Dog Days of Summer

Randy stopped to pull a sand spur from his heel. When he stopped Pony stopped with him, but his friends continued on down to the bank. They stripped off their shirts; all but Picker who didn’t have one on and they dove into the water from the grassy shore. The water was tinted brown from the tannic acid and cold. The heated air and their slow ride from the store on the hot asphalt had warmed their bodies. The splash into the water took away their breaths and made them gasp. The boys squawked about how cold the water was on their bodies. They swam around, ducked their heads under water and tried to locate a warm eddy to tread water in until they became acclimated to the temperature of the pond. Randy stood on the grassy shore. “Is it cold?” he asked with a laugh. He had an eye on Mary Jo as he edged closer to the water line. “Not at all you little sissy, city boy. C’mon in,” Vern said. The sissy comment embarrassed Randy. He didn’t want Mary Jo to know he had faults. But he didn’t want to overreact to the comment either, and look like a jerk. “Sissy? Sissy? Why I could out swim and out dive you any day, Vern,” Randy shouted in retort. “You’re on. In fact I’ll dive first to show you how it’s done,” Vern shouted back. Randy knew Vern was a good diver. It was up to him to do his best and to not look foolish. Mary Jo swam up to where Randy was standing and treaded water in front of him. She smiled a coquettish smile. She had heard his dare to Vern along with the rest of the kids in and around the pond. Randy looked down at her and returned the smile a bit weakly. He had numerous witty comments running through his mind that he wished he could say to her to demonstrate his coolness. Unfortunately Randy blurted out, “Is the water wet?” He had meant to say “Was the water cold?” He was unaware of what he had really said. Mary Jo looked at him with puzzlement, “What do you mean, is it wet?” “What do you mean? I asked was the water cold?” Randy could see the same pursed lips and furrowed brow mirrored on Mary Jo’s face. “Oh, never mind!” He was embarrassed. His knees were like Jell-O and he felt as though if he didn’t get into the water he would fall down on the spot. Taking control of the situation, Mary Jo swam up to Randy and said, “I know you can beat Vern diving, Randy. I’ve seen you dive. You’re the best diver at the pond.” With that said Mary Jo pushed herself out of the water and rolled her body over into a shallow dive under the water and swam away from him. “Thanks,” Randy croaked weakly. His ego hugely boosted as he watched her bikini-clad bottom and then her feet disappear under the water with his smiling eyes. The cool water was a pleasant contrast to the warm flush he felt on his body. “Yo, Randy, better pay attention over here. That young filly ain’t going to help you beat this dive.” Randy turned to the voice and saw Vern atop the diving platform. He could see Scarnose peering up at Vern. Scarnose was probably coaching Vern on how he should structure his dive. Randy would receive the same treatment, but he wished Scarnose would just stay in the rocks hunting snakes on the other side of the dam wall. Randy used to like that man until the church had burned down, now he could barely tolerate his presence. Randy ducked his head under the water to refresh himself; treading water he wiped his hair from his eyes. The group of people in the pond aging from young children to early adulthood had formed a semi-circle out about twenty feet from the diving platform waiting for the diving competition to begin. “Well, let’s get that belly flop over with, Vern. Give the people your best dive, because I’m coming over there to show everyone how it’s done. I hope you don’t embarrass easily.” “Can’t scare me, city boy. I’ve been diving since I swam from my momma’s womb. Fact is, my dad tells me I almost dove from the doctor’s hands when he whacked me on the ass to make me cry.” “I think the doctor dropped you on your head and your daddy didn’t tell you, Vern,” Lee interjected. Everyone was laughing and shouting from the pond. “Very funny, you cigarette smoking, black lunged weenie boy. When I’m finished teaching that city boy a diving lesson, I’m going to show you how it feels to be dunked underwater until you feel like a fish.” “You can’t swim any better than you can dive,” Lee laughed. “C’mon Randy, show this braggadocio how a real man dives.” The crowd turned on Vern in a mocking chant. “Randy! Randy! Randy! Randy!” Vern held up his hand to try and silence the crowd. They cheered even louder for Randy. “Randy! Randy! Randy!” Vern stood on the end of the rust colored metal platform. He eyed the moving water below. The crowd noise died down as they watched Vern concentrate on his dive. The water cascading over the top of the milldam was the only sound in the area. Vern stretched his hands into the air with ease and grace. It seemed as though he used a springboard from the height he garnered on his leap. He arched his back, threw his arms out wide with his fingers spread. When he reached the apex of his ascent, his legs drew together with his feet and toes pointed backward. The swan dive was a sight to behold. Vern’s muscular athletic body was a picture or true grace and perfect form as he headed down toward the water. The entry was perfect and the crowd in and around the pond responded with great enthusiasm. Vern had pumped the adrenaline from his dive into the psyche of the gathered children in the water. Randy knew his work was cut out for him. He made the short swim up to the metal rungs, which served as a ladder to the platform. The water being pulled over the top of the dam provided an easy trip as the current aided his journey. When Vern had surfaced from the water, he pointed at Randy and Randy could see the supreme look of confidence on Vern’s face. Randy smiled back at Vern and winked at him, nodded and said nothing. That dive had been a beauty.