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It was Friday morning, the last day of school, and the CK DJ on my clock radio woke me up\u2026<\/p>\nIt was Friday morning, the last day of school, and the CK DJ on my clock radio woke me up\u2026<\/p>\n
\nTwenty twenty weather word, \u201cAhhh\u201d. For many of you out there, boys and girls, it\u2019s the last day of school, the day of liberation. Sunny and low sixties this morning going up to mid seventies with some clouds in the afternoon for your BIG DAY. Oh and keep the faith, brothers and sisters, better times are ahead\u2026<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Then he played Stuart\u2019s still favorite song I\u2019d heard so many times now by the Isley Brothers\u2026<\/p>\n
\nThis old heart of mine been broke a thousand times
Each time you break away, I fear you’ve gone to stay
Lonely nights that come, memories that flow, bringing you back again
Hurting me more and more<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nI wasn\u2019t sure what a \u201cbroken heart\u201d really felt like, because in this song, and other songs too, you got one because your girlfriend or boyfriend went away or didn\u2019t like you anymore. But I had been sad A LOT this last year because mom and dad got divorced, dad moved out of the house, mom was still sad a lot and yelled at dad on the phone. And then those stupid pencils which got me in trouble with my teacher, got Abby not to talk to me anymore, and made me mad at some of my friends, like Frankie and Billy, who didn\u2019t feel like real friends anymore. This last month of school I hadn\u2019t wanted to go, because I figured my teacher, Mrs Herman, didn\u2019t like me anymore because of what I did, and neither did any of the girls who were friends with Myrna, because Myrna knew that I had got those special pencils made. And our cat Midnight even liked sleeping on David\u2019s bed better than mine.<\/p>\n
\nAlways with half a kiss
You remind me of what I miss
Though I try to control myself
Like a fool I start grinnin’ ’cause my head starts spinnin’ ’cause I
I love you (Yes I do)
This is old heart, (Yes I do) darling is weak for you
I love you, yes I do (yes I do)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nThen there was that saxophone solo in the song that Stuart had figured out how to play on his school saxophone. I was learning to play sax too at school, but I wasn\u2019t nearly as good as he was, and could only play easy songs where I could read the music on the sheet.<\/p>\n
But I really liked the part of the song where the guy sings that no matter how many times she leaves him he\u2019d take her back because he loves her so much.<\/p>\n
\nBut if you leave me a hundred times
A hundred times I’ll take you back
I’m yours whenever you want me
I’m not too proud to shout it, tell the world about it ’cause I
I love you
This old heart, darling (Yes I do) is weak for you<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nI guess mom didn\u2019t love dad enough to take HIM back, because what he did she thought was SO BAD. I didn\u2019t even want to think about what he did or why he did it. He must have had a good reason, but he would just say he made a bad mistake. I guess I\u2019d made a bad mistake with the pencils too.<\/p>\n
But today was the last day of school and tomorrow would be the first Little League game with my new team, the \u201cMichigan Tube Benders\u201d, and we were going to play it at my old park, Allmendinger.<\/p>\n
Mike and Stuart were still playing for my old team, \u201cHuron Valley Bank\u201d. I had played on that team last year, but only for the first inning of the first game, because after I got a hit my first time up, and then running the bases, I had tripped over the second baseman\u2019s foot and fallen on the ground and broken my collarbone and couldn\u2019t play for the rest of the season. They had another guy who was playing first base for them now, who they said was really good, but they still wanted me to be on their team this year, but said I probably would have to play in the outfield, like Stuart did.<\/p>\n
I liked playing first base. I didn\u2019t want to play in the outfield. Playing in the infield was more exciting, and being left-handed, first base was pretty much the only infield position I could play. And you were involved in most balls that were hit by the other team. Ground balls the infielders got they\u2019d throw to you to get the guy out. Maybe one or two ground balls would actually get hit to you too. And if the batter hit the ball by or above the infielders out into the outfield, then you were either the \u201ccutoff\u201d guy for the right fielder to throw too or you \u201cbacked up\u201d the second baseman or shortstop being the cutoff guy for the center or left fielder to throw too.<\/p>\n
