The next day, Rich rode his bike to practice. Don did not play on the team, but Sammy was the shortstop. After practice, Rich and Sammy rode home on their bikes. Sammy’s house was on the way to Rich’s. Sammy…
Chet Winter’s Secret; The Summer of ’62
The ride to the meadow was quiet. They parked the truck in the meadow, beside the state highway bridge to conceal it from traffic. They each carried an end of the coffin with the shovel on its top. They walked…
A Walk In The Night; The Summer of ’62
Rich wasn’t sure how long he was asleep before needing to urinate. Quietly, he lifted the flap of the tent and instead of taking advantage of the invitation extended by Mr. Tuttle to use the bathroom inside, he walked the…
Boy Talk; The Summer of ’62
The boys were sitting in a circle in the middle of the tent so that each could face the other. Only the low dim flicker of the lantern separated them. “What is your code to live by?” Don asked Sammy.…
The Night Begins; The Summer of ’62, Episode 19
Sammy Tuttle, Don Hastings, Larry Coleman, Chip Hawk, Butch Hawk and Rich bailed twenty-six hundred and sixty bails of hay in a day and a half for Chet Winters. Chet was a Dough Boy from the First World War. When…
A Good Weekend; The Summer of ’62, Episode 18
They watched the sun fall behind the trees on shore and moved the boat about a hundred yards from the beach. They fished and finished, watching the sunset as they sat on two folding chairs on the deck. “That was…
Storm On Lake Erie; The Summer of ’62, Episode 17
Rich looked to the northwest sky and huge gray foreboding clouds as if emitting from a raging forest fire rolled toward them. “Get the anchor!” Uncle Ralph said in a panic and hurried to the motor and tugged on the…
A Day On Lake Erie With Uncle Ralph; The Summer of ’62, Episode 16
Rich woke the next morning to sound and scent of eggs and bacon crackling in a frying pan. The aroma of coffee filled the cabin, Uncle Ralph had already been awake and preparing breakfast. Rich sat up in his bunk…
More Than Fishing; The Summer of ’62, Episode 15
Uncle Ralph backed the boat from the dock and into the channel. At the end of a row of docks, a channel led to the open water of Lake Erie. Uncle Ralph opened the motor as soon as they cleared…
The Boat Uncle Ralph Built; The Summer of ’62, Episode 14
Uncle Ralph was Rich’s father’s older brother. Three or four times a summer, Uncle Ralph took Rich fishing to his boat on Lake Erie. Rich sat in a chair at the living room window waiting and watching anxiously for Uncle…
Last Time With Tom; The Summer of ’62, Episode 13
Rich and Tom went to bed. Tom had a nice single bed with a mahogany head and footboard. A steel framed cot was set up in the room for Rich. They talked for a while. Rich sensed something was on…
Dinner With Tom; The Summer of ’62, Episode 12
When Tom’s Dad came home he stuck his head in the room and said hello. At 5:30 they were called to wash up, supper was about to begin. Rich mused to himself, “At home, it was, come and get it.…