Norman Golar

Hide ën Seek

ìOkay, okay, I quit,î Jon-Jon said. ìYíall taking too long to catch me.î Most of the children on Christiana Boulevard never liked playing with Jon-Jon because heíd threaten to punch all of them in the stomach if he was the first person caught in a game of hide ën seek. Whenever Jon-Jon quit playing hide ën seek, Donnie would quit the game telling everyone somethingís wrong with his back. Donnie would always talk about the time he fell down the stairs in his apartment building last summer. ìI ran down the stairs trying to catch the ice cream truck and missed a step,î Donnie would say. ìI flipped and fell. My back still hurt.î

Jon-Jon sat in his yard on the hood of one of the flat-tired Cadillacs his father left to rust. There was this white one Jon-Jon sat on and the other one, black with missing hubcaps on the front tires, parked to the right of the white one. Bird droppings and fallen leaves covered the cars in the fall. But in the summer days the rain would wash everything away.

Donnie sat with Jon-Jon looking at everyone still playing the game. Donnie, the really black boy on the block, did everything with Jon-Jon. The kids down the street would say, ìDonnie look like Bugs Bunny, always laughing.î He was an only child and rarely left the neighborhood to visit his relatives when his Dad asked him to come along.

ìLook at them, now they wanna run fast,î Jon-Jon said. Donnie, strong-faced with misery, wanted to keep playing.

ìI know! I hate when they do that,î Donnie said, though he thought how much fun he had while playing, running circles around the abandoned Chevy Impala as he was being chased. Jumping over small fences that protected the neighborsí lawns. The little moments when his Dad poured hydrogen peroxide on his scrapes and cuts. Putting the clear bandages on him, not the color coated Flintstone bandages that the wimpy boys wore.

ìWhy you looking like that?î Jon-Jon said.

ìIím mad,î Donnie said. His bones motored like an engine. He was determined to leave Jon-Jon on the car to re-enter the game.

ìMe too,î Jon-Jon said. ìThey always do that everyday.î Donnie was the only person Jon-Jon allowed to hang around him. Jon-Jon always took Donnieís candy money. Jon-Jon would force Donnie to go to the mini market with him to get some bread and some peanut butter and jelly. Jon-Jon always had loose change to go to the corner store to play video games and would bring Donnie along. Donnie would try to leave from Jon-Jonís house before Mrs. Flannery got home from work.

Jon-Jonís mother, twenty-eight years old, worked downtown in a candy factory. Sheíd bring home bags of taffy candy to pass out to the kids. She was the Mrs. Claus of sweets. Kids on Christiana Boulevard had one cavity that lurked in the back of their mouths. ìWhat time your mommaís coming?î Donnie said, biting his fingernails.

ìSheís coming when the streetlights come on,î Jon-Jon said.

Donnie watched the streetlights light up. His eyeballs bounced from right to left every second.

ìUm,î Donnie said, ìI have to go in the house.î

ìFor what?î Jon-Jon said.

ìIím hungryî Donnie said, ìmy stomach hurts.î

ìWe can go get some candy from the corner store,î Jon-Jon said.

Donnie drummed the hood of the car with his thumb and said, ìThatís alright. My dad told me to eat some food when my stomach hurts.î

ìAre you coming back out?î

ìYeah, Iíll be back.î

Donnie raced in the apartment building, two houses down from Jon-Jon, as if someone was chasing him in the game. The sweat from his forehead and the sweat that trickled down his ribs put chill bumps on his arms as he climbed the hall stairs. When he got in the apartment, he didnít go to the kitchen. He wasnít really hungry. He waited in the window, kneeling on the cushions of the couch in the living room until he saw the red Pontiac pull up in front of Jon-Jonís house. Mrs. Flannery got out of the car with that big white bag full of taffy candy. She greeted her son as he sat in the yard on the Cadillac and looked around, scanning the children who were still outside playing hide ën seek. She stood there for less than a minutes, then turned to climb the porch steps to enter the house.

Two days ago, Mrs. Flannery asked Donnie to help her with the groceries she bought from Jewel-Osco. She had everything from eggs, bacon, pancake mix, and breakfast sausage to boxed cornbread mix, wrapped collard greens, hamburger beef patties, pounds of cube steaks, and a lot of frozen foods that flashed before Donnieís eyes. Jon-Jon was down the street punching a few kids in the stomach. He hadnít a clue that Donnie wasnít around. Mrs. Flannery happened to catch Donnie going into his apartment building, when she asked for his help. After the bags of groceries were brought in the house from the car, Donnie was about to leave, but Mrs. Flannery asked if he could help her put them away in there appropriate spots around the kitchen. Donnie helped while answering all of her questions about the day and what Jon-Jon and him did.

