Will wriggled in his seat and glanced up at the clock. The second hand crawled around its face.
He put his hand inside his desk and felt the bulging bag loaded with a new supply of marbles. Shucks, it’s the first day of clear weather, and all the guys are ready to shoot marbles. When will 10:00 o’clock come? This morning is dragging!
B-rrrr-ing! Mrs. Adams looked up from her desk. "Class is dismissed for recess."
Will grabbed his bag, shot out the door, and down the stairs. He took a deep breath of mild spring air, and headed for the dirt next to the tarred playground, where the girls played jumprope, and broke out the chalk for hopscotch. His friends, Davey and Joey, waited for him.
Davey called to Will. "We were wonderin’ what was taking you so long. I’ve got the circle drawn and we’re ready to go." He tossed the stick off to the side and knelt down at the edge of the circle.
Joey opened his drawstring bag and took out a handful of polished marbles in varying colors and knelt down across from Davey. "My dad took me to the hardware store, and they’ve got a bunch of new colors."
He put the marbles in his hands and held them out for the other two to look at. "I got some green and yellow opaques, and white and red ones, too. I saved my birthday money this year to buy them."
He dropped them on the ground next to the circle, then picked up a large, clear red one. "Dad bought me this popper that’s a whooper!"
Will laughed at the rhyme. He dropped to his knees at the edge of the circle and dug a fistful of marbles out of his bag.
"Well, let’s go."
Each boy put three marbles in the center of the circle.Will picked up one of the marbles and took aim at a straight line drawn next to the circle. His marble rolled across the dirt coming within inches of the line.
Joey shot his marble, but it had too much momentum and rolled across the line.
Davey looked at the other marbles. He lined up his shot and flicked it across the circle. His marble pushed Will’s across the line and came to rest just on this side of the line. "There you go!" he yelled.
Will looked at Davey. "Okay, you get to go first."
"Hey, can I play too?"
Will stood up and turned around. He saw Petey, Joey’s little brother, watching them.
"Nah," said Joey, with a wave of his hand. "Go play with your first grade friends."
Davey nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we’re fourth graders now, and serious marble players." He rolled his eyes at Will.
"Let’s let him play this one time, " Will said.
Joey stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked at his friends. "If we let Petey play, we’ll have to give him his marbles back when the game was over, or he might cry."
Will walked over to Joey and put his hand on Joey’s shoulder. He leaned in and whispered, " If we let him play this one time, then for the rest of the school year, he can teach his own friends how to play."
Joey shrugged and turned to his brother. "Okay, but you gotta put three marbles in the circle first and you go last in shooting."
Petey’s face broke into a big grin, and he put his three marbles down.
Davey placed his glassy popper on his index finger and took aim with his thumb. POP! Off went the marble, traveling into the circle, knocking one of Joey’s and one of Will’s marbles out of the ring.
"YAY!" yelled Davey, "my first captives." He picked up the two marbles and placed them in his pile.
Joey stepped to the edge of the circle, knelt down, and took aim for Davey’s marbles. It went right straight out of the circle without hitting a single one. "Aw! What was that?"
His friends giggled, but they knew that was the risk they all took.
Will knelt down. He preferred to knock his marble with a snap of his middle finger. Off it went, hitting two of Petey’s and one of Davey’s out of the circle. "Three for me!" he exclaimed.
Petey stepped up. His brother sighed, "He can’t play, he’s just going to lose all his marbles."
"I can so," Petey shot back. "I’ve watched ya’ play before." His lower lip pouted a little. Being smaller than the others, he stood and dropped his marble into the circle. It clicked off Davey’s and hit one of Joey’s, too, both of which rolled out of the circle in opposite directions.
"See, I can too play." and he proudly bent to pick up his two captives.
Joey sighed and crossed his arms. "Your turn, Davey."
Davey took aim at one of Will’s marbles, but the popper fell off his finger and only wobbled across the circle line.
"Oh no!" He grabbed his stomach and groaned.
Will pointed to Davey’s popper. "Yes! That one is mine. It’s the prize I’m aiming for." Will smiled at his buddies and rubbed his hands together. "It’s ripe for the picking." He knew Davey would be disappointed to lose his popper. After school, I’ll trade it back to him for four marbles, but I’m not tellin’ him that yet.
