I really like living on the farm. I wasn’t sure at first, but I found that I could just be myself here. No one to call me bad names like they did in school. The solitude of the farm gave me a chance to escape, especially those quiet afternoons of summer where I could ride my bicycle and be alone with my thoughts.

The grass that grows in the field, past the mown lawn is very tall now. It comes up past my waist. Bella and her new friend Connie, who is visiting her great grandma Ethel, who lives on the next farm down, have been playing together all this week. I saw them catching butterflies in the tall weeds and putting them in a jar. I’m sorta jealous that Bella has a new friend. We used to play together and were best friends, but now she’s excited to play with another girl her own age. Bella wanted Connie to come over to see the six new chickens that Travis bought for the chicken coop this weekend.  

When we were younger, Sam was my first best friend. I miss playing with our toy trucks or playing tag in the yard like we used to do. We did everything together, but when he started going to Jr High school, he changed and wanted to play sports and hang out with older boys. Sam rarely talks to me now. He’s always busy talking to his girlfriend on the phone or practicing throwing a basketball into the hoop Travis nailed up on the side of the barn. I don’t see how throwing a ball at a ring all afternoon can be any fun.

I sat on the porch swing watching Sam from a distance and daydreamed. He had his shirt off and was getting rather tanned. I envy him. I don’t feel comfortable with my shirt off. I have a skinny chest where my ribs stick out. Kids at school tease me about it along with my large nose and the fact that I’ve needed to wear glasses since second grade. Just this past year my face started breaking out in zits. I hate the way I look. Sam is so lucky. He’s tall and so popular in school. He’s a natural athlete and I’m a nerd. He never really had zits and it’s not fair.

I watched as Sam picked up his shirt and wiped the sweat from his eyes. He carried his basketball under his arm and walked slowly through the tall grass towards the house. He reached the front step and looked over at me.

“What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” I said.

He just shrugged his shoulders and turned, opened the screen door and walked inside. I sat there for a while longer then got an idea that I wanted to ride my bike. That was the one thing that I did enjoy. I went inside and found Mom folding clothes in the little laundry room. Sam was in the kitchen making a sandwich.

“Mom, can I ride my bike out on the road?” I said.

“Can’t you ride your bike here on the farm?” she said.

“Well, I could but it is too hard to ride through the tall grass or on the bumpy gravel road. Please Mom, I’ll be careful,” I begged.

“Well, promise to ride far over on the side and be sure to get way over in case a car comes by. Supper should be ready in about an hour, so don’t go too far.”

“I won’t go too far,” I yelled as I ran out the back door. There was a little shed in the back yard near the chicken coop where Travis let us keep our bicycles. I grabbed my BMX bike from the corner of the shed, being careful not to upset a hive of wasps that had built a big paper nest on the rafter just above my bike near the ceiling.

I rode off down the bumpy gravel road with tall grass on either side. It wound down the hill towards the edge of the woods. At the bottom of the hill there was the small wooden bridge that crossed over the little  stream coming out of the woods. I continued a few hundred feet on the rest of the gravel road that was surrounded by trees on either side. It was like riding through a cave because the branches of the trees met in the dense canopy above me. Just ahead was the long rusty iron gate that swung way far out. Every time we would come to it, everyone of us kids would volunteer to be the one to get out of the car to open it. I didn’t need to open it though, because I was on my bike and could just walk around the pole that it was attached to.

