5. Clarry
CLARRY
As the movie's wartime heroes journeyed from Brussels to Berlin with a stopover in Portugal along the way, they took out one bridge after another with explosions so loud that at one point I was concerned the bomb blasts on the silver screen might actually bring the rickety roof of the Ritz crashing down on us. Thankfully the old movie theater fared better than the bridges in the film, and after the end credits rolled, I bid farewell to Mavis and Dynamite Dwight and headed home.
All through the movie I'd been anxious and jittery. At one stage Dwight assured me that the good guys would win in the end, but it wasn't the film's protagonists I was concerned about. It was the idea of taking River up on his offer to meet him at Mike's Mechanic Shop later that afternoon.
"Everything will be fine," I told myself as I scooped some Coffee Toffee Delight into two cones for Mr. and Mrs. Stanthorpe who were out for their afternoon stroll.
"There's nothing to worry about," I convinced myself as I whipped up a fresh batch of Strawberry Snickerdoodle Sundae.
"Everything will be just like it's always been between you and River, just wait and see," I consoled myself as I packed a quart of Pecan Honeycomb Crush into a cooler bag. Before I closed up the parlor to head to the mechanic shop, I grabbed not just one, but two spoons… just in case River wanted to share his ice cream with me while we sat on the steps of Winnie's Wishing Well and watched the sun set.
I sighed, thinking that would probably never happen.
But hey, a boy could dream, right?
I waved to Bud as I passed the flower shop, the scent of roses and lilies filling the air.
I waved to Pascal as I passed his patisserie, the waft of buttery croissants and sweet fruity flans making my stomach grumble.
I let the nerves slip away and felt uplifted by the love story that had blossomed between Bud and Pascal.
I wondered if one day River might see me as more than just his best friend.
I knew I wasn't exactly leading man material, but could he ever come around and perhaps look at me in a whole new light?
Could he be swayed?
Could he bend?
The warm summer air fueled my confidence even more as I crossed Main Street Bridge. The river babbled and sploshed beneath the bridge, and I realized what a happy sound it was. I'd never given it much thought before but listening to the river gurgle merrily on its way made me feel safe and content. It was a sound that reminded me where I belonged. It was a sound that told me Mulligan's Mill was home.
On the other side of the bridge, I walked along the river a short way then crossed over to the park. At Winnie's Wishing Well I stopped a moment and pulled a dime out of my pocket. I closed my eyes, filled my head with thoughts of River, and tossed the coin into the well.
I was expecting to hear a splash at the bottom of the shaft, but instead I heard an angry squeak .
"Oh jeepers," I muttered to myself. "I hope I didn't hurt some cute little mouse who lives down there."
I leaned over the wall of the well and peered into the darkness, but I couldn't see a thing. It crossed my mind that harming some helpless little creature might in fact reverse the whole point of tossing a coin into the well for good luck. What if my wish just turned into a curse? "Oh no! I'm sorry little critter," I called down, hoping an apology would make up for a bump on the furry little fella's head.
Quickly I rummaged through my pocket again and pulled out another coin, this time a quarter. I figured I needed to reverse any bad karma and make another wish, quick smart.
I tossed the second coin in.
An even angrier squeak echoed up the well.
"Oh fudge, I did it again!"
I threw another coin down.
This time the squeak was more like a hiss.
"Oh sherbert! Sorry!"
Another coin.
Another hiss, even more shrill than the first.
"Cripes, what the heck is down there?"
Suddenly it dawned on me that the creature down the well must have been none other than the ghost of Winnifred Wexley. What else could it be? The thought of it struck so much terror into my heart that all I could do was turn and run toward Mike's Mechanic Shop .
I figured my wish was destined for eternal damnation now.
I prayed it wasn't true. I wished with all my might that I hadn't just shattered any and all hope I ever had of getting River to see me as more than just a friend.
But as I reached the edge of the park, I saw something across the road that didn't just strike fear into my heart… it yanked my heart straight out of my chest and stomped all over it.
There outside the mechanic shop stood River, his back to me. In front of him stood Roxanne Maxwell. Only she wasn't just standing in front of him. She was pressed right up against him, her hands on his patootie, squeezing him tight.
I gasped and quickly hid behind a tree so neither of them could see me.
At that point, I didn't want to see them either.
The image of them together, her hands on his tight, muscular buns, was now forever burned on my retinas. I could never unsee that now. I didn't need to peer around the tree for a second glance.
Instead, I stood there, panting not just from my mad dash to escape the ghost, but from the shock that was shooting through my body with a piercing pain.
My heart was galloping.
My head was spinning.
Before I could hold them back, tears welled up in my eyes.
I had to get out of there.
I had to get home, as fast as I could.
I hurried back across the park.
I crossed the bridge and the river sounded angry and cold now.
Pascal waved at me from his patisserie, but I ignored him.
Bud called out, "Hey Clarry!"
But I mumbled, "Not now. Busy."
I opened the door to the parlor and slammed it behind me.
And there I was once more.
On the floor.
Back pressed against the door.
Sobbing.