“Ma, it’s such a beautiful day out today. Isn’t it? And you’re looking ever the lovely Irish Rose this mornin.” Ray slipped his arm around her and kissed her cheek affectionately.
“Sugar and shit both draw flies, Ray.” But she accepted the kiss.
“It’s opening day for pheasant season, Ma.” Ed said quietly.
The widow glanced at the shotguns, which the boys had been in the process of cleaning and loading. “So you thought you’d ditch school and go hunting?”
“Yes, ma’am.” They both answered honestly. Both fully intended to get reacquainted with the strap. And the widow fully expected to make the reintroduction herself.
But she couldn’t blame them at all. They were allowed far too few hours to be boys because they spent the majority of their days as men. On the farm, they were required them to be men, and responsible, hard working men at that. She decided they deserved a chance to be boys on this beautiful autumn morning.
“Get on out, then. And mind you bring home some pheasant for dinner.”
Once out of the barn and into the yard, Ray danced about with total abandon. He tilted his face up to the sun and basked in it’s brilliance, swinging his arms out wide as he turned in lazy circles. His heart was pounding and he felt exhilarated to be out in nature on such a day as it was.
“I can’t believe Ma didn’t whip us!” Ed wondered aloud, amazed, as he idly watched his brother act like a jackass. “Jesus Christ on a crutch, I thought we’d get it for sure!”
Ray stopped his antics to look at Ed in that queer way he had. Ed was closest to Ray, but couldn’t help feel somewhat alienated when Ray leveled his airy dreamer’s gaze at him. Ed took pride in fact that everyone said he had “both feet on the ground” while Ray was more likely to have his head in the clouds- that opposites attract was the only way their close relationship could be explained.
“Why do you wanna go and think about Ma whippin’ us when she already had her chance and didn’t? Its behind now, don’t harp about it.” Ray said, speaking with his own unique logic.
“But, Ray, she looked pretty fired up, she scared the hell outta me. But then she went all glassy and far away-like and I got to thinking that we were gonna get one hell of a beatin’.” Ed worried a discarded, shriveled cornhusk until it disintegrated in his large, callused hands. “That’s the first time she didn’t whip us for ditchin’ school.”
“Ed, shut up. You’re ruining everything. You bitch about everything, even the good stuff. Stop worrying about every little thing and let’s have a good time today. Agreed?”
Ray did a little shuffling dance and sidled up next to his brother to elbow him playfully in the ribs. Ed grunted more in agreement than in pain. The two started out across the lane and into the north field.
The boys hunted for the rest of the morning, scarcely noticing as the sun climbed higher into the sky. By the time that the brilliant orb was directly above, the brisk chill in the air was no longer evident. It was a balmy day considering the calendar said October. They were both down to their shirtsleeves, hot and sweaty, when they stopped to discuss what plan of action to take in regards to lunch. Ray’s stomach gurgled loudly.
Ed was all for circling back through the fields and heading home, where their mother would make them a big lunch before sending them out to the east field to help Bruce and LeRoy with the blocked drainage ditch. He was getting tired of pushing through the bush that covered hill and dale. They’d both shot three pheasant, more than enough. Ed was ready to call it a day.
Ray, on the other hand, wanted to enjoy this day to the fullest. They had skipped school and didn’t even get in one lick of trouble. Certainly that was a sign from the Good Lord above that this day was a gift from the Almighty himself. Ray had a plan. And this plan he told to Ed:
“Don’t be a bore, Ed. We’re miles from home but only a half a field away from Mill Creek. We’ll catch the Creek and follow it up to Gene Haley’s place, it’s less than a mile.” Ray’s cheeks flushed with excitement.
“You know he’ll feed us- he’s got all those field hands helping to finish up the late hay baling. He’s got extra food and I’ll bet he’ll have some work for us to do, too. Why, we can get a little pocket money and go into town later! Come on, what’d ya say?” Ed looked unsure, but when Ray took off in the direction of the Creek, he followed his brother.
