Burning Second Street Park

A Novel

by Tom Bessette

Copyright 2009 BessetteBooks

Chapter 10
Emil Rainville

it was so nice ta sleep in a bed fer once, an’ not have Uncle Pete snugglin’ at me alla time.  Bobby slep’ onna floor a ‘cause his momma said I was a guest an’ should get the bed.  Bobby didn’t care none, so that’s what we did.

it was nice stayin’ at Bobby’s ‘cept when his daddy comed home late an’ smellin’ like cheap perfumes like what Bobby’s momma said.  She yelled at him that he could go out horin’ aroun’ all he wants ta, she don’t care none, but what about his here children what needs they daddy alla time an’ he ain’t here ‘cause he outs horin’ or drinkin’ with his crownies, or somethin’.  He must be a furniturcater, like what Gramma says I’m a gonna be when I get growed up.  I still don’t know if that’s good or what.

Bobby was all cryin’ an’ all when his momma an’ daddy was yellin’ at each another an’ all.  He didn’t say nothin’ a me but I leaned off a the bed an’ could hear him down there snifflin’.  I was wonderin’ if he knowed who his daddy was out horin’ with.  So I asked ‘im.

“Bobby.”

Sniffles fer an answer.

“Bobby!”

“What, Frecks?”

“Ya know who yer daddy was with?”

“No, who?”

“I dunno, I thought maybe you did.”

“I think maybe Gilly’s mom.  He likes her, I think.  Feels sorry for her, I guess, and wants to protect her or something.”

“She does get all beat up a lot by Gilly’s daddy, huh?”  Ever’ body knew that.

Bobby said, “Yeah, I guess.  Maybe that’s why.  My mom’s always so bossy to him. An’ always knows exactly what he’s supposed to do, and makes sure he does it. Maybe he likes bein’ needed by somebody who don’t want to boss him around.  I don’t know.”

Bobby’s mom didn’t never seem ta need anybody.  She was the most un-need-iest momma I knew.

“Bobby?”

“What?”

“Ya think Gilly’s mom is pretty?”

“I don’t know. You?”

“I donno.  I guess, maybe, if she was cleaner, or somethin’.  But she’s always so nice ta alla us kids.  Doesn’t that make her pretty?”

“it makes her nice, I don’t know about pretty.  You mean like pretty girl pretty?”

I hadda think about that one.  “No, I mean like nice momma pretty.  You know, makes cookies, lets ya watch TV an’ stuff, ya know?”

“Yeah. She does kinda make ya like her a lot, I guess.  I think Gilly’s dad must be a loony or somethin’.”

“Yeah, that’s fer sure.”

We was quiet fer a minute.  Bobby sat up with his head even with mine. Then he said, “Frecks?”

“Yeah?”

“What really happened with you and Mim??

“What I said.”

“You sure?  He sucked your thingy?”

“Yeah!”

“Come on, Frecks, really?”

“Well…”

“Really, now, what did he do?”

“I donno! I donno!  Stop askin’ me.”

“Frecks, I went downstairs early this morning.  The cops were already here, earlier, talking to my mom. She told them what we talked about last night. What you said, and all. Then after they left, Billy came in and said Mim’s house burned down with him and his sister, Cathy, and his mom in it.  They all burned up, Frecks.  All of them. They’re dead.  Somebody did it.  .”

“Not me!”

“I know you didn’t do it, you were here with us.  Nobody is gonna think you did it!  Sheesh! But somebody did.  Prolly somebody who thinks that Mim should’ve died for hurting little kids.  If he never did that stuff…you know what I mean?”

“Oh, Geezum, Bobby, it was just what Yoder tole me.  Mim only ever played tickle games with me, an’ Bubby, too.  He wanted me a tickle him, an’ I did, an’ tole Yoder, an’ Yoder said we didn’t do it right an’ would show me.”

“He said he’d show you?”

“Yeah, he said he’d show me how ta real do business.  That real business was tough an’ not fer sissies.  Real business wasn’t ticklin’ ‘er being nice or nothin’.”

