By the Creek (2 page)

David worked for the next hour alongside the movers, getting the truck emptied. By the time they were done, it was completely dark and the last items had been hauled inside by the glow of the light over the garage. As soon as they were done, his mother thanked the movers, and gave them what looked like a tip, and they took off, leaving David and his mother amidst a sea of boxes and half-placed furniture. “Let’s get something to eat,” his mother pronounced, and David’s stomach rumbled.

David stepped outside to wait for his mother and stared across the street at the group of buildings, their windows lit with a faint glow that David figured probably came from oil lamps. David wondered what they were doing tonight and imagined them sitting on benches around a rough table, the women sewing while the men whittled or cleaned their rifles. As his mother said, he probably watched too much television. He heard his mother come outside and close the door behind her, and David opened the car door and got inside, watching the glowing windows until they disappeared from sight.

Chapter 2

D
AVID
sat on the front steps looking across the yard. He was as bored as he could ever remember being in his life. They’d moved into the house three weeks ago, and he had absolutely nothing to do. His mother was at work, and she’d left strict instructions about what he could and couldn’t do. They’d already unpacked everything, and David had spent the past two days watching television, but there was no cable and they only got three stations, so basically television really sucked. He’d gotten his mother to take him to the video store earlier in the week, but he’d watched all the movies already, and she hadn’t had time to take him back so he could get more. Standing up, David shut the door and decided to walk across the field to the line of trees and see what was there.

The summer sun was warmer than he’d expected, and David wished he’d brought something to drink by the time he was halfway across the field. He thought about turning back, but continued forward, eventually reaching the line of trees that bordered the open field. Turning around, he looked back at their house, which seemed so small and low on the land, before walking beneath the cool shade of the trees.

He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of water, and it wasn’t too long before he came upon a small stream that meandered and gurgled over and around rocks in a shallow ravine. With nothing else to do, David looked up and down stream before deciding to follow the flow of the water and see where it led.

The ground near the stream was squishy, but there seemed to be some sort of path, so he followed it, climbing over fallen trees and across grassy spots where the trees parted. Eventually he came to a spot where the stream deepened at what David figured was on old-fashioned swimming hole. The stream widened and for a short time appeared deep and almost still, with a large flat rock on the other side and a fallen tree running along his side of the stream. David sat on the log and took off his shoes and socks, then dipped his feet into the surprisingly cool water. He sat for a while, listening to the breeze, and he was about to get up and start heading back when he heard something or someone approaching. God, he hoped there weren’t any bears out here. For a second he sat still, unable to move as fear gripped him.

Managing to get his brain working, David pulled his feet out of the water. He’d started tugging on his socks and shoes, getting ready to run, when a boy appeared from the woods on the other side, near the rock. David nearly dropped his shoe into the water as he stared silently at the black-haired boy about his own age staring back at him from across the swimming hole. David had known, deep down inside, that he was different from the other boys. For as long as he could remember, he’d dreamed and fantasized about other boys. At school, he’d heard the guys talking about girls and which ones were pretty or hot, but they did nothing for him. Now, show him pictures of strong legs and a handsome chest, and he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away. Instead of girlie magazines under his mattress, he had men’s underwear catalogs. All through school, David had dreaded gym class, afraid something would happen and he’d get a stiffie in the showers or something equally embarrassing. He’d had a lot of friends, but they were mostly girls. Staring at this boy with dark hair, deep blue eyes, and what looked like the palest, softest skin he’d ever seen made David’s mouth go dry and his breath hitch.

“What are you doing here?” the kid asked gruffly, and like the popping of a soap bubble, David felt the momentary spell that had settled around him burst. “Y… y… you’re not supposed to be here.” The kid looked around like he was expecting a group of marauders to burst from the woods at any moment. Then, without waiting for an answer, he turned around and began walking back toward the trees.

“Gosh, you’re rude,” David said, and the kid stopped and turned back around.

“But you aren’t supposed to be here,” the kid said again, this time with more curiosity. “This is where we come to swim, and….” The kid looked confused and unsure of himself. He kept looking toward the trees and then back at David.

“I’m just sitting here,” David said. “It’s hot.”

“But Mr. Gregorson gave us permission to use the swimming hole.” David heard disappointment in the kid’s voice.

David and his mother’s nearest neighbors, other than the Amish across the street, were Mr. and Mrs. Gregorson. They also owned the field next to their house, and presumably the land with the creek and the swimming hole. “You can use it. I won’t stop you,” David said before standing up.

“But….” The kid seemed at a loss for words. “I can’t swim around strangers. It’s against the rules.” He looked in the direction of the Amish settlement and then back at David. “I should just go.”

“It’s okay. I’ll leave if that’s what you need. I was about to walk back to the house anyway.” David turned and started back along the path. He kept turning around to see if the other boy was still there, and each time he looked, David saw he hadn’t moved and that he was staring back at him. David waved, and then the path turned and the kid disappeared from sight. David walked down the path and considered sneaking back to watch him swim, but that seemed rather creepy, so he continued on, wondering what the kid would look like. Would he wear some sort of bathing suit? Or maybe he would swim naked. David was almost curious enough to go back, but went back to the house, letting his imagination take over.

