Sledding In A Cemetery

"Eight inches of snow, can you believe it!" Parrish yelled.

Joseph, his little brother of eleven years, came running to the window still wiping the sleep from his eyes. Sara, their little sister who was too young to understand what all the fuss meant, still came up to the big picture window to look out.

Parrish's face was close enough to the window his breath blocked his view of all the snow, so his head continuously bobbed from side to side. Joseph was doing the same thing, but on purpose to write his name and to make feet prints with the butt of his hand, adding the toes with his index finger. Sara watched Joseph with her eyes wide open.

Parrish ran back to his room. Fifteen years old, his interest volleyed between the man he was becoming and the kid he enjoyed being. The man that Parrish was becoming would show Joseph what getting older meant. Joseph was the one who usually brought the kid out in him. Joseph had begged Parrish to go sledding with him when the snow had started to fall the previous night. Parrish pretended that he didn't want to, but he and his best friend Casey had already made plans to go to the cemetery to go sledding.

Sara was not yet four, sparkling and wide-eyed, she had been given the nickname Surprise. Not only for her wide-eyed ness, but also for just what she was, a surprise to the family.

Parrish was trying to get his sweatpants on when his cell phone rang. He figured it was his best friend as he answered it picking it up and partly falling over.

"Dead man's hill!" Casey yelled.

"Oh yeah," Parrish answered in the deep Kool-Aid pitcher voice from the commercials.

"What time?" Casey asked.

"As soon as I'm ready. You bringing your rail sled?"

"Oh yeah," Casey answered in his Kool-Aid voice. Both boys laughed saying they would meet at dead man's butt, and then hung up.

Dead Man's Hill was the name that kids had given to the town's cemetery. It had the best spot for sledding and the headstones gave lanes so kids could race each other. Built on a large mound, Dead Man's Hill had four sides and at the very top was the Reardon plots which gave way to a lot of "butt" jokes from the local kids. The North and South sides were contained by housing additions on either side. Both sides were no longer than a football field, rolling and gently sloped. The North and South sides were slower and safer mostly used by the younger kids.

The East side was unusable. Only fifty feet from the tall Reardon monument to the edge and fifteen feet down a rock wall was Highway 13. That was separated by a hundred year old iron fence set into a low rock and mortar wall. Every ten feet, old gas lights converted to electric lights on six foot tall black poles lit the parameter of the cemetery. Many kids had gotten into trouble for throwing snowballs down at passing cars, even more serious trouble for throwing parts of the old rock fence.

The West side was longer and steeper than the North and South sides combined, packed down it was extremely fast. At the bottom of the West side was a reflecting pool and the parking lot just beyond that. The reflecting pool wasn't deep and it never took long for winter to freeze it over. Only the best could get their sleds across the pool and into the parking lot. The boys wanted just that today.

"Wait for me!" Joseph yelled coming into the room.

"I was, but hurry," Parrish answered.

"Okay boys, slow it down. You're going to eat something before I lose you two all day," their mother said walking into the room.

Parrish slid his sweatshirt on and wandered back into the kitchen. Dad was at the table, his laptop and coffee in front of him, checking out the news while he waited for breakfast.

"Before you two leave I want the sidewalk and driveway shoveled," dad said.

"But dad," both boys exclaimed.

"What? Chores are chores, I have them, your mom has them and you two boys have them. It could be worse I could make you two clean the garage so we can get the cars inside when they say it's going to snow. So, do you feel like trading?

"No," both boys sighed.

"When I'm finished, Surprise and I will be joining you boys at the "butt". Both boys laughed at their dad saying the word "butt" and the thought of him sledding made them laugh harder.

Mom loaded everyone up with big bowls of oatmeal. After eating, Parrish and Joseph got to work clearing the driveway. Parrish was already late by this time, but he was hopeful that Casey's father would make him clear his driveway also. His shoveling pace increased as he watched other kids walking by, towing their sleds behind. Finally, a full hour late, Parrish and Joseph put their shovels away and headed towards the cemetery.

Parrish and Joseph joined the twenty or so other kids at the hill and actually weren't too late to get in some good runs before the hill became too overcrowded. When they met Casey, it was obvious he had been down the hill a few times already.

"Lucky for you. I've already started packing the snow down for us," Casey said.