“Jeepers!”

“Yeah.  He tole me that Mim was a jerk that was, uh, was, uh, uh, de-bawcherizin’ me, er somethin’. He said I should tell people about him ta get ‘im ta stop doin’ it.”

“And he showed you?”

“Showed me what?”

“Business, like he called it?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t like Mim done at all.”

“Well, what?”

“What, what?”

“What did he show you?”

“Like I said last night.”

“You said he used a stick in your hiney.”

“Well, sorta.”

“What do you mean, sorta?”

“Aw, come on, Bobby, I don’t like sayin’ this stuff!”

“Frecks, you gotta listen. The grown-ups like my mother and the police think this stuff is real, real bad.  My brother and his friends are out looking for Yoder and real bad want to beat him up, at least. You gotta say what really actual happened.  You can’t make stuff up.  I think Yoder could get put in jail for this stuff. Or killed, even. Somebody already killed Mim and his family.  This is serious!”

“Yoder was bad an’ mean an’ rough!”

“Sure, but what exactly did he do to you? Did he for real shove a stick in your rumpus or what?”

“Well, he said he was gonna. He had a stick. An’ he did poke it at me.  An’ he actual said he’d shove it up my ass.  He said that. An’ he says that alla time when I see ‘im. He said he done it ta Slug. An’ he did mostly pull my pants down, an’ try ta poke the stick at my privates, but I screamed an’ runned away.  He yelled that it was too late, that I already done the bad thing. That I had made him do it an’ that I was real bad.”

“Ok, Frecks.  You done good, telling me.  I’m gonna tell my mom, ‘cause she can tell the police so they don’t go shooting Yoder or nothing.”

“But Yoder’s bad!”

“Yeah, I know, but I think saying he done that stuff and that Mim did all that stuff when maybe they didn’t really is important to tell, know what I mean?  I don’t like Yoder either, but you don’t want to go around saying lies about people, especially serious lies like this one.”

“I didn’t mean a lie, Bobby.  I jus’ kinda got caught up.”

“I know, that’s why we go fix it now. Let’s get up, I’m hungry anyways.”

“What, we can eat?”

“Course!  What do you think?”

“I donno.  Gramma don’t never make me no breakfast.”

“Oh, come on!”

“it’s true!”

“Right!  Come on.”

Bobby clomped right down a stairs but I went slow ‘cause I didn’t wanna fall er nothin’.

Jus’ as we all got ta the kitchen, Billy comed inna house an’ said that they seen Nutso an’ he gone off a deep end.

Bobby’s momma said, “What do you mean, Billy?”

“I mean he’s real acting weird.  Last night and this morning.  Like, he’s normal one minute and alova sudden thinks he’s in the army or something.”

Bobby said, “Well he’s always like that!  At least all this summer, anyways.”

“Yeah, I know, but now he’s even crazier.  Like, he’s looking all over for his brother, but wants to burn Yoder’s house down, too, ‘cause people think that jerk Yoder might of lit the Manette’s house up.  Like, he’s real nuts!”

Bobby said, “Ya know, maybe some a this stuff about Mim and Yoder doin’ bad stuff to little kids isn’t really true.”

Bobby’s momma said, “Emil!  Didn’t you tell us last night that they hurt you?”

Oh, Geezum, I’m feelin’ all confused.

“Well, like I tole Bobby a little while ago upstairs, maybe I kinda got caught up. It was Yoder saw me an’ Mim ticklin’ each other, an’ he started all the talk.  An’ I think Yoder tried a do bad stuff, but I kinda, maybe, runned away, maybe.”

“Yeah, ma,” Billy said, “that’s what the Paulsen punk said last night at the fire.  Mim never did all that bad stuff to ‘em that everybody’s been saying this summer.”

Bobby got all excited, then, and said, “Hey, we gotta go find Nutso now, in case he’s gonna do somethin’ bad, you know?”

