Sunday, February 07, 2010

The Guitar Player pg3

Both of the boys had been startled half to death when Barry's father whipped open the tent flap. But they were as much relieved to know from where the snapping twig had come. Barry gave a few moments before slowly peeling back just a hint of space of the tent flap to peer out as Jim sat quietly waiting for the report. His left eye eased up to the opening and he watched the silhouette of his father walk down the grassy hill of the side yard, pass the cluster of trees that protruded from the woods, around the boxwood's, hop the three foot tall section of brick wall that separated the yards holding back the earth from the hill, then onto the patio and into the house. Just a few moments more he waited until the patio light went dark.

"Is he gone?" Jim asked with a whisper.

"He just went in and turned off the patio light so I think the coast is clear." Barry whispered back. "I think we should give it a little time then go make sure their in bed."

"Man, he scared the breath right outta me and my heart almost jumped and ran away."

Both boys laughed trying to suppress the volume for fear that somehow Barry's father would be able to hear even the slightest hint of their voices from inside the house.
Jim reached inside a paper bag and produced a small jar of Rose hip jelly scarfed from his mothers pantry. Fumbling around in the tent he found the half loaf of bread then pulled his boyscout knife from his pants pocket.

"You want some? It's good." He gestured to the jar.

"Sure! What is it?"

"Jelly made from rose bushes."

"Ha ha ha, yea right, Sure it is."

"No really, it is and it's good to. My grandma makes it all the time and has jars of it. We always have some in the mornings when we go to visit. Well, this or any of the others she makes. Grandma cans food all year long then keeps it in her cellar."

Jim spread some of the jelly on a piece of bread, folded it in half and handed it to Barry.

"Go ahead, try it."

Barry put it up to his nose and smelled of it just as Jim was making his own slice. He watched Jim and waited for Jim to take a bite.

"It smells good. You first."

"Go on, try it cause it's real good." Jim gobbled up his piece in four quick chomps then began to make another.
Barry tasted just a tiny bit with the tip of his tongue with small smacking sounds.

"Just eat it you weenie. Good grief it ain't gonna kill you or nuthin."

Barry took a bite and chewed it around, then another until it was gone. He pointed to the jar with his mouth full and made grunting sounds like some animal. Jim handed him the makings while he savored his own sandwich. He kept a close look at Barry and let him make and take another bite. A glob fell from the bread and while Barry leaned back to see where it went on his sleeping bag he raised the sandwich up for another bite and Jim took advantage of the situation. Barry was to focused to see where the glop went to notice Jim lean in quick and pushed Barry's hand with the sandwich into Barry's face. The bread stuck to his face momentarily before it was peeled off leaving bits of jelly and white bread on his face. Jim rolled with laughter before the actual action of what had happened briefly left Barry with a deer in the headlight look. After only a moment Barry pushed forward towards Jim as they tussled about yet again and Barry being the victor at the moment found the jelly jar with his free hand and dumped it on Jim while they rolled around in the sticky mess. Numerous words came from both boys until as suddenly as it began the scuffle stopped. Both boys were breathing hard from the testing of each others strength. Now that they were both sticky they needed to go to the garden hose to wash it off. But that would mean going to the house and hope they would not be seen.

After washing off most of the sticky mess they walked back towards the tent. Both boys pushing and shoving each other all the way. Upon reaching the tent Jim knelt down in the opening and felt around for a flashlight. Retrieving one and laying it aside he felt for the other one. It didn't occur to him to use the flashlight he had already found to aid in the search for the other. Finally he found it and got to his feet. Barry held the other light. Both lights were boyscout olive green units with curved heads and red lenses attached.

"Lets go see if your parents are asleep yet." Jim suggested.

"Yea, yea they should be asleep by now."

They went down the same way Barry's father had gone perhaps an half hour before and approached the patio. Both boys went into their best military stealth mode pretending to be on a mission of great importance. They must be like cats in the night, obtain valuable information undetected then to report back to headquarters.
As sneaky as they could be they slid slowly along the brick siding of the home, carefully looking in each window before proceeding along. At the glass patio door each boy took a look then quickly, half crouched, went past to the other side. Barry's parents bedroom was the last window on the far end of the home. When they got to it the window was just high enough at that point that neither could see inside.

"I need something to stand on." Barry announced in a very low whisper that Jim had to lean closer to hear him.

Jim went to the patio and found a a six inch tall clay pot and returned to the window. Jim put it down upside down and before Barry could move to step up Jim placed his foot on and ever so slowly inched his way up the wall. It was just high enough that if he stretched on his tip toes he could see in. Barry tried to stop him as he wanted to be the one to look but Jim using his hand in a downward motion made Barry succumb and stand by. Jim strained his eyes to see in the dark room when all of a sudden a dim lamp came on and he ducked below the window sill. He waited, turned to look back at Barry who had moved away ready to run when the light came on, before raising back up for a look see. What he saw would stay with him for the rest of his life. Barry's mother, who was a fairly pretty woman as far as mothers went, was standing by the bed with her light brown hair hanging down to the middle of her back and she was saying something inaudible to Barry's father. Jim did not see Barry's father as his gaze was upon the nude backside of Barry's mother standing there. She turned around to reach for a robe on a chair to the side of the window and Jim had a mostly full unobstructed view of his friends mother. His mouth was wide open as were his eyes.

"Whats going on?" Barry's tug at Jim's shirt tail broke his wonderment at the sight before him.

"Shhhh." Jim replied without looking away but for a moment. He watched as Barry's mother made her way to the bathroom and disappeared partially closing behind her the door. Jim gave a quick look at the bed where the father was lying on his back, covers at his waist his arms crossed behind his head. He was saying something but Jim could not make it out. She came back out of the bathroom with a long shirt on, shucked her robe and crawled back into the bed. The light went off and Jim got down off the flower pot.
He didn't speak a word to Barry at what he had seen of his mother, except that she had gone in the bathroom came out and was now back in the bed.

"What were they doing?" Barry quizzed.

"Oh. Ummm, they were talking about something I couldn't make out and your mom went in the bathroom and then went back to bed."

"What were they doing?" He asked with his forehead wrinkled and his eyes slightly squinted.

"They were talking and I guess you mother needed a glass of water or something." Jim was glad it was so dark beside the wall so Barry could not see the redness and embarrassment of of his recently new found view of his friends mother. He didn't know how he would ever be able to look at her again as he had before this.

Both boys made their way back up the yard towards the woods for their planned excursion to the black mans house up the way.

3 comments:

FLHX_Dave said...

Dude, your freakin' me out here. I remember being 10 or 11 and I had a bunch of friends over. I was awakened around 2am by the giggles of my friends. My parent were going at it and my mom was screaming in ecstasy and the bed was pounding the walls. They jumped on me and held me down and covered my face with a pillow, so I couldn't yell for them to stop, until it was all over. Pops sure knew what he was doing I guess.

Man...I was so embarrassed and never heard the end of it. I'm still laughing about it.

Good read, good read. Life is good.

Willy D said...

Kinda’ makes you think about all those ‘ugly’ girls in grade-school. If only you knew then what you know now.

FLHX_Dave said...

Oh...my friends jumped on me...not my parents...just had to clarify. lol