And on the Little League teams I had played on or played against, usually the best players played infield, and the guys on your team who weren\u2019t as good played outfield. Now in REAL Major League baseball, usually the outfielders were some of the best players, like Al Kaline, Willie Horton, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente. My friend Stuart was the exception, he was a really good player, and he LIKED playing centerfield. He was SO good at it, that he actually could catch a lot of the fly balls, even if he had to run really hard to catch them. Most kids in the outfield who you\u2019d say were okay, would let the ball hit the ground before they got it, but at least not let it get by them, and then throw it back into the infield.<\/p>\n
But Andy, Teddy and Todd had come to me in early June and said that they needed a \u201creal\u201d first baseman on their Burns Park team, because they had a bunch of guys playing there who mostly played outfield. Their team was the \u201cTube Benders\u201d, which they said was kind of a dumb name, but that really wasn\u2019t important. They did all their practices at Burns Park, and the coach even had a pickup truck and would take you to games if you needed him to. That sounded fun, riding to games in the back of a pickup truck with a lot of the other guys on your team. Grant, Cal and Peter were also on the team. So were Billy and Gil, who I was still mad at because they ratted me out to our teacher about the pencils, but what can you do?<\/p>\n
So when I told Stuart and Mike I was going to play for the Tube Benders instead of their team, Stuart said he couldn\u2019t figure out why I wanted to play on a team with a stupid name that wasn\u2019t as good as their team. But Mike said he \u201cgot it\u201d, that playing first base was \u201cimportant to you\u201d, and all the practices would be in Burns Park right across the street from my house. He really was the best of my friends.<\/p>\n
So I had been practicing with the Tube Benders for three weeks now and was going to be their regular first baseman. I was happy that I could still play well and hit well, even though I\u2019d missed all of eleven-year-old league last summer. I could even hit Grant sometimes, he was the team\u2019s best pitcher. Our other regular pitcher was Cal, but he wasn\u2019t as good as Grant, and was pretty easy to hit, but that\u2019s okay I guess, because the games were more fun when kids hit the ball, even on the other team. Also Peter pitched sometimes, but he wasn\u2019t very good and walked a lot of guys.<\/p>\n
Billy was our regular catcher. He was okay catching the ball, though he wasn\u2019t great at throwing down to second base when I guy on the other team tried to steal. They didn\u2019t let you steal bases in eleven-year-old league, but you could in twelve, though you had to wait until the pitcher threw the ball to start running. Starting next year, in the thirteen-year-old league you could steal anytime, like in the real major-league games.<\/p>\n
Dale played second, his dad was our coach. He went to Angell instead of our school. I guess he was really \u201cDale Junior\u201d, because his dad\u2019s first name was Dale too, which seemed kind of weird to have the same first name as your dad and be called \u201cJunior\u201d. Andy played shortstop, and Todd third, and they were probably our best hitters, even better than I was.<\/p>\n
We had at least five guys who played outfield and would substitute in the infield if one of our regular infielders couldn\u2019t play. Peter, Teddy and Gil from our school, and Darren and Brad, who went to Angell and were Dale\u2019s friends. Also Grant and Cal would play in the outfield when they weren\u2019t pitching.<\/p>\n
But now I had to get dressed, eat my breakfast, and then go to school for my last day. I was SO excited about that, because the last day of school was always my FAVORITE day of the year, better even than CHRISTMAS. The part of the year when grownups were mostly in charge of me ended and the part I was mostly in charge of myself started for the next ten weeks. And this time, it wasn\u2019t just my last day of sixth grade, it was my last day of ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, my last day going to the Burns Park school.<\/p>\n
I guess it would also be our last day of playing soccer too, sixth graders against the fourth and fifth graders. I would miss that, miss seeing Mike every morning and being on a team together against the fifth and fourth graders, who thought us sixth graders were like Greek gods. I wondered if all us kids playing soccer could get together and decide to keep playing every morning over the summer. I would ask Mike about that once I got out on the field this morning.<\/p>\n