I crossed to the other side of the paved one lane road going left. As I rode south on this narrow road, the deep woods of Travis’s farm were on the left hand side and more open farm land with cattle and barns were to my right. The road made a turn to the right and woods continued on the left hand side for nearly a quarter of a mile. The road was mostly flat but then started going uphill. The road turned to the left and I saw a boy a little older than me walking on the other side of the road going towards our farm. He didn’t seem to notice me at first. He just kept walking with his head down. He was dressed like a bum. I waved, but I didn’t think he noticed me. Just as I was about to pass, he looked up at me and waved. I kept riding up a steep hill leaving behind the woods. Open farm land was to either side of me. A car passed me from behind and sped onward leaving me with the road all to myself. I heard the chirping and droning of katydids and grasshoppers. I saw birds of all sorts from cardinals to redwing blackbirds. I rode through a swarm of gnats that left me choking and rubbing my eyes. The road seemed endless through the rolling hills and part of me just wanted to continue. I imagined what it would be like to just keep going and never turn back. Where would it take me? Would I eventually reach the ocean? I felt wanderlust. I realized that I had been gone a while and thought mom might get worried. I turned back and it seemed to be all downhill. I was really curious if I might pass by that boy again. Could he be a neighbor kid? The woods were now to my right. As I neared our gate I looked for the boy ahead in the distance, but didn’t see anyone walking. He must be long gone by now I thought. I turned into the gravel road and rode my bike around the gate post back towards the house. I saw Travis’s truck parked in the gravel driveway. I slowly rode towards the house wondering if Mom would be mad for me being late. On the way to the shed I rode past the kitchen window. I peeked inside and it was empty of faces. I guess supper was long over. I felt sad, a bit invisible like a ghost. I placed my bike inside the shed and walked back towards the house. I opened the back door and saw Buddy eating table scraps from his bowl. I guess I’d been riding much longer than I thought. I heard the TV on in the front room. Travis and Mom were watching the news. She looked up when she heard me enter.

“Honey, I saved you a plate in the fridge. I wasn’t sure when you’d be back.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Did you have a nice ride?”

“Yeah it was fine I guess,” I said, shrugging my shoulders..

“That’s nice. You better go have your supper.”

Travis looked up and waved and I just nodded and turned back towards the kitchen. I opened the fridge and took out my plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans and stuck it in the microwave. I heated my food and took my plate up the  stairs to my room. I could hear Sam in his room playing the Mortal Combat video game as I walked to the end of the hallway and opened my door. The rays of the late afternoon sun shone through my tall narrow window and I reached for my new Spiderman comic book. I’d always felt a sort of kinship with Peter Parker. I wished that I could be special and have some sort of power over my life. Maybe things could be different now. Being here on a farm and going to a new school could make my life better, I thought as I bit into my meatloaf.

The next day Mom asked me and Sam to help her cut weeds in the vegetable garden before it got too hot. By 8:00 am it was already in the high 70’s and quite humid. I wore an old t-shirt and cut off blue jeans. I was hoeing tall weeds growing between the rows of corn and beans. The sun felt way too hot and I would much rather be sitting in the shade reading my comic books. Sam wore his long blue jeans and a red ball cap. He had already taken off his t-shirt and tucked it into the waistband of his pants. He seemed to enjoy being in the sun as his tan was getting darker. Mom was dressed in cut off jeans and a blue tank top and a big straw cowboy hat. She always looked pretty for being a mom to three kids. At times she felt more like an older sister than my mom. Seems like since my dad died she has been trying to act like she is much younger than she really is. Rodger was like the 5th guy she dated since dad died and she had us all move in with him only a couple of weeks after she met him. Like the other guys, it turned out bad, but Rodger was the worst. The other guys never hit her, they just yelled a bit. But Rodger was scary. He really hated me and I never did anything to him. That one night when Rodger was drunk and started choking me at supper, I thought he wanted to kill me. Mom started crying and hitting him and that’s when he hauled off and started beating her. Sam got up and hit Rodger and knocked him down. Mom called 911 and the police came and arrested Rodger. Sam doesn’t say it, but I think he blames me for having to move away from his friends. He still talks as if we are moving back to Bourbon County once the summer is over and being on the football team. I hope we don’t move back, but I just stay quiet to avoid an argument.

A few hours later Bella came walking through the tall grass towards the garden where we were working.

“Momma, it is about 11:30. I came to tell you like you asked me to.”

“Thanks, Sweetie. We’ll be right with you.”

Bella turned and ran back towards the house.

“Sam, Hank! That’s enough for today. Let’s head back to the house and I will make us a big lunch, okay?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Sam as he dropped his hoe and took the t-shirt tucked into his pants, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “It’s getting way too hot.”

