The Knife Thrower

by Mysoapbox

It took a little convincing to get Becky to sit on his bike's handlebars. But once she felt stable, and trusted him when he promised to go slowly, they did fine. Chuck was glad when they got to his intended destination, a park only a few blocks away. It wasn't like she was heavy or anything, but the sun was hot and he was feeling a little out of breath.

Becky seemed glad to have her feet back on solid ground. Chuck walked his bike across the basketball court with its cracked cement and netless hoops and leaned his bike against the chain link fence.

Her eyes were questioning, but she didn't say anything as he led her across the grass to a small covered pavilion with picnic benches. Around the corner, he could hear the hum of the Coke machine.

Chuck swung off his backpack and fished around in the front pocket. Pushing in some coins, soon he was holding a Coke in his hand.

"What'll you have?" he asked.

"This is the soda you promised me?" Becky asked in a disbelieving tone.

"The coolest drinks in town," Chuck assured her.

Looking around, Becky seemed to consider her choices. She walked around to the side of the machine as if she were looking for something. "I can't believe you can reach the power cord," she said. "People around here are so gullible."

"Yeah, so what?" Chuck said, trying not to be offended.

"Now we can get free soda, that's what." She bent over to reach for the cord. "Now, when I say 'three', put your quarters in and hold the coin return button…"

Chuck, a little surprised that she would even know how to do this, reached over and took Becky by the arm. "Hey, that's okay. I have the money." He gently pulled her around to the front. "Anyway, if we do it that way, how will I get brownie points for buying you a soda?" He smiled, hoping that she wouldn't be offended at him not wanting to steal from the machine. To his great relief, she smiled back.

"Root beer please," she said.

"A&W? A fine choice." Chuck's two quarters clinked as he pushed the button. "Though, I thought you'd be more of a Cherry Coke kind of girl." He reached down and pulled out the soda, cold and damp, and handed it to her.

Chuck picked up his own can. "Do you want to sit?" Becky headed for one of the picnic tables. "No, not here. Follow me," Chuck said.

He led her out of the pavilion, across the grass, towards a playground where a few children played on the slide and monkey bars. Finding a spot in the shade, Chuck sat down on the cement curb surrounding the play area and then gestured for Becky to sit as well. "Me and Morgan hang out here all the time," he said.

"Morgan? That kid you were with last night?"

"Yep."

"President of the audio whatever club?"

"Audio Visual Club, and yeah, that's him."

"You've been friends long?" Becky asked.

"Since third grade."

"You're lucky," Becky said.

Chuck balanced his Coke on the curb and started to untie his shoes. "I know, right?"

"Rock in your shoe?" Becky asked, pulling the tab on her drink. The can hissed.

Chuck smiled. "No, this is part of it." He pulled off his shoes, and with one stroke each, his tube socks, and then burrowed his feet deep into the cool playground sand.

"Go ahead," he said to Becky.

"Go ahead, what?"

"Come on, take off your shoes. You'll love it."

Becky wrinkled her nose. "You are the strangest person I've ever met." But a heartbeat later she cocked her head to the side, shrugged a little, and then started to take off her shoes. She sighed as she wiggled her feet into the sand.

"See? I told you, you'd love it," Chuck said.

Becky smiled. "Just like a day at the beach."

Chuck buried his feet deep into the sand until he could feel the coolness against his soles. They sat quietly, sipping at their drinks. Chuck could hear kids playing off in the distance. Chuck glanced over at the girl. She seemed perfectly content to sit in silence, but Chuck was bubbling over with questions. He just wasn't sure where to begin. "Have you gone much?" Chuck asked.

"To the beach? A few times."

"Do you like it?"

"I liked Florida the best. The water is so warm and the sand is white, like sugar."

"Florida? Wow. I've never been."

"Yeah, my dad and I've been everywhere." Becky put down her drink and started to push the sand into a pile around her feet.

"Is your dad a salesman or something?"

"Yeah, something like that," she said flatly.

"Have you been to Boston or New York?"

"I just told you. I've been everywhere." She started to push sand around her ankles

"Have you been up in the Statue of Liberty?"