After I got dressed and went to go to the bathroom, I saw that mom\u2019s bedroom door was open and she wasn\u2019t in there. I was really happy about that because maybe that meant she was finally feeling better, and wouldn\u2019t be mad at dad so much, and maybe they could get back together. Now that it was summer and all the plants were growing outside, it was like mom would prune and plant things instead of just watching TV. When I went down the stairs into the kitchen, David was eating a bowl of, what else, Cheerios. I asked him where mom was.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s outside working on the garden\u201d, he said, chewing a mouthful.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s GOOD\u201d, I said, \u201cIf mom gets happier, things will be better around here.\u201d<\/p>\n
David nodded and said, \u201cMaybe she won\u2019t burn the pork chops and hamburgers as much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly\u201d, I said, \u201cAnd maybe we won\u2019t have to listen to her crying at night and calling dad just to yell at him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s really bad\u201d, he said, \u201cBut maybe she\u2019ll make more dinners so we won\u2019t have Domino\u2019s so much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue\u201d, I said, \u201cBut I think I would trade getting pizza, for her not crying and yelling at dad all night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d, he said, \u201cI like getting pizza\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway\u201d, I said, \u201cIt\u2019s the last day of school!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s your favorite day of the year\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t it yours?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNope\u201d, he said, shaking his head, \u201cChristmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s my second favorite\u201d, I said. He nodded, and filled his mouth with another big mouthful of Cheerios. I knew I better get going if I was going to have any time to play soccer before class started.<\/p>\n
Out on the soccer field in the park, Billy and Mike were at their goals for the last morning game. Mike saw me across the field and waved me over.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, comrade\u201d, he said, \u201cLast day of school. The day of liberation!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cComrade?\u201d I asked, \u201cYou sound like a Commie.\u201d He pushed his lips together and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s like being a teammate\u201d, he said, catching a soccer ball kicked towards his goal, \u201cBut when you\u2019re doing something together other than sports.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re doing sports\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut we also do school together\u201d, he said, \u201cAs students, so that\u2019s LIKE being on the same team, but you don\u2019t call it that, so we\u2019re \u2018comrades\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re \u2018students\u2019\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue\u201d, he said, nodding, \u201cBut if I said, \u2018hey, student\u2019, that just doesn\u2019t sound as good.\u201d Mike always thought about stuff a little different than my other friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway\u201d, he said, \u201cI think Billy needs your help on defense more than I do this morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBilly\u201d, I kind of grunted out the word and shook my head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u201d, he said, \u201cStuart told me all about the whole pencils thing. So you\u2019re still pissed Billy told on you? And you, Stuart and Frankie hoped you\u2019d get away with it and have Billy and Gil take all the blame?\u201d I pushed my lips together and just looked at him. He WAS right.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo bury the hatchet\u201d, he said, \u201cLearn your lesson and move on. Go help him fend off the fourth graders.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, maybe\u201d, I said, \u201cBut I was thinking maybe we should get all of us playing soccer to agree to continue playing during the summer. Meet here each morning at the same time.