She stopped everything she was doing and asked Donnie to put a new roll of tissue in the bathroom. While he was in the bathroom, Mrs. Flannery went to her bedroom and called Donnie in, to receive some candy for helping.

ìIím coming,î Donnie said.

ìI wanted to give you your candy for helping me,î she said.

Donnie thanked her and was ready to leave, but he knew he wouldnít be able to leave just yet without helping Mrs. Flannery with something else.

She said, ìAre you ready?î

ìYeah. I want to go play down the street,î Donnie said.

ìAlright, itíll be quick,î she said.

She unzipped her black pants and slid them off onto the bed. She opened her top drawer looking for the ointment her doctor prescribed to her. She grabbed it from the corner of the drawer and gave it to Donnie.

ìRemember where I asked you to put the stuff last time?î she said.

He untwisted the cap. He wondered what boy was balled up down the street from Jon-Jonís force. Donnie squeezed the tube and the clear gel set on his finger. Mrs. Flannery pulled down her bikini underwear. Donnie kept thinking about running around laughing, losing his breath, and sweating.

ìDonít be afraid, just color the red spots,î she said, lying on the edge of the bed with her legs spread.

ìThere are a lot of red spots,î he said, shaking as his finger approached.

ìI know there are. The doctor told me,î she said.

He glazed every red spot. The boys chasing the girls, the girls chasing the boys. Someone falls and gets back up to keep running.

ìOh yeah, thatís it right there,î she said. ìGood boy, good boy.î

ìMrs. Flannery,î Donnie said, ìIím finished.î

ìDid you get all of them?î she said, ìI donít think you touched all of the spots.î She clutched the blanket that was neatly spread on her bed as he reapplied to the same areas. He began to cry. Tears fell down his cheeks, but he didnít make a sound. He felt Jon-Jonís fist punching him in the stomach the very first time he caught Jon-Jon. Mrs. Flannery released the new crease she put in the blanket and told Donnie thank you, without looking into his face.

Donnie walked out of the house wiping his cheeks. He ran down the street with his candy and gave everybody some. ìCandy?î Jon-Jon had knew his mother was home from work. He ran home to greet her.

Now as Donnie looked out his window from the living room, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. After seeing Mrs. Flannery go into her house, he ran down the stairs of the apartment to go sit with Jon-Jon on the same Cadillac where he had left him.

ìYou ready?î Jon-Jon said.

ìReady for what?î Donnie said.

ìTo play again,î Jon-Jon said. ìI wanna play again.î

The two of them got up. Jon-Jon grabbed each person who ran past by the arm. Donnie yelled, standing on the hood of a silver and white rust-rimmed í85 Regal, parked paralell to the red-chipped hydrant. ìStart over. Start the game over.î

Spotlights speckled the streets. Everyone stopped playing but didnít start a new game. All the kids angry, exhausted, shirts sweated with small pools of circles, looked at Jon-Jon and Donnie, but turned their separate ways to go in the house.

ìWhere yíall going?î Jon-Jon said. ìWe have to play another one.î

ìMan, Iím going in the house, Iím hungry,î one of the twins said, waving his hand.

Donnie stood next to Jon-Jon. He shook his head, waved his arm. ìJon-Jon, forget them,î he said.

ìLetís go to the store, I have two quarters,î Jon-Jon said.

ìAlright. We have to hurry up. My Dad will be looking for me,î Donnie said.

They played two games of Centipede and left before putting their initials in for the high score. Donnie walked with Jon-Jon and sat on Jon-Jonís porch. Both of them sat looking at lightning bugs that flashed around the big tree that bean-stalked over the roof of Jon-Jonís house.

ìDonnie!î Mrs. Flannery called out of her bedroom window just above the porch.

ìHuh?î Donnie said.

ìYour father called and wants you to come in the house,î she said.

ìOkay,î he said.

He got up slowly from the steps of the porch and told Jon-Jon he would see him tomorrow, while eyeballing the window above. Before Donnie touched the last step, he heard Mrs. Flannery yelling at Jon-Jon, telling him to get in the house.

In the morning, Donnie went to Jon-Jonís house after eating some Trix his father left out for him before going to work. Each morning, Donnie would ring Jon-Jonís doorbell. Jon-Jon, rubbing his lids, would sweep the white mucus from the corner of his squint eyes. Each morning was a different superhero. Spiderman webbed the Green Goblin. Superman swooped through space. The Incredible Hulk busted through brick walls. All the sleeping shorts were a bit dingy and faded with the cotton naps around the waist. Heíd tell Donnie to come in. The TV in the kitchen sat on the counter next to the brown stove. The Smurfs ran for their lives from Gargamel everyday in the summer. The box of Honeycombs laid next to the gallon of milk on the kitchen table, where Donnie would sit to watch his cartoons.

