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Authors: G. M. Frazier
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top of him. “I told you not to follow me up here!” Frankie yelled.
I ran over and lifted the bike off of Mark and helped him up. He was trying without much success to keep from crying. He was choking back the sobs as I brushed the grass clippings and pine needles off of him. He had scraped his left knee pretty good in the fall, but it wasn’t bleeding. “Are you okay?” I asked him.
Mark nodded and said, “Yeah.”
I turned to Frankie and said, “Have you gone crazy? What’s the matter with you?”
“ Me?!” Frankie yelled. “What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you ?”
“ What are you talking about?” I asked with dismay. Mark was still stifling his sobs and getting back on his bike.
Frankie put his hands on his hips. “I thought you were queer for Mark,” he said and waved a hand at his brother. Then, pointing up at Mary Alice on the porch he said, “Now you’ve got a girlfriend?” The inflection he put on “girlfriend” was such that he clearly meant it as term of derision.
The comment about being queer for his brother came way out of left field and pissed me off. It was one thing to jokingly call each other a fag or queer, which we often did, but Frankie was dead serious. I was an easy going boy by nature and it took a lot to make me lose my temper, but Frankie had managed it. “Go home,” I said, trying to sound calm, but my voice was trembling.
Frankie looked over at his brother, who was sitting on his bike watching us. “Let’s go,” he said and turned for his bike.
I glanced at Mark. “You stay here.” Turning back to Frankie, I said, “You leave.”
Before I had time to react, Frankie had lunged, tackling me hard and taking me down. We were rolling on the ground and Frankie was trying to punch me, but I was keeping him close, limiting his ability to land a fist on me. I heard Sachet scream from the porch just as Frankie broke free enough to push himself up and punch me in the face. Suddenly my sister was right there with us, beating Frankie over the head with her doll. “Leave him alone!” she screamed. Frankie turned and grabbed the doll from her and flung it into the trunk of the nearest pine tree. The head flew off the doll and went rolling across the yard.
Anger had me in its grip, and without thinking, I drew back my clenched right fist and just as Frankie turned back to me I punched him in the nose as hard as I could. It happened in the blink of an eye. He fell back on the ground and blood started pouring out of his nose as he groaned and put his hands to his face.
I got to my feet. My heart was beating so fast I thought my chest would explode. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. The knuckles of my right hand were stinging. Sachet was crying. She went over and picked up her headless doll and then ran up on the porch. Frankie got up and stumbled over to his bike. The front of his tee shirt was soaked in blood. As he got on his bike, he pointed to Mark and said, “I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home.”
I stepped over to him, and I could see the fear in his eyes as he no doubt thought I was about to light into him again. “If you do anything to him I’ll finish this fight.”
Frankie didn’t say anything but I could see he understood I meant business. He kicked up the stand on his bike, turned, and pedaled for the road. I turned to Mark. “You don’t have to go,” I said. “Stay here and let him cool off.”
“ I better go,” he said.
It bothered me to think what might be awaiting Mark when he got home. “If he does anything to you, tell your mom and dad,” I said. Mark was silent. He toed up the kickstand on his bike and started to pedal off. I reached out and grabbed his handlebars to stop him. “I meant what I said, Mark. If he hits you, and I find out, he’ll regret it.” Again, Mark didn’t say anything. I let go of his handlebars and he pedaled off.
I stood there and watched Mark ride down the drive and
I ran over and lifted the bike off of Mark and helped him up. He was trying without much success to keep from crying. He was choking back the sobs as I brushed the grass clippings and pine needles off of him. He had scraped his left knee pretty good in the fall, but it wasn’t bleeding. “Are you okay?” I asked him.
Mark nodded and said, “Yeah.”
I turned to Frankie and said, “Have you gone crazy? What’s the matter with you?”
“ Me?!” Frankie yelled. “What’s the matter with me? What’s the matter with you ?”
“ What are you talking about?” I asked with dismay. Mark was still stifling his sobs and getting back on his bike.
Frankie put his hands on his hips. “I thought you were queer for Mark,” he said and waved a hand at his brother. Then, pointing up at Mary Alice on the porch he said, “Now you’ve got a girlfriend?” The inflection he put on “girlfriend” was such that he clearly meant it as term of derision.
The comment about being queer for his brother came way out of left field and pissed me off. It was one thing to jokingly call each other a fag or queer, which we often did, but Frankie was dead serious. I was an easy going boy by nature and it took a lot to make me lose my temper, but Frankie had managed it. “Go home,” I said, trying to sound calm, but my voice was trembling.
Frankie looked over at his brother, who was sitting on his bike watching us. “Let’s go,” he said and turned for his bike.
I glanced at Mark. “You stay here.” Turning back to Frankie, I said, “You leave.”
Before I had time to react, Frankie had lunged, tackling me hard and taking me down. We were rolling on the ground and Frankie was trying to punch me, but I was keeping him close, limiting his ability to land a fist on me. I heard Sachet scream from the porch just as Frankie broke free enough to push himself up and punch me in the face. Suddenly my sister was right there with us, beating Frankie over the head with her doll. “Leave him alone!” she screamed. Frankie turned and grabbed the doll from her and flung it into the trunk of the nearest pine tree. The head flew off the doll and went rolling across the yard.
Anger had me in its grip, and without thinking, I drew back my clenched right fist and just as Frankie turned back to me I punched him in the nose as hard as I could. It happened in the blink of an eye. He fell back on the ground and blood started pouring out of his nose as he groaned and put his hands to his face.
I got to my feet. My heart was beating so fast I thought my chest would explode. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath. The knuckles of my right hand were stinging. Sachet was crying. She went over and picked up her headless doll and then ran up on the porch. Frankie got up and stumbled over to his bike. The front of his tee shirt was soaked in blood. As he got on his bike, he pointed to Mark and said, “I’m going to beat the shit out of you when we get home.”
I stepped over to him, and I could see the fear in his eyes as he no doubt thought I was about to light into him again. “If you do anything to him I’ll finish this fight.”
Frankie didn’t say anything but I could see he understood I meant business. He kicked up the stand on his bike, turned, and pedaled for the road. I turned to Mark. “You don’t have to go,” I said. “Stay here and let him cool off.”
“ I better go,” he said.
It bothered me to think what might be awaiting Mark when he got home. “If he does anything to you, tell your mom and dad,” I said. Mark was silent. He toed up the kickstand on his bike and started to pedal off. I reached out and grabbed his handlebars to stop him. “I meant what I said, Mark. If he hits you, and I find out, he’ll regret it.” Again, Mark didn’t say anything. I let go of his handlebars and he pedaled off.
I stood there and watched Mark ride down the drive and
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