Writers as Kids: [Everybody painted the barn that day]

Story by Matthew Savoca 

Pictured: Della Watson (far right)

Everybody painted the barn that day. There was Ma, Paw, Timmy, and Mr. Walsh. We'd been planning to paint it for three or four weeks starting in the beginning of April but didn't actually get started until early May which really messed up my plans because I had decided sometime in February that I was going to leave as soon as Winter broke. I was five years old. Paw couldn't understand why I was so enthusiastic about getting the painting started, which I was because I had decided I'd stay and help so as not to upset Ma. Eventually we did it, over two days – Saturday and Sunday. The picture was taken on Saturday that's why it doesn't look like much has been done. I got paint all over my overalls when one of the cans spilled off the ladder Paw was on. It even got in my hair and we spent all night washing and scrubbing it out. Then my overalls were all messed up and Ma got to working on mending an old pair of mine that she'd been meaning to fix up for a long time, so I had to wait even longer before leaving. One thing led right on to another thing happening and I never did run away that summer.

Comments

[kathryn regina]

mr. walsh

[kathryn regina]

adam robinson (whose story is coming up) wrote something funny about matthew's story here: http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16464#comments

[della watson]

right on, savoca. that's exactly how it happened.