Fourteen Kids at the County Pool

Door to Door

I’m not the kind of man who knocks on doors. But the week before the Fourth, I did, every door on Elm Street, after I got home from my route.

I went to Kim Walsh first, because of Ben. I told her what I had in mind. She stood in her doorway with a dish towel over her shoulder and laughed.

“You want to take fourteen children to the pool on the Fourth of July by yourself,” she said.

“I’ll have Logan,” I said. “He’s a good swimmer. And the lifeguards will be there.”

“I’m coming too,” she said. “I’ll bring the cooler. Somebody needs to bring sandwiches, and it’s not going to be a man who thinks seventy dollars is all this costs.”

The Olsens said yes before I finished asking. Dale Petersen tried to give me a twenty for gas.

Old Mrs. Hansen at the end of the block said her two grandsons were staying the week and would I please take them anywhere, because they had eaten everything in her house.

The Novak girls’ mother asked me three times whether there’d be an adult watching them in the water. I told her two adults and four lifeguards. She said yes on the third time.

Little Hailey Burns, who is eight, answered the door herself and said yes before I could find her mother. Her mother came up behind her and said yes too.

That left one house. I’d saved it for last on purpose.

The Front Door

I went over to the Dahls on Thursday evening, the second of July. Craig answered. His face did the same thing it had done in June, like he was bracing for a hit.

“Brian,” he said.

“I’m taking the kids on the street to the county pool on the Fourth,” I said. “My treat. Kim Walsh is coming too. Tanner’s welcome. I’d like him to come.”

Craig just stood there. I don’t think anything I could have said would have surprised him more.

“That’s real nice of you,” he said slowly.

“It’s not nice,” I said. “It’s the Fourth. Kids ought to swim on the Fourth.”

Melissa came up behind him in the hallway. She had her arms crossed tight. I didn’t blame her. She was looking at me like I’d come to the door holding something sharp.

“Is this about the money,” she said.

“No, ma’am,” I said. “It’s about the pool. The money is between you and Craig and your conscience. I’m just asking if Tanner can come swimming with his friends.”

She looked at Craig. Craig looked at her. I could see whole years of marriage go back and forth between them in about two seconds.

Then from the stairs behind them came Tanner’s voice, which had been cracking about as bad as Logan’s all summer.

“I want to go,” he said. “Mom. Please. I want to go.”

Melissa closed her eyes. “Fine,” she said. “He can go. He better wear sunscreen.”