Donnie rang the doorbell. The door opened. Jon-Jon wore a white T-shirt and one of his favorite sleeping shorts. Batman and Robin POPPED the Joker. Batman on the left, Joker in the middle, and Robin on the other side.

ìCome in,î Jon-Jon said, scratching under his arm.

ìYou just woke up?î Donnie said.

ìNo,î Jon-Jon said.

After closing the front door, Donnie followed Jon-Jon to the kitchen. They passed through the living room where all the photos and paintings stared, then through the dining room, while the door to the left, Mrs. Flanneryís room, was closed. A piece of candy wrapping stood in front of the door. Donnie was ready to go outside. Everything in the dining room around the door faded. The brown cabinet, with plates, saucers, and rose covered coffee mugs smeared away. The brown color on the door darkened. He fevered. He couldnít swallow his spit normally.

ìYour momma home?î Donnie said.

ìNo,î Jon-Jon said. ìYou know she gone to work.î

ìYeah,î Donnie said, ìthatís right.î

When they reached the kitchen, the sunlight covered the soaked Honeycombs in the bowl. The light shined into Jon-Jonís eyes when he sat down to finish his cereal. Jon-Jon frowned looking prune-faced. He ignored the sun. He picked up his spoon and never put it back down until the last comb disappeared. He slurped the milk that floated with the comb in the spoon. Donnie sat at the other end of the table looking at the Smurfs on the small white TV.

ìWhat time is they coming out?î Jon-Jon said.

ìWho,î Donnie said, ìthe twins?î

ìEverybody,î Jon-Jon said.

ìI donít know,î Donnie said. ìThey didnít say nothing.î

Jon-Jon picked the purple bowl up to his face. His tongue played with the taste. After he finished drinking the rest of the milk a white mustache painted his top lip. He put the bowl in the sink, turned off the TV and ran in the back room where he changed his t-shirt and put on some blue-jean shorts. His face was still asleep. The crusted mucus on the corners of his eyes stayed. He grabbed the loose change his mother left on the living room table.

ìWe can go to the storeî Jon-Jon said. ìThey should be out when we come back.î

ìAlright,î Donnie said.

The afternoon was dried and lonely, and Donnie and Jon-Jon sat on Jon-Jonís porch watching ice cream trucks pass by. The heat wave kept everyone inside. Donnieís legs sweated and Jon-Jonís freezey pop sweated with cool drops shading the porch. Donnie didnít buy anything from the store, he used the quarter to play Centipede.

ìItís hot,î Donnie said, shaking the sweat from his fingertips.

ìI know,î Jon-Jon said. ìLetís go in the house.î

Donnie knew that if he went inside with Jon-Jon he would have to run into Mrs. Flannery before going back out to play.

ìThatís alright,î Donnie said. ìIím going home.î

ìFor what?î Jon-Jon said.

ìI just remembered. My Dad is going to call,î Donnie said.

ìCome back later,î Jon-Jon said. ìCome get me.î

ìJust come outside,î Donnie said. ìI wonít play. Iíll wait for you.î

Donnie rose, his shorts sticking to his butt. The heat rose from the hard concrete on Jon-Jonís porch.

That night, Christiana Boulevard was crowded with kids. The daytime became the nighttime. The sun fell asleep, but the heat stayed, everybodyís shirts spotted with sweat. One of the twins quit. He jumped the curb chasing Jon-Jon and twisted his ankle.

ìIs he alright?î Donnie said.

ìYeah,î the other twin said.

ìWhoís going to be it now?î Jon-Jon said.

ìI will,î one of the kids from down the street said, raising her hand like she was in class. She jumped a couple of times, waving both arms above her head.

ìWhat you waiting on?î Jon-Jon said. ìCount!î

ì1, 2, 3Öî she said with her back turned and head resting on her arm. She leaned forward on the tree in front of Jon-Jonís house.

Everyone hid behind parked cars, in the ratted alleys, behind other trees, behind bushes, and between buildings. Jon-Jon hid between Donnieís apartment building and another building. The gangway was so dark, no one really liked hiding there. Donnie hid across the street from Jon-Jon and saw Jon-Jon going crazy. Donnie ran over to see what was wrong. A rat was hidden with Jon-Jon and had bit him on the leg. Jon-Jon wiggled out from between the two buildings, running as if two dogs were chasing him. Holding in his tears, Jon-Jon rambled to Donnie about the rat. He pounced repeatedly.

