Free Sketcher by Roland Watson-Grant

that empty propane canister behind the dresser. Apart from the money, I was proud of myself cos I had beaten ol’ Fricozoid at somethin’.
    See, Pops asked Frico first to write a composition about his father. Told him he’d get the ten dollars and everything. But ol’ Frico he just couldn’t help himself. He had to tell the truth. He wrote somethin’ about Pops not knowin’ how to love and care for a woman, and how women need to be cared for, especially the mother of his children – and all that. Well, look: I agreed with Frico one hundred per cent, but that ain’t goin’ get you no money.
    So I sat down, gathered my big brothers around me, took out my dictionary and wrote Mr Alrick Beaumont a poem. Not a composition... a poem. Oooh – you shoulda seen that money comin’ out of his wallet. He wanted to give me one big, borin’ old Ten Spot just like that, but I told him I needed ten one-dollar bills, so I could throw them up in the air andcount them over and over. Freeze frame . And for his honesty, Frico got squat.
    Of course, Valerie Beaumont found out about the whole poetry-sweepstakes thing and she silently raised hell .
    It was one of those whisperin’ arguments done inside when we kids were out in the yard playin’ soccer penalty shootouts. Pa Campbell had just come over to help Pops raise the porch again. We had to do this every year or so because of the subsidence in the swamp – and the porch, which was on the softer side closer to the water, always sank faster. Pops used to say if I shut up long enough I could hear the house sinkin’. Anyway, they dumped a load of marl and gravel and took apart the porch, and while Pa was busy hammerin’, Moms and Pops used the noise for cover.
    â€œI don’t know what the big deal is, Valerie.”
    â€œOh, you mean apart from teaching your child to gamble and using money we don’t have?”
    â€œGamble!”
    â€œYes, gamble. And bribery. Tryin’ to buy their loyalties. To prove you’re special.”
    â€œWhat’s botherin’ you, Valerie?”
    â€œDo you know why we’re here? Cos I’ve always believed in you. I look into the sky at night and I know that the man I married helped put rockets all the way up there.”
    Her voice went softer, so I had to press my ear up against the frosted-glass louvre. It was cold.
    â€œAlrick – he can do anything. But one thing he can’t do is take us out of this swamp.”
    â€œIs that what’s botherin’ you?”
    â€œWhat’s botherin’ me is that your chil’ren are losin’ the father they know... that we’re poor... that we been here too long.”
    â€œHere we go again. You’ve never—”
    â€œSee that old PVC pipe out in the yard? The one that leads from the tank? That plastic pipe is a symbol for me.”
    â€œJeez...”
    â€œIt’s above ground, Alrick, above ground . And do you remember why? Cos when we just got here, you said: ‘Let’s not even bury that pipe, cos it’s only temporary... all temporary.’ Soon the city’ll be sweepin’ through here and we’ll be in a better place. Now congratulations on finishin’ the well, but that pipe is still there.”
    â€œLook, Val—”
    â€œNo, you look around you, Alrick! I’m still here – we’re all still here – taking it lying down just like that plastic pipe. The city is afraid of these backwaters. And meanwhile, you think it’s OK to give your chil’ren money to feed your vanity?”
    And then Pa Campbell hammered up a storm – and I was happy, cos I didn’t want to hear any more. I went up into the tree for a cold drink and looked into the city.
    Well, by early the followin’ year, we started goin’ to church more and “spendin’ more time as a family”, as Moms put it. On weekdays, as soon she got home