A Story from Lennie and George's Childhood
In the deep heart of California,, where the dark forest meets the open green plains, falling down the foothill slopes of the mountain, the burning morning sun lies on the short fresh grass. In the cool shade of the trees the forest birds sang their loud song for the breaking of the day, with a gust of wind, a crack of a breaking stick and a flap of feathery wings the birds took off towards the heavens and a cluster of broad and rowdy boys broke through the trees into the warm summer sun.
A moment later another taller, broader boy came crashing through the trees stumbling in to the clearing behind the others. He looked around uneasily, trying to find some comfort within the new and unfamiliar place. He looked over to the group of boys and began to follow at a slow uneasy pace.
The group spread across the green field as if trying to look for something in particular; soon all the boys were together again standing in the middle of the field standing in a large circle as if waiting for something to happen - everything was still, no wild birds moved in the mountain trees, no one moved only the slightest wind came off the mountain blowing through the ill fitting clothes of the boys. The tallest boy stepped forward in to the middle, his long dark hair wiping over his face, his long thin lips curled up in to a small smirk, his gray eye twinkling with a childish laughter that is so common in youth.
'Right, Boys you know the rules! Make it back to the town without getting caught! Got that?' He looked at each boy in turn, his gaze demanding a nod from each person.
He finally turned to the last person in the circle, his grey eyes travelled up the strong build of the boy, taking in his shapeless face with pale watery blue eyes; his shoulders sloped and moving nervously from foot to foot, and his huge paw, like hands holding the bottom of his grubby, dirty stained jacket.
'What about you? ' Lennie's face was blank and unregistering - looking at the boy in front of him 'Hay, I say Lennie! Do you understand the Game?'
The boy shook his head slightly, muttering how unlucky he was that 'that big lump' was one his team. Turning to the boy next Lennie, unlike Lennie he was thin and athletic, his face dark and defined, his small brown eyes looking straight back and the boy facing him.
'George, make sure he don't get caught, I do not want to face his Aunt Clara,' he said with a slight shake of his head. He turned to the rest of the group the smirk back on his face again.
Suddenly all the boys were alive with excitement…
They all began to move towards the thick dark trees calling and shouting to each other. Soon the forest was alive with wild animals running out of the way from the group of boys. Birds flapped their wings and rabbits hopped in to the security of their burrows.
George and Lennie walked through the forest, weaving through the tall trees, looking about for the other team.
'George, George! I, I don't want 'a play this game no more' Lennie looked over to him timidly. George stopped, pushed his sand coloured hair out of his face, and looked back towards Lennie; shaking his head he turned to face him.
'Well ain't that just great, I'm out here in the middle of nowhere and you don't want to play the game no more, he copied Lennie's voice, spitting on the ground beside him: 'Well tough! There is only one way back from here and that's by walking. Now come on, you son of bitch.'
With that George began to walk through the thicket again, pushing the branches out of the way. He stopped when he didn't hear Lennie's footsteps, turning to see Lennie eyes closed and crouching on the ground with his arm down a rabbit hole
'Lennie what the hell do you think you're doing?'
Lennie seemed not to have heard George and pushed his hand further down the rabbit hole leaning in to the ground so he was lying in the dirt.
His eyes opened with a flash.
And out of the hole he pulled up a struggling rabbit; he smiled at George and sat back with against a large tree stump having a firm hold on his small grey rabbit. George looked at the boy with pure astonishment on his face.
'Hey Lennie you crazy bustard, what are you doing with that poor rabbit?' He took a step closer to Lennie who was now stroking the rabbit. George came round and sat next to Lennie looking at the rabbit in his arms
'Oh Lennie, I could be home right now, be in my warm bath, ma' old woman cooking me supper. But no here I am in the middle of nowhere with you and the rabbit. Say what do you like about those rabbits anyway?' Lennie looked up at George and gave a small smile, momentarily losing his grip on the rabbit, which decided to jump out of the bare like arms and run for the undergrowth, Lennie looked back at his bare arms and his face began to change, looking about him in rage. He stood up as if trying to look for the rabbit.
'George, it's gone,' he cried George, grabbed his arm and pulled him around to face George
'Lennie, Lennie here is what I'm gonna do! You know the little pet store in town? Yeah well the girl in there sells rabbits, and I'm will go in there and buy you one. Ok but only if we get back in one hour' he let go of Lennie's arm and looked back at the boy.
Lennie was gone.
George looked stunned to where the huge figure of Lennie was run off into the forest, sighing,
George took off after the boy with only one think on his mind – rabbits .