1000 Word Excerpt-The Missing Heir

The children got permission to go to Little Park where they played on the swings and the gymnastic bars.
Buff was rather quiet and the older children could tell he was sad. They tried at first to cheer him up with teasing and jokes, but it was no good. He couldnt seem to smile.

Finally Sandi confronted him. All right, Buff. Whats eating you?

N-nothing, he said; his head down.

Yes, there is. You dont want to play and you look like youre going to cry any minute, said David.

I am not, Buff shouted. I dont cry. Cryings for babies, and Im a grown up little man, my Papa said. He clenched his fists, daring them to disagree.

Okay, okay, said Sandi, throwing her hands in the air. Is that what your Mama says, too?

Mama doesnt say anything. She just cries, said Buff. Mamas always cry. He ran to the swing and pumped it as hard as he could. I can go higher than you can, he shouted. I can go to the moon. After getting the swing to fly almost to its highest capacity, he slowed it down and flung himself off. I dont want to play, he shouted. Im going home.

***
Buff rode his bicycle around Little Park, thinking about his Papa and his Mama. It seemed his Papa could only be with them on weekends, and whenever he was there Buff would hear arguing going on behind closed doors. There would sometimes even be shouting, though the voices were muffled and he couldnt make out the words. Whenever he heard them he would bury his face in his pillow, and not come out of his room until they stopped. Sometimes he would fall asleep, taking long naps even though he thought hed outgrown his afternoon siestas.

He had taken to spending lots of time at Little Park, riding his bike solemnly around the perimeter. On one of these journeys he ran into the fishermen hed seen on the dock that day with Josh.
Well, hello, little fella, said the tall one, Big Ed, shaking his hand like the first time. They began showing up almost every time he was out there, sometimes bringing him little snacks and telling him stories about fishing, and this place they knew of where the fish were so big, they were even bigger than the fish his Papa had caught.

Clarence began to look forward to their visits. They were the only ones paying attention to him these days, it seemed. Today they were there again, bringing him a hunk of bubble gum and telling him more about the magic land of the sacred fish. He told them his name was Buff, and they called him that now. By the time they had walked beside him around the perimeter of the park for the second time, Buff was eating up their words.

He so wanted to go to the place where the big fish were. He hadnt told anyone about the men and their stories, not even his mother. Buff loved his mother, but he was angry with her most of the time though he didnt really know why. He guessed it was because she cried all the time. Besides, he didnt tell her because his sailor friends told him this was a secret. They said the fish would dry up and disappear and hed never get to see them if he told.

He felt bad about the day he shouted at Sandi and David. They hadnt been back and he was lonely, but he didnt want to bother his Mama to take him down to the beach where he knew they swam almost every afternoon.
Whatya say, Buff? Ya want to go see the fish? Ed was asking him. Todays a great day to see em.

I have to ask my Mama, said Buff.

Nah, kid. Remember how I told you this is a magic land? Ya dont need to ask your Ma to let ya go to a magic land. Right, Stu?

Stu nodded his head vigorously, his large ears seeming to flap in rhythm as his head bobbed up and down. Eds right, kid. Its magic, like he said.

Yeah, with magic your Ma wont even know youre gone. Youll be back in a blink of her eye, said Ed. The fish wont let just anyone come see em, either, and they told me this is the day for you. Its now or never, kid. He reached out his hand and took Buffs. The little boy asked about his bicycle.

Aw, just leave it here, Buff. It aint goin to go nowhere, answered Stu.

Ed tugged on the boys hand. He grinned down at him. Are ya ready, kid?

Buff was so unhappy at home and so lonely. Iguess so, he said.

The two culprits looked at each other over his head. Okay, then. Here we go. They opened the door of a nearby mini-van and Buff scooted up inside. The desperadoes looked quickly up and down the street and jumped into the van. Within seconds they were driving up the hill past Little Park and were soon in the wooded forest above the Bay. Buff sensed a difference in the men as soon as they had him in their car. Where is the fish? he asked. Isnt he down at the water?

What fish? asked Big Ed, while Stu let out a whoop.

Yahoo, were gonna be rich.

I dont think I want to see the fish today, Buff said. I want to go home.

Oh, the boy wants to go home to his Mama, does he? Big Ed laughed then scowled at Buff. Listen careful, kid. Youll go home when we say, not before. And if your old man doesnt come up with the dough we want, you may never go home. Got that?

Buff started to cry, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. He knew hed never see his parents again.