Episode 1: Valley Creek Park

Caroline Giordano had heard enough July 4^th bangs and seen enough bursting rockets at the annual celebration at Block Park in Selma. The shows were always the same: patriotic speeches, loud drums and trumpets, and exploding fireworks. The 1941 July Fourth Celebration was surely going to be the same.

“Please,” she had begged her Uncle Frank. “I’ve seen all of this a thousand times. Can’t I just walk down on the trail to the creek. You remember that you complained that the county spent your tax money to pave that trail.”

Uncle Frank had looked at her Aunt Lillian.

“You be careful down there,” her aunt had said. “And when you hear all the big fireworks, you come back. You hear? I don’t want us to have to come looking for you.” Lillian Hall knew her niece was a strong-willed girl, determined and usually effective in whatever she undertook. Everybody else would be up at the stadium enjoying the festivities.

Caroline had heard her aunt and some of her friends talking about the work the Town of Selma was doing in Valley Creek Park. It would be an easy walk in this late afternoon. She could hear the music had started. It was still the recorded music at the start. The Parish Highschool band would be playing next.

It was a gentle walk beside the rushing creek. Not so far downstream, the creek dropped off into the Alabama River. There was a steep bank across the way. The county had made a series of steps that led down from the edge of the public housing area on that ridge.

Caroline was surprised to hear voices and splashing a little further downstream. She became alert, wondering who else was skipping the July 4^th fireworks. It was two boys almost under a rushing waterfall, and up to their chest in the water. Boys! They were playing. Splashing, and playing like they were fighting. It was too much laughing to be a real fight.

“I’m watching you,” Caroline yelled out. She was looking at the bigger one. “Looks like to me that you were about to drown your friend.”

They look at each other, laughing. “I should have,” the larger one called.

“Cept I’m too smart,” the other laughed. And for that response, he got a backhand across his chest and then laughter.

Caroline waited. In a bit, they stop pushing each other and looked at her. “I know you. Jerry something another. And, you go to school out at Orrville, too. You’re in Miss Oaks class.

“Yeah. I watch you there.”

Caroline drew back. “You watch me? What are you doing watching me?

Jerry nodded. “You are Kathleen Giordano and you live with the Halls.”

“I’m not and I don’t just live with them, Jerry Phillips.” She looked back up the trail, deciding. Then, “I’m Carolina Giordano, and Mr. and Mrs. Hall are my uncle and aunt.”

The larger boy was looking back and forth between them. He began to smile and wrapped an arm around Jerry’s shoulders. “Why aren’t you up there watching all the fireworks with your pretty friends instead of coming down here to watch us?”

She didn’t like Jerry’s friend. He didn’t go to school in Orrville. She’d never seen him.

“Probably the same reason you’re not.” The National Anthem could be heard back at the stadium. For a while, she faced the stadium. Then, she turned back to the boys. “I don’t need to hear all that again and watch all that stuff.”

That boy? He laughed and leaned his head almost to Jerry’s. He whispered something. “So, why don’t you do what we are doing. Come on in. I promise not to duck you.” He turned to Jerry again, jabbing his finger at him. “I ain’t promising what my pal, Jerry, will do.”

“If I was in that creek, I’d duck both of you.” The three stood quietly for a bit. Then, “Besides, I didn’t bring any swimming suit.”

It was Jerry who spoke now. “We didn’t either.”

Caroline acted like she was laughing. “Two boys who got caught skinny dipping down in Valley Creek park.”

The darker boy gave a quick answer. “We’re not boys.”

“Ha! I don’t know you, but I know Jerry is. He’s sweet sixteen. Sweet sixteen and never been kissed.”

“Talk to your buddy here. He’ll tell you I’m Dudley.” He turned, squeezed Jerry’s shoulder and started walking toward what appeared to be their stack of clothes on the other side of the creek. Caroline watched him slowly splash out of the creek. It was true. He wasn’t wearing a swimsuit. She looked back at Jerry. He had been watching her watching Dudley pick up his clothes. “Right, right, and wrong,” he said.

“What?”

He started walking toward her. “I am sixteen, and I have never been kissed. But I am not a boy.”

He was churning the water with his knees and hands as he walking to her. She backed up the path. He stopped when the water level was below his knees.

“You got caught skinny dipping and now you’re showing off?”

“I like being sixteen and I like not being a boy. But I don’t like having never been kissed.”

“Get yourself a girlfriend!” she called as she turned.

“You ride the bus that goes to Hazen. What’s your phone number?”

“Look it up!” she yelled. “And my aunt won’t let you in the house if you’re not dressed properly.”

“I promise!” he yelled.

Caroline didn’t respond.