The wind blows through my short prickly hair, leaving a salty taste on the surface of my lips, making me feel more free than I have ever felt in my life. This is what I crave. It is a new desire I have never felt before, but I enjoy it. Its like my eyes now can truly see, and I see that this needs to be mine. I need to own it.
( The next day )
“Blake.” I say, as I ferociously move the joist stick. Tactically evading the ghosts to demolish Pac-man.
“Yeah, Don.” Blake reaches for another token.
“I decided to make an acquisition,” Blake stares at me blankly. “I’m going to buy a boat,” I say as I roll my eyes.
“How are you going to do that? I mean, would anyone actually be willing to sell a boat to a F***ing fourteen year old? I mean, are you even old enough to drive one?”
“I did a lot of researching last night. Turns out that to be eligible to have a boat license you can be a young as F***ing twelve.”
“That’s nice, but who would you buy a boat from?”
“Well upon the investigation that took place last night, I realized that your neighbors, as a matter of fact, have a boat with my name on it.” I say with a smirk.
“That boat has a big A** hole in the front. It can’t even F***ing float and you’re F***ing telling me you want to buy that that piece of SH**?”
“It’s not a piece of SH**. Okay it is. But it won’t be by the time I get my hands on it,” I say puffing my chest.
“Do you even know how you’re gonna fix the thing?”
“Well I will need some of your expertise. You do build model airplanes. AND spend most of your time with that F***ing dirt bike of yours. And I’ll use some of the paper route money I saved up to buy new parts.”
“A normal fourteen year old wouldn’t even F***ing think about buying a SH**** boat.”
“Well, I’m not a normal fourteen year old Blake, and neither are you.”
“Okay. I’ll help, but you have to take me out on a spin with that F***ing boat of yours when we’re done.”
“Deal,” I beam. Blake and I split from The Brass Token Arcade.
(The next day)
“Hey, Mr. Smith, I heard that you’re trying to sell that, exquisite, boat over there.”
“Yes, I am, but I’d hardly say its exquisite.”
“That thing is a sure beaut Mr. Smith and I want it.”
“Well, how do you figure on paying for it Donald?”
“Are you a fan of the ever so entertaining vehicle the dirt bike?”
“Yeah, I actually own one.”
“Only one? Do you go out on your dirt bikes with your family, but there is a problem, isn’t there - you only got one. All of you have to take turns and by the time everyone has had a ride it’s already dark out. Isn’t that correct, Mr. Smith?”
“I guess you could say that, but how do you plan on solving that problem?”
“Well, fine sir, I have a dirt bike of my own, but I would be glad to trade it for something a little more... my style. You understand Mr. Smith?”
“Yes I re’con I do,Donald. You’re telling me you want to make a trade, your dirt bike for my ‘exquisite’ boat.”
“That is what I’m trying to bargain, yes.”
“Well, Donald, I’ll have to go in and talk to my wife about it for a quick sec but I think we got a deal.”
“Thank you very much, Mr.Smith.” Mr. Smith acknowledges my gratitude and goes inside.
“Well ,Donald, I think you did it. I’m not that surprised. You’ve always negotiated a good bargain even when you collect your paper route money.”
“Why, thank you Blake. I just presumed that it would be fair to do it this way, besides it will make everyone happy.”
“I only have one question to ask you.”
“Yea Blake what is it?”
“Do your parents know that you’re buying a big A** SH***Y boat?” Mr. Smith walks out of the house with the keys in his hand.
“Well, Donald, it took a little persuading, but my wife finally agreed. She told me to tell you that you’re quite the little business man and that you have a deal.”
“Oh, thank you Mr. Smith, and tell Mrs. Smith that I appreciate the compliment.”
“Will do, Donald, here are the keys to that ‘exquisite’ boat.”
“Thank you, and I set the dirt bike on the side of your house next to the trash cans.”
“Thank you, Donald, and have a nice day.”
“You too, Mr. Smith.”
“Wait! Donald, how are you gonna get that boat to your house?”
“Blake’s dad owns a trailer, we’ll have that exquisite boat out of your way before sundown.”
“Okay, Donald. See you later.”
“See ya, Mr. Smith.” Blake and I run across the street, looking both ways, of course.
“Hey, dad!” Blake calls as we enter the door.
