First Drugs
Dad gave me five dollars to buy snacks with at the orca amusement park. Then he gave me the usual talk: “If someone comes up to you and starts talking to you and seems nice, get away as fast as you can. If someone grabs you, scream for help as loud as you can.” He even gave me his cell phone, because it was the first time I’d ever traveled so far away from home with just a camp, not with him or Mom.
That was great, having his cell phone. A few times I wanted to take the phone out and call someone, but Dad had told me not to, it was just for emergencies. I felt it in my pocket the whole time, except for when I gave it to my counselor to hold while I went down water rides. I remembered to do that when I stepped onto the ladder to the top of the first big slide. Dad was really glad when I came home and the cell phone hadn’t been ruined by water.
I got splashed by an orca because I was sitting in the first row of seats at the orca pool. I also got to pet two dolphins and I got to talk to the orca that was walking around in the stands. He wasn’t a real orca, he was someone in an orca costume. He took a photograph with me and I interviewed him.
“Have you ever drunk beer?” I asked.
The orca shook his head, like, No, no, not me, never. I think the orca wasn’t allowed to talk.
“Have you ever drunk Mountain Dew?”
The orca nodded up and down many times. Yes!
I bought two Mountain Dews and a cotton candy. I love Mountain Dew! It is the greatest soda. I’m not sleepy at all even though I was walking around in the sun all day. It’s after ten now and I’m playing Gameboy in bed, under my blanket. I bet I can stay up all night.
Mom walks in. “What are you doing in there? Would you turn that thing off, please? Do you know how late it is?”
“The caffeine is still working! I just have to save this one game.”
After she makes me close up the Gameboy, I’m bouncing up and down on the mattress and climbing on the doorjamb in the dark. The caffeine is making me not even afraid of the dark anymore. Come on, dark! Let’s see what you’ve got!
I love being ten!
That was great, having his cell phone. A few times I wanted to take the phone out and call someone, but Dad had told me not to, it was just for emergencies. I felt it in my pocket the whole time, except for when I gave it to my counselor to hold while I went down water rides. I remembered to do that when I stepped onto the ladder to the top of the first big slide. Dad was really glad when I came home and the cell phone hadn’t been ruined by water.
I got splashed by an orca because I was sitting in the first row of seats at the orca pool. I also got to pet two dolphins and I got to talk to the orca that was walking around in the stands. He wasn’t a real orca, he was someone in an orca costume. He took a photograph with me and I interviewed him.
“Have you ever drunk beer?” I asked.
The orca shook his head, like, No, no, not me, never. I think the orca wasn’t allowed to talk.
“Have you ever drunk Mountain Dew?”
The orca nodded up and down many times. Yes!
I bought two Mountain Dews and a cotton candy. I love Mountain Dew! It is the greatest soda. I’m not sleepy at all even though I was walking around in the sun all day. It’s after ten now and I’m playing Gameboy in bed, under my blanket. I bet I can stay up all night.
Mom walks in. “What are you doing in there? Would you turn that thing off, please? Do you know how late it is?”
“The caffeine is still working! I just have to save this one game.”
After she makes me close up the Gameboy, I’m bouncing up and down on the mattress and climbing on the doorjamb in the dark. The caffeine is making me not even afraid of the dark anymore. Come on, dark! Let’s see what you’ve got!
I love being ten!
posted by Richard Lawrence Cohen at 7:29 AM
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