\u201d He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I thought about that\u201d, he said, \u201cBut I don\u2019t think it would work. Some kids could play and others couldn\u2019t, and if we only had a half or a third of the players we have now it wouldn\u2019t be enough for a good game.\u201d I nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrue\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I do have an idea for our last game at lunchtime\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all agree\u201d, he said, \u201cThat for our last game, the fifth graders play on the sixth grade side against the fourth graders AND the sixth graders. Like their \u2018exhibition game\u2019 before being sixth graders next year.\u201d That WAS an interesting idea, but there was a big problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019d get killed\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell yeah\u201d, he said, \u201cIf all us sixth graders played hard, but we could, you know, take it easy on them, give \u2018em a taste of what It\u2019ll be like next year when they\u2019re the \u2018top dogs\u2019.\u201d I nodded. That made sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds cool\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
Mike waved in Andy and Arthur, who were playing defense for Mike\u2019s goal, and told them his idea and they liked it too. Mike told us to yell \u201chush\u201d after he did. Then he went into action.<\/p>\n
\u201cAND A HUSH FELL OVER THE SOCCER FIELDS!\u201d he yelled out so everyone playing on both fields could hear him. Andy, Arthur and I all yelled, \u201cHUSH!\u201d. Other fourth and fifth grade kids playing around us stopped and yelled \u201cHUSH\u201d too. It took a minute but it slowly spread throughout both fields.<\/p>\n
\u201cEVERYBODY WHO CAN HEAR ME RAISE YOUR HAND!\u201d Mike yelled, \u201cAND IF THERE\u2019S A BALL NEAR YOU GRAB IT! I HAVE AN IMPORTANT THING TO SAY!\u201d<\/p>\n
Hands went up all over, sixth graders, fifth graders, fourth graders. Some were looking at each other like \u201cwhat\u2019s going on?\u201d but they stopped, because it was Mike. Of all us sixth grade gods, he was the Zeus, the king of the gods. Soon no one moved and everyone was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cTHANK YOU FOR THAT\u201d, Mike said, not really yelling any more but speaking very loud. He had moved to the middle of the two fields and he turned around to look at everyone around him as he spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cTODAY\u2019S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL\u201d, he said, \u201cHURRAY FOR THAT!\u201d Lots of kids nodded, some said \u201cyeah\u201d or other words like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cME AND THE OTHER SIXTH GRADERS\u201d, he said, \u201cHAVE HAD A GREAT TIME TAKING THE REST OF YOU ON. YOU GUYS ARE GETTING PRETTY DAMN GOOD!\u201d You could tell that the fourth and fifth graders liked it when he said that, especially the swear word.<\/p>\n
\u201cI HAVE A PROPOSAL\u201d, he said, \u201cIF YOU FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS DON\u2019T WANT TO DO IT, THAT\u2019S FINE, BUT WHAT I PROPOSE IS THAT FOR OUR LAST GAME AT LUNCHTIME TODAY BEFORE AFTERNOON CLASS, THE FIFTH GRADERS TAKE THE SIXTH GRADE SIDE OF THE FIELD AND PLAY AGAINST THE FOURTH GRADERS, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF US SIXTH GRADERS THAT IS.\u201d<\/p>\n
All the fourth and fifth graders looked around at each other, and I could see more and more of them liking the idea and nodding. All of us sixth graders were nodding too, even Billy and Gil.<\/p>\n
That Mason kid who was one of the leaders of the fifth graders, said to Mike in a loud voice so everyone could hear, \u201cSO NO MORE CHANCES TO GET THE BALL BY YOU, MIKE. SUCH A SHAME!\u201d A lot of the fifth graders laughed.<\/p>\n
Mike wagged his finger at Mason and said, \u201cI STOPPED MOST OF YOUR SHOTS, MASON, BUT DAMN IF YOU DIDN\u2019T KICK SOME PRETTY GOOD ONES!\u201d Mason smiled and nodded. You could tell he really liked what Mike said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAND JULIAN OVER THERE IN GOAL\u201d, Mike said, pointing at the big fifth grade kid playing one of their goalkeepers, and then wagging his finger at him, \u201cI\u2019VE SEEN YOU KICK A COUPLE OF BALLS ALL THE WAY DOWN THE FIELD AND EVEN SCORED A COUPLE GOALS.\u201d And then Mike grinned and said, \u201cTHOUGH NOT ON ME OF COURSE!\u201d Lots of kids in all three grades laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHEY\u201d, yelled Billy, \u201cWAIT A MINUTE!\u201d Lots of kids laughed. Billy was still one of the sixth grade soccer gods, but everyone, except maybe him, knew he wasn\u2019t much of a goalkeeper.<\/p>\n