"It was what I had planned, let you get the hill ready for us and then show up.

"So what took you two so long?" Casey asked.

"Our dad had us shovel the driveway."

"Nobody was home when I left, I'll probably have to do it later." Casey said.

Parrish knew Casey's parents worked a lot, even on Saturdays.

"How far do think you can make it?" Joseph asked.

"I'll show you once those two idiots get off the runs!" Casey yelled down the hill at the two kids walking up.

Parrish and Joseph joined in. It was known that kids didn't walk up the way they came down. So on occasion reminders had to be yelled out, so no one would be hurt.

Others joined in, "Get off the runs!"

The kids gave a look at all the kids above them and moved over.

Joseph laid down across the sled on his belly. All three boys had rail sleds, the old fashioned kind, and still the fastest sleds.

Joseph cocked his sled back to take off. Just as he was about to burst forward, Parrish grabbed his ankle and slide him backwards and around. Joseph went feet first down the south side, what the older kids called the bunny slope. It was a dirty trick, but that was what older brothers were for.

"Dang you Parrish!" Joseph yelled as he slid down backwards on the bunny slope.

Parrish and Casey waved, and then hopped onto their sleds.

Twenty feet down, Joseph slid to a slow stop against a head stone.

By the time Joseph made it up, Parrish and Casey were just beginning to start back up the hill, but had stopped. Joseph thought they were waiting for him to catch up. Joseph pushed his way up to the front, most kids grumbled at him, but he was looking to get caught back up with his older brother.

Parrish hadn't stopped to allow his brother to catch up, that had never crossed his mind. He and Casey had stopped because of their ornery streak, they quickly made about a dozen snowballs between them, and they were far enough down the hill that Joseph hadn't noticed what they had planned.

Taking a lane closest to his brother and Casey, he did a running dive to show off how fast and far he could go. In between headstones, Parrish and Casey looked like people in a strobe as he looked their way. In slow motion, he could see their robotic moves as each picked up a snowball and began throwing them at him. Joseph brought his sled through a gap, amongst the tall headstones, just missing an obelisk and rolled off. He took cover behind a tall cross and started throwing his own barrage. In minutes though, all of the other kids had joined in and the hillside was a flurry of snow.

Parrish forgot about his brother when he began to take hits from above and behind. Propping his sled up as a shield, he quickly made three snowballs and centered in on the Carhart suited kid that had attacked him from behind.

"Cover me, Casey!" Dropping his shield and grabbing his projectiles, Parrish rushed up the hill, taking hits along the way. The kid in the Carhart was a good shot, but Parrish got the higher ground on him.

Casey turned to see his friend moving up the hill. Casey changed his aim to the overdressed kid with the funky colored scarf. "Mama's boy, I'd bet," Casey thought as he threw to cover Parrish, before getting whacked by Joseph.

Parrish set aim and fired all three white bombs, each missing, but just barely. Bending over he began to make more cannon fodder when the heavy-clothed kid rushed him and knocked him down, pinning his face in the snow. Parrish, a tad angry at the attack quickly rolled over with the kid, who was smaller and lighter than him. The kid was now under him and Parrish began to shovel snow into the hood.

A voice came from under the hood. "Parrish, stop, Parrish, it's me Laurie!"

Still consumed with a little get-evenness, the words were slow to enter and stop him, but when the words sank in, his face went flush. Parrish had had a crush on Laurie for the past year and from her upward glances in the hall as he passed by, he thought she knew it. His courage with girls lacked, compared with his courage on the wrestling mat and he hadn't had the nerve at school dances to talk to her. Now he had pinned her and had her buried in the snow.

"I'm sorry," Parrish said as he took his knees off her arms and tried to gently get the snow off her face. "I didn't realize," he said digging the snow out of her hood and freeing the multicolored scarf from around her reddened cheeks.

Laurie looked a little scared of him at first, then her fear melted and her brown eyes paralyzed him. The two continued to stare at each other, lost in a moment until a snow ball hit Parrish against his head, making Laurie laugh.

Parrish got up and stood between her and the direction of the snow ball fight. Explosions of white burst about. Parrish attacked Joseph in a small civil war. Casey joined Parrish and eight other teens pummeling the twenty or more younger kids that were Joseph's age. Most of the younger kids hid behind the headstones. Still other switched sides, joining the bigger kids in hopes of protection. The flurry died down to an occasional lob, everyone had tired out, and even the teens began to rest against the monuments.