ìIt bit me!î Jon-Jon said.

ìWhat?î Donnie said.

ìA rat,î Jon-Jon said. ìI felt it coming behind me.î

ìWhat you feel?î Donnie said.

ìThen, next thing I knew, it scratched me,î Jon-Jon said, ìand bit me.î Bouncing, doing jumping jacks, his arms swung open and over his head.

ìWhat!î Donnie said. ìIt bit you?î

Jon-Jon ran in the house, Donnie followed. Everyone stopped the game, but soon, started to play without them. Mrs. Flannery heard Jon-Jon slam the door against the wall when it opened. She ran out of her room in a shiny flower patterned robe, grabbing hold of Jon-Jon, who was fighting to cry. Both lips cupped over his teeth.

ìWhat happened?î Mrs. Flannery said. She turned to Donnie. ìWhat did he do?î

ìHe said it bit him,î Donnie said. ìI think the rat.î

The blood rivered the white socks. Mrs. Flannery saw Jon-Jonís ankle. She walked fast to the bathroom. She walked back into the living room holding in one hand the hydrogen peroxide and the other, a pack of cotton balls. Forgetting to tighten the belt on her robe, the bottom flared as she marched to the couch where Jon-Jon ached. Donnieís eyes caught the picture. She wore nothing under. Donnieís head shifted to the floor then looked at Jon-Jon on the couch holding his leg.

ìIím going home,î Donnie said.

ìThank you Donnie,î Mrs. Flannery said. ìYou can come back tomorrow to check on him.î

That morning, Donnie rang the doorbell. He wondered if Jon-Jon would look like the mummy he saw on Scooby Doo with tissue hanging from the ankle. Jon-Jon didnít come to the door. Donnie rang the bell again. He thought Jon-Jon was stiff in his bed and took a long time to get up. Mrs. Flannery opened the door. Pink rollers and a sheer scarf covered her head. She double-knotted the belt on her rob while she smiled and looked down at Donnie.

ìGood morning,î she said.

ìGood morning,î Donnie said.

ìYou can come in,î she said. ìEat some cereal if you want.î

Donnie walked into the living room. Mrs. Flannery closed the door and slowly locked it. His stomach growled. ìI ate some,î he said. ìWhereís Jon-Jon?î

ìHeís not here. I took him over to his auntyís last night. She knew what to do with his bite from the rat,î Mrs. Flannery said. ìSheís a nurse.î

With his hands in the pockets of his black shorts, he stood in the middle of the room looking at the same couch Jon-Jon had gripped in pain.

ìYou said I can see him today,î Donnie said.

ìI know,î she said. ìBut I called your father last night. I told him to tell you that Jon-Jon wonít be here today.î

ìHe didnít tell me,î Donnie said.

His face stared at the zigzag in the carpet. The line of the brown color traveled right to left. There was another line next to it, traveling the same way. The pattern ended once the lines met with the tanned carpet in the dining room. Donnie noticed objects in the house for the first time. Heíd always pass through the living and the dining room when he and Jon-Jon walked to the kitchen each morning so Jon-Jon could finish his cereal. The patterns in the living room carpet stood out to him. The paintings of fruit bowls and fruits grew eyes and watched him. He stared back.

ìCome here,î Mrs. Flannery said. ìLet me show you something.î

ìAlright,î Donnie said.

He heard the spit dive down his throat as he swallowed. He followed her to the bedroom. She disappeared behind the wall he had to pass, digging in the top drawer. Turning into the bedroom she was in sight. She pulled out the ointment. The tube flattened into the shape of a popsicle stick. Donnie saw nothing else in the room. His eyes were fixed on her hand. Mrs. Flannery held the ointment to his face and told him he had nothing to worry about.

ìWhen is Jon-Jon coming home?î Donnie said. He watched her put the ointment in the garbage next to her bed. His eyes rounded wide.

ìI told you that you had nothing to worry about,î she said.

ìOkay,î he said. ìCan I go eat some cereal then?î

She said, ìSure, go right ahead.î

He turned around, smiled, and took one step outside of the bedroom. Mrs. Flannery had untied her robe and let the weight of the silk hit the carpeted floor. She called out to Donnie after he made his second step.

ìI have to check for cancer,î she said. ìI just need your hand to massage my chest.î

ìAll right,î Donnie said.

The taste of the Honeycombs faded. The sweet milk he would drink after the cereal empties the bowl became sour. The salt water his father made him gargle with when heíd lose his voice began to fill his tongue as he licked the tear that kissed the corner of his lip. He turned around and stared into Mrs. Flanneryís eyes. He cupped his lips over his teeth the same way Jon-Jon did when he was fighting not to cry.