But Bobby’s momma said right away, in her hard voice, “You’re not going anywhere until you help your grandfather with his leg and his insulin, and then have breakfast, young man.  You too, Mr. Emil Rainville. It’s none of it our business, we’ll just let the authorities take care of it.”

I knowed Bobby hated puttin’ on his Pip’s leg an’ all, he alla time complained about it, but he shut up an’ went upstairs an’ done it.

Billy said, “Ma, where’s dad?”

“Not here.”

“I think he could help with Nutso and that Yoder kid, you know?”

“Well, he can’t.  He’s not here.”

“Well, where is he?”

“Billy!  I don’t want to talk about it.  Now, leave me alone! And, leave those kids alone and mind your own business. It’s all confused and we don’t need to be buttinski’s!”

I figured their dad not bein’ here had somethin’ a do about them yellin’ las’ night, an’ stuff.  Maybe Bobby would lose his dad, an’ maybe even his momma, too, an’ have a take care a his Pip all alone with Billy.  I wouldn’t be a only one what didn’t have a dad an’ momma.

Their momma started makin’ toast an’ bringin’ out peanut butter, jam an’ syrup.  They was orange juice an’ milk an’ cereal an’ bowls an’ spoons, an’ so much ta eat I didn’t hardly know what ta do! Geezum, I never seed so much food!  I jus’ stood an’ looked at it.  Maybe ya wasn’t supposed a eat it er nuthin’.  I didn’t know.

“Go ahead Emil, dig in!” she said.

So I started crammin’ toast inna my mouth an’ pourin’ milk down my throat a fas’ as I could in case she changed ‘er mine an’ took it away again.  I wanted a make sure I got some, ya know?

“Emil!  My goodness, this isn’t a race. Slow down, you’ll get a bellyache if you eat too fast!”

Pretty soon, Bobby comed down cloppin’ an’ he helped me know what ta do.  Showed me about puttin’ milk an’ cereal inna bowl ta eat, an’ all about how good toast spread with peanut butter dipped in syrup was.  I jus’ never knowed eatin’ could be this good.  Maybe I could live here for always!

Billy had goed out. Prolly with Nosal an’ Clark an’ them guys.  Maybe they was huntin’ up Yoder er Nutso ta keep ‘em from hurtin’ theyselves er getting’ took a jail by the cops an’ all.

Bobby’s mom had goed in the front room ta tell Sally somethin’.

After she goed, Bobby said, “Hey, Frecks, maybe we should get some of the guys and head on over to Yoder’s.  If the cops’ll be there and all, it could be way cool to see.  And, you could tell everybody about what real happened about Mim and Yoder and Slug and those guys, you know? Be hero’s!”

“I donno, Bobby.  Yoder still is gonna kill me.”  I was worried more about Yoder killin’ me now that I found out about all this food I could eat.

“He won’t be able ta kill you with the cops there, huh? And, once you tell everybody, he won’t want to kill you anymore anyways, right?”

“I guess so. I donno.”

“Sure, Frecks.  Come on, this’ll be way cool!”

“Yer momma said mind our own business!”

“Aw, she don’t mean nothing.  She always says stuff like that and don’t mean nothing!”

“Bobby?”

“Yeah?”

“Ya got a good house, here, ya know that?”

“Oh, yeah, with my parents yellin’ at each other an’ my father not here, and a stupid big brother that wrecks my stuff?  Yeah, it’s great!”

“Compared ta me it is.”

We both of us sat quiet fer a little bit.

“Come on, Frecks; let’s book before my mom gets back in here.”

We got up an’ was headin’ out when alova sudden we heard yellin’ from a outside in a yard.  Sounded like screamin’ an’ swearin’ an’ stuff.

“That’s my sisters stupid jerk boyfriend, Mike, swearing like usual,” Bobby said as we runned out.

We runned through the TV room, out onta the porch, which hadn’t real got burned much las’ night, an’ down the steps an’ curved aroun’ ta the back yard.  Sally an’ Bobby’s momma had runned outa the front door an’ so was right behind us.  Mike had called somethin’ about Sally getting’ somebody off a ‘im.