Parrish turned to see Laurie, but she was gone, no longer behind him. He looked around for the girl, packed too well inside a snowsuit. His heart felt its first ache, he wanted to see her beautiful eyes looking up at him again.

Casey caught him looking around. "What are ya' looking for? An ambush? Those little kids are too tired to come at us again." Casey knew about Parrish's crush on Laurie, the two boys had been as close as pickets on a fence since first grade, but Casey hadn't seen that it was Laurie inside the snowsuit.

"You just never know about those sneak attacks." Parrish was embarrassed about how he had just beat up Laurie and was hoping he hadn't hurt her.

Joseph had walked back up the hill while Parrish and Casey talked. They watched as he came flying by down the hill. The elder boys left the snow on the ground this time, the pair was not interested in starting another war. Another moment later Joseph was caught back up with Parrish and Casey.

"Come on, what are you two jerks waiting for, the next snow? Last one up is a faggot!" Joseph screamed running up the hill. The two older boys knew he probably didn't even know what he was talking about, but it was enough to taunt them into chasing him down, bulldozing him over as they ran past.

At the top Parrish and Joseph's dad was there with Surprise. The way Surprise was bundled made Parrish think of Laurie, but Surprise was just a bit more colorful in her purple hooded suit and bright red scarf.

Parrish's dad looked around. It was an odd scene, but a scene he was growing accustomed to, kids sledding in a cemetery. "It is wonderful to see the life and laughter among all the dead, more events should be held in cemeteries."

"Whatever dad, I don't think mom would join us for a picnic at a graveyard. You know it creeps her out", Parrish said.

"I know, but in a delightfully macabre way this is a beautiful sight. Kids playing in such a somber place as this". Parrish watched his dad smile and look about, absorbed in his moment.

"You want to race?" Parrish asked his dad.

"No, I'd better stay up here with Surprise on the bunny slopes, besides I'm just a little heavy for those old sleds you boys ride on."

"Whatever, just too old." Parrish said kidding his dad. His dad watched his boy and shook his head at his nerve.

Parrish walked over to his friends, asking them if they wanted to race. Parrish's dad heard them and walked back over. "Okay let's make this official. On the count of three. One... two... three!" Dad yelled loudly, Parrish, Casey and Joseph pushed off flapping their arms against the snow.

The race through the headstones was fast. Parrish was pushing with his hands as fast and as hard as he could, but still didn't make it to the bottom first, Casey had beaten him. Parrish had gone further though. He made it to the outside edge of the reflecting pool, coming to rest between two marble benches.

"If I'd had a push I'd have made it across the pool to the parking lot," Parrish muttered as he stood up.

"Maybe I could give you a push next time." Laurie had been on the far side of the benches, sitting, watching the boys come down the hill. Parrish had been concentrating on missing headstones and stretching his distance. He had not noticed the bulky brown figure so close to him. Parrish knew Laurie was not bulky. He wondered how many layers she had stuffed around her in the suit.

"I would have taken it easier on you if I had known it was a girl inside that suit who had attacked me. Sorry for burying you. You have a great throwing arm though, I couldn't get away," Parrish said clumsily.

"Softball."

"Huh? Oh yeah, that's right, short stop for the girl's team. The best we have in the school. It makes sense why I couldn't get away from those rockets you were throwing at me."

"Best they have, girl's or the boy's teams. I'm better than Jeremy Bogart on the Varsity boy's team. When I went home to put on a dry scarf and hat my mom said I should kick your butt." Laurie said loosening the new scarf from around her face.

"I feel like kicking my own butt for what I did. How do you move with all of those clothes on, they must weigh a ton," Parrish said, attempting to change the subject.

"I manage, I just don't like being cold," Laurie said, Parrish still hadn't quite changed the subject.

"Parrish, you commin'!" Casey yelled.

"Gimme a sec'".

"Are you still offering that push?" Parrish asked Laurie.

"Yeah, I think I can get you to the parking lot, as long as you keep the sled straight," Laurie said teasing as they walked over to Casey and Joseph.

"Do you know Casey and my little brother Joseph?" Parrish asked.