Mike turned to Billy across the way and said, \u201cMAYBE IT WAS THE DAYS YOU WEREN\u2019T HERE IN GOAL.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYEAH\u201d, said Billy, smiling, \u201cTHAT SOUNDS RIGHT!\u201d And most of the kids laughed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cBUT TO ALL OF YOU\u201d, Mike said, \u201cIT\u2019S\u2026\u201d The second bell finally rang.<\/p>\n
\u201cIT\u2019S BEEN A PLEASURE!\u201d Mike finished his sentence. Lots of kids were nodding, saying \u201cyeah\u201d and talking with each other as we all headed towards the school for our last morning of class.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
In class that last morning it was just a bunch of \u201cbusywork\u201d, as Mrs Herman called it. We had to turn in all our school books, and some kids had forgotten to bring theirs, so she had to write all that down and have each one of those kids promise to bring them after lunch. There was a class photograph that she gave to every one of us in a manilla envelope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m giving it to you in an envelope\u201d, she said, \u201cSo you can get it home in one piece so your parents can see how good you all look. I\u2019ll miss you guys. Even you boys when you come into class right at the bell with your sweaty bodies and muddy shoes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry about that\u201d, Billy said, and then, \u201cWe\u2019ll miss you too, ma\u2019am.\u201d Some kids laughed, because it was kind of embarrassing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell that\u2019s some praise\u201d, she said, \u201cComing from you, Billy!\u201d<\/p>\n
There was lots of other stuff too. She handed back a lot of our work that we\u2019d done during the year, including pictures we had made that she had put up on the classroom walls. The principal woman came in and Mrs Herman let us talk to each other while she spent some time talking to her quietly in the front of the room.<\/p>\n
Finally she gave each of us an envelope with our report card in it that we were supposed to take home to our parents. Myrna started to open hers up to look at it, but Mrs Herman said, \u201cPlease wait til you get home to look at your report card. If you have any questions or concerns I\u2019ll be here in the classroom after lunch til three, and then for the next couple days during class hours on Monday and Tuesday if you or your parents want to come by with any questions about it or any other loose ends from the year.\u201d<\/p>\n
She looked at the clock on the wall over the door and said, \u201cNot quite ten but you\u2019re all free to go home. I just want to say I\u2019ve enjoyed having all of you in my class, and I hope you have a good summer and a great year of junior high next year, at Tappan, or wherever you end up next.\u201d<\/p>\n
Suddenly, we were done. We didn\u2019t have to come back for the afternoon. We didn\u2019t have to wait for that last afternoon bell to ring. I WAS DONE! Done with elementary school FOREVER! I wasn\u2019t sure what junior high at Tappan was going to be like in the fall, Stuart had said that his older brother who went there said it had a THOUSAND kids. But I didn\u2019t want to think about that now. I just wanted to think about sleeping in in the mornings, playing in the park with all my friends, playing my wargames, and playing my first Little League game for the Tube Benders tomorrow, and all the other games for the rest of the season. I wanted to show all my friends on the team, and myself I guess, how good I was at hitting and playing first base.<\/p>\n
As we all stood up and started talking to each other, some kids leaving the room, Mrs Herman walked toward me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCooper\u201d, she said, \u201cCan I talk to you for a moment before you go?\u201d Frankie and Stuart gave me worried looks like why was I in trouble again.<\/p>\n
She saw them, shook her head, and laughed through her nose, and said to them, \u201cNo\u2026 he\u2019s not in trouble, I just want him to pass something on to his mother. It\u2019ll just be a minute, then I\u2019ll let him go.\u201d<\/p>\n
They looked at me like they didn\u2019t quite believe that, but nodded and headed out of the room with everyone else.<\/p>\n
