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Authors: Ann Herrick

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BOOK: It's All in Your Mind
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Joel rubbed the back of his neck. "Kind of like when you get haircut and it doesn't look as if you just got a haircut?"

"Exactly!"

"Don't worry. The junipers are in good hands."

On my way to get a mower I peeked back over my shoulder a couple times and saw that Joel was trimming the junipers just the way Mr. Parton wanted. It was good to know I could go about the mowing without having to worry about that.

I'd been cutting the grass for about a half hour, enjoying the breeze of salty air gently brushing my face, when Mr. Parton came out of the house. He gestured for me to stop.

I turned off the mower so I could hear him. I hoped he didn't have a big project in mind, because we already had a lot scheduled to do that day. I took off my baseball cap and sunglasses. "Hi, Mr. Parton. What can I do for you?"

Mr. Parton smiled generously as he gazed around his yard. "I just wanted to tell you what fine job I think you and Joel are doing. You make a good team."

"Why, thank you." It was always nice to know a customer was pleased.

"I've been wondering why such a popular caddy would quit to do yard work. But I'm glad he did. He does an excellent job, and he's a great help to you while your father recuperates. How is you father doing?"

"Much better," I said. "He should be back to work before too long. Which is good," I suddenly realized, "because the first day of school is not that far off."

"He must be proud to know his business is in such capable hands," Mr. Parton said.

"Thank you!"

"Well, I shouldn't keep you," Mr. Parton said. "You two must have a lot of work ahead of you today."

"We sure do!" Funny what a compliment from a customer can do. I felt so energized that before I knew it I finished the mowing. I decided to see if Joel needed any help trimming the junipers, but he was just finishing up. "Nice work," I said.

"Thanks." Joel scratched the back of his neck. "Mr. Parton said the same thing."

"Yes, he told me he liked your work
—" I remembered something else. "Mr. Parton also said he wondered why such 'a popular caddy' like you would quit to do yard work. Didn't you tell me you that you were a lousy caddy, that you didn't get much work, and that's why—"

Joel turned pink through his freckles. "Oh, Mr. Parton liked me as a caddy because I could always find his ball after he hit it into the trees. He was always hitting it into the trees."

"But he said you were popular. That would mean—"

"Say, aren't we supposed to edge Mrs. Parton's flower garden today too? We'd better get on it."

I slapped my forehead. "That's right! We should get started."

When we were done edging the flower garden, Joel and I took a break in the truck. The breeze blew through the open windows. We had a great view of Long Island Sound as we gulped lemonade and nibbled the oatmeal-raisin cook
ies Mama had packed for a snack.

I started thinking about what Caprice had said last night, about deciding about what I wanted in a guy. What
did
I want in a guy? Nolan had great looks and talent. There were times when I couldn't believe I was with this incredible folksinger. But did that mean he was the right guy for me? He seemed to get irritated with me so easily. I was always surprised, because I certainly didn't mean to upset him. If I felt hurt and tried to discuss my feelings with him, he told me it was all in my mind. But, then, maybe it was.

After all, Nolan loved me. He told me so. And he was exciting to be with. I shouldn't feel bad. What was wrong with me?

"Hey, is it okay if we listen to the radio?"

I almost choked on my oatmeal-raisin cookie. I'd been so busy thinking about Nolan that I almost forgot Joel was there. "S-sure." I turned the key so Joel could listen to the radio. He twisted the knob until he landed on a station playing a song. Of course, he joined right in, imitating Frankie Avalon.

Using a half-eaten cookie for a microphone, he looked right at me as he sang. He started off with the real lyrics about sending a girl "for me to thrill ...." Only in the part about wanting this girl to have all of Venus's charms that he could hold in his arms, he sang, "… who has your charms, and, unlike you, she'll have two arms ...."

I almost snorted my lemonade out my nose trying not to laugh.

"... 'cause if like you she had no hands, how would she ever wear a wedding band?"

I covered my mouth to stifle my giggles. By the time the song was over I was wiping away tears of laughter. I clapped and cheered. "Frankie Avalon would be proud!"

"Appalled is more like it, but thank you, thank you." Joel bowed and blew kisses.

"Thank you, thank you," he said, as if speaking to a crowd. "You've been a great audience."

"That was so funny," I said. I glanced at my watch. "Oops! Break time is over."

We moved onto the next yard. It was a beautiful day, not too hot with the breeze coming in off the water. The work didn't seem so hard when I wasn't drenched with sweat. And with Joel keeping me entertained during every drive between houses and all through lunch with his versions of the lyrics to all the latest songs, the day just flew by.

"Joel, I don't remember you being this funny in Advanced Algebra," I said as we loaded the truck after finishing our work for the day.

"Well, you're a much more inspirational audience than Mr. Robitaille and his quadratic equations."

"Oh, that's saying a lot!"

"Hey, it is. What's more flattering than the state of being equal?"

"Such praise," I joked, "even if it doesn't make sense." I hopped into the driver's seat. It was then that I remembered we had a standing plan to go for a swim after work. I wanted to say something about it, but I was embarrassed. I wondered if Joel had even brought his swimsuit after the way I'd rushed us off the beach yesterday.

Joel didn't say anything about it. But then, he was too busy tuning in the radio, searching for a song. He landed on "Lonely Boy." He started singing, but again made up his own lyrics. "Oh, I'm so lonely, 'cause I'm colored blue. The day that I painted myself, is a day that I'll rue."

I couldn't help laughing. "J-joel, c-cut it out," I sputtered, "or you're going to make me drive off the road."

Joel let out an exaggerated gasp. "My singing is that bad?"

"No, it's that funny."

