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'I like beer；' she said。 'I used to sop bread down in the drops
our Dad left。 I like to lick salt out my hand while I drink。 This
is the second bottle to myself I've ever had。'
The first swallow was sour。 But the rest tastes good。'
The storeman said it was twelve miles from town。 They had
four more miles to go。 Harry paid him and they were out in the
hot sun again。 Harry was talking loud and he kept laughing
without any reason。
'Gosh； the beer along with this hot sun makes me dizzy。 But I
sure do feel good；' he said。
'I can't wait to get in swimming。'
There was sand in the road and they had to throw all their
weight on the pedals to keep from bogging。 Harry's shirt was
stuck to his back with sweat。 He still kept talking。 The road
changed to red clay and the sand was behind them。 There was
a slow colored song in her mind—one Portia's brother used to
play on his harp。 She pedaled in time to it。
Then finally they reached the place she had been looking for。
〃This is it！ See that sign that says PRIVATE？ We got to climb
the bob…wire fence and then take that path there—see！'
The woods were very quiet。 Slick pine needles covered the
ground。 Within a few minutes they had reached the creek。 The
water was brown and swift。 Cool。 There was no sound except
from the water and a breeze singing high up in the pine trees。
It was like the deep； quiet woods made them timid； and they
walked softly along the bank beside the creek。
'Don't it look pretty。'
Harry laughed。 'What makes you whisper？ Listen here！'232
He clapped his hand over his mouth and gave a long Indian
whoop that echoed back at them。 'Come on。 Let's jump in the
water and cool off。'
'Aren't you hungry？'
'O。K。 Then we'll eat first。 We'll eat half the lunch now and half
later on when we come out'
She unwrapped the jelly sandwiches。 When they were finished
Harry balled the papers neatly and stuffed them into a hollow
tree stump。 Then he took his shorts and went down the path。
She shucked off her clothes behind a bush and struggled into
Hazel's bathing…suit The suit was too small and cut her
between the legs。
〃You ready？' Harry hollered。
She heard a splash in the water and when she reached the bank
Harry was already swimming。 'Don't dive yet until I find out if
there are any stumps or shallow places；' he said。 She just
looked at his head bobbing in the water。 She had never
intended to dive； anyway。 She couldn't even swim。 She had
been in swimming only a few times in her life—and then she
always wore water…wings or stayed out of parts that were over
her head。 But it would be sissy to tell Harry。 She was
embarrassed。 All of a sudden she told a tale：
'I don't dive any more。 I used to dive； high dive； all the time。
But once I busted my head open； so I can't dive any more。' She
thought for a minute。 'It was a double jack…knife dive I was
doing。 And when I came up there was blood all in the water。
But I didn't think anything about it and just began to do
swimming tricks。 These people were hollering at me。 Then I
found out where all this blood in the water was coming from。
And I never have swam good since。'
Harry scrambled up the bank。 'Gosh！ I never heard about that。'
She meant to add on to the tale to make it sound more
reasonable； but instead she just looked at Harry。 His skin was
light brown and the water made it shining。 There were hairs
on his chest and legs。 In the tight trunks he seemed very
naked。 Without his glasses his face was wider and more
handsome。 His eyes were wet and blue。 He was looking at her
and it was like suddenly they got embarrassed。
233
The water's about ten feet deep except over on the other bank；
and there it's shallow。'；
'Less us get going。 I bet that cold water feels good。'
She wasn't scared。 She felt the same as if she had got caught at
the top of a very high tree and there was nothing to do but just
climb down the best way she could—a dead…calm feeling。 She
edged off the bank and was in ice…cold water。 She held to a
root until it broke in her hands and then she began to swim。
Once she choked and went under； but she kept going and
didn't lose any face。 She swam and reached the other side of
the bank where she could touch bottom。 Then she felt good。
She smacked the water with her fists and called out crazy
words to make echoes。
Watch here！'
Harry shimmied up a tall； thin little tree。 The trunk was limber
and when he reached the top it swayed down with him。 He
dropped into the water。
'Me too！ Watch me do it！'