"I've seen Joseph around in the halls at school and everyone knows Casey. Everyone also knows you two are best friends and kings of the mat," Laurie said the last four words like a W.W.E. announcer.

"Where's Patty at?" Casey asked. Just like he and Parrish, everyone knew Laurie and Patty were almost inseparable.

"She's at her dad's house staying the weekend, he lives in the next town over. I talked to her when I was at home a little bit ago, she said if the roads aren't cleared she may have to spend the rest of Christmas vacation there."

"You're the varsity shortstop on the girl's team, right?" Casey asked.

Laurie nodded in agreement.

"Parrish and I could be on Varsity also, but we have too many seniors on the wrestling team, even though we could pin half of them," Casey said.

"You wish," Joseph said taking off running.

Running ahead of Parrish and Laurie, Casey chased Joseph. Parrish watched Casey tackle Joseph, then when the two got up and started walking and talking he knew they were discussing him. Those two were going to give him heck later on. Left alone with Laurie an awkward silence came over them, he would be happier to just go sledding down the hill.

At the top of the hill, Parrish's dad was still having fun with Surprise. Parrish pointed them out down on the south hill to Laurie. She waved at Surprise, Surprise waved back and fell over at the same time. It brought a burst of laughter from every one watching. Parrish looked appreciating how great of a day it was. He had an awareness of happiness that would only happen on the rarest of occasions later in life.

"Who am I pushing first?" Laurie asked.

"Push Joseph, he's the smallest of us guys and we'll see if size has anything to do with it," Parrish said and the three boys laid down on their sleds. Laurie got behind Joseph. Grabbing his feet, she counted loudly.

"On your marks, get set, GO!

Joseph flew down the hill far in front of the other two. Nearing the bottom Joseph prepared for the hop over the edge into the reflecting pool, the bump was milder than he thought it would be. It was enough though to slow him to a stop just inside the frozen pool. Joseph smacked his hands down against the ice before getting up.

"It's cool, Joe, I've got an idea. Let's put Laurie on the sled, she's lighter than all of us, even with all those clothes. I bet if I push her she'll have the record," Parrish said.

Joseph was little stunned, after having almost made it. "She can't go as far as me. You just like her!" Joseph started to walk away, but Parrish grabbed his arm.

"Maybe I do like her, but if she doesn't go as far as you, I'll stay up on the next turn and push you. Deal?"

"Alright." Joseph said after a moment of thought, then ran up to Casey and loudly told him what Parrish had just confessed about Laurie.

"Duh. Are you this quick in all your classes?" Joseph pushed Casey, and then a small wrestling match went down with Joseph at the bottom. Parrish knew it was all in fun. Casey was as much a brother to Joseph as he was. Parrish walked by, going up to the top to tell Laurie the plans.

Laurie agreed to the plans and asked him if Casey and Joseph were all right. "They were just horsing around," he said.

When everyone was at the top, letting a few other kids on sleds go through and getting into position, Parrish grabbed Laurie's feet. His voice began to break a little as he started to count down. He hadn't thought about the fact he would be touching Laurie again and it made him nervous, but no one seemed to notice.

At the end of the count, Parrish pushed Laurie with everything he had and she flew. A little siren scream came from her at take off, the headstones flashing by her. Parrish could tell right away she would at least make it to the pool. However, after seeing how the edge took the power out of the sled for Joseph, he didn't know if she would have enough momentum to get back out and to the parking lot. Parrish moved over to the side to let other sledders go through, watching as Laurie cleared the first hurdle, the near side of the reflecting pool. Three seconds later he was jumping up and down as Laurie sailed over the far edge of the pool like a pro, finally stopping when she bumped up against the concrete curb that was concealed under the eight inches of snow.

Even in her bulky outfit Laurie was the first one up the hill, the boys weren't as enthusiastic. "SEE THAT! Did you see that!" Laurie exclaimed.

"You have the record, no one will beat that today!" Parrish said.

Laurie's scarf had fallen down. Her cheeks were cherry red, and so were her lips. Parrish couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Casey's slow pace picked up. He ran towards Parrish putting his cell phone away. "Hey, my mom just called, she's home early. I'm heading back to shovel the drive and get some lunch, you wanna come?"

"No," Parrish answered without taking his eyes off Laurie.

Casey knew his friend had it bad for Laurie. "Okay. Well come on over later if you want."