Summers of childhood seem both to be endless and never to change from one year to the other, bringing back the same games, views, colours and perfumes. However, my fourteenth summer put an end to this without any warning by giving me new sensations and enlarging the field of some of the games I was used to playing with friends and cousins.
I, Alan, was in my early fourteen at this time, a lean boy with short brown hair and a light tan due to the time spent outdoor, riding my bicycle, fishing, playing in the river or walking in the countryside with brothers, sisters and cousins. My best partner at the time was my cousin Elisabeth, a girl slightly younger than me with mid long dark hair and a skin which didn’t need sun to get a tan of star. We went along well and used a lot of our time to explore the countryside, always looking for new things and adventure.
This summer she had invited a friend of her who was supposed to stay for about two weeks. This girl, Jane, was some piece of strong determined character, a bit taller and maybe larger than me. I crossed her once some years later and even if I had grown up, I still stayed impressed by her physical stamina.
Her coming didn’t change much in our habits and after a few days, she knew most of our usual spots. This is why one afternoon, as a change, we decided for a ride along the valley to show her the old water mill which was one of my favourite places, being in a wild place where very few people used to come. An ideal field for all kind of adventures those past years. It was my first time there this summer.
On arriving I saw that nothing had changed. We parked the bicycles along the wall and made Jane a visit around the old house along which ran the river, telling her about our games of cops and robbers or pirates. Inside, the rooms seemed to have remained untouched, half darkened by the narrow windows and smelling both dust and humidity. We went upstairs by the old dark and narrow staircase which led to a corridor opening on two rooms, one called bedroom due to the presence of an old metal bed with an aging dusty mattress, the other the office with its half destroyed chairs and a short table of thick wood. The end of the corridor led to a two level attic.
“Hey look! There are our weapons!†I had just discovered the toy guns we had made with pieces of wood. “ We played some so real cops and robber games with themâ€.
“Yes, but it was last year†answered Elisabeth with a look of both confusion and annoyance. “So what?†I asked. “Now we are grown up†she said with dignity in a tone which let no place for discussion. Jane’s reaction cut her effects.
“Cool†she said “we could play another gameâ€.