LITMIR.BIZ

      1

      Candy Land

      Evelyn Schmidt got cancer in 1963. She found out the day before Halloween and was dead within a week. Halloween fell on a Thursday that year. It was the Halloween Chuck threw up, Carner went nuts, and Omsted’s brother killed Putzie Van Vonderan.

      During recess on Thursday morning Chuck found Omsted smoking a cigarette with Carner and Rusch in the corner of the church doorway. Omsted was saying, “—she’s giving him a note this morning saying to meet her in Legion Park tonight at nine.”

      Rusch saw Chuck and said, “This doorway’s only for sixth-graders.”

      Omsted said, “Leave him.”

      “He gives me the creeps hanging around all the time.”

      Omsted took the cigarette out of Rusch’s hand, took a drag on it, and passed it to Carner. Carner stuck his head out of the doorway, looked around quickly, puffed on the cigarette, and passed it back to Rusch. Rusch took a drag off the cigarette and kept it.

      Omsted punched Chuck on the shoulder.

      Dale Lynkowski came around the corner chasing a kickball. Chuck slipped behind Omsted. Dale kicked the ball back towards the playground and ran off.

      Rusch said, “My sister’s got one of the Schmidt kids in her class.”

      Chuck said, “They ain’t in class anymore. The nuns took ’em out.”

      “How do you know?”

      “I got a friend—”

      “Then why don’t you go play with him?”

      Rusch tried to hit Chuck on the back of the head. Chuck jumped out of the doorway and Rusch’s hand hit the door instead. Carner and Omsted laughed. Rusch finished the cigarette, stepped on it, and said, “Let’s get outta here.”

      On the way back to the playground Rusch asked Chuck if it was true he used to live in the house that Putzie Van Vonderan lived in.

      “Might be.”

      “I sure wouldn’t want a bunch of farmers living in my old house. They probably keep chickens in your old bedroom.”

      “I don’t care if they keep Putzie in my old bedroom,” Chuck said. “I don’t sleep in it any more.”

      Rusch started to chase him, but Sister Fidelas came out of the school clanging the recess bell, yelling for everyone to get in line. Chuck ran to the line for the fifth grade; Rusch, Omsted, and Carner walked over to where the sixth-graders were lining up. When the fourth grade line went past on their way back inside, Dale Lynkowski asked Chuck why that bigger guy was chasing him.

      Chuck said, “He wasn’t chasing me. He’s a friend of mine.”

      Sister Fidelas gave her bell a clang and yelled, “No talking in line!”

      After lunch, Sister Brigitta, the principal, came around to each class and told them they should give up trick-or-treating that night and instead say a prayer for Evelyn’s soul.

      When school was over, Chuck cut out before Dale could find him and walked up the hill behind Omsted, Carner, and Rusch.

      Rusch mimicked the way Sister Brigitta had talked about Evelyn. He gave Chuck a shove and said, “I bet you believed her, too.”

      Chuck said, “Nuns can’t make up sins, only priests can.”

      Rusch poked Omsted and said, “See, I told you he was going trick-or-treating.”

      Chuck said, “I am not.”

      “Liar.”

      “What are you guys doing?”

      “None of your business,” Carner said.

      They stopped at Erie Street to let a gas truck go past. Chuck said, “You’re probably gonna wax the windows at the priest’s house.”

      Rusch and Carner burst out laughing. Omsted turned around and winked at Chuck. They all crossed Erie Street.

      Chuck said, “Last year me and Dale Lynkowski waxed the windows at the convent and they blamed David Schmidt.”

      “Waxing windows is for babies,” Rusch said.

      “It’s probably better’n what you’re doing.”

      Rusch stopped walking and turned to face Chuck.

      Omsted said, “Don’t even think about it.”

      Rusch started walking again, still facing Chuck. When Carner stopped at the corner, Rusch bumped into him.

      Carner said “What?” and brushed his shoulder where Rusch had bumped him.

      Omsted said, “Keep walking.”

      Rusch said, “Omsted’s afraid I’m gonna spill the beans to the squirt.”

      Omsted said, “You ain’t nuts” and crossed Huron Street with Carner.

      Chuck tried to walk past Rusch, but Rusch caught him by the shoulder and said, “You wanna know what we’re doing tonight?”

      “I don’t care what you’re doing.”

      Omsted hollered across the street for Rusch to knock it off.

      Rusch put his face close to Chuck’s.

      Carner

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