Big Thoughts Little Brother: Bounce
Big thoughts, little brother
Addie's never liked running. It's Willie who never manages to keep still, always heading somewhere new at top speed, wind in your hair and don't look back. It's odd, 'cos it's Willie mama always wants to stay still, to stick around, and maybe Addie'd be more willing to go out to play if he wasn't told to so much, because he worries that she loves Willie best and he might be forgotten- but those are grown up thoughts and don't have a place when the sky is so blue.
He braces his hands on his knees and tries to catch his breath and hocks up a loogie and spits it between his feet, 'cos that's what men do- only he's not so good at it, yet, so it dangles from his mouth, a long string that glistens in the sunlight before breaking and splatting between his feet in the dust.
Willie's lying on his back, staring up at the sky, and there's a grass blade held between his thumbs which squeaks when he blows past it; it took him all of last summer to learn how to do that, only if you asked him he'd probably say he taught Addie to do it. Sometimes Willie does that. They're gonna catch hell for the dirty clothes later, no question, and Addie's never been so good at winning mama round, but that doesn't stop him lying down next to his brother. There's some stuff you just gotta do, when it's Willie, and when he grins the way he does.
Lacing his hands across his stomach, he closes his eyes, scowling slightly when there's another loud squeak, right next to his ear, and a warm gust of breath of breath on his neck. But it's difficult to be annoyed when the sun is so warm on your face.
"Addie?"
"Addison." He's trying to be more grown up, now, and using his whole entire name, but mama and Willie don't seem to be getting the idea yet.
"Hey, Addie?"
"What."
"I think maybe I believe in God."
"Really?"
"Sure."
Addie opens his eyes and is almost blinded by how blue the sky is. There's a cloud, up there, that looks kind of like a duck.
"Addie? Hey, Addie?"
"Addison, and what?"
"Don't you want to know why?" And he doesn't even wait for an answer because Addie always listens to him, it's just one of those things. "It's 'cos I was thinking about how the sky is so big, and how there's so many places, and how they all look really interesting. And how there's always enough stories to fill a newspaper, even if you can't see it all happening. So I thought there must be someone who's watching it all, like the biggest story there ever was. Makes sense, huh?"
"Yeah. I guess."
"Addie? Hey, Addie?"
"Willie, how many times do I gotta tell you? Call me Addison!"
"Okay Addie, but Addie? You believe in God?"
He sighs longsufferingly. "Sure, Willie. I believe in God." He closes his eyes again 'cos the sun's too bright, and anyway he likes how warm it is on his eyelids.
"How come?"
"A man needs someone to blame." It gets dark, all of a sudden, and Addie opens his eyes and squints up at Willie's face, suspended over him. "What?"
"I thought you blamed me for stuff."
"You? You I forgive too easy. Just 'cos I believe in God doesn't mean I have to like him. But you're my brother."
And he's almost blinded, again. That's Willie's smile, for you.
"Hey, Addie?"
He gives up. He's always gonna be Addie. "What."
"God sure put some stupid people on the world, huh?"
"Guess so."
Willie sighs. And then grins. "Race you home?" And he's up on his feet and off, the way he always is, moving on with no reason, just 'cos he gets bored if he stays too long. Addie rolls to his feet, and scowls after his brother, and starts to run.
Addie's never liked running. It's Willie who never manages to keep still, always heading somewhere new at top speed, wind in your hair and don't look back. It's odd, 'cos it's Willie mama always wants to stay still, to stick around, and maybe Addie'd be more willing to go out to play if he wasn't told to so much, because he worries that she loves Willie best and he might be forgotten- but those are grown up thoughts and don't have a place when the sky is so blue.
He braces his hands on his knees and tries to catch his breath and hocks up a loogie and spits it between his feet, 'cos that's what men do- only he's not so good at it, yet, so it dangles from his mouth, a long string that glistens in the sunlight before breaking and splatting between his feet in the dust.
Willie's lying on his back, staring up at the sky, and there's a grass blade held between his thumbs which squeaks when he blows past it; it took him all of last summer to learn how to do that, only if you asked him he'd probably say he taught Addie to do it. Sometimes Willie does that. They're gonna catch hell for the dirty clothes later, no question, and Addie's never been so good at winning mama round, but that doesn't stop him lying down next to his brother. There's some stuff you just gotta do, when it's Willie, and when he grins the way he does.
Lacing his hands across his stomach, he closes his eyes, scowling slightly when there's another loud squeak, right next to his ear, and a warm gust of breath of breath on his neck. But it's difficult to be annoyed when the sun is so warm on your face.
"Addie?"
"Addison." He's trying to be more grown up, now, and using his whole entire name, but mama and Willie don't seem to be getting the idea yet.
"Hey, Addie?"
"What."
"I think maybe I believe in God."
"Really?"
"Sure."
Addie opens his eyes and is almost blinded by how blue the sky is. There's a cloud, up there, that looks kind of like a duck.
"Addie? Hey, Addie?"
"Addison, and what?"
"Don't you want to know why?" And he doesn't even wait for an answer because Addie always listens to him, it's just one of those things. "It's 'cos I was thinking about how the sky is so big, and how there's so many places, and how they all look really interesting. And how there's always enough stories to fill a newspaper, even if you can't see it all happening. So I thought there must be someone who's watching it all, like the biggest story there ever was. Makes sense, huh?"
"Yeah. I guess."
"Addie? Hey, Addie?"
"Willie, how many times do I gotta tell you? Call me Addison!"
"Okay Addie, but Addie? You believe in God?"
He sighs longsufferingly. "Sure, Willie. I believe in God." He closes his eyes again 'cos the sun's too bright, and anyway he likes how warm it is on his eyelids.
"How come?"
"A man needs someone to blame." It gets dark, all of a sudden, and Addie opens his eyes and squints up at Willie's face, suspended over him. "What?"
"I thought you blamed me for stuff."
"You? You I forgive too easy. Just 'cos I believe in God doesn't mean I have to like him. But you're my brother."
And he's almost blinded, again. That's Willie's smile, for you.
"Hey, Addie?"
He gives up. He's always gonna be Addie. "What."
"God sure put some stupid people on the world, huh?"
"Guess so."
Willie sighs. And then grins. "Race you home?" And he's up on his feet and off, the way he always is, moving on with no reason, just 'cos he gets bored if he stays too long. Addie rolls to his feet, and scowls after his brother, and starts to run.