Cathy's Creative Corner: Nice Day to Fly a Kite (Part 1)
The neighborhood is alive today! Men are out washing their cars. Some are mowing lawns and doing other yard work. Women are out working in their flower gardens or vegetable patches. Some are hanging out the laundry to get that fresh outdoorsy smell. Even the adults who don’t have anything to do are sitting on their porches just taking in the sights and sounds. As for us kids, we have plenty to do. There’s a basketball game in Champ’s backyard. Fuzz and his crew are seeing who has the fastest bike. The girls brought out a folding table and are playing board games. My crew and I (by the way, I’m Sidney), well, we decided to fly kites. If there’s enough wind to flap clothes dry, there’s enough to keep a kite sailing.
Around the corner, there’s a big field where two old houses once stood. There’re no trees or light poles to get in the way. We go there to play football and baseball, too. No one’s ever complained about us being there but there is a neighbor we have to watch out for. Ms. Crabby. She watches us like a hawk when we’re out in the field and she won’t give back balls that land in her yard. Our dads warned us about that, so we always take spares.
Everyone goes home to retrieve their kites. I’ve got a good feeling about the heights we might reach today because of the strong breezes! After four other guys show up, we head to the field. It didn’t take long before everyone had their kites soaring in the wind. All except Bud, that is. For some reason, after getting up, his kite keeps spinning or veering to the side before it crashes to the ground. I’m about to ask him something when, all of a sudden, my line snaps! Oh, no! My blue delta diamond is floating away! A downward draft catches it and pulls it down! If not on the area of our playing field, maybe it’ll land close by. And it does! Smack dab in the middle of Ms. Crabby’s back yard! Whoa. I know Dad says to write off anything that lands in her yard, but I’m kinda fond of this kite. I’ve had it for two seasons now and it cost me a whole week’s allowance.
“Where’re you going, Sidney?” yells Zack from across the field. “Not to Ms. Crabby’s, I know!”
“Yes, I am! I ain’t scared,” I reply with emphasis on the “sk” sound. “Either she will or she won’t let me have it back. And if I fake a cry, it might help.”
“Go for it, man,” says Todd without taking his eyes off his kite. “If you don’t come back, we’ll tell your parents what happened.”
I hear the other boys laughing as I open the gate to Ms. Crabby’s yard. Not one of them is willing to bring their kites down to help out a brother. About that time, I see the curtain being pulled back in the front room. It’s gotta be her. She’s the only one who lives here from what I’ve heard.
“Yes. May I help you?” Standing before me is a tall, slim, older lady with long, flowing, thick hair. The door was opened before I had the chance to knock. My fist is still drawn back in motion.
“Yes, Ms. Crabby.”
“It’s Crabfield,” she interjected.
“Crabfield? You sure?” I was puzzled. In all my 12 years of living, I’ve only heard Crabby.
“I should know my own name, don’t you think? Get on with it, young man.”
“Ummm, yes, ma’am. See… me and my friends are flying kites in the field out there and my string snapped and my kite landed in your backyard and I was hoping you’d let me have it back.” I got it all out in one sentence. I hope she understood.
Ms. Crabfield slowly stated, “Well, seeing as how I don’t have your kite, I can’t give it back to you. But I will allow you to retrieve it from my yard.”
WHAT? WHAT? You mean it’s that simple! No tears? No lecture? Just go get it and be gone! This is gonna get me street creds for sure! We walk through the house to the back.
“I just want to warn you to be careful going out there. The steps are dangerous and I’m not sure what kind of wildlife may be back there. I hope it didn’t land in the area of the overgrown fruit trees,” she adds while opening the backdoor to the yard.
“I’ll…be…careful….” I mutter as I scan the yard. The overgrowth is bad. Am I as fond of that kite as I thought? I’m holding my boys to their word of notifying my parents if I don’t make it out.”
