STAND BY ME: Chapter 7
Chapter 7
THE BRIDGE
“We showed old Milo that we’re no pussies,” Vern says. “Right,” Teddy says. “You bet we did.” I feel good too. But I’m also worried. Maybe Milo goes to the police. Maybe those four tails, in the coin toss, mean bad luck. What are we doing here? Why are we going to see the broken body of a boy hit by a train?
But we keep going. None of us wants to stop. We are close to the bridge over the river when Teddy suddenly starts to cry. He falls to the ground. His whole body shakes. This is not normal crying. Not like when you fall off your bike. “Hey, man…” Vern says softly.
Chris and I look at Vern. We hope he continues trying to help Teddy. “Hey, man” is always a good way to start. But Vern can’t say anything more. After a while, Teddy’s crying becomes quieter. Chris goes to him. Chris is the toughest of us. But he is also the one who makes peace. He is good at it.
I have seen him help younger kids before. He sits with them and talks until they forget their pain. “Listen, Teddy,” Chris says. “Does it matter what that stupid guy said about your father? It doesn’t change anything, does it?” Teddy shakes his head. No, it doesn’t change anything. But Teddy has thought about this many times before. At night, when he is alone. And now he hears it out loud, out in the open for everyone to hear.
Now Teddy understands that everyone else in the world thinks his father is crazy. That hurts him. “He still fought in the war, didn’t he?” Chris says. Chris takes Teddy’s hand. Teddy nods hard. “Do you think that guy was in the war?” “No!” “Do you think he knows your father?” “No.” “Talk is cheap,” Chris says. Teddy nods again, but he still looks down.
“And whatever is between you and your father, talk can’t change it. That guy just wanted you to leave the dump. He doesn’t know anything.” Teddy stops crying. He wipes his eyes and sits up. “I’m OK,” he says. He hears his own voice, and it helps him believe it. “Yeah. I’m OK.” We move off towards the river.
We walk in silence. It’s not even three o’clock in the afternoon yet. But it feels much later. We are not even in Harlow yet. We need to walk faster. At about half past three, we reach the river. And the bridge.
The bridge is made of wood. There are spaces between the boards. You can see the river below. There is a narrow path on each side of the tracks. It’s just wide enough to stand on, so the train won’t hit you. But if a train comes, the wind can knock you off. And the bridge is very high.
The river below is fast and shallow. This bridge is not made for walking. We look at it. We all feel fear in our stomachs. But also excitement. This is a big dare. Teddy’s eyes shine. This is certainly better than dodging trucks.
“Man,” Chris says quietly. “Come on,” Teddy says. “Let’s go.” He is already at the start of the bridge. “Does anyone know when the next train is coming?” Vern asks. No one knows.
“There’s another bridge,” I say. “No!” Teddy shouts. “We’d have to walk ten kilometers up the river and ten kilometers back down. That’ll take hours. This takes ten minutes.” “But if a train comes, there’s nowhere to go,” Vern says. “Of course there is!” Teddy says. He climbs over the side.
He holds onto a wooden beam. “See?” he says. “Easy.” He climbs back up. “What if it’s a long train?” Chris asks. “It may take ten minutes to pass. Can you hang on that long?” “Are you afraid?” Teddy says. “You can go the long way. I’m crossing here. I’ll see you on the other side.”
“I think we’re OK,” I say. “A train has already passed. Look at the grass on the tracks.” “See?” Teddy says. “There is still a chance,” I say. “Yeah,” Chris says. He looks at me. “I dare you, Lachance.” “Darers go first.” “All right,” Chris says. “Any pussies here?” “NO!” Teddy shouts. Vern says “no” in a small voice. We look both ways. I touch the track. Nothing. “OK,” I say.
We step onto the bridge. Chris first. Then Teddy. Then Vern. I go last. We walk carefully. You have to always look down, and step only on the wood planks. If you miss a step, you fall. At about halfway across the bridge, I look up. Chris and Teddy are far ahead, almost on the other side. Vern is in front of me. He is moving very carefully. I can’t go back. If I do turn back, they’ll call me a pussy for the rest of my life. I keep walking.
I am a writer now, and I write stories about people who do strange things, or read people’s minds, or see into the future. But this is the first time it happens in my own life. I have a strange feeling. Then… I stop.
I bend down and touch the track. It is shaking hard. But there is no sound yet. I have never been as frightened before in my life. I feel the track under my hand. It is like a live thing. My body freezes. My legs feel like water. I can’t move.
Then I think: We are going to die. That thought breaks the fear. I jump up. “TRAIN!” I scream.
I start running. Vern looks back. He sees my face. He knows. He runs too. Far in front of me, Chris is already off the bridge. He is safe. I feel glad.
And also jealous. My foot slips, but I keep going. “Ooooh, Jesus!” Vern screams. “Run, you pussy!” I shout. “I can’t!” “You can! Run faster!” “I can’t! I’ll fall!” “YOU CAN! RUN FASTER, PUKE-FACE!” The train is very loud now. It fills the air. It is the sound of death. “GO FASTER, VERN! FASTER!” “Oh, God, Gordie, oh, Gordie, God, oooooh, heeeelll!”
I can see Chris and Teddy. They are below us and to the right. They shout something. I can read the single word on their lips: “JUMP!” The bridge begins to shake. The train is right behind us. We jump.
Vern lands in the dust and stones. I land next to him, almost on top of him. The train screams above us. Metal against metal. I cover my ears. I press my face into the ground. The wind hits us. I never see the train. I do not want to see it.
Before the train passes completely, I feel a warm hand on my neck. I know it is Chris. The train finally passes. Slowly, I lift my head. Vern is still on the ground. Chris is between us. One hand on me. One hand on Vern. We are alive.
We are shaking, terrified, covered in dust and dirt. The air is full of hot wind from the train. “Maybe we should drink those Cokes,” Chris says after a moment. “Does anyone else want one?” We all agree. We really need one.
