The Tin Box Grave

The snow covered everything in our tiny town. My friend and I sat huddled together in the homemade tree house. The oak planks were the only thing that held us from falling. Our big winter coats rubbed on each other. We had the tin box lying in the middle of us. No one wanted to touch it. No one wanted to see it. It had too many memories attached to it. 

…

“Come on Jimmy! Don't be a baby! Lets go!” My lungs shoved out. I was trying to keep my head above the murky water. 

“Jimmy?!...LETS GO!” Billy shouted beside me. His voice was much louder than me. 

“If you don't jump soon I will come up there and push your pale bottom off!” I threatened, and with that a 5’7 pail blob went sailing into the eerie depths. The brown water ate him whole with a splash while me and Billy wailed with excitement. 

“YES!” 

“WOOP!” We sang. This was a moment we would never forget; Jimmy's first jump from the high pier. Me and Billy waited for Jimmy’s red patch of red to come emerging from the water any minute. 

“Now where they heck did Jimmy go?” Bobby’s hazel eyes scanned the water. I could tell fear lurked in the back of his mind. 

…

“You boys sure you won't be scared of the 12’ beast that lurk the murky depths?” my father said in his dark mysterious voice. The boys and I quickly exchanged looks. Our eyes were wide with fear and excitement buzzing through us. 

“We aren't scared!” 

“Ya. Crocs don't scare us!” 

“Ha. Alligators and crocodiles shall cower in my presence. Little do they know I’ll be eating them!” Jimmy proclaimed as he rubbed his stomach. We all burst into laughter,  and with that we finished loading our gear and whatever else we thought we needed, and were off. 

...

“Your turn,” Billy said as he passed me the tin box. My hands began to shake as I took it. My new found realization seemed to pierce my heart as I grabbed the cookie tin. When I did, the cold metal stung my fingertips. It went crashing on the wooden planks. As soon as it did, tears filled my eyes. I just couldn't hold them back anymore. I used to be able to shove them down like when I watched a sad movie, or scrubbed my toe; but lately they have been filling bottles. Especially today. The tears were warm on my cherry cheeks. My lips were cracked and hurt when I moved my mouth. I finally looked up and even with my blurred vision I could see my friends hunched over crying. We were supposed to be the cool kids, but since everything happened we’ve been really pathetic. 

…

“AGHH!” Something came spinning from the water behind me and latched on my body. I was spinning and twisting trying to release it, but it held on. At first I feared a croc or snake was trying to eat me, when I realized my lack of pain. The only thing I was fighting was fear. I looked at Billy whom I found dying of laughter. I stopped to the sound of laughter also on my back. 

“Jimmy?! That better not be you!” I shouted with anger rising from my toes. I almost could see the water starting to boil. Then with that I heard a splash of water behind me and with a quick turn I found Jimmy with his mouth open wide bursting out laughter. 

“Yo...u...you screamed...like a little girl!” and the boys laughed even more. I felt my cheeks turn red as my dad came running to the pier. 

“You boys okay? I heard a scream?” He tilted his head ever so slightly. I glared at the boys in hopes they wouldn't share my embarrassment with others. 

“Well…” Billy started, and when he did I couldn't stand it. My body went flying toward him. 

…

“Hey man. It's okay,” Billy leaned over and hugged me. I felt vulnerable and useless lying my head on his shoulder as I wept. I could hear him breathing. He was crying and hurting like the rest of us. I just looked at the box and wanted to take back the past. 

…

“Man these are the best years of my life. By far the best day ever!” Billy said. 

“Ya. When we get home everything will feel so dull and boring.” Jimmy agreed. 

“Man; I wish we could live here forever. Just stay in this moment.” 

“Ya.” The boys said in sync. 

“Gross man!” I realized “aren't we supposed to be “cool” and “ruff” boys? The touchy type? No.” 

The boys smirked at me and I shoved them off the pier. 

…

“I just want to hug him again.” I took a deep breath. “I never hugged him.” Billy let go of me and looked in my eyes. 

“The best things in life are taken from us too soon.” 

…

“Night!” I called. 

“Night!” Billy sang. 

“GOOD NIGHT MY MERY MEN!” Jimmy yelled as he zipped up his tent.

“He is a strange one.” I whispered under my breath and zipped my tent. 

…

Billy moved and sat beside me. I inhaled and built up the courage to take the box off the ground. I held it in a death grip. I wouldn't let this leave me too. 

…

“TYLER!” A screeching voice came from above me and woke me up.

“Billy...leave me alone! A man gotta sleep too.” I squinted my eyes to see him. His face was red and he was breathing heavily. His eyes were bloodshot and his face wet from tears. His oily brown hair was whipped in a mess on his head. “Billy.” I sat up quickly. Fear made me stop breathing for a minute. Billy wasn't the crying type. None of us were. 

…

I popped open the tin lid. Billy put in a dead butterfly Jimmy found. He was going to give it to his crush. She gave an origami heart to add to the box. Billy also added a leaf from this oak tree. It was a tradition to add one every year. Billy put in his report card, and so did I. We slipped in Jimmy's. They gave it to us even though it wasn't finished. I added a flower from Jimmy's funeral, and with it his memorial card. A picture of all three of us. And finally an alligator tooth from Jimmy's room. 

…

“Where do you want to go for your birthday?” 

“I want to go to Florida!”

“Florida?” 

“I want to catch alligators.”

“Very interesting.” 

“I love them. They are misunderstood. And how cool would it be to see their eggs hatch at night. Like turtles.”

“Do they hatch like turtles? At night?”

“Honestly I don't think they do, but hey. Let me dream.”

“Fine.”

“One night when we are there; the best night. I want to go outside and watch the moon. See the wildlife.” 

“Then you do that.” 

“I will.”

…

I closed the lid on the box. The lid clicked into place and we climbed down the ladder. We walked to the spot. Billy had the shovel and he dug. We gave the box one more look and then we put it in the cold frozen ground. We buried the tin box grave and we left. Leaving apart a part of our childhood and Jimmy behind. Until next year.