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Joel pretending to wipe sweat off his forehead. "Whew!" he said. "Funny is good. Isn't it?"

"Funny is great. Just not when I'm driving."

"Is it okay if I serenade you as long as I stick to the real lyrics?"

"Sure. I might even sing along, if you promise not to critique my singing."

"I promise," Joel said, making a giant X across his chest. "Would the pot call the kettle bla
— I mean, I'm sure you have a lovely voice."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Joel spun the dial, and we sang our way around the Top Forty. Then I saw that we were approaching Hammonasett Beach. I wondered if I should say anything about a swim. I
could
wait until we got to Chatfield to decide. Just as I was thinking that's what I'd do, a raindrop hit the windshield. Then another, then several. All of a sudden, it was pouring. I saw a streak of lightning. A couple seconds later there was a loud crash of thunder.

"Whoa!" Joel exclaimed. "I guess that cancels our after-work swim."

So ... he
had
planned on us going to the beach. "Yes, getting hit by lightning is not on my list of things to do today."

As soon as we got home, we scurried around unloading the equipment and storing it in the garage. But we couldn't scurry quickly enough to avoid getting drenched. We were standing under the overhang of the garage saying goodbye, when Papa opened the back door and waved at us to come in. He didn't have to do it twice. We dashed inside, dripping on the floor mat next to the door.

"Ach, you two always find a way to get yourselves soaking wet," Papa teased, as he handed each of us a big, fluffy towel.

Mama shook a wooden spoon at us. "Both of you get into something dry, and then we'll have supper."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you!" Joel said.

I dashed upstairs, changed into dry clothes, unbraided my hair and towel dried it as best I could. Just as picked up my comb, the phone rang. I answered it.

"Hi, it's me," Nolan said lightly.

"H-hi."

"I'm at the park. Come on over and rescue me from this phone booth. We can go to a movie.
The Horse Soldiers
is playing in Monroe."

"Um
... we're just about to have supper." I twisted the phone cord around my finger.

"We can get a hot dog at the theater."

"But, uh, we have company."

"So?"

"I didn't know you'd be calling. You ... you said you didn't know when we'd see each other. If you'd told me you'd be ... I ... I can't just leave."

Nolan let out a loud sigh. "If you can't, you can't."

"Tomorrow night we—"

"I'm singing at Nicki's tomorrow night," Nolan said. "Look, you just have supper with your folks, and I'll go to the movie."

"Fine," I said, a little louder than I planned, and only that one word. I know I sounded cold, but I didn't feel very friendly just then, and I certainly wasn't going to waste my breath asking when I would see him again.

"You okay?" Nolan asked softly.

I melted a little. "Yeah ... I'm okay."

"You sure?" The concern in his voice sounded so genuine that it was hard to stay angry with him.

"Yes, I'm sure," I said lightly.

"That's my girl," Nolan said. "You have a good time tonight."

"You too."

"Love you.
"

I felt myself giving in to those words, to the caressing tone in Nolan's voice. "I
... I love you too, " I said. After I hung up I took a deep breath, then combed my hair and let it fall in soft, loose waves around my shoulders. I slipped on a little lip gloss and went downstairs.

Papa asked about the phone call. I mumbled something about someone asking about a movie. Mama clicked her tongue and said she we might as well be an answering service for the theater. Joel snapped the red suspenders that held up the too-big pair of Papa's pants he was wearing, and we all sat down for a supper of sausage and broad beans boiled with their pods and served with curdled milk.

We just finished eating and started to clear the table, when there was a crash of lightning. The lights went out. For a second we stood there in the dark. Then Papa said, "Joel, do you know what we do when the lights go out?"

"Um
... er ... no, sir."

Even in the dark, I thought I saw Joel blush.

"We get out the candles," Papa said, "and we play Scrabble."

Mama and I got out the candles and matches that we always kept in the kitchen drawer next to the refrigerator. We put four candles in holders and carried them to the living room. Papa took out the Scrabble set from the bottom drawer of the desk and set it up on the card table Mama got from the hall closet.

"This is Karl's Scrabble set," Papa said. "Playing this game helped us all improve our English."

It turned out that Joel was just as competitive at Scrabble as Papa was. He had no trouble coming up with words for the X and the Q tiles, and he twice he managed to place a word over the Triple-Word-Score space. Mama and I kept pace with them for a while, but in the end Papa finished with the highest score, then Joel, and Mama and I tied for third. We'd gotten so wrapped up in the game that we didn't even notice when the lights came back on.

"It's stopped raining," Mama said, as she folded up the card table.

Joel looked out the window. "Hey, there's a rainbow!"

I went over and looked in the direction he was pointing. "Oh! It's huge. And so pretty." I suddenly felt very aware of standing close to Joel.

Mama and Papa came over to see. Papa placed his arm around Mama's shoulder as they both peeked out the window. "It is lovely," Mama said.

Then Joel said, "Well, I'd better change into my own clothes and head home, so I can be over here on time tomorrow."

"You've been a great help to us all," Papa said.

"I enjoy the work," Joel said. He elbowed me gently. "And I've got a great boss."

"I'm doing so well that I will be able to work by the time school starts," Papa said. "Thanks to you two, I'll still have all my customers!"

Joel and I both blushed. For me, hearing that made all the sweat and blisters and aching shoulders worthwhile.

After Joel changed his clothes and said his goodbyes to Mama and Papa, I walked him to his car. "That was fun," Joel said. "I haven't played Scrabble since my sister almost beat me last year!"

"Now that you mention it, we haven't played since Karl graduated from high school."

"Maybe now and then I could fill in for Karl again," Joel said. "I mean, you know, so your father won't get rusty."

BOOK: It's All in Your Mind
3.68Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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