Marbles

A Jim Heynen Look Alike...."Marbles"

Boys gathered,five of them, knees to the dust, a loose dirt circle beneath the Sacramento sun. Each had a green felt bag, long as your hand, round as your wrist, topped with a gold drawstring. And in each bag, a blend of very unique marbles, a secret combination really... of cat eyes, steelies, ducks and taws.

For more than a few reasons, the older boys kept their prized marbles out of the game, safely in their felt bags. These elite marbles, treasures from a pharaoh, could not be trifled with or lost to a simple game. They were the cool swirlies, marbles marked for greatness, orbs melted and formed, some black hour, the glass....the magic. The more the rarified the tint, the blush, the more cherished the marble.

As governed by unseen rule and sacrament, the oldest set and managed the game, drawing a three foot circle in the dust. All participants would drop their marbles in the ring. A few would collide, coming to rest close to the circles arc... fair pickings. It began.

As in any dark conspiracy, the older boys always set their sights on the younger. Long piano fingers sent steelies thumping ducks. A storm of vicious accuracy would commence and by the end of the game, the youngest boy had lost all of his marbles. There seemed only a sick vacancy to the moment. The oldest, a skinny blonde freckled from summers light, chortled, leaning over the runts face, baring a sneering grin and all the runt could manage was a downcast look, tears welling in his eyes. As dictated by ancient doctrine, this was a game of keepsies, not quitsies, the older boy uttered. Marbles found new bags, new owners... the law.

Save for the oldest and the youngest, three of the boys rose, formed into dust devils and were gone. The oldest looked down at the runt. In his long piano fingers, purposely, so that the runt could see, he spun the metallic killer, his favorite shooter, his fine steelie taw. That's when the sneer became something else.

Looking around, to make sure no one was watching, the older boy quickly reached into his pocket, dropping the runts marbles back in the circle and became another dust devil.

In shock, the runt stared at the marbles. He pinched his eyelids in disbelief. Relief came in the slow draw of his breath. That's when he, too, looked around to make sure no one was watching. He gathered the seven marbles, being careful to place them all, including his favorite red and white devils eye, his taw, back into the green felt bag. He clinched the gold drawstring tight. He rose and like the others, became both dust and devil.