Janitor on the roof.

           September- The school bell rings, and for the next twenty minutes we’re all free. Whether it’s a game of red-rover or football, we own the school yard three times a day. Some of us choose to play out in the soccer field, others by the jungle-gym, and some of us jump rope on the pavement. But, for a very select few of us the brick wall is where our dreams come true. The name of the game is “Red-butt”, “Red-ass” is the street version, and “Peg-Kid” is the underground name… but these are just a few of the names we used to call it.

           Here’s the object of the game: Throw a ball of the brick wall, and then try to catch it. If you’re successful give it another chuck. If you fail to catch the ball then you better run full speed, touch the brick wall (and try to avoid taking a shot off of the spine).

          But on occasion, one of us will throw the ball a little too high, or maybe the wind picks up, and the ball lands on the school roof. Roofed! Usually we can conjure up another ball and the game will continue until the recess bell sounds again. But what happens to all those lost balls?

          For months and months we wonder if we’ll ever get our balls back. There must just be a pile of them on top of the school right? Slowly the wonder drifts away as the snow falls, and we begin building forts and playing with balls made of snow. But, with winter follows spring and we can go back to chucking our tennis balls off the side of the school again.

           June- Nearing the end of the school year, playing Red-Butt in the sweltering hot sun. And then all of the sudden a silhouette emerges on the school roof. “Its god!” yells one kid. But in fact it’s the school janitor (also known as caretaker, custodian, or concierge). Like shooting stars, thousands of balls land amongst a sea of hands. The students gather their long lost balls, and their dreams return home again.