The water was sluggish, bringing bits of flotsam to Faina’s favorite section of the riverbank. In the spring, when the river ran fast and wild, the water carved out a circular space. Every year the little pool grew deeper.
In subsequent years, no doubt the cutback would crumble and the pool would vanish into the currents. But for now, a random selection of dubious treasures drifted into Faina’s home away from home.
Among the usual plastic bottles and other assorted trash, a movie poster clung to a ruptured bicycle tube. She read the unfamiliar actor names with a bemused smile and traced the bleeding colors with a fingertip. Yes, this was a treasure to hide away. The rest she threw into a pile for the trash men to scoop up on their next rare visit.
Too bad that there were no aluminum drink cans. Those were a favorite of her friend Frankie. He traded them for money, he said. Pennies on the can. He scoffed as though pennies were nothing and rejoiced when the price of aluminum soared.
Faina frowned to herself, trying to remember the last time she’d seen Frankie. The river confused her sometimes. Washed her thoughts away. She trailed a hand in the water and squinted into the green depths as if she could make the river relinquish what it stole.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
A young voice, male and bright, sounded from a little farther up the bank. She didn’t look up, or reply. This was not a good day for visitors, with the sun so hot and the water so still.
“It’s dangerous.”
Persistent little creep. Sometimes they stopped seeing her when she settled into stillness. Being still was easy on a day like this, with the sun stealing her strength and the river too lazy to steal her memories.
“I’m serious!” Footsteps faltered into a stumble as he slid down the remaining bit of bank, skidding to a halt by her side.
There was no hope for it. She would have to look at him and muddle through as best she could.
“Yes, it is dangerous here. And now you’ve skinned your knee. You should go home.”
“My mother always said that you shouldn’t swim alone. A girl drowned here once. You’re lucky that I came by when I did. What if you drowned?”
Fierce brown eyes stared at her from under thick brows. His face still shone in a delicate oval, manhood not yet presenting him with a strong jaw or inches of extra height. The juxtaposition of the strong brows and the youthful cheeks gave him the air of an awkward puppy. He wrapped skinny arms around spindly legs and daubed at his bleeding knee with a corner of his untucked shirt.
“What makes you think I’ve been swimming?”
“You’re sopping wet, moron.”
Oh. Right. He was young enough to see only a fright and not a fantasy. She risked an anxious peep into the reflective surface of the river. It wasn’t cooperating. All she could see was stringy black hair hanging over her pale face.
“You look like that girl from The Ring,” the boy said.
“Do I? What’s the ring?” One of the rings in her river-given treasure trove was a curious thing, a plastic heart with a tiny doll inside. The doll was blonde-haired and blue-eyed, sweet as a fresh peach. Faina could be like that, when necessary. She hoped it wouldn’t be necessary, not today.
As she turned to look at him again, he cast her a pitying glance, dismissive eyes skimming over her soggy summer dress.
“It’s a movie. You’re homeschooled, right? I can guess that from that old-fashioned dress of yours. Plus I’ve never seen you in any of my classes, and I reckon I’ve met everyone that ever set foot in the junior high at this point.” His hollow chest puffed out a bit. “It was my last year. I’m going to high school in the fall.”
“How nice for you.” Faina went back to trailing one hand in the sluggish current. If she was utterly boring, this child might go away. She could sleep away the rest of the afternoon, the night, even sleep away the whole summer.
“We can hope. New school, new friends, new life.”
“I don’t have friends either. You should go home before your mother misses you.”
Behind her, a fish splashed. She jumped at the sound, and so did he. Her treacherous face returned his rueful smile before she could stop it. A little company on a lazy summer afternoon might not be so bad after all.
“What grade are you in?” He pitched a pebble into the river. No skips, just a splash as it sunk like the stone it was.
“I don’t go to school anymore.”
His fierce brows pulled closer together. “That doesn’t seem right. Like those Amish, who don’t go to school past 8th grade? You look smarter than that, even if you are a moron who goes swimming by herself.”
“You came here by yourself too. So who’s the moron?” She grinned at his embarrassment and pressed the point. “You did come to swim, didn’t you?”
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly. That’s what they all say,” she muttered under her breath. The late afternoon sun was dazzling on the water, and her mood couldn’t stay low in the face of such loveliness.
“Look. I gotta go before my mom kills me. You coming?” He stood and held out his hand to help her up. “Wow, you are still soggy. How can you stay so wet when it’s so hot out?”
“My dad’s coming by to pick me up. You go ahead.” The plausible lie was enough to send him on his way.
He scrambled up the bank and peered down at her in the gathering gloom. Behind him, the setting sun turned his plain brown hair into a halo of dark gold.
“See you tomorrow?”
She couldn’t read his face in the shadows, but his tone sounded hopeful, if guarded.
“I’ll be here. I’m always here.”
He scampered off then, only to turn in his tracks and come running back. He stood too close to the cut in the bank and craned his neck this way and that, looking for her. When he spotted her, he let out a little whoop.
“What’s your name?”
“Faina. What’s yours?”
“Frankie.” And with that, he was gone again.
To Be Continued…
