Today, it was cold and windy and a strange light is in the sky. Like when it has rained for days and the sun is trying to sneak out from behind the clouds. I decided to take a walk to my favorite spot. The creek down the way behind the old abandoned winery. The winery where me and my brother Jimmy play all day and most of the night on days when we are not in school. My mother said I can go but just for a little bit. She is not feeling good, she said, her back hurts again from the baby. She is pregnant and going to have a baby soon.
I was by myself today, I usually have my brother with me. He had left with my father into town the other day. Well, that’s why I am by myself, you see, I don’t know how to say this but he never came back. He is gone, they say. Not another word they say. They had a funeral and I was there and all. But they never let me see him. I know he was somewhere where we went. I know, I could feel him I could smell the bubble gum from the bubble gum cards I gave him. I could swear I heard his voice. He was at the hospital. I went there with my mother. I told my mother, but she said it was not him and I must of heard someone else.
They all went in to the room, the grownups. They left me sitting outside by myself. They said it would be just a little while, but it was a long time, they never let me see my brother. I thought to myself, “ oh man, jimmy must have hurt himself badâ€Â, like the time when we were at the creek and swinging on the tree swing and the branch broke off. It was so funny. My brother fell and skid his legs and arm and it was bleeding.
I remember I ran over to him and I was laughing and I stopped when I saw the blood. I tried to ask him if he was hurting real bad and he did not say anything. He was holding his side and trying to say something. You see, his wind was knocked out of him and he could not speak until a minute or so. I took my brother home and then I came back and tied the rope on the tree extra strong so it would not break off anymore.
My mother says that my new baby brother will be named jimmy. I do not know why she wants to name two boys named jimmy. All I know is that I have to fix the swing by the creek. I have to fix it good and tight like my father did. I do it everyday about this same time when I get done with school and around 12 noon on the weekends. If it is tight and fixed, I know, I just know, no one will get hurt, not ever again.
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