Playground War

Please see Parts 1 by Rowan Finley and Part 2 ~~~

The next day, Loretta Gataka got up early, put a lawn chair in her car, and drove to the playground fort. An expert at parallel parking, she was disappointed to see no cars there; now she couldn't show off and pulled right up to the curb. As the sun rose higher in the sky, she sat in her webbed lawn chair, checking her watch. Those little shits should have been here by now. What a bunch of lazy punks. I know they don't go to church and are sleeping in. She heard them before they came into view and before they noticed her.

"What the hell!" Evander shouted. They ran to the door, now painted in blue letters with a pink outline. "Who wrote that on our door!" He looked around, but the girls had removed the paint and brushes. Then he focused on the flowers, the beautiful Gerber daisies planted around the fort. It's time I moved in closer. Loretta strode to where the three boys stood, greeting them cheerfully.

"Hi, boys. Love the flowers. Where'd you get 'em? What a nice touch to your little house."

"It's not a house! It's our fort," Evander retorted. He snapped the head off one of the daisies.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Mrs. Gatanka replied.

"It's our fort, and we don't want these damn flowers here."

"Tsk, tsk, young man, watch your language. "The flowers stay." Janine's mother, Marilyn, pulled up with shovels and hot pink geraniums as Loretta spoke. "Now, boys, we will tell you where to plant these flowers." When Evander tried to run off, her hand shot out and caught his shoulder. "No, Evander, you can't leave now. Those muscles need to get a real workout, not one picking on girls, but some yard work. START DIGGING! Marilyn, Hon, point to the spots where the geraniums should go; thank you."

"I don't have to do what you tell me."

"You don't?" Loretta leaned down, eye to eye with Evander. "You gonna try me, Evander?" she smiled sweetly at him while twisting his thumb slightly. She watched his eyes widen and let go before he cried out. Loretta jerked her chin toward the group. "Get busy."

By three in the afternoon, the boys finished planting the geraniums, the last done while the ladies drank iced tea from their lawn chairs.

"Nice job, boys. Meet us here tomorrow for your next assignment." The kids' mouths fell open as the ladies clinked their glasses together, laughing. "I mean it, Evander. I expect you and your friends to be here after school. Four fifteen, not one minute later. Understand?" She jumped out of her chair, taking one step toward them.

"Yes, I understand."

"What? Yes, what, Evander?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Loretta nodded at him. "Four fifteen sharp."

Monday morning, Alexandria and Janine played during recess while Evander and his friends glared. After school, as Alexandria passed by Evander, she stood taller to emphasize how much shorter he was. He punched her in the stomach as she passed, and it doubled her over. Janine told him to stop, and he turned to her, his fist raised. "I'm going to rip out those ugly flowers and throw them on your front lawns." Alexandra stood up straight and, before he could move, kicked him hard in the shins. "You watch yourself, shortie. We're not afraid of you." Walking away, Janine said, "Alex, I am afraid of them; what are we going to do?"

"Jerry and Bill, that's what." Janine's mouth turned into a large 'oh' circle before they grinned at each other.

Copyright © 12/22/2024 by Andrea O. Corwin

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