Sam ran ahead and caught up with Bella. Mom asked me to help carry the tools back. I walked over and picked up the hoe that Sam had dropped near the far side of the garden near the woods. As I stood up I thought I saw someone standing just past the tree-line. Mom was walking through the tall grass moving towards the house. I turned again to look towards the woods and then I saw him. It was the boy I saw yesterday, walking down the road as I was riding my bike. He just stood there staring at me. He couldn’t have been much older than I was, but was wearing odd clothes like really religious people might wear. I waved at him and smiled, but he just turned and walked further into the woods. I guess I scared him off. Perhaps he had run away from home. I turned and walked back towards the house.

Back at the house I didn’t say anything about the boy.  Mom started cooking fried chicken. Sam was washing up in the sink and Bella was asking mom if she could go over to see Connie. Mom finally said she would drive her over there after lunch.

The afternoon got really hot and muggy.  Sam was in his room playing video games. I sat on the porch swing watching as Mom drove away into the tree line. A cloud of dust kicked up by the car was still visible but fading. I got up and  walked towards the woods. I was curious about the boy I saw earlier. I crossed the tall grass and then reached the garden. At the garden I carefully stepped over the beans and cabbage and then pushed past the waist high rows of corn. I stood at the edge of the woods near the barbed wire fence. I could see nothing past the trees. I climbed over the fence by holding on to the post careful not to catch my clothes on the wires. I walked up either side of the fence, but there was hardly a place to cross through the thick brambles. I walked farther to the left and spotted a small trail that led into the woods. I followed it past the thick underbrush down to a small stream. It was probably the same stream that we crossed at the entrance to the property. It was somewhat muddy and it buzzed with mosquitoes. The stream was dark and was shaded by the many trees on either side of it. I tried to jump across but my left foot got wet as I slid in the mud. It had a ripe stink of rotten leaves and mold. I followed the trail up the other side and it forked off to the right while the main trail went straight up the hill. I climbed over a fallen tree and the trail opened up a bit wider. It curved to the left and ahead I saw something moving. As I got closer I saw the boy sitting on a log in front of the remains of an old log cabin. I stopped and the boy stood up and just watched me. He looked a bit dirty and was wearing brown wool pants and a white shirt. He looked a bit older than me, but not as tall and had dirty brown hair down to his shoulders.

“Hi. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you live here? My name’s Hank. Who are you?”

He turned his head a few times and looked like he was going to run off into the woods, but stood there staring at me. He looked scared. He slowly opened his mouth and said, “Jake.” His dirty thin pale hands brushed the hair from his deep blue grey eyes.

“Were you the guy I saw walking on the road yesterday?” I said.

“Yeah, I walk on the road a lot.”

“Do you live around here?” I said trying to get some information out of him.

“Why do you want to know?” he whispered.

“No reason, I won’t tell. Is someone after you?”

“I don’t know. I think so, but can’t remember.”

“How long have you been here?” I asked.

“I don’t know but it seems like a long time.”

“I live in the house here on this farm. I just moved here a few weeks ago.  I really don’t have any friends. I’m just here with my mom, my brother and my sister. Travis who owns this place let us live here until we can find a place of our own. Would you like to be my friend and hang out sometimes?”

He was quiet for a minute, then he said, “Okay, I would like to have a friend.”

I sat down on the log beside him.

“Do you live in this little cabin?” I asked.

“Yeah, sometimes I come here.”

“Can I look inside?”

“Yeah, I don’t care.”

I stood up and opened the old wooden door. It was hard to push open. It was very musty inside and smelled of dry mold. There was an old used cot in the corner, some old dusty shelves built into the wall and a small rusty pot bellied stove. Dirt covered the floor and the windows had been broken out. On the wall carved into the wood was the word “Evangeline.”  

“What does that mean?” I asked him.

“I don’t know. It was here when I got here.”

“You know, I could help you fix this place up some. I’m sure Travis has some stuff he wouldn’t be using.”

“Don’t tell anyone you saw me.”

“Uhhh, why? You in trouble or somethin’?”

“Promise you won’t tell.”

“Okay, okay, I promise.” He stared off, looking out towards the woods as if he didn’t hear me. “Well can I see you again tomorrow? I better get back home. Mom will be wondering where I am.”

“Okay,” he said softly. “I might be here.”

“Good, then I will look for you. Bye Jake!”

“Bye Hank.” I waved and ran back down the trail. I was so excited to have a new mysterious friend.