“Yeah, Blake?”
“Remember how I told you Don was going to buy a boat?”
“Yeah. He wanted to trade it for that dirt bike of his, didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did, and Mr. Smith took up the deal.”
“Really? Wow! I’m surprised he would be okay with a KID buying his boat.”
“Well, you know Don, and how he likes to drive a good bargain. Anyway, Don and I need to
borrow your trailer.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll have it set up for you in just a moment.” Blake’s dad leaves for the garage to hook up the trailer to his truck.
“Don?” Blake says as we take a seat on the couch.
“Yeah, Blake?”
“You never said ….”
“If I ever told my parents about me buying a ‘F***ing boat’. Well, I didn’t. I know what you’re about to say, ‘How could I not tell my parents? What are your parents going to say about it? Why didn’t you tell them?’. All I have to say is that I forgot, and I have no idea what they’re going to say. ”
“Why did you take the keys to the boat if you knew you didn’t even F***ing tell them?”
“Just because I forgot to tell my parents about me buying a big A** boat doesn’t mean I’m just going to not do it.” Blake’s dad walks in from the garage.
“Well, Don, I got the trailer all hooked up so we can go next door and pick up that new boat of yours.”
“Thank you, Mr. Smith.” Blake and I get up from the couch and begin to head over to Mr. Smith’s house.
“So, Don, what are you going to do?”
“Well, there’s nothing I really can do, Blake, but to just wait and see how they react.” Blake’s dad hitched the boat on with the trailer.
“Okay, boys, let’s go take this puppy to Don’s house.” Blake and I nod in agreement and hop in the truck.
“So, Don, how are you planing on fixen’ this puppy up?” Blake’s dad asks as he starts the truck.
“Well, I’m not completely sure yet, but I know the first thing I’ll do is patch up that big hole.” I say as we pull out of Mr. Smith’s driveway.
“I guess that would be pretty smart considering it’s basically just a sunken ship as of now.”
“Yeah, well, not for long. Especially, since I’m going to have Blake’s help on it.” I say with a smirk as Blake stares my way.
“No kidding! Blake agreed to help you on something that isn’t a model airplane or a motorcycle?”
“Well, it took a little persuading, but, yeah, I got him to agree to it.”
“Well, Don, you are quite the businessman.”
“Why, thank you. That’s the second time today someone has said that to me.”
“Well, it’s no surprise. You’ve always found a way to get what’s, how do I put it, necessary?” Blake chimes in.
“No, son, I think a better word for it is he likes to get a good bargain.”
“That too.” Blake adds with a know-it-all posture.
“Well, thanks for that ‘realization of my potential’ talk, but we’re here.”
“Well, that was mighty fast Blake, now wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was. Also, I was wondering, dad, if I could stay at Don’s house for the night?”
“I would say yes, but do you have any stuff with you?”
“Yes. I keep an extra set of clothes and toothbrush at Don’s house, remember? We have been friends since pre-school. You think I would have learned to keep some extra stuff at his place.”
“Well, okay then. As long as Don’s parents say it’s okay.”
“Thanks, dad.” Blake says as we all hop out of the car.
“Blake, why do you want to stay the night?”
“In case you get yelled at or anything for not telling your parents about… you know… the big A** boat. With me around you’ll have someone fighting on your side.”
“I don’t think there is much of a need for that, Blake, but it would be great to have you stay.”
Blake’s dad peeks his head from around the boat, ”Okay, boys, everything has been taken care of. You can go and ask Mrs. Pierik for permission for Blake to stay the night.”
“Thanks, dad.”
“Thanks, Mr. Jensen.” Blake and I dart into the house.
“Hi, mom!” I yell not knowing where she is. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the kitchen, Donald.”
I walk into the kitchen and see my mom making another burnt dinner. “ Can Blake spend the night tonight?”
“Sure, Donald. Does he need any dinner? I don’t think I’ll have enough for everyone if he joins us.”
“I don’t need any dinner, Mrs. Pierik. I had a VERY filling lunch,” Blake says as his tummy starts to rumble.
I elbow Blake because I knew that he was lying. “Yeah, I had quit a filling lunch as well mom.” I say this to avoid the burnt chicken, that could quite possibly be the blackest thing I’ve ever seen, besides other meals that have been cooked by my mother.
