[at-l] As long as it was...

[Felix <AThiker@smithville.net>]

Plunk. Plunk. Plunk. Green beans were dropping into the bucket at a
fierce pace. Well, at least
from Mrs. Purtlebaugh's row. My green bean plants seemed to be much less
productive. I'm not
sure why that was.

"You've got to look behind the leaves. Like this" she said, showing me
how to look into the
inner-soul of a green bean plant.
"I am. There just aren't that many."
"I'll come help you when I finish this row," she said, wiping her brow
with a handkerchief she
had tucked in a pocket on her sundress. "I want to be done before the
sun gets hot."

"Bea, are you gonna work that boy to death?" came from across the fence.

"I don't think so," Mrs. Purtlebaugh laughed. "I was just thinking that
if he likes to eat green
beans, he could help pick some."

I hated green beans. I actually hated most beans. I also hated picking
them. I hated the way the
leaves from the sweet corn brushed across my neck and made me itch.
Everything had dew
on it. My shirt was soaked. I hated the garden.

"Why don't you run along? I'll finish up here,” she said. She went back
to talking to Mrs.
Thacker. "I saw in the paper that the ‘Five and Dime’ is..." was all I
heard as I rounded the house for
the front yard, and my bike.

Once on my Stingray, I headed to the town square to see who was hanging
out. The five blocks
between Mrs. Purtlebaugh's house and the court house offered an
obstacle-course that is every bike rider's
dream. Maple tree roots pushed sections of sidewalk up like playing
cards strewn about a lawn needing mowed. Curbs and potholes and alleys
all offered their own tests to be passed. The occasional trash can,
or sleeping dog, or morning newspaper to dodge and the trip became a
wonderful challenge.

I made the square just in time to watch the 9:15 train rattle through.
It was always 10:30 when the 9:15 went through. There used to be a story
that told why that was. I never did understand it, and can’t remember it
now. Neither one runs through town anymore.

Nobody was at Montgomery Wards yet. The soda fountain at Kresge’s wasn’t
even open. I stopped at the barbershop to get a sucker. Mr. Thomas said
that Shackley had been there for a cut and was headed to Marco with his
mom. He was thinking of getting a job detasseling corn.

I saw Jenny Spencer coming out of the flower shop on the corner. She was
dressed up and looked nice. I always had a thing for Jenny Spencer.
Nobody ever knew it, though. Not even Jenny. I wondered why she was in
the flower shop and all dressed up on a Wednesday morning. She got in a
car with her dad in it. He wasn’t driving, though. She didn’t even say
anything to me. She never did.

Snap. Snap. Snap. Green beans were being snapped in two and thrown onto
a newspaper. The kitchen table was full of broken green beans and empty
Ball-Mason jars. Mrs. Purtlebaugh was on the telephone.

“Whose car was it?”

I got a grape Nehi out of the refrigerator and opened it.

--
Felix J. McGillicuddy
ME-->GA '98
"Your Move"
http://Felixhikes.tripod.com/



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