Чарльз Кроуфорд: Three-Legged Race

Brent watched the second hand creep around the face of the clock. He could hear Lindsay Harper behind him gathering her books together. Miss VanderPoole talked on about the importance of continuing good reading habits during the course of the summer. No one was listening. A lot of kids hadn't even come to school for the last day, now that report cards were mailed home.

The bell rang.

The class cheered. Brent leaped from his seat as the class swirled around him. Everyone rushed for the door.

Brent could hear Miss VanderPoole shouting after them to have a good summer. He turned and waved at her and she smiled back.

The hallway rang with the sound of banging lockers and running feet. Brent was jostled several times and gave a push or two back.

Tom stopped by Brent's locker and said, "You coming over to the swim club?"

"Maybe," Brent replied. "I'll see you later."

Jim ran by and slammed Tom on the head with a book. Tom rushed on down the hall after him.

It was incredible how fast the corridor cleared, Brent thought. He saw the last few people disappearing down the stairs in the distance. The floor was littered with notebook paper and gum wrappers.

Brent opened his locker and took out his sneakers and gym shorts. The banging of the metal echoed in the empty hallway. He checked to make sure there was nothing left inside and then closed the locker door. He turned and walked down the steps. He could hear the roar of the buses as they swung away from the bus loop below.

When Brent got to the first floor, he stopped by the art room. Mr.Samuelson was taking the last few prints down from the wall. The room looked bare and colorless.

"Hi, Brent," Mr.Samuelson said. "Glad that summer's here?"

"Kind of," Brent replied. "I just wanted to pick up those watercolors I did this year."

"Sorry to hear that, Brent. I was hoping you would forget; I need something over my mantel. I hope you'll keep up with it this summer."

"Oh, I will, Mr.Samuelson. I always get a lot of stuff done when we're up in Maine."

"Good. It's important not to let yourself get stale."

"Well, thanks for all the help this year. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. It's good to have a student like you every once in a while, Brent. Have a nice summer."

"Thanks. I will."

Brent rolled the watercolors up and put them under his left arm. He walked from the art room, through the commons and out into the June sunshine. It was hot. It would be a hot summer, he guessed.

For a minute Brent considered walking up to Gino's in the center of Louella for a hamburger and a Coke. Everybody would be there. They'd all be laughing and talking and making plans for the summer. Brent decided not to go. He didn't feel like all that joking and noise right then. He'd see them all plenty of times over at the club anyway.

Brent walked up Windermere Avenue with his paintings under the one arm and his sneakers slung over his right shoulder. The trees made a bright green canopy over the street. Brent strolled slowly through the circles of light and shadow. The sounds of little kids playing drifted from a backyard somewhere. The large houses with their big front porches looked quiet and composed in the June sun.

It's like a Monet painting, Brent thought.

When Brent closed the front door behind him, his mother called from the kitchen, "Is that you, Brent?"

"Yes, Mom," Brent shouted back.

"Come on into the kitchen. There are some cupcakes if you're hungry."

Brent walked through the dining room into the kitchen. His mother was stirring something on the stove. It smelled good.

"Your sister's been and gone already. I just got back from running her over to the pool. They're having tryouts for the swim team this afternoon. Listen, Brent, if she doesn't happen to make it, you be nice to her at dinner tonight. She'll be heartbroken."

"Don't sweat it, Mom," Brent said. "She's a cinch to make it. She's half frog."

His mother laughed. "I suppose I worry too much about you two. How's it feel to be out for the summer? I would have thought you'd have gone up to Gino's with the guys this afternoon or over to the pool. Aren't you celebrating?"

"I decided not to. Maybe I'll hitch over to the club later. I'll see more than enough of them in the next few weeks anyway."

"Well, I think you spend too much time by yourself, Brent."

"It's okay, Mom. I enjoy it. When will we be headed for the island?"

"Probably not until sometime later in July. Your father's got too many things pressing at the office to get away right now. We'll have plenty of time there, don't worry."

"I wish we were going up sooner. That's the best part of the summer. I always feel like I'm bumming around and wasting time at home in the summer. Like at loose ends, you know."

"You can always do some painting, Brent," his mother said. "And the swim club is always there. I'm sure you'll find plenty to keep you occupied until we go."

"Oh, I know. I just like the island better, is all."

"I know you do. I wish we could be going up earlier too. But then Betsy wouldn't have the time to compete on the swim team, so it all works out for the best. You'll just have to be patient."

"You know what I'd like to do this weekend?" Brent said.

"What?"

"Do you think Uncle George would like a painting of his barn for a Christmas present?"

"Oh, I know he would. He'd think that was pretty special."

"Well, I'd love to get out of Louella for a day or two before the same old summer routine starts. I thought maybe I'd ask Uncle George if I could come out to the farm for the weekend. I'll do a picture of the barn, I just won't tell him it's for him."

"I think it's a fine idea."

"And it will get me warmed up for the things I want to paint up at the island this summer. Is it okay with you?"

"Sure. And I know your father won't mind. I'll give Uncle George a call this evening."

"Thanks, Mom. I figure I can get it pretty well roughed out in a day or so, if only John would leave me alone while I'm there."

"That might not be so easy." Brent's mother laughed. "You know how much he looks up to you. You may just have to put up with a lot of him."

"I guess. But he's a pain."

"Well, I'm sure you'll live," his mother chuckled. "You were seven once too, you know."

Brent finished his cupcake and the glass of milk. He left the kitchen and went upstairs to check over his paint supplies.

It seemed right to him to be going away for a couple of days just after school was out, instead of rushing over to the pool like everybody else and falling into the regular summer pattern.

I'd go crazy by September if we didn't have the island, he thought. The whole idea of getting over to the swim club before noon and hanging around all day every day messing around with the same people all the time turned him off. He liked the idea of getting away by himself.

Brent had been at his Uncle George's place for only a couple of hours and his younger cousin hadn't left him alone once. He was really getting into the picture now, sketching out in ochers and grays the siding of the barn. But John kept butting in and asking questions, and even had tried once or twice to start a game of tag by punching him on the shoulder and shouting, "You're it!"

Brent didn't want to be mean to John or anything, but he always found it hard to paint while someone was hanging over his shoulder, particularly someone like John, who couldn't sit still for more than thirty seconds.

"Why don't you run along and find out what time lunch is," Brent suggested.

"Mom will give us a call when it's ready," John said.

"Great," Brent replied and tried to concentrate on mixing just the right shade of gold for the sun streak down the roof of the barn. The cedar shingles turned all hazy and soft in the sunlight and he wanted to get it exactly right.