Pool_1

This was the rhythm of Charles Darling. Water. Fun. Stories. Teasing. The boys erected a basketball backboard on a pole in the lot over on the side where it was level. Of course, the board of recreation, hearing about it, put in paperwork that showed that THEY had constructed a full basketball facility. "Three guesses who gets that money," Gerry muttered. The pole and board was finessed from a playground in nearby Fair Haven. "Those boys can't play anyway," Penchant grimaced. Evidently he supplied the tools to steal the thing. "Me, Sally, and Cutter against Washington and the twins! You on?" a sure fire challenge taken. Washington and the twins called, "Shirts!" which was not good sports strategy but great entertainment. It worked for everybody. How else was a guy like Gerry ever to win against such players? Frequently you could hear yet another strident lifeguard political debate going on between Lou, Fred, big John, and Sam Belstein. Sam was the ex cathedra Hell no we won't go! white boy of Charles Darling. He was much more scathing and emotional in his antigovernment ranting than any black kid ever witnessed in a white person. Sam was spirited and intellectually sharp but always skating on the edge of outright rebellion and anarchy, or so it seemed. His wild kinky fly away hair enhanced that semblance. He hammered on an apocalyptic view of what was being presented as simple police action for the Unites States military. His foretellings seemed way too embellished with negativity which was taken as directed against our way of life rather than our recent decision making. Big John simply took the official line. Patriotism meant, to him, swearing to whatever the last official White House press release asserted. Would John actually read a book or seek alternatives for information? No. Pull ups, sit ups, clean and jerking, and dumbbells were too time consuming and necessary, as were the honey