Long Islanders

4 - Summer Days

When Jimmy's second grounding was over, he practically raced outside and it wasn't long before he and his friends had gathered at the top of a nearby hill, an empty barrel John had found and brought with him sitting beside him on the rocky surface.

"So, what's the plan?" Tim asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"Something exciting," John promised. "Jimmy's back with us after being grounded for a while. So, I've decided we will roll down this hill!" He gestured grandly to the hill and everyone looked down its slope before looking back at him.

"Doesn't sound too exciting," Nathaniel muttered.

"You want us to roll down the hill?" Jimmy asked skeptically.

John shook his head. "No! Well, yes. But we're not just going to roll down the hill. We're going to roll down...in this barrel!"

Now everyone's interest was piqued.

"We all have to agree to roll down in the barrel," John instructed. "Every single one of us. Tied up. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Say it," John ordered.

"We will roll down in the barrel," all the boys chorused.

"All right, then!" Andrew cried. "Who's up first?"

Everyone voted for Jimmy to roll down first, so he allowed Tim and Brian to tie him up with a piece of rope John had brought and slid into the barrel, crouching down. Andrew gave him a thumbs up and together with John, pushed the barrel onto its side and shoved it down the hill.

Jimmy instantly regretted it.

The barrel rolled down the hill, picking up speed as it bumped over rocks and uneven patches. Jimmy was jostled back and forth, nausea forming in his stomach as he slammed into the sides of the barrel.

At the bottom of the hill, the barrel came to a jarring halt, almost making Jimmy throw up. His vision swam as he glanced up through the hole. Within a moment, Andrew's blurry face appeared there, grinning at him.

"How was it, Jimmy?"

"Dizzy," Jimmy managed to say, as Andrew knelt down and hauled him out. With Tim's help, they untied Jimmy and the three of them pushed the barrel back up the hill.

Jimmy's queasy expression was enough to make some of the boys look doubtfully at the barrel, but John made everyone hold to their word. One by one, the boys allowed themselves to be tied up and clambered into the barrel before being shoved down the hill.

It was a lot funnier to watch everyone else go down than it had been to roll down the hill, Jimmy could say that. Each one of them staggered back up the hill, looking sick to their stomach as the others helped roll the barrel back up to the top.

As the last boy, Paul, climbed into the barrel and rolled down the hill, John crouched down and picked up a rock. With a look at the barrel, he suddenly threw it.

The rock bounded off the barrel with a thud as Roger scooped up a rock and hurled it after the barrel. Then everyone else got in on the act and followed the barrel down the hill, whipping rocks after it.

Yelling came from the barrel as it reached the bottom of the hill. When it came to a stop, the rocks continued to pelt it for a moment longer before the boys stopped.

"What was that for?" Paul asked as they hauled him out. A bruise was blooming on the side of his face from where a stray rock had struck him.

John shrugged as the other boys glanced down guiltily on seeing Paul's bruise. "Watching the barrel just got boring."

While Paul accepted that explanation, his mother, meanwhile, did not. After walking Paul back to his house, they had to endure a lecture before they left, only slightly chastened as her words rang in their ears.

***

The summer days were filled with fun activities just as they were filled with hot, sweltering days which would often chase the boys down into one of the local sumps. They went for long bike rides, stopping at the local grocery store to purchase sodas and put it in the fridge there so that on the ride back, they could have something cool and refreshing to drink before continuing home. They played baseball, Stanwich style, with fouls and frequent fights.

The baseball games always made Jimmy remember Big Dan, a kid Jimmy had played baseball with in elementary school, and that one game....

Jimmy had been at bat, eyes fixed on the pitcher. Big Dan was on first base, having just hit, waiting for the ball.

The pitcher wound up and threw the ball towards home plate. Jimmy swung his bat, feeling the shudder as the wood connected with the ball, sending it flying across the field. It was a home run.

Tossing the bat to the side, Jimmy sprinted for first base as Big Dan started out for second, his run slow. His entire team was cheering "Go! Go!" as Jimmy flew past first and headed for second. His sneaker hit the base as Don was halfway to third and he pelted after his teammate, racing for third.

Don hit third and started for home, still at his slow speed. Right before Jimmy reached third base, his speed showing no sign of slowing, his coach started to yell.

"Jimmy! Stop! You can't pass Dan!"

Jimmy threw his weight backwards, sliding into third base. The other team had grabbed the ball and was too close for him to make it to home base, but Dan managed to reach it before they threw the ball to the catcher.

"Safe!" the umpire called as Dan crossed the plate.

But those weren't the only summer activities. Jimmy also got to take his skateboard out and ride it down the hill with the old Volkswagen bug parked alongside it.

His friend Henry went with him. Both boys coasted down the hill, Jimmy in the lead. He flashed past the Volkswagen bug, the piles of sand around its tires barely noticeable as he flew down the hill.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, Jimmy rode his skateboard into the parking lot of the grocery store, carefully circling before he had gotten his speed under control. He hopped off his board and kicked it up so he could grab it, a frown creasing his brow as he looked for Henry.

Picking up his board, Jimmy started back towards the hill and met Henry walking down the hill. "What happened?" Jimmy asked him.

Henry jerked his head back up the hill. "Oh, I ran into the bug."

Jimmy glanced up the hill. "The Volkswagen bug? You mean the one that always sits there?"

Henry grimaced. "Yep."