Let's Go Play at the Adams'

"It specially doesn't mean you can do what you want," John said. "We've got to be extra

careful from here on. We have to do the things they usually do." They meant adults,

clearly the other team (and the children all understood this).

"Right. First of all, we have to stay neat. Don't / make a mess. Second, we all have to

chip in and help clean things up," Dianne said. "Well, we have to," she added to the

silence with which she was heard.

"I liked it better the other way-when she did all the work,'' Cindy said. "At least, she was

our friend and played with us."

"Friend," John scoffed. "She was plain bossy. HI was your age, I wouldn't want her to sit

for me."

"Besides, grow up," Bobby said. "We're too old to play all the time. Even you."

"What'd'ya mean?" Cindy sat up with the beginning of a tantrum in her voice. Whatever

brother-sister love they had shown earlier was erased just now.

"Leave her alone," John said. "Now what else?" "Phone calls," Dianne said.

"Yeah, we got to be careful about them-"

"And food," she said. "You've both got to eat for a week. We have to shop .... "

"That's easy," Bobby said. "We have a charge account at Tillman's. That's closest, and

he delivers. Somebody can phone in an order, and he'll bring it up on the porch and

leave it. He does all the time-"

"Arid he has Pop-Ups!" Cindy said.

Dianne looked at her with a frown. "And you

have to cook .... "

._

"We'll barbecue things on the grill like Daddy

does!'' Cindy was slowly rekindling some enthusiasm.

"And vegetables, too." "You're not my mother."

"Do what she says,'' Bobby said. "Eating has to

22

be just the same as always. Just as if nothing was wrong."

"Then why're we doing all of this?" Cindy's smile sort of stopped.

"You want to go swimming anytime you want to?" Bobby said. "You want to stay up late

and watch the movies on TV you're not allowed to see? You want to try some of Dad's

Scotch?"

"Well .... "

"It's just that there have to be rules." "Yeah, but that takes the fun out of it."

"No, it won't," Paul said with a tic. "C'mon, Just wait."

Cindy sighed and flounced up and went to the kitchen. She went as if she felt she

carried some immense veto power over the older kids. She let them wait. Then from

the kitchen-slam of the refrigerator door-she grudgingly acquiesced. "OK."

John snorted, but not without mild amusement.

"Well, OK. What're the rules so far?''

Dianne handed him the pad. On it, she had written in a neat, tiny hand:

1. Watch her.

2. All be here-move her.

3. All-gag out.

4. Be neat, clean up.

5. Watch telephone calls.

6. Eat-shop.

7. Cindy's hair.

"Yeah, what about the telephone?" John passed the pad to Paul. Bobby leaned down

over his shoulder and read with him.

"Tell everyone she's taking a bath," Dianne said. "Or she's down at the beach with the

rest of us,"

Paul said.

"Or she took Cindy up to Bryce," Bobby said. "OK." John was convinced. "Anything

else?" "Read your own rules," Dianne said. "First, let's

23

clean up what needs it, and then we can find out if she needs anything."

"I'll do the kitchen," Cindy said from the doorway.

"You wash your face and hands and put on a clean dress and brush your hair," Dianne

said.

"It hurts."

"All right, I'll brush it for you." "Still hurts-"

"Not if I do it."

"Cindy!" Bobby looked at her. He was the stronger.

"Aw-w-w-"

"Anyhow I'll do the kitchen with somebody. I know where everything's kept," Bobby

said. "Afterward we can get Barbara up."

"Cool," Paul said. "That's neat."

Barbara had guessed in advance who the rest of Freedom Five would be. She had taken

the same five children swimming the afternoon before-Sunday helping the boys with

their flailing Australian crawls, herding Cindy back from the part of the river where the

current was strongest, and getting in some workout herself. (Dianne had only waded

around a little and then withdrawn to sit on the bank and watch.)

Freedom Five was simply a community of kids well, call them children, Barbara thought-

stuck down in the country with no one else to play with except one with the other. And,

just as Barbara had characterized Bobby as manly and reliable and Cindy. as spoiled

and funny, so had she formed rapid, friendly opinions of the others.

John was quite big and strong for his age, which she took to be about sixteen. He was a

good-looking boy; his voice had settled down toward what would be its steady, mature

tone: he was mannerly and thoughtful toward the others even though-except for Di-

anne-they were younger, possibly irritatingly younger. Still, there was an air about him

which had to be called 24

vague, lost. Even in the short hours they had all been together at the small river beach

north of the Adams house, be had seemed now and then to drift away, to be thinking about

something else or, more accurately perhaps, to be trying to think of something beyond his

experience or present ability. Not to make too much of too little-particularly in the young-