When we got a the yard, Mike was standin’ all madded up an’ there was ol’ Nutso hisself, runnin’ down the Apache Trail like there was no tomorra. He scooted fas’ inna the sumacs near the park an’ then we couldn’t see ‘im no more.

Sally an’ Bobby’s momma had stayed inna yard but Mike had runned out with us an went pas’ us, a ‘cause he was bigger an’ stuff than what we was.  Also, too, Billy an’ Nosal an’ them had runned in from the park an’ was already crashin’ through the sumacs, lookin’ fer ol’ Nutso.

Nutso had hid in the broke fort I had been sleepin’ in las’ week.  Mike had seed him run in an’ was bendin’ down at the door.  Billy an’ Nosal was there too.   When me an’ Bobby got there, Mike had jus’ said somethin’ an’ him an’ Billy an’ Nosal an’ them was all laughin’.  I guess ever’ thin’ was OK, now.

Mike pulled Nutso outa the fort, knockin’ the walls down while he was at it.

He said, “Who the hell is this whack job, anyways?”

Nutso stood up an’ says, “Richard J. Kozinski, Commander, First Division, Special Ups, 237-0638.”

He alla time talked different when he was bein’ a whack job.

Mike jus’ looked at ‘im with his mouth open.  Billy an’ Nosal an’ them was fallin’ onna groun’ laughin’.

Bobby said, “Nutso, Whataya doin?”

“Richard J. Kozinski, Commander, First Division, Special Ups, 237-0638!”

Nosal said, “He’s bein’ a crazy fuck, that’s what he’s doin’!”  Him an’ the other big guys was jus’ about bustin’ they guts, laughin’.

Mike said, “Why’s he sayin’ a phone number?”

“Take me to your leader!” Nutso said.  Ever’ body cracked up now, like it was the funnies’ thin’ they ever heard, or somethin’.  I donno, seemed normal Nutso ta me.

Mike grabbed ‘im by the collar and then immediate let ‘im go.

He said, “Ya crazy bastard, you’re covered with shit an’ garbage an’ ya got it all over me, too!”

Nutso looked at us like he didn’t know who we all was, or somethin’.

“You’ll never get me to talk, kraut pig-dog!”

Nosal barely said, “kraut pig-dog…” an’ then fell down laughin’ again.

Mike jus’ backed off, now, an’ started shakin’ ‘is head an’ walkin’ back ta Bobby’s yard.

“This guy needs ta go ta the goddam funny farm, that’s what he needs.”

Billy walked up ta Nutso an’ shoved ‘im an’ said, “OK jerk off, cool your tool an’ start talkin’.”

Nutso yelled back, “Torture me all you want, I don’t care, I’ll only speak to General Nolette.”

Bobby went up an’ pushed his brother. “Leave ‘im alone, jerk face, you know how he gets like this.”

But Nosal said, “C’mon, Bummer, let’s take ‘im in the ravine an’ toss ‘im back in the crick, he’s already all shit!”

The big guys fell laughin’ again, sayin’ “he’s all shit, hey he’s full a shit, huh?” an’ more stuff like that.

Then Nutso turns aroun’ and starts runnin’ at the park, yellin’ “Escape, escape!” an’ takes off so fas’ that he’s gone afore the big guys can get up from all they laughin’ ta catch ‘im.

Me an’ Bobby runned after ‘im ta see where he was goin’.  He runned right pas’ the Horsie Swings an’ onto the towpath, leavin’ his smell behin’.

Bobby said, “I wonder what the heck he’s thinking?”

“I donno, but yer brother’s right, he seems nutso-ier than usual today.”

“Yeah, I guess he went off a deep end.”

“Whataya think he’s doin’”

“Who knows?  I just usually stay away from him when he’s all crazy like this.  Hey, come on, forget him, let’s go see at Yoder’s.”