〃That's a sapling。'
She was as good a climber as anybody on the block。 She
copied exactly what he had done and hit the water with a hard
smack。 She could swim； too。 Now she could swim O。K。
They played follow the leader and ran up and down the bank
and jumped in the cold brown water。 They hollered and
jumped and climbed。 They played around for maybe two
hours。 Then they were standing on the bank and they both
looked at each other and there didn't seem to be anything new
to do。 Suddenly she said：
'Have you ever swam naked？'
The woods was very quiet and for a minute he did not answer。
He was cold。 His titties had turned hard and purple。 His lips
were purple and his teeth chattered。 'I—I don't think so。'
This excitement was in her； and she said something she didn't
mean to say。 'I would if you would。 I dare you to。'
Harry slicked back the dark； wet bangs of his hair。 'O。K。'
They both took off their bathing…suits。 Harry had his back to
her。 He stumbled and his ears were red。 Then they turned
toward each other。 Maybe it was half an hour they stood there
—maybe not more man a minute。234
Harry pulled a leaf from a tree and tore it to pieces。 'We better
get dressed。'
All through the picnic dinner neither of them spoke。 They
spread the dinner on the ground。 Harry divided everything in
half。 There was the hot； sleepy feeling of a summer afternoon。
In the deep woods they could hear no sound except the slow
flowing of the water and the songbirds。 Harry held his stuffed
egg and mashed the yellow with his thumb。 What did that
make her remember？ She heard herself breathe。
Then he looked up over her shoulder。 〃Listen here。 I think
you're so pretty； Mick。 I never did think so before。 I don't
mean I thought you were very ugly—I just mean that'
She threw a pine cone in the water。 'Maybe we better start
back if we want to be home before dark。'
'No；' he said。 'Let's lie down。 Just for a minute。'
He brought handfuls of pine needles and leaves and gray
moss。 She sucked her knee and watched him。 Her fists were
tight and it was like she was tense all over。
'Now we can sleep and be fresh for the trip home。'
They lay on the soft bed and looked up at the dark…green pine
clumps against the sky。 A bird sang a sad； clear song she had
never heard before。 One high note like an oboe —and then it
sank down five tones and called again。 The song was sad as a
question without words。
'I love that bird；' Harry said。 'I think it's a vireo。'
'I wish we was at the ocean。 On the beach and watching the
ships far out on the water。 You went to the beach one summer
—exactly what is it like？'
His voice was rough and low。 Well—there are the waves。
Sometimes blue and sometimes green； and in the bright sun
they look glassy。 And on the sand you can pick up these little
shells。 Like the kind we brought back in a cigar box。 And over
the water are these white gulls。 We were at the Gulf of
Mexico—these cool bay breezes blew all the time and there
it's never baking hot like it is here。 Always'
'Snow；' Mick said。 'That's what I want to see。 Cold； white
drifts of snow like in pictures。 Blizzards。 White； cold snow
that keeps falling soft and falls on and on and on through all
the winter。 Snow like in Alaska。'
235
They both turned at the same time。 They were close against
each other。 She felt him trembling and her fists were tight
enough to crack。 'Oh； God；' he kept saying over and over。 It
was like her head was broke off from her body and thrown
away。 And her eyes looked up straight into the blinding sun
while she counted something in her mind。 And then this was
the way。
This was how it was。
They pushed the wheels slowly along the road。 Harry's head
hung down and his shoulders were bent。 Their shadows were
long and black on the dusty road； for it was late afternoon。
'Listen here；' he said。
'Yeah。
'
〃We got to understand this。 We got to。 Do you—any？
'
'I don't know。 I reckon ndt。
'
'Listen here。 We got to do something。 Let's sit down。
'
They dropped the bicycles and sat by a ditch beside the road。
They sat far apart from each other。 The late sun burned down
on their heads and there were brown； crumbly ant beds all
around them。
'We got to understand this；' Harry said。
He cried。 He sat very still and the tears rolled down Ms white
face。 She could not think about the thing that made him cry。
An ant stung her on the ankle and she picked it up in her
fingers and looked at it very close。
'It's this way；' he said。 1 never had even kissed a girl before。
'
'Me neither。 I never kissed