I remember when I was little there always seemed to be a bunch of us kids running around, especially during summer time. These were the days before video games and even video machines. We had to make our own fun. Since so many months of the year in Canada are quite cold, if a kid could beg, bargain or find a way to sneak outside, we were going to do it.
The kids in our neighbourhood would gather in someones yard and we'd just stand around and talk sort of slow and lazy like:
"What da you wanna do?"
"I dunno. What da you wanna do?"
"Do you wanna sneak carrots from one of our gardens?"
"Naw.My Dad said we gotta stop doing that?"
"Ya. My Mom said that too."
"How bout we wrestle?"
"No. Too many girls here now. Mayb' later."
"How about a game of tag?"
"Can't. Joey's still not allowed to run lots on his sprained ankle."
"Bike ride?"
"Not ev'ryone's got one."
"How bout a game of 'Hide n Seek' ?"
Then suddenly someone would look up and say:
"OK. I'll be it! 1-2-3-4 ..."
And quick as a wink it would be kid chaos. 8 kids who had been just standing around, barely moving, start running in different directions all at once, laughing, squealing, shoving and bumping into each other, deciding to make hiding-allies or to 'go it alone', while the counting gets faster and more frantic.
"5-6-7-8..."
"which way. which way?"
"You can't hide there. I was gonna hide there."
"Help. Help. somebody help me. All the good places are gone."
"Hide by the bike shed"
"But I hid there last time. Help me find a good place."
"WHAT A BIG BABY YOU ARE"
"shh. He'll hear you"
"12-13-14-16-17"
"HEY STUPID! YOU FORGOT 15!"
"Oops. Sorry. I always do that. Where was I?"
"10-11-12 !"
"NO I WASN'T I WAS WAY PAST 12 ALREADY!"
"WHO CARES! JUST START COUNTING AGAIN!"
"OK. 1-2-3-4 ..."
" NOT AT ONE AGAIN! AND YOU'RE PEEKING!"
"AM NOT!"
"ARE TOO!"
.............................
"Shutup, Moron. Now listen, "
"Hey. You're not suppose to be back at the tree again."
"It's because you've messed up the counting and everyone has been hiding for FOREVER and is waiting for you to find them."
"So what should I do?"
"Hi. Can I come and hide with you?"
"What are you doing here? You're suppose to be hiding by yourself"
"But it's taking so long and there's a scarey bug at my hideout"
"OK. But shutup and GET down"
"Where should I start counting from?"
"Uh. Gee. I don't know. Gimme a second to think."
"HEY! ARE WE STILL PLAYING OR WHAT?!"
"TELL HIM TO JUST COUNT TO TWENTY AGAIN AND IF HE MISSES ANY NUMBERS JUST SKIP 'EM. THEY'RE NOT IMPORTANT."
"OK! Ya got that?"
"yup. 1-2-3-4 ...well don't just stand there. You gotta go hide again."
"Oh right. I forgot!"
"WAIT! THAT'S NOT FAIR! HOW COME WHEN I HAD TO BE 'IT' I HAD TO SAY ALL THE NUMBERS, BUT HE CAN SKIP SOME?"
"O, for crying out loud. Are we ever gonna get this game going?"
"WAIT! WAIT! Don't anybody speak or move."
"Why?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Because ...kssjhfksdffffffssfkddjdssdhksdj.."
"Ok. But hurry."
"What's the problem?"
"Yeah. Where's she going?"
"She's gotta go to the bathroom."
"Ok. But why can't we move or talk?
"Yeah. Why?"
"She doesn't want to miss anything."
"I have to go too"
"OH GREAT!"
"I've got a nose bleed again."
"Mayse well call it a night. We'll see ya."
"Yeah. I'm leaving too. Let's all meet back here bright and early"
"NIGHT EVERYONE!"
"Night!"
"NIGHT! (Gives me more time to practice my counting before tomorrow)."
"I'M BACK! YOU CAN START AGAIN! Hey. Where did everyone go? I said to wait for me."
"But it takes you so long to pee."
" I pee as fast as anyone! I just have trouble with my belt buckle."
"You're wearing a skirt, Stupid. Just lift it up."
"Oh. I never thought of that."
"That's because you're a dumb girl. Hurry up, hurry up, HURRY UP! I'M GONNA LOCK YOU OUTSIDE. I'M LOCKING IT, I'M LOCKING IT! ...hee, hee, hee
. Why are you still outside? Did you lock yourself out?"
"I'M TELLING."
"Won't matter. Extravagant behavior is expected from me."
"Oh, ok. .... What is "stravant haffer" ?"
.........................................
[chrip-et, chrip-et, chrp-et]
..................
"Hey! Where is everyone? Is the game over? Hello? hello? ... HEY? I never got found. [sniff, sniff ] "
