before he got bored "and that is why you WONT hit him." pa wrinkled his forehead and said "but the punishment is a hit." i added "he likes sweet sugary stuff, right? so that can be his punishment INSTEAD." i made two fists and moved them toward each other attaching the ideas "BECAUSE after you hit him, he hits kids... so tell him hitting in school is bad that is why you wont hit him." pa echoed "no sweets for a month, hmm?" then i lied "like my parents just for a week then if he doesnt hit he can have, as before. "i wont REWARD him for not hitting." so i explained "as before as usual". pa gazed at me clearly shocked. i had time for more "you probly give weekly money allowance. so if he does a second trouble you skip a week as a punishment." pa continued gazing then blurt out "WHAT!!" and ran inside.
had he assembled the many details? adults never listen to kids... i waited for jule.
call it a self fulfilling prophecy but as i expected he continued his familiar bully attitude and had not returned.
from the yard i heard hollering, at 1020, "jule where are you." then a long silence. i guessed that if he stopd shouting then jule must have came. i hoped they were talking. nah. he had not heard me.
finally jule walked out to the yard and accused "why did you tell my father i was sposed to come back?" "kuz he caught me on the trampoline."
"i hate you. kuz of you i cant have candy this week." he sulked clearly stifling anger. "he was gonna hit you," i hurried. i saw i had time to add, "until now he hit you. right?"
jule blinked three times.... then hollerd WHAT!!!!! and ran inside.
now what should i do? would he understand the new punishment was INSTEAD of a hit and bring a ball or was he angry so i should leave.
pa came out to the yard and told me several things. he handed me the candy bar, that he had planned on giving to jule and hissed at me "you are SUCH a KID!!"
finally he said i should go home and then in a harsh tone ordered "look at me!" then he winked one eye and screamed in angry tone "NEVER EVER jump on our trampoline. promise me you wont jump on it". "i promise," answered. "i cant hear you. PROMISE you wont use our trampoline." so i announced "i'm sorry i wont anymore." he winked and mived his hand like pushing me out of the house.
i walked thru the dark home n out the front door. i wondered "if jule saw that pa stop hitting, would he also stop hitting?" either way i got a candy out of it.
i enjoyed the sweet candy as i walked home to 240 street. my parents were not home so i noticed which channel their tv was at and flipped from channel to channel to see something interesting.
most stations were static some had boring talking... the home door was opening before i found anything, so i switched the two dials back to their position and grabd a book. i snuck out from the room as they unloaded bags of food. i snuck into my room and then from there yelled "his pa sent me home".
"get down here." i handed the book from their bedroom. and they scolded, "serves you right for being mean to their son. no surprise you have no friends. we work so hard arranging for you to have friends and you are rotten to them."
i knew i must not reply... but at least i got a candy bar.
THE END
No comments:
Post a Comment