“Does it even matter?”

“What matter?”

“Any of it.”

“What is ‘it’?”

“Everything all around us.”

”That’s a lot of things.”

“Yep.”

A mosquito buzzed around the two boys sitting on the top step of the ram-shackled front porch.

Louie tapped a stick against the porch railing.

The mosquito kept buzzing.

The air was heavy and hot. Louie’s jeans were damp from sweat, and they stuck to his legs.

An old blue rusted truck pulled onto the gravel driveway and wrapped around the tumble-down barn. The tall grass engulfed the sides of the barn.

“Your Pa’s home,” Chuck mumbled.

Louie shrugged and clicked the stick along the hand rail again. The mosquito buzzed. The engine of the truck killed and the pickup rolled quietly up the drive. The only sounds were the buzzing mosquito and the gravel under the tires as the truck rolled to a stop about ten yards from the boys. Then silence… Except the mosquito. Nothing moved; the air was too heavy. It was suffocating everything. Everything that didn’t matter… at the least those were Louie’s thoughts. The truck door creaked open and Pa’s boots crunched onto the gravel as he stepped out of the truck. After easing the door back shut, he walked toward the boys, “Louie,” pause, “Chuck,” he addressed them warmly with a nod as he stopped in front of the step. 

Pa was average in every way. Not tall. Not short. Not heavy, but not wiry either. He carried himself with strength that seemed to come from the inside outward. His face showed lines from age and his dark hair and beard were speckled with gray. His worn jeans and tshirt added to his unassuming and uncomplicated appearance. “You boys need something?” Pa looked at them with his steely blue eyes. Neither boy spoke nor looked away. The mosquito buzzed. Louie shook his head ‘no’ and then slid to the side so Pa could enter the house. Pa did not budge. Louie thought he saw pain flash across his Pa’s face, but if it did, it was gone as fast as it had come. Pa looked hard into his son’s eyes. Nothing. Mosquito buzzing. The air was thick and heavy and no breeze stirred the bog-like air. The moisture stuck to their skin and their skin glistened with perspiration. 

Pa did not accept Louie’s invitation to walk up the porch steps past the boys, instead, he ambled through the thickening air, crunching rocks under his boots, over to the water hydrant. Lifting the handle with a creak, it only took a moment before water gushed from the spicket, filling the bucket sitting underneath. The sound of the rushing water momentarily drowned out the buzz of the mosquito and drew the boys’ attention away from the suffocating air. As the filling water reached the top of the bucket, Pa pushed the hydrant handle down with another creak. Bending over, he picked up the bucket by its rope handle, straightened himself with bucket in hand and proceeded to make his way back to where the boys sat, crunching the gravel under his boots on his way. The buzzing of the mosquito returned to center stage as the boys watched Pa. He stopped a couple yards from them and whispered, “I love you.” A sparkle flashed across Pa’s eyes as he tossed the water into the air directly above the boys, dousing them with the entire bucket of coolness. Louie and Chuck’s eyes grew wide with shock; Chuck gave way to laughter first as Pa shot him a quick wink and a half-smirk. Louie’s shock wanted to give way to anger, but Chuck’s merriment pulled Louie quickly through self and into the awaiting joy.

The boys looked at each other, brimming with mirth. They launched themselves off the front step as Pa dropped the bucket and bolted toward the small pond that lie a short distance behind the house. Pa kicked off his boots as he ran, shedding his extra layers of clothes down to his underwear. The boys followed suit as they all found the worn path that crossed the yard and cut through the short grove of trees that bordered the water. Pa reached the water first and didn’t waste any time making his way into the pond. It took the boys a little longer to peel off their wet outer-wear, but their youthful nature made quick work of it and they joined Pa with a splash.

The cool water washed over their skin, bringing life to bodies that moments before was suffocating under the weight of the air and clothes. They all began diving under the water and swimming about like otters on a holiday. Pa floated on his back letting the water hold him in a gentle embrace. The clouds hung overhead, weightless. With his ears below the water level, Pa could hear the muted sounds of the boy’s laughter and play; he closed his eyes and inhaled, one of those deep breaths that fills the whole body with air; releasing, he sighed.

They swam and floated and forgot about time until a few darker clouds began to rumble into view and block out the sun. “It must be getting late,” Chuck lamented as the sky grew darker.

Louie drew his attention from their play to the sky, “Nah, looks like we might get some rain though. What do you think Pa?”

“Aye,” was all Pa said as he made his way toward the shore. He stepped carefully out of the water, dripping on the path and creating a puddle as he gazed skyward. A breeze stole across his body bringing a refreshing chill that caused him to smile. “You guys hungry?” 

The mention of food brought the boys to the shore and out of the water in a few very short minutes. “Wowee!” Louie exclaimed as he stepped onto the path. “That breeze is downright cold!”

“Invigorating,” Chuck grinned.

Pa grinned at the boys before turning and continuing up the path toward the house. He didn’t even make it through the trees when he heard car tires on their gravel drive. He could see his pants and shirt laying in the middle of the yard and decided to make a run for it, hoping he would reach his clothes before the car reached the view of the backyard or maybe the car would stop in a place where the view of the backyard was obstructed. He was going to chance it. Rain sprinkled down as Pa began his trot from the cover of the trees. “Go Pa Go!” He heard Louie’s voice laced with laughter. The sound brought a smile to Pa’s face as he began his dash. “Five, four, three, two, one,” Pa counted in his head as he made it to his pants, reached down mid stride, nabbing them up and continuing on his mission. “Twenty more strides to my shirt,” he thought. “This is going to be close. Twenty. Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen. Sixteen. Fifteen. Fourteen… almost there… Ten. Nine…” He heard the voice before he saw the man. He tried to stop. The grass was slippery. The rain started coming down a little harder…

“Albert! What in the world are you doing son?” 

Pa went down, skidding to a stop on his behind about two paces from his t-shirt. “So close,” he whispered. “Hey dad,” Pa, now Albert, addressed his dad. Albert didn’t bother sliding on his jeans before getting back up to his feet. The sticky-wetness would’ve turned it into much more of a show than he was willing to put on in that moment.

“Hey Gramps!” Louie and Chuck came running up the hill.

“Hi boys!” Gramps returned with a chortle. “I’m feeling a little over-dressed for my visit.” 

All laughed. Pa’s eyes twinkled before he turned and walked toward the house. The summer rain came down and washed the grass and mud from his body. The other three followed along, but instead of going into the house behind Pa, they stopped on the front porch and watched the rain come down and enjoyed the sweet smell that filled the air. The buzzing of the mosquito was gone, sure to return when the rain ended, but for now, the buzzing had ceased. The heaviness of the air and Louie’s heart had also lifted.

On our way, it matters.