I didn’t wanna, but I do as Bobby says.  So, we walked down a towpath towards Yoder’s house.  I was afraid he was gonna pop outa the weeds any minute. It was like he was a nightmare ta me, like Gramma er’ Uncle Pete. I donno why.

Bobby said, “Hey, look, Frecks, there’s Nicky down there near the old fort fire. Wonder what he’s doing.”

“I donno,” I said, “but he better stay away from there, cause that’s where Yoder says he likes a do business, an’ I knows he wants a do it a Nicky.  He said so!”

“Well, I’m thinkin’ Yoder ain’t gonna be botherin’ nobody else anymore.  If there’s police lookin’ fer ‘im an’ my brother an’ Nosal an’ them, an’ all, I don’t think he’s doing much of anything anymore, you know?”

“Let’s go see what Nicky’s doin’, huh, Bobby?”

“Naw, I want to see Yoder’s.  There might be the cops and everything.”

Darn him, an’ all.

I couldn’t see nothin’ goin’ on at a end a the towpath.  The way Bobby was talkin’, I thought they’d be all sirens an’ stuff.  People screamin’, maybe fire an’ smoke, ‘cause Yoder be burnin’ down ever’ thin’ an’ stuff.  I think ol’ Yoder wanted a kill ever’ body.

In a few more minutes, we got down a First Street, right behin’ where Yoder’s house was.  They weren’t no cops there er nothin’.  What was there was a buncha guys what we knew.  They was Gilly an’ Joey Molinari.  They was Moose an’ Doodles, an’ Wooly an’ Trixie an’ Lucky Girard.  They was even Bummer an’ Nosal, an’ Clark an’ that Harvey guy an’ some others what I didn’t know so well.

They was all standin’ nex’ a Yoder’s yard, lookin’ up a the house.  Jus’ lookin’. Not doin’ nothin’.

“Bobby.”

“Yeah, Frecks.”

“it’s pretty borin’ here, can we go?”

“You go if you want, I want to stay, see what happens.”

“What happens if Yoder comes out?”  No cops was here, so he could kill me, an’ I wanted a be able a eat more at Bobby’s, if I could.

“He ain’t gonna do nothin’, Frecks.”

The guys was all talkin’ between theyselves.

Gilly said, “Hey, ya think he lit Mim’s up?”

Moose said, “Well somebody did.  My dad said they spilled gas an’ oil all over the porch.”

Joey said, “Yeah, I heard they even went up in his sister’s bedroom an’ poured airplane gas all over her while she was sleepin’, so she’d burn better.”

Luc said, “That’s stupid, where they gonna get airplane gas, huh?”

“Well, that’s what I heard.”

“Ya can’t just go buy it, dummy!”

Gilly said, “Ya can buy anything, ya know where ta go!”

Luc said, “Yeah?  So where?”

Nosal said, “Yer all a buncha dorks!  Nobody spilled no airplane gas, which is called jet fuel, if ya wanna know!”

Joey said, “Well I didn’t know!  How should I know?”

Bummer said, “Aw shut your traps all of you!  How we gonna get this stupid Yoder asshole out of his house, that’s what I want to know?”

Bobby said, “Billy, why don’t we just leave him be?  Maybe he didn’t do nothing, huh?”

“Shut up, stupid,” Bummer said, “He did stuff for sure.  What I can’t figure is why the stupid cops aren’t here to take him away?”

Clark said, “Maybe they already done it?  Maybe he ain’t here an’ his folks’re all down at jail bailin’ him out?”

“Could be,” Bummer said. “We didn’t get here till pretty late.  We could of missed them.  Though, I don’t think cops work to early on Sundays.  Something to do with the blue laws, I think.”

“What’s blue laws,” Bobby asked?

“Shut up, stupid,” Bummer said.  “Why don’t you and your stupid friends go away and leave this to the men?”

Gilly said, “Why don’t you try an’ make us, huh?  Yer stupid yerself!  Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Bummer said.  “Go away won’t you?”

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Gilly said. He was dancing all aroun’ Bummer now.

