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Joy of Medina County Magazine | October 2019
THE READING NOOK
know?” “Sure, whatever,” she replied. Sally Cooper and Billy Maxwell had been friends for almost a year now. Living in the same neighborhood, they had become fast friends and, before long, were by Robert Soroky walking to school together every day, discussing Chapter 1: History things that could be considered important only to a couple of 12-year-old kids: movies, cartoons, he cartoon watch on his wrist, having reached homework, and friends. They enjoyed each other’s the 5 o’clock hour, chimed a playful tune as its owner, company immensely. Billy Maxwell, strolled home from school under the Today, however, Billy seemed a little more hot Ohio afternoon sun. preoccupied than usual. He had left school much later than usual today Maybe he’s just excited about Christmas, Sally thanks to the field trip his class had taken to the thought. science museum, but he didn’t really mind because it was, happily, the last day of school, at least for a little while. Maybe he’s just excited about Christmas vacation was finally here, and he could Christmas, Sally thought. hardly contain his excitement at the thought of decorating the family’s holiday tree. He also was When they arrived at the Maxwell house, Billy excited about tomorrow’s big reunion baseball game, started up his driveway and headed for the front played every year between the Maxwells and the porch. He sat down on the first step and invited Sally Peltons. It was, outside of Christmas day, one of the to do the same. They sat for a few moments in best family gatherings of the year. The weatherman silence as Billy continued to drift further into his own said sunny and 85 degrees would likely be the thoughts. forecast for the day. Perfect. “OK, I’ll bite,” said Sally, playfully, “What are you Of course, he really couldn’t remember the last time thinking about?” it wasn’t sunny and warm on game day, or on any day, “Does your family ever talk about The Event? You for that matter. Sure, it would rain sometimes, but know, like what happened and stuff?” asked Billy, most of the year it was just the same beautiful staring blankly down at the ground. weather everywhere you went, not like when Dad “Not really,” she replied. “Sometimes my dad talks was a kid, Billy thought. about it with other grown-ups, but not really with me. He remembered the stories Dad always told him ‘It happened a long time ago,’ he says, and just about the old days when he and his neighborhood leaves it at that. He said I would learn about it in buddies would spent most of the “winter” months school someday. And hey, what do you know, it just trapped in the house because there was so much of so happens that Mr. Barach is actually going to start that funny looking white stuff outside. What did he teaching us stuff about The Event when we get back call it again? Snow? Billy had heard that word for the from Christmas break. Is that what you’ve been first time when he was 10 years old. That was thinking about? The Event? For gosh sakes, Billy, it’s because, nowadays, no one had to deal with snow almost Christmas!” anymore, anywhere. “Yeah, I know, but ever since we got back from the Well, maybe way up north you might get a little, but museum today, it’s been on my mind. I mean, sure, it that was it. To be honest, Billy couldn’t even begin to did happen a long time ago, like 30 years or imagine his dad’s childhood and what it must have something, but I want to learn more and my dad is been like to actually be cold. the same way about it as yours. He just won’t talk It was different now, Billy knew. Of course, a lot of about it with me.” things were different now, ever since The Event. “Well, like I said,” Sally said, boldly, “we’re “Hey Billy, you gonna ignore me the whole way supposed to start learning more about The Event home, or what?” after vacation, but if it’s buggin’ you that much, why “Oh, sorry, Sally. I was just kinda thinking again, ya not just sit down with your dad and really make him
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