When everyone else had left she said to me, \u201cI didn\u2019t see your mother at the last two school board meetings, and I was concerned. How\u2019s she doing?\u201d She looked worried. Even though she knew mom and dad were divorced, I didn\u2019t know what to say to her. I didn\u2019t talk to ANYBODY about how mom was doing, except for David.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh, okay, I guess\u201d, I said. I would be embarrassed to tell her mom had been really sad and been talking about how she couldn\u2019t go on like this. She nodded, but I could tell she could tell I wasn\u2019t telling her what was really going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, so\u2026\u201d, she said, like she was trying to think what to say next and maybe how to say it, \u201cTell your mother that I missed seeing her at the board meetings and I\u2019m thinking of her, and if she ever wants to call and talk\u2026 well, I\u2019d like that.\u201d I nodded, but didn\u2019t say anything and looked out the window and saw sixth grade kids from the other class out on the yard around the school, and kids from my class starting to join them. Well, I don\u2019t know what Mrs Herman thought of ME, but she still liked mom, EVERYBODY did.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway\u201d, she said, \u201cEnjoy your summer, and good luck next year at Tappan. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ll do quite well. And if you have Shirley\u2026\u201d, she paused then said, \u201cMrs Wilkinson for English, tell her Mrs Herman says hello.\u201d I nodded again, but still didn\u2019t say anything, and looked out the window down at the other six graders.<\/p>\n
She made a clicking noise with her mouth and waved me away from her and said, \u201cGo, go, go\u2026 but please give your mom that message.\u201d I nodded once more and ran out of the room, glad our talk was done and I was finally free.<\/p>\n
When I got outside I saw Mike sitting on top of a picnic table by the school with lots of the other sixth-grade boys that played soccer with us around him. I ran over to join them, Mike seeing me and waving to me to join them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Coop\u201d, he said, \u201cI was just telling everyone that even though we don\u2019t have our afternoon class today\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOr ever again\u201d, said Arthur, shaking his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight\u201d, Mike said, but continued, \u201cI was telling everyone that I think we should all try to come back right after lunch before afternoon first bell and play that special soccer game with the fourth graders against the fifth we agreed to this morning.\u201d He looked around and asked, \u201cIs everybody good with that?\u201d Everybody nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay, good\u201d, Mike said, nodding, \u201cSee you all then!\u201d<\/p>\n
As other kids started to head home, Frankie called out, \u201cSo Coop, what did Mrs Herman say to you?\u201d Other kids turned to look at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, Frankie\u201d, Mike said, \u201cThat\u2019s really none of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frankie waved his hand in front of his face and said, \u201cWhatever. Just curious.\u201d Mike kind of smiled with his mouth closed and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just glad we\u2019re done with her\u201d, Frankie ssid, like he wasn\u2019t going to let Mike tell him what to do, \u201cYou know\u2026 \u2018no more teacher\u2019s dirty looks\u2019.\u201d Billy laughed at that.<\/p>\n
Mike kind of looked up at the sky and said, \u201cAnyway\u2026 anyone who can, let’s meet back here just after Noon, okay?\u201d Kids nodded again as they walked away, headed home.<\/p>\n
I went home and the car was gone and I figured mom was out shopping, she usually went to the A and P on Friday to buy groceries. The doors were locked and I had to go down the driveway and into our underground garage to get the key that mom left in a corner under a big rock. It was also where we kept our bicycles – my 24 inch Schwinn, my old 22 inch one that was now David\u2019s, and mom\u2019s old black Raleigh three-speed. We also kept the shovel, garden rake, and the leaf rake there.<\/p>\n
I could have used the key to open the door between the garage and the basement, but I didn\u2019t like to do that. Even though David and I played a lot together down in the basement, it could feel kind of spooky down there all by myself. And extra spooky if I went into the basement through the door from the garage, which I almost never did. If I HAD used that door, then once I\u2019d unlocked it, I could put the key back under the rock, so I didn\u2019t forget to put it back again.<\/p>\n
