Garden Promise

• Kimberly Pellosis, Grade 11
• Short Story
• 2010

A gusty wind blew. A fair curly haired boy sat alone in the playground. Little did Gerald Anthony Walker, aged five and thirteen days, know that within 40 seconds, life as he knew it would never be the same again.
To Gerald, it appeared to be just another very ordinary Tuesday morning at school with the big kids whizzing around trying to knock him over. Much like home really. He didn’t like being one of the littlest kids in the school. Or the youngest in his family. And the only boy. The girls would never let him play. In fact he’d often wished he were an only child. Instead of the youngest of five. Always teased.
Today, he ate his play-lunch alone like he usually did at recess. As he did, he studied the goose pimples on his thighs, then with a pang on anxiety scanned the playground. It was alright, his second oldest sister Isobel, a big kid in grade five was busy playing skippy with her gang. This meant, thankfully, he would be left alone. This playtime anyway. He hated it when Isobel and her gang of kissy girls chased him. He then watched his very oldest sister Monica, who was a very big kid, and school captain surveying the playground.
Now Monica was the “judge” of all the siblings, being the oldest of the five. She pondered over the decisions and had the highest authority and respect at home, besides the parents, and at school.
Today was a very special day for Monica since it was her birthday.
Monica always gives a special task to the “chosen one”, a victim she randomly selects from the Walker siblings every year, on her birthday. Once Isabel got chosen and she wouldn’t tell anybody what task she and Monica did, although Gerald distinctly remembered Isabel crying.
Gerald had never been chosen and he had a gut feeling he was going to as Monica was walking towards him, with a smug look on her face.
“Guess what Gunk?”
Gunk was Gerald’s nickname, he despised it, but everybody’s been calling him Gunk ever since he fell face – first in mud while horse riding with her sisters.
Gerald replied, “You got to hit a home run in your baseball game?”
Monica’s grin disappeared, and Gerald had to admit he felt somewhat triumphant.
“You know darn well I was benched the whole time Gunk.” Monica responded.
“Good for you.” Gerald replied with a hint of sarcasm. He wasn’t really listening to Monica; he continued to study his goose pimples.
Monica smirked, “What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
She blindfolded Gerald, her fingers shaking with anticipation.
To Gerald it was all a blur, he only recalled stepping on something squishy and scraping the unknown substance while going through a flight of stairs.
They halted. And Monica untied Gerald’s blindfold.
Gerald had to adjust his eyes for a few moments. After a while, he couldn’t believe what he’d seen. It was a hidden garden!
Monica gestured her finger to Gunk, “This is our secret Gunk, pinky swear not to tell anybody?”
Gerald pinky swore with Monica, “I Promise.”