Page 25 of Cocky Origins: May and Jerald Cocker

“It is. Okay, thanks for the warning.”

We walk back and he raises his volume to normal. “Here we go! And the line isn’t looking too bad. Say, Hank, why don’t you ride with me! Let Gertie and Lily have their own basket ahead of us. Just us fellas.” Lily gasps and he looks at her. “You alright?”

Speechless, her mouth drops open again, but nothing comes out.

My brother grins, “Be like when we were kids!”

“It’s settled then!”

Gertie is now just as disappointed, anyone could see it. But they don’t want to object. That wouldn’t be the thing to do at all.

We six take our place in line. May is concerned on account of her friends losing their enthusiasm, so I bend to get her attention, and her frown melts away. The line starts moving as I ask, “Do you have any brothers and sisters?”

She shakes her head, blonde curls bouncing. “They tried to have more children, but I guess it wasn’t in God‘s plan. But that’s alright, because I feel like I have sisters in my friends. I never feel lonely. And then there are the kids we look after, they’re always around now. The house is never quiet, if you know what I mean.”

“I do. Ma was just saying last night how much she misses having me around because my brother and I make the place lively. And I can understand that, especially with Pops in the state he’s in.”

“Is he really better?”

“Every day more like himself. Just slower than we’d like.”

May concentrates on my face as we near the beginning of the line, the other four in front of us keeping up a steady conversation all their own. “Jerald, am I to understand that you’ll be gone soon?”

I frown, “Very soon. Monday, in fact.”

“Oh. That is soon.”

“I’d like to spend as much time with you before I go as I can, if that’s all right.”

Her voice goes shy, eyes beautiful as she stares at me. “That would be swell, Jerald. Thank you.”

“I’m the one who should be grateful. Being around you makes me feel…”

After a long pause, she presses me, “Feel how?”

“Well, I…” I’m staring at her and can’t remember what we were talking about. May’s just the prettiest little thing I’ve ever seen and if I could sneak her onto that sub, there would be no hesitating.

Peter shouts, “Hey Jerald! You going to just stand there or are you going to join us?”

We look over to find Lily and Gertie rising up in a basket, Hank and Peter climbing into the next, and nobody in front of us in line but a whole lot of empty space.

Behind us, those waiting start laughing. Even the jaded carny is amused, with a cigarette hanging off his smirk.

No denying I’m smitten.

Better just to own up.

I take May’s hand and grin, “Come on.”

14

MAY

With Jerald sitting with me, the Ferris wheel begins to turn. I hold the bar and look back as Hank shouts, “May, when you were talking last night about becoming a pilot, I forgot to mention — that’s what I’m gonna be!”

“Isn’t this like flying?”

“Dunno, but I can’t wait to find out!”

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