I remembered that one time I had forgotten to put it back and mom had accidentally locked herself out, without her regular keys, and since the extra key wasn\u2019t where it should be under that rock in the garage, mom had to go over to Abby and Steve\u2019s house and call a locksmith to come and get the door open, and it took a long time and cost a bunch of extra money and she was really mad at me. So as soon as I went up the driveway and unlocked the front door, I ran back down into the garage and put the key back in its hiding place.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
When David finally came home for lunchtime, I told him that us six-graders were done for the day. He said what he always said, when I got to do something he didn\u2019t, or in this case NOT do something he still had to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not fair\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAge has its privileges\u201d, I said to him. I had heard Gil\u2019s older sister say that to him in the park.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell does that mean?\u201d he asked. I had never heard him swear before.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get extra stuff when you get older\u201d, I said, and then to tease him a little in a friendly way, \u201cYou know, when you’re not such a pest!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHa ha\u201d, he said. He had figured out to say that whenever I tried to tease him now.<\/p>\n
I made a ham and cheese sandwich with mustard for lunch and sat out on our front porch to eat it, so I could watch if anything was happening out on the soccer field. Finally I saw kids out there, but mostly fourth and fifth graders. Then I saw that Mike and Arthur were there too and the other kids were around them and Mike was talking, but he was too far away for me to hear what he was saying. The fifth graders were all going over on the sixth grade side of the field and Mike and Arthur were talking to the fourth-graders on the other side. I saw other kids coming from all the corners of the park. I gulped down my sandwich and ran over into the park to join them.<\/p>\n
By the time I got over to the soccer fields they were starting to play, but only with one ball. Mike and Arthur were holding the four other balls that I guess Coach Bing had left out for us to use.<\/p>\n
When I got close, Mike saw me, shook his head and said, \u201cWell\u2026 one problem I didn\u2019t think of. None of the fourth graders had really done much goalkeeping. I need to show them how to do it. Better me than Billy, right?\u201d I laughed through my nose and nodded.<\/p>\n
Mike pointed at a kid standing near him and said, \u201cThis Ronnie guy said he\u2019d like to try to play goal and that maybe his friend Seth would play in the other one.\u201d He pointed at another kid standing next to Ronnie looking kind of shy, \u201cArthur suggested that maybe YOU should help Seth rather than him. You up to it? You know, just tell him the basics. He can stop or catch the ball with his hands. Then he can throw the ball to one of his teammates or just kick it as far as he can towards the other side. I think they\u2019re both pretty good kickers.\u201d<\/p>\n
I agreed to do that and Mike tossed me one of the other soccer balls he was holding. I walked with Seth over to the other goal and told him pretty much the same stuff that Mike had about what to do. I had him set the ball down in front of him and kick it as hard as he could toward the other side of the field. He kicked it about half way.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot bad\u201d, I said, \u201cNow you should have, you know, like three kids out in front of you playing defense. One in the middle, one on the left, and one on the right. I can play in the middle at least.\u201d Seth nodded.<\/p>\n
Another fourth-grade kid listening to us said, \u201cI\u2019ll play defense on the left\u201d, and he got HIS friend to play on the right.<\/p>\n
So we started playing, just two balls going at first, but as more kids got there, including other sixth-graders, we had all five balls going. The fifth-graders were scoring all the goals until one fourth-grade kid, who other fourth-graders said was named Marcus, kicked one through. All the fourth-grade kids that saw it cheered.<\/p>\n
Billy and Gil finally joined the game and went over to Seth at the goal behind me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you know what you’re doing, kid?\u201d Billy asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so\u201d, said Seth, looking a little worried now. I think a lot of the fourth-graders were kind of scared of Billy because he was always so loud and telling kids on the other team that they could never score on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell stick with me, kid\u201d, Billy said, grinning, \u201cI\u2019ll have you playing like a champ by second bell. It\u2019s all about STYLE!\u201d Seth nodded and looked over at me watching him and Billy and opened his eyes wide. I laughed through my nose again and shook my head.<\/p>\n
