kozarevetsstory2bypstoev

Rhubarb Hill

Traci Kenworth

            Patty and I coasted to a halt on our bicycles, hers green, mine a sparkling pink. We glanced left then right, neither of us wanting to break the spell, this moment in time. Almost there. Rhubarb Hill stretched before us like a gigantic slide.

            “Did you ever see anything so out of reach?” Patty said. “Just waiting for you to go and fail?”

            No words came to mind as I nodded.

            She swallowed. “We don’t have to do this.”

            “Yes, we do. For us. For Joseph. Maybe even old Lady Goldman.” I watched the cars slowly make their way up the incline. I shrugged. “Besides, we made a promise. And promises are gold.”

            “You can take that to the bank,” Patty agreed then shuddered. “I can’t believe he’s gone.”

            I bit my lips as tears stung my eyes. “He was a good friend. The best. Wish we’d gotten a chance to ride this hill together like he wanted.”

            Patty glanced at me. “Should we go?”

            Hands gripping the steering wheel, expression gritted in determination, I released the brake and crept forward picking up more and more speed as I pedaled. Patty kept even with me and we climbed and climbed. Laughing, smiling, I could feel Joseph along for the ride. See his dark hair ruffled in the wind, his green eyes crinkled with mischief.

“For Joseph,” I shouted as we took the last of the hill and veered right to the sidewalk. I heard Patty holler out in agreement.

We’d done it! We’d made it to the top and now, at last, the bottom was behind us, the terror, the fear of letting down our friend, gone. Here it was safer, here it was easier to grieve. Joseph had been our best friend, the kind that only comes along once in a life time when you’re twelve. I hung over the handle bars, trying to catch my breath and the headlines on the newspaper caught my eye. “Local boy killed saving three during a fire.”

            Tears peppered my eyelids. “We did it, Joseph. We climbed Rhubarb Hill.”

            I could see him sitting there on his dark-blue bicycle, huffing and puffing like us. Positive, we’d just conquered the world. Well, not the world, I admitted to myself, but an abyss, nevertheless.         

           Mindy

            Cambria

             Vanessa

              Rachel

               Rebekah

               Jenn