The summer of 1963 gave me a best friend. I was new in town that
summer and I wasn't there by choice. My brother Vincent and I were shipped
off to this little town in Oregon to live with my aunt and uncle after our
parents died.
I really pitied my aunt. Four years before, her oldest son was killed in a Jeep accident. She really fell apart then. And now, her sister and her brother-in-law were dead; the victims of a drunk driver who did not understand the purpose of stop signs.
My cousin and I had only five months between us. He was a doleful looking boy with big, sad eyes, but he had a good sense of humour and he treated me like his sister.
Which sometimes made living with him miserable.
I yanked the brush through my wet hair and winced at the tug. I screeched, "Gordeee!!!"
"You have ten seconds, Toby!" he hollered back.
"Oh, hell," I mumbled. My hair was still wet, and now it looked like a large nest of some sort. Gordie was meeting Chris to play baseball, and was being impatient.
"Five seconds and counting, make that three seconds and counting, oh, no, one second and counting, oh, no, time's up. Gordie Lachance is leaving the building. Gordie Lachance has LEFT the building." The door slammed.
Groaning, I hurried out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the door. I found Gordie standing on the landing, looking quite pleased with himself.
I scowled angrily and took my time with putting my shoes on.
"You're funeee," he laughed. He pointed at my hair. "I think you have a cat on your head. Want me to kill it?"
I really pitied my aunt. Four years before, her oldest son was killed in a Jeep accident. She really fell apart then. And now, her sister and her brother-in-law were dead; the victims of a drunk driver who did not understand the purpose of stop signs.
My cousin and I had only five months between us. He was a doleful looking boy with big, sad eyes, but he had a good sense of humour and he treated me like his sister.
Which sometimes made living with him miserable.
I yanked the brush through my wet hair and winced at the tug. I screeched, "Gordeee!!!"
"You have ten seconds, Toby!" he hollered back.
"Oh, hell," I mumbled. My hair was still wet, and now it looked like a large nest of some sort. Gordie was meeting Chris to play baseball, and was being impatient.
"Five seconds and counting, make that three seconds and counting, oh, no, one second and counting, oh, no, time's up. Gordie Lachance is leaving the building. Gordie Lachance has LEFT the building." The door slammed.
Groaning, I hurried out of the bathroom and down the stairs to the door. I found Gordie standing on the landing, looking quite pleased with himself.
I scowled angrily and took my time with putting my shoes on.
"You're funeee," he laughed. He pointed at my hair. "I think you have a cat on your head. Want me to kill it?"
