T he P ond
A freckled redhead full of piss and vinegar, he picked fights with the older ones just to see if he could whip them. James Roy Holly was the ten-year-old expert fisherman. He was quiet and kind and averse to getting into wrestling matches. Everybody watched how he fished because he always caught the most. Of course, Jimmy Bly was one of the leaders. He was older and outspoken—and quite the storyteller. He didn’t have book smarts, but he knew the way of the world. Or so he thought. He would make up games for everyone to play. Legend had it that twelve-year-old Jimmy once kissed a girl behind the abandoned barn on the edge of town. J.J. Hopper named himself General J.J. He was the clown of the bunch. Well over five feet tall and every bit of 200 pounds, J.J.’s cheeks were always pushed out like a giant chipmunk from pieces of hard candy in his mouth. He would take on two or three boys in the wrestling matches, but his outclassed and underweight opponents always ended up crying for mercy. Everybody loved General J.J. The pond was what all the boys looked forward to—a place where they were in charge. There were no girls to worry about and no parents to tell them to do chores. For a few hours every Friday, they were a part of a tribe and members of a brotherhood. Maggie saw Gabriel coming out of school, swinging his lunch pail and skipping his feet. With his head up and a smile on his face, he looked like he’d had a better day. 35
00-01-River FP.indd 35
7/9/12 10:51 AM