Sweet Summer

BY CYAN ABAD-JUGO

1 The Candy Club were all twelve that summer, sitting every afternoon on the
village’s water tank, savoring macaroons, Halls honey-lemon, and Cloud 9. The older boys
had begun to hover about like bees, ogling them like treats— but only the two creamy long-
legged eclairs, not the nut-brown fudge in a housedress melting in the sun. 


2 One day, before the boys zoomed in, a younger boy approached with his
Doberman, reaching for the faucet. 


3 “Think of worms, of diarrhea,” Camilla said, nose addressing the still air. 


4 The boy looked up and considered the three girls, none of them looking. The dog
ignored them, and lapped at the water flowing into the boy’s hand. The boy splashed on his
face and hair, then straightened up, letting the water drip. 


5 “Aachoo!” Faye winked at the bright sky. 


6 Sara could not bear it, and turned her raisin eyes upon the boy. 


7 His hand shot out at once, dirt under fingernails, but she bent and took it. 


8 “Frederick,” he said, “and Dolby.” He indicated the dog. 


9 Camilla and Faye tittered, now regarding him. “That’s Sara the Square you’re
shaking hands with.” 


10 Sara hunched up. “You live here?” she asked, and he nodded. 


11 “I’ll walk with you.” 


12 Camilla and Faye snorted. The boy shrugged. The dog loped off. 


13 “Frederick, walk your two dogs!” Camilla ventured. Laughter. High fives. 


14 Sara slid off the tank, cement scraping the back of her thighs. She 
ran to take
her place beside the boy and his dog. 


15 The nut-brown fudge regarded herself with surprise. A boy, even though he was
only around eleven, was talking, walking with her! She offered Frederick a choice of sweets.
He picked the honey-lemon. Good, since she wanted the Cloud 9. 


16 Sara bounced, smearing her fingers with chocolate. Her glee rubbed off on
Dolby, who ran and pounced. She lay pinned to the sharp grass, blades picking through her
housedress. Dolby started licking. She laughed and tried to shoo him, accidentally touching
his nose. He chased her fingers. Frederick whistled, and the weight that was Dolby left her.
Frederick offered his hand the second time that day, and for a while, she forgot the brown
face, pudgy hands, and squarish body. 


17 “Don’t walk alone at night,” Frederick warned. “People can jump at you like
Dolby did.” Frederick sprang and rolled on the grass, demonstrating. Dolby barked twice
and followed. Sara watched both of them— one, then the other— and wished it had been
the boy who jumped at her and not the dog. 


18 She offered him her hand. After all, he had given his. When he stood up, his
lemony breath touched her face, and her heart leapt as if she had been kissed. He didn’t let
go of her hand either. He bowed and danced her about in a jerky sort of dance, Dolby
snapping at their heels. Then it ended, grins spreading on both their faces. 


19 “What was that shit?” 


20 They let go at once. Felix. Sara recognized him. 


21 “Nothing, Kuya,” Frederick replied, choking. 


22 He cleared his threat and spat a sliver of honey-lemon. It glistened 
gold on the
pavement before Dolby licked it off. 


23 Felix laughed and cuffed his brother. “You’re a natural! I’m proud of 
you! Now
let me introduce you to some real yummies over there...” 


24 Off they went the way Frederick and Sara had come, but forgetting Sara. Only
the dog looked back, licking his nose.