Nobody Can Say It's You

17

Anna announced the idea of a contest to the group of children who visited the library later that day. They all seemed excited. During part of their time there, the teacher suggested her class write stories to be used on the website.

Hadley's phone rang.

"Hey," Hadley said. "How's it going?"

"I'm really excited about this project," Anna said. "The teachers and the children are embracing the idea with more enthusiasm than I ever expected."

"Great," Hadley said. "Hobie's agreed to let me video him playing a song I wrote that I want to contribute to your site. He said I was finally good enough with Harry's old camera that it won't make everybody sick with the jiggles. I told him I'd use a stand for the video cam. He's even agreed to let me strum a few chords while he sings it."

"Wonderful," said Anna. "But I need your help. I had a class over today. One of the students wrote a story that, well, could you look at it and give me a few suggestions?"

"Sure," said Hadley. "Come on over after you close up. I'll be waiting with something nice and hot and homemade right out of the oven. I'll start baking right now."

Hadley was setting the blueberry pie on top of the stove to cool when Anna knocked.

"So, what's the problem with the literary masterpiece you've brought me?" said Hadley.

She took the sheet of paper began to read.

***

My brother had a birthday party. He is nine years old. Mama went to the store and bought a pack of balloons. I really like balloons. They are so much fun. There were over 50 in the pack. We blew them up. My brother decided to hide them like Easter eggs. I thought it was a good idea. But Easter eggs are a lot smaller. They are easier to hide. Balloons are not so easy.

He put them all over the place. He hid them under the covers, under the bed, and even in the outhouse.

My grandpappy was the first one to use the outhouse after the balloon was dropped down the hole. My brother and me saw him go into the outhouse and close the door. 

My grandpappy spends a long time in the outhouse. He says he does his best thinking in there.

He'd been in the outhouse a good while, like always, when my brother and me heard a loud POP.

Old Pa, that's what we call him, let out a holler just like he'd been shot. The outhouse door flew open. Old Pa came running out, his overalls unhooked and flapping behind him. We laughed at Old Pa's white cheeks shining in the sun.

Old Pa was fit to be tied. He had poop clean up his backside and back and head.

Mama and Daddy were awful puzzled until Mama spied a piece of knotty red rubber hanging in Old Pa's hair.

Brother and me won't ever get balloons for our birthday.