Austin smooths the top of the raft
like he’s petting a big dog
or new Ferrari:
“I dragged in pieces of the rowboat
stored under that tarp outside.”
he points to the ceiling:
“Broke up furniture. I worked
on her all through the spring.”
“Wow. Cool. All by yourself?”
I sneeze
Austin’s face brightens:
“Yeah.”
“What are the bungee cords for?”
he kneels
taps on the water bottles under the raft:
“To attach these empty bottles
I got from my dad’s office from the
water cooler to the raft. I had a few
bungee cords of my own, but not enough.”
“Amazing.”
I lean over the raft:
“Why don’t you get your dad
to help carry it out of here?”
he frowns:
“Bad back. And he doesn’t exactly
want me to go on the water.
I want my own raft
to go around the lake. Those
dinghies are worthless.”
I go to the far end of the raft:
“Okay. Let’s go.”
“It’s not the right time.”
he scowls at me
I back away:
“When is the right time?”