Nosal said, “I don’t know what’s blue laws neither, Bummer.”

Bummer had caught Gilly an’ had knocked ‘im down an’ was sittin’ on ‘im.

“it’s when ya can’t do work on early Sunday because of church and all.  Don’t you guys know nothing?”

He had got Gilly in a headlock by now an’ was squeezin’ Gilly ta get ‘im ta shut up.

“Stupid, stupid,” Gilly kinda gurgled out.

“Jesus!  Shut up ya little jerk,” Bummer said.  All the guys was laughin’, now.

“Aw, let ‘im up,” Nosal said, “An’ lets find out about this stupid Yoder kid, huh?”

Bummer got up an’ Gilly started dancin’ aroun’ ‘im again.  He had his thumbs in his ears an’ was wavin’ his fingers at Bummer, sayin’, “Stupid Bummer can’t get me, nah, nah, nah, nah nah,” like he was singin’ it.

Bummer jus’ shook ‘is head an’ held his han’ on Gilly’s head an’ talked a Nosal.

“How do we get him out of the house, you think?”

Gilly was swingin’ on ‘im but Bummer was holdin’ ‘im far enough away.

Nosal said, “We could jus’ go up the stairs an’ call ‘im out.”

Bummer said, “What if he don’t come, what then?”

Gilly said, “Light the house on fire.  Burn ‘im out!”

Bummer said, “Shut up you little jerk!”

“You shut up, ya big jerk!”  That was Gilly, never afraid a anybody!

‘Stupid punk,” Bummer said. “Well, let’s go up and yell for him.”

Bummer pushed Gilly away an’ him an’ Nosal an’ Clark started climbin’ up the stairs ta the third floor where Yoder lived.

Gilly right away went after ‘em, with Joey an’ Moose right behin’.  Bummer looked down.

“You stupid jerks, get out of here.  We don’t need stupid little punks messing this all up, OK?”

Gilly said, “it’s a free country!”

Bummer said, “Free country my ass!  Shut up and get back down there.”

“Your ass!  Make me, stupid!”

“Son of a bitch!” Bummer said in a real tired voice.

“Leave ‘em be, Bummer,” Nosal said. “Let ‘em dig they own grave!”

Moose an’ Joey comed back down with us, but Gilly, he jus’ kep’ follerin’ Bummer an’ Nosal an’ them up the stairs.  He was liftin’ his legs up high when he climbed, an’ holdin’ his finger to ‘is mouth an’ sayin’ “Shhh!” all time, like he was on TV, er somethin’, alla time smilin’ ta beat the band.  He was a crazy guy, alright!

Pretty soon, they all got up on a the porch next a Yoder’s back door.

Nosal yelled to it, “Yoder!”

They waited a minute.  No answer.

“Yoder!  Come out!”

Nothin’.

“Come out ya stupid asshole, we wanna talk ta ya!”

Alova sudden, a big loud guy comed outa the back door.

“You goddam bastard kids get the fuck outa here before I call the cops!”

I think he mighta been Yoder’s daddy, maybe.

All the guys ‘cept Gilly turned aroun’ an’ runned down the stairs, all yellin’ “Run, run,” an’ all while they done it.  Gilly, he jus’ stayed up there an’ started yellin’ at the guy.

“That Yoder’s been hurtin my friends an’ burnin’ they houses down!  He has ta answer fer what he done!”

The guy yelled right in Gilly’s face. “Get the fuck outa here, ya little punk, an’ leave my family alone!”

He grabbed Gilly by the shirt an’ flung ‘im down the stairs like he was nothin’.

Gilly fell a few steps down an’ yelled, “I ain’t afraid a you, ya big jerk!”

“I’ll show you!” the guy yelled.  He jumped down the few steps ta where Gilly was an’ shoved ‘im again.  Gilly fell down ta the landin’ half way down ta the second floor.

He yelled, “Leave me alone, ya big jerk!”

Nosal yelled, “Gilly, get outa there, the guys nuts!”

