Around the Bend: Grass

"Don't let go!" I shouted.

"What?" he said, letting go.

He slipped off the end of the rope and fell, face down, into the thick mud on the side of the stream. Splat! I ran down and helped pull him out.

"Mmm!" he said, licking the mud from his hands. "That was refreshing!"

We sat there for a while, scraping mud off, and then he went for a walk. Just him and me. He was good company. He liked all my jokes. He told me some of his own but I didn't get any of them. Grass jokes are like that. We explored under a bridge and threw stones into the water. We climbed some trees. We had a great time. Just him and me. My brother.

When we got back it was evening. Mum was cross, as usual.

"Where's that friend of yours?" she asked.

"Gone home," I said.

"You're filthy!" she said. "Get into that bathroom!"

That night Dad asked me about the science experiment.

"When will it be finished?" he said.

"Not much longer," I said. "Another month or so."

"Another month!" said Dad. "I'm not leaving that lawn for another month! It's ridiculous! Have you seen it lately? There's grass up to my waist, and it's all starting to go to seed! Mum can't get to her veggie garden, and I can't get the firewood without pushing through a jungle!"

I didn't want Dandy's people to be killed again. I tried to stall for more time, but Dad was too annoyed to listen.

"First chance you get, cut that grass down!" he ordered.

"OK, Dad."

But when I had the time to cut it down, I didn't.

And something was bothering me about my grass-brother. He wasn't as green as he usual. His skin was beginning to turn pale. In some places he was almost white.