Mibs and Boulders

Using our meager allowance money, we bought small packets from the store and sorted them into colors: blues, greens, yellows, reds, oranges, and whites. Some were multicolored, and I turned them repeatedly in the sun, peering closely as if into a gazing ball. Kept safely in their small drawstring pouch, they clacked together in our pockets as we walked or ran to meet up and play marbles.

"Amy, look, I got new ones!" I told my best friend.

I drew a circle on the concrete with my stubby white chalk stick."Which boulder are you using?" I asked. She had more than I did because her older brothers gave her theirs; sometimes, we lined them up by color in the groove on top of her dresser. The mirror that belonged in the groove was long gone, replaced by a wall mirror.

She held out a yellow boulder and pulled a pouch of marbles from her pocket. We played for keeps; the first player put seven marbles in the middle, and the other six for thirteen total. We either randomly set them inside the circle or made a cross. I used my green and black favorite boulder.

Five-year-old Linda showed up and whined for us to let her play, but we ferociously yelled NO at her. She jumped up and down, whining, and then sat down to watch. We played until I was declared the winner and even won Amy's yellow boulder. Then, we heard the ice cream truck music as the man peddled the cart up the street. I had two dimes in my pocket, just enough for Amy and me, but not crybaby Linda.

I pulled Amy to the side. "I have enough to get us popsicles, but not Linda, so let's leave her behind." We laughed and took off. Linda tried to catch up with her chubby baby legs, but we were fast and screeched to a halt at the bicycle cart.

"What can I get you?" the man smiled at us, opening the case on his bicycle.

"Popsicles. One cherry for me and one banana for her."

We grabbed the popsicles and took off before Linda arrived. I felt a little bad, but she was a real pain. Her older sister could buy her one.

"Whatcha got there?" The neighborhood bully Jerry sneered, overshadowing us with a bulging belly. "Popsicles!" He reached for my red one.

"You keep your dirty hands to yourself, Jerry! Bobby will beat you up!" Bobby was my ten-year-old brother. I just invoked his name to create fear in those trying to bully me.

"I didn't mean nothing. There's two on the stick; I thought you'd want to share." As I moved away, the boulders fell out of my pocket. He grabbed both. "Oh, lookie here, I've got some new boulders!" He ran off before I could say or do anything.

Furious, I chewed my popsicle, and it disappeared quickly. "I'm going home. I don't feel like playing now."

Amy embraced me. "It's okay. We'll get more boulders; I have plenty."

"He took my favorite one."

"Send Bobby after him."

"Bobby wouldn't; I just say that to scare people. Bye."

I got home and ran past my mom to my room.

"Janie! What's wrong, Honey?" She poked her head in.

"Jerry stole my favorite boulder!"

"What? How did that happen?"

After I explained, she led me downstairs to the kitchen. "You sit here and wait."

She wouldn't let me peek, but I saw her turn on the oven and set the temperature, then heard something rattling on a cookie sheet. She set a timer, and we played the card game War while waiting (I beat her fair and square; I was still mad about stupid Jerry, so it was the perfect game. My mom is SMART!).

Five minutes before the timer went off, she put ice cubes in a big bowl. She sent me out to get the mail, and when I returned, she was grinning. There on the table were the prettiest marbles I had ever seen. Green, yellow, and blue with crackly centers, like prisms that reflect light and make rainbows in the window.

"Mom, they are beautiful! I still want to get back my boulder, though."

"Trade some of these for your special boulder, Honey."