Observers
by Uther Pendragon
Copyright 2009, Uther Pendragon
“I don’t want to race. The sun’s awful.”
“Wanna go to the tank?”
“Momma says I’m getting too old to skinny-dip.”
“C’mon, Samantha. I’m not goin’ to see anything I haven’t seen before. Wanna go back and get your suit?”
“It’s more than a mile, and then we’d have to walk back to the tank. Besides Momma doesn’t let me go in over my head unless a lifeguard is there. Tank’s all over my head -- over Dad’s head, for that matter. Promise you won’t tell?”
“Cross my heart. Do I ever tell your mother anything you do? Anyway, if you’re drowning, I’ll rescue you.”
“Well, let’s go look. If there are others there, I’m not going in. And I can swim rings around you, talk about rescue.”
“Rings. As if! I’ll race you across the tank.”
“Uh oh! Hear that, Jack? Somebody’s playing a radio at the tank.”
“Maybe they’re not at the tank. I can’t hear where the music is coming from”
“Yeah, right! They brought a radio out here and dropped it in the wheat. If it’s a radio, it’s in a car. And the only trees to hide a car are around the tank.”
“Let’s go see who’s there. You didn’t want to do anything else, anyway.”
“Might’s well. Maybe they’re ready to go home. Who’d play music to swim?”
“Or maybe they’re having a picnic. People we know might offer us a Coke or a slice of watermelon.”
“I swear, Jack. Looking at you, I see arms and legs. Listening, all I hear is stomach.”
“Tell me you would say ‘no’ to a slice of watermelon in this heat.”
“Well, if it was offered. But I’m not sidling up to somebody else’s picnic hoping to feed my face.”
“Out of the sun at last.”
“Yeah, but it’s no cooler under the trees.”
“Hey! Look there! That’s Ted’s car across the tank. Let’s go around and see him.”
“Stop a minute, Jack, and lower your voice.”
“Why? It’s Ted.”
“Well, Ted’s okay, though I’m sure not going in the tank when he can see me. But he sometimes runs with a rough crowd. Do you think he’s alone? It’s more likely he brought some friends with him.”
“Anyway, he can’t hear us over the music. It’s much louder across there.”
“Sure. But they’re probably swimming in the tank. Please keep your voice down. Keep your head down, too. For me?”
“For you. Look there. You’re half right. He’s not alone, but she isn’t one of his rough friends. Now can we go around?”
“I don’t think they want to talk to us. That’s Sharon. She used to baby-sit for Barry a coupla years ago. Well -- for both of us -- but Barry was too young to leave alone.”
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