First bell rang and we all kept playing til second bell rang. Mike showed some of the fourth graders where Coach Bing wanted them to put the balls by the front door of the school when they were done. All us sixth-graders who had played with the fourth-graders gathered in kind of a circle, because we didn\u2019t have to go back to school for the last afternoon class like the fourth and fifth-graders. I figured everyone was expecting Mike to say something, but it was Billy who decided to talk before Mike could.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur last time on the soccer fields against the fourth and fifth-graders\u201d, he said, \u201cI don\u2019t know about you guys, but it\u2019s kind of sad. I\u2019m going to miss it!\u201d I looked to see if Mike was going to say something next, but he was just nodding and looking down at the ground. Other kids were doing that too.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe we could organize some soccer games over the summer\u201d, said Peter.<\/p>\n
\u201cNah\u201d, said Stuart, shaking his head slowly, \u201cYou could barely get ten guys to play for a pickup game. Five on a side just wouldn\u2019t be the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow baseball\u201d, he said, \u201cThat\u2019s different. I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll see all of you out here for plenty of pickup games. And we have the BIG GAME July thirteenth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBig game?\u201d asked Billy, \u201cWhat big game?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCheck your schedule, Boyd\u201d, Stuart said using Billy\u2019s last name, his eyes twinkling, \u201cHuron Valley Bank versus Michigan Tube Benders. The game\u2019s at Allmendinger.\u201d Stuart and Mike were playing for Huron Valley Bank again this year. Me, Billy, Gil, Teddy, Cal, Andy, Peter, Todd and Grant were all playing for the Tube Benders.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou guys won last year\u201d, said Todd, \u201cBut we\u2019re going to kick your butts this time. We\u2019ll make sure Grant pitches for this one.\u201d We played two games a week and each pitcher on your team could only pitch one of the two games.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, well\u201d, Stuart said, I knew he liked this kind of fierce talk, \u201cWE\u2019LL make sure Mike\u2019s on the mound too. We\u2019ll wipe you guys\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Mike broke in and finally said something, \u201cIt should be a fun game. I\u2019m looking forward to it. I\u2019ve seen you pitch Grant. You\u2019re really good!\u201d<\/p>\n
Grant, who didn\u2019t usually say very much, nodded and said, \u201cThanks. You too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Todd said we should come back to the park in a half hour and get a pickup game going. Most of the kids there agreed to come back, and we all headed off in our own directions. I walked with Andy over toward my house.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you think we can beat \u2018em?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know\u201d, I said, \u201cThey\u2019re really good.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCmon\u201d, he said, \u201cWhere\u2019s your team spirit?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just like getting the chance to play\u201d, I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah yeah yeah\u201d, he said, \u201cYou sound like Mike.\u201d<\/p>\n
I had missed all last year with my broken collarbone. I WAS just really happy to have a chance to play. I always wanted to play really good, but it wasn\u2019t important to me that my team always won, as long as I played good and it was fun.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It was Friday morning, the last day of school, and the CK DJ on my clock radio woke me up\u2026 Twenty twenty weather word, \u201cAhhh\u201d. For many of you out there, boys and girls, it\u2019s the last day of school, the day of liberation. Sunny and low sixties this morning going up to mid seventies […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[1777,13,1774,1773,1799,1800,1775],"class_list":["post-7901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventure","tag-1960s","tag-ann-arbor","tag-autobiography","tag-childhood","tag-free-range-kid","tag-growing-up","tag-memoir"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t