My Name Must Be Trouble (eBook)

Chapter I

Jail time and the breakout

My name is Joseph Simon Rankin III. Everyone including my family calls me Hank—long story. I just completed the 3rd grade at Adams Elementary School. I have one sister Abbie. I call her “boy;” she gets mad when I call her that, only refers to me as “Trouble”— something about what mom told her.

“You watch your brother and keep him out of trouble!”

She is my older sister, follows me everywhere. She has taken upon herself to rule my life. The only time she is not watching me is when I go in my room (cell), shut, and lock the door. I am aware that she might be listening from her room using a cup against the wall.

The other day I got up early. It was summer vacation. My plan was to place a note in Shorty (Matthew) Malone’s mailbox. I was riding my bike in front of the house under the watchful eye of hers truly (my sister). I rode around the corner quickly went down the block. I slipped the note into the mailbox and kept riding. Going home, I knew I had gotten one over on her.

The next day when I left my room it was 6:35 a.m. My dad and mom were leaving for work. I went into the garage to get my bike. I waited until they each drove away; now was my chance. I got on the bike and pedaled as fast as I could to get away from the house. I thought to myself freedom at last! Just then I heard that voice behind me.

“You’re in big trouble!”

I just smiled. At this moment it didn’t matter. I had broken out and thought I’d gotten away from my sister, another name ‘the jailer’. “Enjoy the moment while it lasts”— I heard that on TV.

Shorty and I rode our bikes to the river, hiding them in the trees. We walked down and skipped flat stones across the water, seeing who could get the most skips with each stone. This lasted about thirty minutes then it was back to the bikes. We rode to Hal’s Grocery. I had some money from my piggy bank. I paid for two cans of soda pop. We went out and sat on the bench in front of the store. I always figured that the bench was for old men—they usually sat there during the day. Not today! It belongs to Shorty and me. We sat there drinking our sodas. I was thinking how good life was.

I closed my eyes enjoying the sun on my face, the sound of cars driving by and people coming and going from the store. Just then I heard that voice. I opened my eyes looking for a place to hide.

“You’re in big, big trouble now!”

It was her—the jailer had found me. I looked at Shorty. He and I raced for the bikes. Too late. She cut us off—I didn’t know she was that fast.

I must admit at that moment I panicked. The only thing I could think of was to offer a peace offering. Most everyone would call it a bribe. I dug into my pocket, pulling out the last four treasured quarters I had taken out of my piggy bank. With my head down, I held out my hand to my sister with the money. She went to grab the quarters.

I came back to my senses, closed my hand quickly and said, “These four quarters are yours if you don’t tell mom I left the house without telling you where I was going.”

She folded her arms, tapped her right foot, got that smushed up look on her face, held out her hand and said, “Deal this time.”

I knew I had a temporary stay of execution when mom and dad got home from work. She took the money.

Shorty and I didn’t hang around. We got on our bikes and hit the road, not even looking back to see if she went into the store. I told Shorty, “this could be an expensive summer.” He just shook his head up and down without speaking.

We rode to his house, went down into the basement, started playing with his electric racetrack and cars. Time gets away from you when you’re having fun and on the run. Shorty asked if I was getting hungry. I said, “yes’. We went upstairs at 11:30 a.m. Shorty’s brother was sitting in the front room on a big chair with one leg hanging over the armrest. He had a football in his hand and was tossing it up and down while watching TV. We walked into the kitchen.

Shorty’s brother yelled without looking at us, “Don’t make a mess or I’ll box your ears.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant. It didn’t sound good though. I could only imagine little boxes on my ears—I probably wouldn’t be able to hear.

We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, took them out to the backyard to eat at a picnic table that had benches and a large umbrella to keep away the heat of the sun. While sitting, we heard a noise and saw the bushes moving on the side of the house. Both of us dove under the table.

Shorty whispered, “What do you think it is?”

I said, “Maybe it is a tiger, or rhino.”

We laughed then heard the noise again.

Shorty said, “I think I see clothes in the bushes.”

My mind was racing.

No, it couldn’t be!

Yes, out came ‘Boy’. My sister was in the bushes. The good thing was she didn’t see us under the table. I whispered to Shorty that I needed to check my bike for a tracking device, or else how would she know to come over to his house? She just walked through the yard, didn’t seem interested in looking around for us. She went up to the glass sliding door, stopped, looking in. Then she smiled and waved with her right hand. Shorty’s brother came to the door, slid it open and invited her into the house!

The world is not safe—Shorty’s house is under the watchful eye of my sister. We finished eating our sandwiches then ran for our bikes. As we jumped on the bikes about to pedal, we saw that standing in the driveway was my sister and Allen, Shorty’s brother.

My sister said, “Where do you think you are going?”

I tried to think. My mind wasn’t working that well with it being summer.

Nothing came to me.

Shorty saved the day when he looked at his brother and said, “Do you like Abbie?”

I sat there shocked, then watched Abbie and Allen looking at each other. Both blushed, neither of them spoke.

I said, “Shorty, let’s get out of here quick.”

We rode out into the street.

Once again, I heard, “You’re in big trouble!”

Freedom—there is a sweet feeling inside when freedom is real. The breeze blew across my face. I took a deep breath. I could smell freedom even if it was temporary.

While I was enjoying the moment, I didn’t realize that a car had driven up behind us. I was riding on the side of the road. The car slowed right beside me. I didn’t dare look.

“You’re in big trouble.”

I almost wrecked my bike when I heard that voice. It was her with Allen driving the car.

No. This can’t be! Freedom was mine—I had it in my hand!

Shorty and I rode to my house. I went in, feeling caught, then noticed freshly made chocolate chip cookies on the counter in the kitchen. I casually picked up two, handed them to Shorty, and grabbed two for me. We ran up the stairs to my room, shut and locked the door. We didn’t dare speak loudly; you-know-who was probably listening. We ate our cookies and laughed about how we had gotten away. Just then, the air was sucked out of the room by a knock on the door and a voice. Not just any voice—her voice.

“You’re in big trouble. Those cookies were for the new neighbors that are coming to the “welcome to the neighborhood party!”

I just stared at Shorty. He was smiling. I had a sick feeling in my stomach then smiled to myself and finished my second cookie. When you taste freedom from jail rules, it feels good even though you know at the end of the day, you’re going to live up to the name your sister gave you— “Trouble.”

I wasn’t willing to give up any more money to keep her quiet.

After cookies, we left the room quietly and quickly went out to the backyard.

Mr. Richard’s yard as off to the left there was a large wooden fence between our houses. The Leman family new to the neighborhood lived on the right of us. Mr. Richard was usually a very happy man who lived alone with his dogs Mars and Venus—they were sheepdogs.

Shorty and I were throwing the baseball back and forth in my yard. I went for the big pitch. The ball got away from me, went high over the fence into Mr. Richard’s yard. I thought about climbing the fence, we called it Mt. Everest decided I wasn’t ready for that adventure. The ball had gone over the fence once before. We went through the gate out front to knock on Mr. Richard’s door. He opened the door. I noticed that he was moving slowly, his eyes looked tired and strained.

He tried to smile then said, “Hello, trouble.”

I just stood there looking up at him.

He said to both of us, “I overheard the ’jailer’ calling for you earlier.”

He smiled again and asked what we needed. I told him we had thrown the ball into his back yard. Shorty and I followed as Mr....