The thunder came suddenly. I wasn’t expecting it, despite my father warning me to stay close to home, in case the weather ‘might break’. I didn’t understand fully, all I wanted to do was run off and play with Movita, a neighbourhood friend.
Movita was as unusual as her name, she had a fantastic imagination and I loved her for it. Our games were never typical, she always had an unique twist on them.
The day had been so warm, like so many days before, I had ran off with Movita to play in the sun away from my brothers and sisters, this was, so far a great Summer. She was my friend and I guess, I didn’t want to share her. On this particular day, we had argued, both of us had tempers, Movita stormed off, taking her imagination with her. “I don’t need you, I can play by myself” I roared as she ran off, showing me her middle finger. “Piss off so” I knew she’d be back, either later or tomorrow. Like me, she too had a big family and enjoyed getting away from them and having her own friend.
The sky darkened as I made my way through the bushes we were playing in. I stopped. I felt a drop of rain. Then the thunder followed. I jumped. I panicked as I tried to make my way out of what now felt like a dense forest. The sky lit up. “Shit” I ran through the bushes, scraping my knee off the thorns, getting stung by nettles and bitten by midgets. I could hear my dad’s voice echoing in my mind, “Stay close, the weather will break Mac’een, ‘tis far too close for it not to”. Why didn’t he just say thunder and
lightening may happen, stay close ‘cos you’ll panic if ya don’t.
I finally got out of the ‘forest’. There he was, in his little red tractor, his trailer attached. His face red, hair soaked, calling for me. “I knew you’d be here” he waved at me. “Come on, dad’s looking for ya” he patted his trailer. I ran over to my little hero, my little Mucker and got into his wet trailer as he peddled with all his might to bring me home, safely to my daddy. “Don’t tell dad you found me here Mucker” I asked as he huffed and puffed up the hill. “I won’t” he sighed heavily. We knew we were not allowed play in the bushes, but like all kids, that didn’t stop us. The rain came down fast and hard as I yelled at Mucker to hurry.
Looking back, I would have been much quicker walking instead of sitting like lady muck in my poor little brothers trailer telling him to hurry. We turned the corner to see our dad standing in our front garden. “Come on will ya” he laughed. I am sure the sight of my lanky legs, hitting off the road as Mucker, red as blood was huffing and puffing, his legs peddling so fast, his eyes focused on the road, me ordering him to hurry and waving at our dad. “Good man Mucker” he patted Muckers wet head. He looked down at me, my knees grazed, my elbow scraped. “Get up, were you down in those bushes again?”.” No I fell”, I lied. “She did dad” Mucker puffed. We followed our dad inside as the thunder rolled and the lightening struck.
That was the moment, I decided I had to forgive Mucker for taking away my big brother, I now had a little brother who would help me out and more importantly lie for me. I could use this kid, I thought as I thanked my little 6 year old hero.