I
T
RAINED
for much of the rest of the week, but every night, when David closed his eyes, he kept seeing the face of the kid by the swimming hole. He also found he didn’t need to pull out the catalogs from under his mattress, because none of the men pictured in their pages fired his imagination like the Amish kid he’d briefly met. David kept picturing what he’d look like when he took off his blue shirt. There were many times when the kid was in David’s room with him. David imagined his milky skin when he took off his shirt, his strong legs and narrow hips as his black pants tumbled around his ankles. David rarely got past the sight of his imaginary lover turning around to show David his perfectly round butt before David came all over his hand. Lying in his bed, listening to the rain, David wished it would stop so that he could go back to the swimming hole. On Friday night, he fell asleep with that wish on his lips, and when he woke in the morning, the rain had indeed stopped and the sun shone in all its glory.

It was Saturday and his mother was home, so David waited until after lunch, when she headed to the grocery store. Normally he’d ride along with her simply for something to do away from the house, but today he told her he had things he wanted to do. As soon as she was gone, David grabbed some water and set out walking across the field. The sun was high and bright, warming everything after the rain. “Why am I doing this?” he asked out loud. He had taken to talking to himself more and more. David knew the answer whether he wanted to admit it or not. The kid he’d seen had fascinated him and awakened something in him David wished he could explain. As he entered the woods, he stepped carefully and quietly, and as he approached the swimming hole he almost crept along as he approached the curve in the path. Peering around a large tree, he looked ahead and saw… nothing. The clearing was empty.

He really should have known this was what he’d find. It wasn’t like the kid he’d seen would come back looking for him. But while he was here, he figured he might as well explore, so he continued along the path to where the stream exited the swimming hole, becoming shallow again. After walking about fifty feet, David saw where a tree had fallen across the stream. It wasn’t particularly large, but he figured he could get across if he were careful.

David took his first steps on the log. It seemed steady and strong enough. Not that he was really worried—the water was a foot deep, at most—but he wasn’t really interested in getting wet. Slowly he moved across the log and was about to take the final step to reach the other side when the log began to move. David lunged for the bank, but the log shifted again under his feet and he began to fall backward. He wheeled his arms as he desperately tried to regain his balance, but it was too late. He landed in the shallow water, striking his head on a rock. The last thing he remembered was the world spinning and water flowing across his face as the cold seeped through his clothes.

“Breathe,” someone said, hitting him on the chest. David coughed and rolled onto his side. He thought he was going to be sick, but he coughed instead before gasping for air. His lungs burned, but nothing had ever felt as sweet or as reassuring as that first gasp of air. David shivered with cold, so he figured at least he wasn’t dead. His head still swam and he cracked his eyes open, but his vision swirled and everything moved, so he clamped them closed again and simply concentrated on breathing. “Are you okay? You cut yourself but it’s stopped bleeding.”

“I will be, thanks to you,” David said without opening his eyes. His head still felt strangely light, but it seemed to be settling, so he risked opening his eyes again and found himself staring into the face of the boy he’d seen a few days earlier. “Where did you come from?” David asked as he slowly sat up. Thankfully, the sun was strong and warm, otherwise he’d be completely frozen by now. David’s teeth began to chatter nonetheless.

“I was walking along the path and heard the splash of you falling into the water.” He sounded almost breathless, like he was scared. “What are you doing?”

David pulled his wet shirt over his head. “Taking this off so I can warm up,” David explained, and he let the shirt fall on the grass. That felt so much better, and the sun quickly warmed his skin. David looked at the other boy, who was staring at him. David looked down self-consciously and wondered if he should put his shirt back on. “Is something wrong?” David began to stand up, but his head spun again and he sat back down.

The kid looked away. “No,” he answered, but David saw him turning beet red, and he seemed ready to bolt.

This was getting more and more awkward by the minute. “I’m David.” He figured introductions might help alleviate some of his rescuer’s jitters.

“Benjamin,” the boy said matter-of-factly, looking over his shoulder.

“There’s nothing to be scared of. I’m not going to hurt you or anything,” David said testily, trying his legs once again. This time he didn’t get dizzy and was able to stand.

“I know. But we’re not to mix with the English,” Benjamin explained.

“I’m not English; I’m an American,” David said.

Benjamin tilted his head slightly in confusion and then began to giggle, almost laughing. “English is what we call everyone who isn’t like us.”

“Oh.” David thought for a minute. “Is it true you don’t have electricity or cars?”

“Yes. We believe it’s God’s plan for us to remain close to the land and therefore closer to him.” He sounded like he was reciting something he’d heard other people say. “It’s hard to explain to someone outside.” Benjamin moved a little farther away, but David saw that he kept glancing at him. “But we don’t have phones, cars, or electricity. We ride in horse-drawn buggies. Papa says we used to plow the fields with horses as well, but now one of the English farmers up the road plows the fields for us.”

David shook his head. “Isn’t that weird?” It sure sounded strange to him.

“Papa says that it’s only forbidden for us to operate the equipment, so as long as we don’t drive the tractor, it’s allowed,” Benjamin explained, but he didn’t seem totally convinced either. “I don’t know what I think about that, but Papa makes the decisions, and it would be sinful for me to question him.” Benjamin once again looked toward the settlement.

“Are you expecting someone else to come?” David asked. His pants had stopped dripping and they’d begun to warm in the sun.

“No.”

“Then why do you keep looking that way?” David asked, sitting back down in the grass.

“I’m not supposed to be talking you. If Papa found out, he’d be very angry.” Benjamin did seem nervous.