“Too bad. More food for your brother then.” Smoke begins to fill the kitchen as the smoke detector starts to go off. “Oh, that darn smoke detector wouldn’t know a real fire if it killed it,” my mother says, waving a rag at the smoke detector.
“I got it mom,” I say as I push the button on the smoke alarm.
With a big sigh,”Thank you, Donald,” Mm mom glimpses out the window. “Oh, Blake, when did your dad buy a boat?”
Blake looks over to me with fear, ”Actually, mom, Blake’s dad didn’t buy a boat.”
“Oh, then who did?” My mom says scraping off some of the black soot from the chicken.
“Me.” I say tightly, not knowing what her reaction will be.
“YOU bought the boat?”
“Yee..a..uh?” I say in a question like manner, still unaware how she is processing this information.
“YOOUU BOUGHT A BOAT!?” She says with a slight twitch in her eye and a raised eyebrow.
“..... Yeah,” I shrinkingly say.
“And you didn’t think to tell me or your FATHER about this?”
“I…. uh...forgot,” I say, as I shrink into the size of a cockroach.
“You forgot to tell me and your father that you were going to buy a boat!?”
Blake takes a brave step forward, ”To be fair, Mrs. Pierik, he did only decide that he was going to buy a boat last night.”
“LAST NIGHT. So, Donald, you walked out of the house this morning knowing you were going to try and buy a boat and you just FORGOT to tell your parents about it!?”
Dad steps out of his study with a book in hand, ”What’s with all this racket?”
“Donald over here, bought a boat and ‘FORGOT’ to tell us.”
“Well, son, why did you feel the need to buy a boat?” My dad says with that scholarly tone of voice that he has.
“Well, I knew that to be able to have a boating license you only have to be twelve and I really liked that boat ride we had yesterday on the Columbia River. So I thought, why not just buy a boat for cheap, fix it up a bit, and call it my own?”
“Well, there you go, Marilyn, your son only wants to have a boat because he wants to take it out on the water. Now how ‘terrible’ is that?” My dad says mockingly.
“Well the boat is so big and we’ll probably not even have the space for it, or we’ll end up having to take care of it, or worse we’ll have to pay for gas money. You know how expensive gas money is, Robert.”
“Yes, gas money can be quite expensive, but I’m sure Donald will be the one responsible for taking care of anything that has to do with HIS boat.”
“He’s right, mom. I’ve saved up a lot of my paper route money so I can repair the boat and all the other necessary stuff, and I’m fine with just leaving the boat out on the street if that’s what you guys want.”
“I think that will be just fine, Donald. Don’t you agree, Marilyn?”
“I GUESS it would be okay, as long as you keep to your word that this boat is YOUR responsibility and yours alone.”
“Yes, mom. I promise.”
( A few weeks later )
“Get out of the way! I can’t see!” little kid shouts.
“Move! I can’t see either!” another kid yells.
“What’s going on? Why are there so many people?” a kid asks.
“This guy has been repairing this boat for the past THREE weeks. Non-stop.” A teenager responds.
“NON-STOP!?”
“Well, besides bathroom and sleeping breaks, yeah.”
“Wow! It looks so cool!”
“You should’ve seen it before it was a piece of trash before he got his hands on it.”
“How old is he?”
“He’s only fourteen.”
“FOURTEEN!! That’s what I’ll be in two years!”
“That’s what I WAS last year.”
“Do you know him?”
“Yeah, that’s my brother.”
“WOW!!!!”
“Hey, Dave, can you stop talking to those kids over there and give me a hand for a sec?” I say holding two cans of paint.
“Gotta run.” Dave leaves leaving the kid behind in a strike of awe.
( One year later )
“Man, Don, this boat is so awesome! I’m so glad you got it and repaired it last year. I totally understand why you were so fixated on having a boat of your own. The way it feels out here is just so different.”
“I’m glad you appreciate it, Blake, and I’m glad that I bought this boat, too. It’s made me realize something really important.”
“What is that?”
“No matter what I do when I’m older, there is nothing quite like the work of one’s hands and the feeling of accomplishment it brings when the job is finished. I want to use my ability of making functional art in everyday life. And I owe that all to this boat.”
( 20 years later )
“Custom Solutions Inc. How may I help you?”