Last day of seventh grade, all I can think about is free time in the summer. It's 2 o'clock the bell is going to ring at 2:40 . Ms. Hammers says ok boys n girls. I know you are all excited let's do twenty mins of free reading quietly before we say our summer goodbyes.
I am not sure how she thought we would comprehend anything with all the thoughts rolling through our brains... Vacations ! Coming back next year as the big shot eighth graders. No homework! Yesssss!!!
As the clock struck 2:19 my heart started to pound and the last thing I remember reading was a quote from Mark Twain - " It is better to be a young June-bug than an old bird of paradise."
All the excitement stopped instantly when the goodbyes started. It was a unexpected sadness knowing you wouldn't see everybody you have been with almost everyday of the last nine months. A few were leaving for different schools.
School was only five days a week but us guys on the sports teams and the cheerleaders were even together on the weekends , for games and practices.
7:30 am Saturday June 3 - my first day of vacation I was out riding my bike with a big smile eating a banana . Funny how Mom during school time would start the " Rise and Shine" chant every morning at 7:20.
I would be pretending I was still asleep until she would pull the covers off me at about 7:40am but on my first day of freedom I was up and out before I would usually get up.
The banana tasted even better! As I finished it I threw the peel up in the air. As it landed in the street I could hear the pounding on a window followed by " Peter , pick that up!" it was Judy the nosy neighbor from across the street. I just looked over at her and laughed.
" I am going to call your Mom and tell her you are a litterbug!" I heard her squeal. To myself I laughed again. Little did she know just a few weeks ago we were learning about biodegradable items and I knew a banana peel was one of them.
I got back home from my early morning ride thinking I was going to watch some tv and just relax. Dad and Mom were now up already doing there weekend morning cleaning. Dad barked at me " where have you been? " my first thought was Sheesh, nosy Judy did call.
I said " I was just out riding my bike." He said get your brother and you guys go clean your room. We have people coming over. There went my idea of kicking back and watching tv.
I didn't even bother asking who was coming. Dad and Mom were quite the entertainers. The only thing that got me kinda excited is that I figured dinner would be BBQ. Whenever people were coming it usually meant Dad was BBQ'n.
