Between Two Storms, Andrew C. Dooley [black male authors txt] 📗

Between Two Storms

Jake, net in hand, scurried like a sand crab along the seawall, pausing between each of the round, wooden support posts to look down into the water for the beady eyes and blue claws of crabs clinging to the wall. His cousin Jody, and his brother Andrew came outside and looked into the wooden bushel. Three crabs clustered together in the bottom on one side, blowing bubbles over their claws which were folded close to them. One crab, larger than the others, pressed against the other side. Andrew picked up a stick and moved it slowly in front of the crab. His claws flashed out with a clacking sound and pushed the stick away. Andrew moved the stick toward the beady black eyes and the ready claws, they clamped down blue and rigid on the stick. When the crab let go, Andrew threw the stick aside and joined the other two on the seawall.
He stood on the wooden ledge of the wall between his brother who was three years younger than he was and his cousin who was three years older. They were all thin and athletic, of various shades of tan made darker by the sun, and with short hair of varying shades of blonde made lighter by the sun. Standing in this order, the even difference in their heights was like stairs. Andrew and Jake looked into the brown water, lapping at the old, algae and barnacle covered wall, hoping to see a crab. It was early and bright. Jody squinted out across the water of the Bay. Boats rocked against the end of their anchor lines. Andrew looked up at Jody and then out to the horizon where his eyes settled for a moment on the lighthouse, gleaming in the light of the sun.
Single file, they walked along the seawall, peering into the water. Sometimes the boy in the back, being tired of seeing everything last, would depart from the wall and run ahead of the other two.
“Bring the net,” Andrew said.
“You see one?” Jody asked.
“Yeah.” Andrew was stooped over with his hands on his knees looking at a large crab with big blue claws. “Hurry up!” he snapped at Jake.
“Where is he?” Jake asked, thinking Andrew was just trying to get the net from him.
“He’s far down, it’s hard to see him; he’s right there,” Andrew pointed. “Let me see the net.”
“No, I got this net out of Pop’s shed.” There’s no telling what he had to climb over or through to get the net. Their grandfather’s shed was notoriously packed.
“I saw this one. Let me use the net; I’ll give it right back,” Andrew said.
“No.” Jake wouldn’t look at Andrew directly, but he was watching to make sure he didn’t come at him.
“He said he’ll give it right back,” Jody said, still looking down at the crab.
“I got the net,” Jake said and with the net ready, he leaned over and fixed his eyes on the crab.
“You’re going to miss it,” Andrew said, and acted like he was going to push Jake off the wall. Jake jumped back, tensed, his hands tightened on the wooden handle of the net.
“Leave me alone,” he whined.
“Fine! You’re so annoying. All I wanted to do was use the net.”
Jake leaned over with the net in his hands and looked down at the crab. He swung, but the net hit the crab in the back. When he brought it up the crab was clinging to the net, one claw clinched tightly on the thin green nylon, the other jerked through the air searching for something soft to close on. Jody and Andrew yelled at once:
“Quick, get him over the wall,” Jody said.
“Turn the net,” Andrew said. The crab let go and landed on the ground. Jake scooped him up in the net and carried him across the yard. The bushel boiled when he dumped the crab in; the clattering and scuffling slowly subsided.
Jody saw a crab and Jake handed him the net without complaining. Then Andrew saw another crab and Jake gave him the net.
“But you better give it back when I tell you to,” he said.
They continued to pass the net back and forth. In an hour or two they had over half a bushel. Andrew walked over to look at them. Piled on top of each other, their legs and claws scraped against the shells of other crabs. He lifted one of the handles and was pleased at how heavy it was.
“Andrew,” his mom said. “Nanny and I are heading over to the clubhouse now. Tell Jody and your brother.” The windows were open and her voice came clear and close through the dark screen. Andrew shielded his eyes but still could only see a shadow when she moved.
“Don’t forget that lunch starts in half an hour. Behave yourselves, and don’t pick on your brother,” she said.
“Why do you say that? I never mess with him unless he does something to annoy me first,” Andrew said.
“Just behave,” she said.
“Love you daw-lin, ya’ll be good,” called Nanny from farther inside, her voice was everything a grandmother’s should be.
“Love you too Nanny, we’ll be good.” Any pre-adolescent anger Andrew felt melted when she spoke.
Jody came over and dumped another crab in the bushel. The crabs on top snapped at the newcomer with their claws.
“That’s a big sucker,” Andrew said, and they walked to where Jake was on the wall.

