Apple in the Earth
Page 38
Chapter 17
Sonny sat under the walk bridge in the park near his house and threw stones as hard as he could at the surface of the water, hoping to hit one of the minnows beneath the surface. The weather was improving and the air was heating up. The entire thin layer of ice that formed on the water over the winter was long gone, and small bits of life crept their way into his.
Midway through lifting his arm to hurl another stone into the water, he heard someone walking on the path up to the bridge. He paused, lowered his arm, and peeked around the edge of the bridge to see who it was. James Jansen. Sonny leapt from beneath the bridge and scaled the walking path formed by truants like him. He was able to walk silently in front of James, who was looking at the ground as he walked.
James looked up seconds before he was about to walk into Sonny.
“Woah!” He nearly fell back. “Hey- how’s it-”
“Going?” Sonny asked with a crazed smile.
“Yeah, how’s it going?”
“It’s good weather.”
“Yup,” James started to try to walk around Sonny. Sonny put his arm out.
“Woah there. Where do you think you’re going?”
“Just taking a walk, you know, nice weather.”
“It costs money to walk this way.” James put his hands in his pocket and paused to think.
“I’ll just go back that way.” James said as he turned around.
“You don’t want to do that-” Sonny crossed his arms.
“Why not?”
“It costs more money to go that way.”
“Oh.” He moved some of the dirt under his feet with the tip of his left sneaker. “How much?”
“A dollar.” James pulled a dollar from his pocket. “There are fish in the creek.” James looked behind him. “Here.” Sonny pushed past James, grabbing the dollar from his hands. He nearly leapt down the trail and under the bridge. James quizzically followed him. Sonny sat down on the sandy edge of the creek and James did the same. James peered into the water while Sonny seemed to look off into the distance. Sonny picked up a stone from near his feet and hurled it into the water. The surface seemed to bubble with the life and movement of the fish beneath. “Why’d you give me the money so fast.”
“I don’t think I could have not given it to you.”
“No, I mean you didn’t whine at all about it. You didn’t protest.”
“It’s just money.”
“Money is important, money buys things.” Sonny threw another stone at the surface of the water.
“Dust.”
“What?”
“I mean. . .” James was the one who began to look out into the distance and squint at the sky. “What money is, and what money buys doesn’t last.”
“Well, people don’t last, either. You know that.” James looked down and nodded. Sonny threw another stone in the water. Sonny chuckled. “It’s funny, I’ve always worried about my mom or dad not coming home one day.” Sonny spoke quietly. “But I never thought about what I’d do until after I heard about your dad.”
“What would you do?”
“That’s the thing.” He breathed deeply. “I don’t think I could do anything. I would eat, and sleep, and go to school. But I wouldn’t do anything.” James nodded.
“I don’t really like my brothers and sisters, they only bug me. No real trouble. But, I know someday we’ll get along and they’re going to matter to me.” Sonny started to dig the toes of his shoes into the dark wet dirt. “I don’t talk to anyone about this. If you tell anyone, they won’t believe you, and I’ll beat you. A lot.” James nodded. “I look forward to when I can have my own house, just have them visit and really get to know them. Same with my parents, when they’re done raising me. See what they’re like as people.” He chuckled. “I’d hate to never really be able to get to know them- that’s all I’m saying.” Sonny got up and patted James on the back a little too hard. He walked up the path again, leaving James by the edge of the creek.
James picked up a stone and threw it into the water. He watched the movement of the fish as they scurried away.