BEYOND THE BLUE - a coming of age novella
An excerpt - Page 37 - 38
This time Jerry grabbed Anthony's arm with both hands. Encircling his arm he squeezed his fingers tightly, his right arm in one direction, and his left in the opposite direction. "Oh, that burns!" Anthony painfully cried. "Stop! It burns!"
The three bullies laughed. "Just a reminder, fat boy!" Timothy O'Brien shouted, "Just a reminder. Time's running out and fifty cents is all it takes."
Then they were gone and Anthony stood alone on the path. He held his arm where Jerry had squeezed it. He looked at the bruise already beginning to show itself, yucky yellow and barely blue. Anthony's first thought was, oh, no, how will I explain another bruise to mom? I wish dad were here. He'd show those blasted bullies a thing or two!
Tony hastened his pace anxious now to get home. He wished it were Wednesday because his mom would be working at the Dominion Store again. Tuesdays she was always home. He decided he would sneak up the driveway and in through the back door. With any luck at all he could get to his room to change into a long-sleeved shirt before she spotted him.
Turning onto Ashbury Avenue he walked down the short block toward their little house. Much to his dismay he saw that his mother was sitting on a kitchen chair out on the front verandah. Leona and Ronald were there too. The little children were sitting on the verandah floor. Ronald was colouring in his book and Leona was playing with her cut-out dolls. Oh, what to do, Tony puzzled. How will I ever get past mom without her seeing the mess they have made of my arm? Maybe I can duck way down and pass without her notice. There's still a chance I can go up the driveway to the back door and sneak into the house.
As fate would have it Anthony's plan failed before it was fully formulated. Like most mothers of her day Alice Breckenheimer had x-ray vision. She also had eyes in the back of her head. There was very little that escaped her attention when it came to her children. They were her reason for being and she didn't care who knew it.
Before he even reached the sidewalk in front of their house he heard his mother's cry. "Anthony, dear God, what has happened to your arm?" .........................
BEYOND THE BLUE is available in kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats on all Amazon sites. You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin
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