Andrew saw a crab of average size tucked against the wall near one of the wooden poles.
“Give me the net I see one,” he said. Jody handed him the net and stood to the left with Jake where they could see. Andrew could feel the texture of the wood grain of the board he was standing on, and the wooden handle in his hands. The sun was hot upon his shoulders; he inched his feet over toward the large wooden post and adjusted his hands to get the best angle. Wind came from over the water and lifted his bangs gently. He brought the net down in an angle, but couldn’t slide it into the nook between the wall and post; the crab darted off sideways.
“Let me have the net now,” Jake said. Andrew frowned at him. “Come on, you said you’d give it back when I asked for it,” Jake whined.
“Stop being a baby. I’ll give it to you if you find a crab.”
“I found one, he’s right here.” Jake pointed to the next space of wall between the support poles. Andrew walked over and looked; there was a big crab with blue claws. Jake put his hand on the net handle and Andrew yanked it away and looked back down at the crab.
“Don’t!” Jake cried. “Give me the net. I saw him.”
“So! You should have given me the net earlier,” Andrew said. Jake grabbed his arm with both hands and when Andrew turned, he grabbed the net and held it tightly.
“Let go,” Andrew said, his voice was flat.
“Let go,” he said again, this time with a little more threat in his voice, and he gave a short, quick, hard pull of the net. Jake held fast and stumbled forward but kept his feet.
“You better let go of it right now.” The threat in Andrew’s voice pushed through his clenched teeth.
“But, Andrew, I got it from the shed,” Jake said, pleading with him.
“I don’t care,” Andrew yelled. He yanked the handle so hard that Jake, still clinging to the net, fell and was dragged across the ground as Andrew continued to pull backwards. One of Jake’s hands had come loose and was clawing for the handle. Andrew turned the handle twisting Jake’s wrist. The metal rim of the net clanged against his forehead. He let go, and immediately his mouth curled down into a big, drooping, black frown. Jody had been at the other end of the wall and now came running over. Jake started crying; big tears came from his squinted eyes and rolled down his high, round cheeks. Andrew stood by while Jody tried to quiet him down a little.
“You’re alright, just stop crying,” he said. Jake’s face was red and contorted, one of his knees were scraped and he had a knot that stood out, white on his forehead. His crying turned into a spastic, sniffled inhaling. Jody was pushing the net on him.
“Look; you get the net,” he said, and held it out to him. Jake’s dry sobs had slowed. He dragged himself to his feet, wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and looked at the net through wet eyelashes. Taking it would mean accepting a peace offering; he stood looking at it. Jody pulled the net back toward himself and after looking closely at the rim said, “I think you dented it.” He laughed, but Jake didn’t.
“You’ve got a strong grip though. When I looked up here all I saw was you being dragged across the yard.” Jody laughed again, and this time Jake laughed too and wiped his eyes again. Jody knew he had him now.
“Seriously, I think you dented the net. Look right here.” He pointed to the metal rim of the net and Jake laughed again. Andrew took advantage of the change of mood.
“Hey, see if that crab is still there,” he said.
“Was there a crab? Well, go get him. What are you waiting for?” Jody held the net out to Jake, who took it this time. They looked for the crab, but it was gone so they moved on down the wall. Jody was looking between the next two poles; Andrew leaned over near Jake and mumbled a quick sorry and moved on. Jody had reached the corner of their property that made up part of the mouth of the inlet and he yelled to Andrew and Jake.
“Look, skates!” He pointed to a spot in the water where a whole flock of rays were mingling, their fins pointing out of the surface. All three boys stood as tall as they could and shaded their eyes with their hands to see the rays circling and slowly flapping their wing-like fins. The water danced lazily and the sun glittered on the rivets on the surface of the water and shone on the brown and black wing tips of the rays that rose and sunk below the water. They were clustered just inside the mouth of the inlet, where every year they were drawn into the shallows