The guy yelled, “I’ll show ya nuts, ya want!”  An’ he jumped down ta Gilly an’ started draggin’ ‘im down a stairs, flop, flop, flop, Gilly alla time yellin’, “Let me go, I’ll kill ya,” an’ stuff like that.’

Bummer come ta Bobby an’ said, “You little guys run on home, this guy’s gonna go nuts or something.”

Him an’ Nosal an’ Clark waited fer the guy ta get ta the bottom of a stairs.  Harvey had already runned off, an’ now the rest a the guys did, too.  Moose an’ Doodles an’ Joey an’ Trixie an’ Lucky an’ all them, jus’ hightailed it off down the towpath, back towards the park. 

I grabbed Bobby’s han’ ta pull him away, but he yanked it away an’ said, “I’m not leavin’ my brother.”

Now the guy had drug Gilly alla way down an’ threw ‘im onna groun’.  Clark took off. The guy charged to Bummer an’ Nosal an’ said, “I’m gonna teach ya stupid little fuckers a lesson!”

Gilly jumped up an’ run at the guy from behin’.  He jumped up on ‘im an’ started hittin’ ‘is head an’ scratchin’ ‘im, sayin’ “Get ‘im guys, kill ‘im!”

The guy swirled aroun’ an’ grabbed Gilly offa ‘im an’ Gilly fell back down onna groun’.  The guy kicked ‘im an’ Gilly screamed bloody murder.

“Leave ‘im alone!” Bummer yelled, an’ he an’ Nosal at the same time runned an’ pushed the guy down onna groun’ an’ started kickin’ ‘im fer all they was worth.

Mrs. Mason comed outa her house an’ said, “I called the police!”  She saw what was happenin’ an’ said, “Oh, my gawd!” an’ threw ‘er apron up over ‘er head ta hide from the fight.

The guy had sit up but Nosal an’ Bummer was wailin’ on ‘im.  Bobby even went over an’ got inta it, but he didn’t do much good an’ alova sudden backed away an’ fell down holdin’ ‘is bloody nose.
Alova sudden we hears “Attack, attack!” an’ they was Nutso, runnin’ up offa a towpath with a big, heavy tree stick.  He runs right up ta the fight an’ wings the stick aroun’ as hard as he could an’ whacks the guy onna back a ‘is head.  The guy turns around, holdin’ ‘is head, an’ ya can see blood comin’ outa it.  He runs fer Nutso, but Nosal an’ Bummer tackle’s ‘im an’ Nutso whacks ‘im right onna fron’ a ‘is head.  The guy falls onna groun’ an’ don’t move.

Bummer an’ Nosal get up an’ back off like they see a ghost er somethin’.  Nutso, he screams, “Kill the enemy!” an’ goes in an’ whacks the guy again, right inna kisser again, while he’s layin’ there all knocked out cold.

Bummer says, “Jesus, Nutso, knock it off, you’ll kill him!

Nutso yelled, “Kill ‘im,” an’ whacked again an’ again, till Nosal an’ Bummer grabbed ‘im an’ shoved ‘im down an’ grabbed ‘is stick away.

We heard screamin’ an’ looked up where it comed from an’ see Mrs. Yoder runnin’ down the stairs, yellin’, “John, John!  Oh my God, John!”

Mrs. Mason was still hidin’ unner her apron.  She was screamin’ “Stop! Police!” but she weren’t lookin’.

Nutso yelled “Victory!” an’ runned outa the yard an’ up First Street, like he didn’t even know we was there.

Bummer turned aroun’ an’ grabbed Bobby an’ yelled ta Nosal, “Let’s get outa here! Come on!”

We all took off outa the yard an’ started runnin’ up a towpath as hard as we could.  I looked back an’ saw Yoder’s momma kneelin’ over the guy what Nutso whacked.  Then I looked up an’ saw Yoder at a top a the stairs.  He looked at me an’ pointed at me an’ smiled.

I’m real dead, now.