"No. But I've seen it from Manhattan. My dad isn't big on boats."

"I've always wanted to go up in the Statue of Liberty. I've heard you can see the whole city from there."

Becky only smiled and kept pushing sand.

"I wish you could still go up in the torch though. That would be cool. But they shut it down like sixty years ago, after an explosion. They said it wasn't strong enough. It's only a hundred and fifty feet tall you know."

"The torch?" Becky asked.

"The Statue of Liberty," Chuck said. "People think it's taller, but it's only because of the pedestal. It's a hundred and fifty feet too, so it makes it seem much taller than it really is."

"It looked tall to me," Becky offered.

"But half of that tallness is really just the base. If you took the statue itself and put it in middle of New York City it would be dwarfed by the other buildings. Like half the size." Chuck gestured the sizes with his hands for emphases. "But they put it on that tall pedestal, and then out on the island in the ocean, and then it looks tall. So… yeah…That's why it looks tall, but it really isn't…that tall." Chuck cleared his throat and took a long drink from his can.

Becky only nodded as she tamped down the sand all around her feet. She wiggled her toes and the sand cracked and shifted. "Do you go much?" she asked.

"To New York? No, I told you. I've never been."

"No, I mean, to the beach," Becky clarified.

"Oh. No. I used to. My mom would take Ellie and me when I was really little. Elle, that's my older sister. She'd take Ellie and me every summer. Before… you know."

"Sounds nice."

Chuck sighed. "Yeah. The parts I can remember."

"I don't have brothers or sisters," Becky offered.

"No?"

"Just me and my dad."

"I used to think Ellie was a pain. But then when mom left… she really stepped up. Ya know? She didn't have to, but she did. And with dad so busy all the time…" Chuck took the last drink from his can, and crushed it in his hand.

"You're lucky to have her."

"Yeah," Chuck agreed.

Chuck looked out over the playground. Some kids were racing each other around and around on the slide while a dad sat on a nearby bench. His dad would have never taken him to the park. His dad was home a lot, but not really ever home. Chuck felt a nudge at his side. He turned and looked and saw Becky's smiling face looking up at him. He smiled back.

"Talk to me, Chuck," she said. "What 'cha thinking about?"

"Just about my dad."

"What about him?"

"Just that I miss him. I know that sounds crazy, because he's right here. I mean, he's probably at home right now. But I see other families, like that one right there, those kids playing, and I think that my life has never been like that." Chuck picked up a stray twig and started to break it between his fingers. "Don't get me wrong. He's great. Really great. And I know he loves me and Ellie. It's just that there is a part of him that is never with us. It's like his mind is always on his work. It's been worse since mom left."

Becky looked out in the direction of the children playing for a long time. When she looked back to him, it was like her eyes were sparkling in the light filtering down through the tree branches.

"He doesn't know what he's missing," she finally said.

Chuck didn't know what to say to that, so he just acknowledged it with a nod and a smile.

"Here you are!" Chuck heard Morgan's voice from behind. He turned to see Morgan striding towards them. "I've been looking all over for you. I thought we had a Wolfenstein 3D date this afternoon." Morgan seemed to notice Becky for the first time. "Oh, hi. Becky right?"

"Morgan," Chuck growled, "I told you I was busy."

"You're not busy. You're just sitting there," Morgan observed.

"I ran into Becky here, and I was… I was showing her around. That's what good neighbors do. They show new neighbors… old… neighborhood stuff."

Morgan squinted his eyes. "Okay. I see what's going on here."

"Good," Chuck said. "Go on then. I'll see you later."

"No, It's fine, Chuck. She can come. I only have two joysticks, but she can watch. Or you guys could take turns."

Chuck rolled his eyes. "No, Morgan…"

"I need to get going, anyway," Becky interrupted. She quickly pulled her feet out of the sand and reached for her shoes. "I'm sure my dad is wondering where I am. It was nice seeing you again, Morgan. Thanks for the soda, Chuck." She turned and hurried down the sidewalk.

After watching her turn the corner and out of sight, Chuck turned to his friend. "Morgan!" he said angrily.

Morgan looked shocked. "What?!"