#SaturdayShortStory - Summertime

"If there isn't a swimming pool, put on your bathing suit and run through the sprinklers!" - C.A.C.H.

Pink tank top, black biker shorts with a hot pink strip on each side. 

Pink and black fanny pack. 

White socks, white Keds, and pink glasses.  

Pink and white bike with pink tassels hanging from the handlebars. 

I’m off to the Candy Lady’s store. 

Cut through the yard, through the trail to Lee street, duck down when cars come, sneak across Marie street, dip back into the trail and I’m there.

Surrounded by Hot Fries, penny bubble gum, pickles, laffy taffys, now & laters, Doritos, grape Faygos, and $0.50 honey buns. 

Stash my goodies in my fanny pack, back on my bike, back through the trail, cut through the yard, sneak in the house, shoes off and within minutes I’m on a sugar high.

I hear laughing and playing outside. 

I’m barefoot on the road. 

My feet sting from the hot ground but I’m unbothered. 

I sit at the top of the driveway and watch my brothers compete to see who can spit watermelon seeds the furthest. 

I’m holding a sweet triangle in my hand. 

I’m not a real fan.  

I just want to be down. 

My hands are sticky from the juice creeping in between my fingers and down to my leg.

We’re up.

We're moving. 

We're riding bikes.

We're racing bikes. 

I’m the smallest.

I'm the youngest.

Sometimes I'm the only girl.

I keep riding anyway.  

We play cops and robbers.

We throw pine cones at any brave soul who dare rides their bike passed the ditches where we hide. 

Later we swim in those ditches in the rain water from the day before. 

Mama made me sit outside until I dried off. 

It was supposed to be my punishment but I was outside. 

I never stopped exploring. 

I knew that it wasn’t right for me to swim in that ditch.

It was so hot.

Sweat was dripping down my back, around my ears, and between my eyes.  

It was probably lizards in that water.

It felt so good.

I dried off from my adventure in the man-made swimming pool.

The daddy long legs scurried around the front steps.

A roly poly crawled by my bare feet and closed into a ball when I touched it. 

The wind barely blew.

The sun began to set.

The street light come on.

Mama’s yell from their front doors telling us kids that it’s time to come in and eat.

I’m finally dry from my swim... or dry enough.  

I’m dirty. 

I’m dirty from the nap of my neck to my pinky toe. 

I’m two shades darker than when the day started. 

I realize I’m hungry. 

The food coming from the kitchen smells like love. 

Me and my brothers grab paper plates with food and get in our favorite spot in front of the TV.  

Soon we will have to go back to school, but right now… 

It’s summertime.