The next day Travis got up early and went job hunting. Mom started a part time job as a receptionist for an insurance company in Carlisle. They told her she could be full time after six weeks, so she couldn’t be late. She was all rushing to get Bella dressed to spend the day with Connie at the Watt’s house.

“Now I hope that you boys can behave yourself while I am gone and don’t be messing with Travis’s stuff okay?”

“Mom, Travis said I could use his weights,” said Sam, looking through the fridge.

“Well I don’t want you messin’ with those weights by yourself. You could get hurt. I don’t mind you lifting weights, just don’t be doing it while Travis is gone. If you get hurt, ain’t nobody around to help you.”

“Shit mom, I ain’t no little kid anymore. I’m bored, and nobody has any jobs right now. How can I save up for a car if no one will hire me?” said Sam, waving his arms about.

“By the end of summer there should be lots of farmers looking for young men to house tobacco,” Mom said, as she was putting on her shoes.  “Bella hurry up honey I don’t want to be late.”

I could hear Bella’s shoes tapping on the wooden floor upstairs.   

“So what are you planning to do today Hank?”

“Uhhhh, I don’t know, maybe watch TV or play video games,” I said, as I was looking up and pretending that I wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.

“If you ride your bike I just want you to promise me that you’ll watch out for cars. People drive really fast on these roads.”

“I will Mom,” I said, with my head down munching on my cereal.

“I mean it.  People drive way too fast on these narrow roads and I just want you to promise me you will be careful.”

“Jees, Mom! Ughhh, I said I will be careful. I’m not a baby or something.”

Mom and Bella rushed out of the house a few minutes later. Sam went upstairs to his room. I know what he does when he thinks no one is around. I crept by his door one morning really quiet like and peeked in the key hole. I saw Sam naked in his bed looking at some pictures of naked girls and he was jerking his dick. I had started doing it myself by accident. I thought I was the only one.

I decided to walk back up into the woods this morning. The grass had grown so tall and it got my clothes wet with dew. I wore just some old cut off blue jeans and an old dirty green t-shirt. Since coming to the farm I decided to just go barefoot the entire summer so my feet would get tough. Walking was fine except for the occasional thistle. I ran up the old deer trail towards the old cabin. I looked inside but it was empty.

“Jake! Jake!” I hollered a few times. I looked up and down the trails hoping he would be standing there. I felt disappointed. I could only hope he would return. I guessed that he probably went back home to his parent’s house somewhere. Maybe he lived at one of these neighboring farms. I turned and walked back towards the house. I was climbing over the barbed wire fence near the post when I heard something behind me. I turned and looked back and saw Jake standing there motionless. His long brown hair blowing wildly in the slight breeze. He was wearing the same dirty white shirt and brown wool pants. I climbed down off the fence.

“I thought you weren’t coming.”

He didn’t say anything but just waved me towards him. I followed him into the woods and Jake sat down by the little stream and I sat down beside him. Jake had his head down and picked up a stick and stirred it in the water.

“What is wrong Jake? You seem sad.”

He looked over at me and stumbled to speak, “I..I can’t remember. I can’t remember my family. I have been alone so long that I don’t remember,” said Jake, stirring the water.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I said.

“No, I don’t think so, but you can be my friend.”

“Sure, I would like that.”

I put my arm around his shoulder and he felt cold. He sat and cried as I held him. At that moment, I didn’t feel so alone, and I liked it.

During the long summer days that followed I went off to see Jake when ever I could. Sometimes he would show up and at other times I would not see him for a few days. Jake never talked much, but he always wanted me to tell him stories. He loved hearing about TV shows and movies that I’d seen. I was reading the Hobbit and would take the book with me to the woods and I’d read to him. Jake  seemed to be unaware of video games, and TV. I’d invite him to come back to the house to show him, but he’d get frustrated and say that he didn’t want anyone to know about him. I guessed that maybe he was in trouble with the law. Jake loved to walk with me through the woods. The warm sunlight filtering down through the trees and all kinds of birds that were busy. There were tons of mosquitos, but they were not so bad during the day time. In the woods we would pretend that we were explorers walking through the thick jungles somewhere hacking at branches with sticks. Or we might have sword fights with sticks. Jake became my new best friend in those early days of summer.