An Ocean in Iowa Read Online Free Page B

window to the backyardwhere Tom Conway had gone and sat waiting for the party to begin. Maggie gave him a party hat, but the rubber band broke when he tried to stretch it over his chin.
    Before long the others arrived. Dan Burkhett rode his Schwinn Sting-Ray. He kept telling Scotty how his birthday would be next. “I’m on deck,” he said, “but even better, I’m gonna be eight.” Scotty wished Dan would be quiet. But Dan kept telling anyone who would listen, “On September twenty-ninth, I’ll be
eight.
”
    Later he was to say, “At my party we’re going to have an actual Mexican piñata…”
    Claire told Scotty to ignore Dan Burkhett. “Maybe he won’t see eight. Maybe he’ll get squashed by a school bus or drown at Holiday Pool. He
assumes
he’ll turn eight. He doesn’t know for a fact, does he?”
    “Yeah,” Scotty said.
    Claire poured Scotty more Kool-Aid.
    “Yeah,” he said again, a Kool-Aid mustache having formed on his top lip.
    In full swing, Scotty’s party proved to be exceptional. The Judge turned on the sprinkler out back. The boys ran from side to side, leaping over the spraying water, giggling as their swimsuits were drenched. Claire supervised other party games—a game of horseshoes and kickball with old record jackets serving as bases. Later, she led the cleanup of plates and plastic silverware. Maggie took over the Kool-Aid detail and stirred packages of black cherry and lemon-lime into large glass pitchers. Whenever thirsty, the boys ran to the picnic table to get refreshed.
    “A great party,” the Judge said as he entered the house. “Where’s your mom?”
    Scotty shrugged even though he knew.
    The Judge must have known, too, for he opened the basement door and called down.
    “Honey, get up here. It’s time to open presents.”
    ***
    David Bumgartner gave a talking G.I. Joe dressed in an astronaut outfit. With a head of fuzzy red hair and a bristled beard, this G.I. Joe said eight commands at the pull of the miniature dog tag. “Entering lunar orbit” was Scotty’s favorite. Craig Hunt gave a Slinky; Richard Hibbs, a deck of cards; Dan Burkhett, a Matchbox collectors case. “The case stands up,” Dan said proudly, “and it can carry seventy-two cars.” Jimmy Lamson gave Scotty a Peanuts pennant. Scotty held it for all to see. It was bright yellow with Charlie Brown standing alone, the jagged line across his shirt and his one hair in place. In capital letters the following was written: I NEED ALL THE FRIENDS I CAN GET !
    The gift from his family came with a card written in his mother’s hand with the following inscription: “To Scotty, for studying the tiniest movements of life.” Scotty ripped open the package. It was a Power microscope lab set. The box claimed that inside, twelve slides were already prepared for viewing. The lab came with test tubes and a dropper and a three-wing metal cabinet. Scotty said, “Wow.” The other kids looked on, jealous. Except for Dan Burkhett, who said, “I got one that’s better.”
    “But you didn’t open mine,” Tom Conway kept saying.
    Tom had given Scotty the Time Bomb, a black plastic imitation bomb with a red fuse. As the party guests stood in an enthusiastic circle, the Judge twisted the bright red “fuse,” winding it—the bomb began to tick. “Pass it,” the Judge ordered.“But don’t throw it.” As the Time Bomb moved about the circle, faces got tenser; hands moved the Time Bomb along quickly, as if it were on fire.
    When it went
bang
the first time, David Bumgartner had it in his hands. He fell over onto the grass. Richard Hibbs was next and he dropped into a sitting position. All the best people in the whole world are here, Scotty thought, and they’re all getting blown up.
    Only Jimmy Lamson and Tom Conway were left with Scotty in the circle when the bomb went off in Scotty’s hands. He tucked it close to his stomach, broke from the circle, and in the middle of the yard, he did his best imitation of an