Once Upon a Summer by Janette Oke

fun so I agreed.
    By now we had walked together onto the back porch. Auntie Lou and Hiram were sippin’ lemonade and chattin’ about something. Hiram looked down-right pleased with himself, but Auntie Lou still hadn’t quite been able to shake off her look of confusion.
    Gramps stopped to exchange a few words.
    “Joshua and I are going to have us a little game here.”
    We went on. Gramps drew out the circle in the dirt, and we each placed three smooth stones inside it.
    It was easy for the first few paces, but it got tougher as we went along. We made the first game jest ten minutes. I had tallied up eleven paces as my best score and Gramps ten.
    As I was retrievin’ our knives for another go at it, Gramps did a rather funny thing. He pulled out his purse and handed me a dime. His voice was low.
    “Been meaning to give you this. When you go to town next time, I’d like you to pick out a good fishhook for me—one that you think would have those fish squirming for a chance at it.”
    Seemed funny to me that Gramps would be thinkin’ of fishhooks at such a time, but I nodded and put the dime in the pocket of my pants. I don’t know jest what brought my head up at that particular time, but as my glance went to the porch I saw Hiram lookin’ at us. I thought nothing about it except the usual fear and anger at seein’ him there with Lou. I handed Gramps his knife. He carefully cleaned the blade of his knife and we started a new game. This one ended again as Gramps consulted his pocket watch. I bettered my score a bit that game, and Gramps ended up two paces behind me.
    “Been thinking, Joshua,” he said as we retrieved our knives, “maybe you’d best get two hooks so that we’ll each have one.”
    Hadn’t realized jest how “hooked” on fishin’ Gramps was after only one trip to the crik. He took out his change purse and handed me another dime. He jiggled the coins as though he was having trouble locating jest the right one. I dumbly put the dime in my pocket knowin’ that it was more money than I needed for two hooks. I’d git the best ones that I could find and give Gramps back his change.
    Gramps raised his voice. I was only a few paces from him— but he did have his back to me, so maybe he thought I had walked away.
    “Okay, Joshua, that’s enough practicing. Let’s get into the real game now.”
    It was then that I noticed Hiram edgin’ his way off the porch and over toward us. Gramps stood there examining his knife and cleaning the dirt from the blade. Hiram came in closer.
    “Interestin’ game,” he finally said.
    “Ever play ring-knife?” Gramps asked.
    “Nope.”
    “Know the rules?”
    “I’ve been watchin’.”
    Gramps sensed his interest.
    “Want to join us?”
    Hiram grinned then.
    “Sure would like to give it a try.”
    He pulled out his pocket knife and checked the tip for sharpness.
    “We were just about to start the big one. Go ahead and take a few practice throws.”
    Gramps hauled out his watch and studied the time while Hiram threw. He looked pretty good with a knife.
    Gramps let him have three throws from varyin’ distances.
    “Okay,” he said, watching his timepiece carefully as though it had to be the exact second for startin’, “Joshua, you start.” A pause, then a flash of the watch in his hand—“Go.”
    I threw—my knife stuck upright. The game was on.
    “Hiram,” Gramps said with a nod.
    Hiram threw. His knife held firm. Gramps took extra time as he threw, as though the game had suddenly become very important. I sensed the change and it made me feel that maybe we had jest been foolin’ around before. Hiram seemed to sense it, too, and I could see the excitement in his face.
    Gramps measured the distance, judged the position of the stones, studied his knife carefully for balance, and threw. His knife stood upright and I heard him sigh with satisfaction.
    We all picked up our knives and backed up a pace. The rounds went much more slowly now. Gramps seemed