Will took direct aim at the popper. "Whoo! She’s a goner!" He scooped up the popper and held his fist up in the air.
B-rrrrr-ing! "Oh no!" the boys cried in one voice. Recess was over. They each picked up their marbles and headed back toward the school, calling out their farewells.
"Catch up with you guys later."
"Bye!"
"Good game!"
Will ran up the steps into the school. He smiled. It’s gonna be a good spring.
He put the marbles in his hands and held them out for the other two to look at. "I got some green and yellow opaques, and white and red ones, too. I saved my birthday money this year to buy them."
He dropped them on the ground next to the circle, then picked up a large, clear red one. "Dad bought me this popper that’s a whooper!"
Will laughed at the rhyme. He dropped to his knees at the edge of the circle and dug a fistful of marbles out of his bag.
"Well, let’s go." Each boy put three marbles in the center of the circle.Will picked up one of the marbles and took aim at a straight line drawn next to the circle. His marble rolled across the dirt coming within inches of the line.
Joey shot his marble, but it had too much momentum and rolled across the line.
Davey looked at the other marbles. He lined up his shot and flicked it across the circle. His marble pushed Will’s across the line and came to rest just on this side of the line. "There you go!" he yelled.
Will looked at Davey. "Okay, you get to go first."
"Hey, can I play too?"
Will stood up and turned around. He saw Petey, Joey’s little brother, watching them.
"Nah," said Joey, with a wave of his hand. "Go play with your first grade friends."
Davey nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we’re fourth graders now, and serious marble players." He rolled his eyes at Will.
"Let’s let him play this one time, " Will said.
Joey stood up, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked at his friends. "If we let Petey play, we’ll have to give him his marbles back when the game was over, or he might cry."
Will walked over to Joey and put his hand on Joey’s shoulder. He leaned in and whispered, " If we let him play this one time, then for the rest of the school year, he can teach his own friends how to play."
Joey shrugged and turned to his brother. "Okay, but you gotta put three marbles in the circle first and you go last in shooting."
Petey’s face broke into a big grin, and he put his three marbles down.
Davey placed his glassy popper on his index finger and took aim with his thumb. POP! Off went the marble, traveling into the circle, knocking one of Joey’s and one of Will’s marbles out of the ring. "YAY!" yelled Davey, "my first captives." He picked up the two marbles and placed them in his pile.
Joey stepped to the edge of the circle, knelt down, and took aim for Davey’s marbles. It went right straight out of the circle without hitting a single one. "Aw! What was that?" His friends giggled, but they knew that was the risk they all took.
Will knelt down. He preferred to knock his marble with a snap of his middle finger. Off it went, hitting two of Petey’s and one of Davey’s out of the circle. "Three for me!" he exclaimed. Petey stepped up. His brother sighed, "He can’t play, he’s just going to lose all his marbles."
"I can so," Petey shot back. "I’ve watched ya’ play before." His lower lip pouted a little. Being smaller than the others, he stood and dropped his marble into the circle. It clicked off Davey’s and hit one of Joey’s, too, both of which rolled out of the circle in opposite directions.
"See, I can too play." and he proudly bent to pick up his two captives.
Joey sighed and crossed his arms. "Your turn, Davey."
Davey took aim at one of Will’s marbles, but the popper fell off his finger and only wobbled across the circle line.
"Oh no!" He grabbed his stomach and groaned.
Will pointed to Davey’s popper. "Yes! That one is mine. It’s the prize I’m aiming for." Will smiled at his buddies and rubbed his hands together. "It’s ripe for the picking." He knew Davey would be disappointed to lose his popper. After school, I’ll trade it back to him for four marbles, but I’m not tellin’ him that yet.
Will took direct aim at the popper. "Whoo! She’s a goner!" He scooped up the popper and held his fist up in the air.
B-rrrrr-ing! "Oh no!" the boys cried in one voice. Recess was over. They each picked up their marbles and headed back toward the school, calling out their farewells.
"Catch up with you guys later."
"Bye!"
"Good game!"
Will ran up the steps into the school. He smiled. It’s gonna be a good spring.
(All photos courtesy of Corbisimages.com)
God gives us each of the seasons in their time-go forth and enjoy.
