Originally published on Yahoo Voices
The work day was almost over. The last tourists were leaving the lighthouse and traveling down the dirt path toward the beach. Rocks protected both sides of the path from the water. The hundred year old lighthouse belonged to the local historical society. Every day from 8:00 AM to 4:00 AM, Mr Hansen would give tourists
a little education of the history of the lighthouse. The tourists could view excerpts from the logbooks and the old lantern. They would learn about the duties of the lighthouse keeper before lighthouse were under the control
of the Coast Guard. Mr Hansen was 85 years old. He worked at the Lighthouse before the Coast Guard donated it to the Historical Society. Now Mr Hansen would clean up the place. But today was different. Today Mr Hansen would
remain at the lighthouse beyond 5:00PM. As the tourists traveled up the beach to the road, a truck pulled up and parked. Several men got out of the truck, walked across the beach and started down the path to the lighthouse.
Mr Hansen was about to have visitors: Some had been invited. Others had not.
A few blocks from the lighthouse, a boy's voice filled the air with happiness. "Schools over!" Little Tommy ran home from school with joy and enthusiasm seldom matched by an adult. He was anxious to show his mom his report card because he got good grades in all subjects. "Yahoo!!" He jumped over the low fence surrounding the freshly cut lawn and ran toward the front porch. He jumped on the porch skipping a few steps and opened the door. "Mom! I'm home!" He yelled waving the report card.
His mom was in the kitchen making a salad. She wiped her hands with a towel hanging on wall and took his report card. "Very good!" she said, "Very good." she paused, "You are not suppose to wear your bathing suit to school."
Tommy looked surprised.
"Its sticking out of your pants." She tried hard not to laugh.
This summer promised to be very hot. And Tommy would take advantage of the good beach weather. Today he looked forward to walking the path to the Light house after 4:30 PM and listening to the stories told by Mr Hansen. Tom's family knew Mr Hansen well.
He looked at the clock. It was 4:00 PM. He started for the door.
"Eat first," his mom said as she served dinner, "Call your brother and wash your hands."
"Ricky." he shouted.
His younger brother came out of the bedroom.
"Ricky got a good report card too." Mom said, "Right, Ricky?" Mom turned off the stove burner.
Ricky smiled and sat down. "Hey!" he yelled.
Mom turned and looked at Ricky.
"Tommy put more peas in my dish." Ricky complained.
"Tommy, you have to eat your peas." She turned to tend to the dirty pans.
Ricky ate and started walking away from the table. Tommy threw a pea at Ricky. It missed and landed in the sink.
Mom turned around and sat next to Tommy. "Eat your peas." She watched him until all the peas were gone. "Thats better. Now you can go out and play. Don't go swimmng without a life guard." she tapped Tommy on the shoulder as he and Ricky walked toward the front door. "And I mean a real life guard. Not Ricky. Understand?" She gave them a big towel.
Tommy and Ricky shook their heads up and down.
"Good!" said Mom, "Now go out and have fun!" she smiled as she watched her two boys jump off the porch and run down the sidewalk towards the beach.
Mom picked up the phone.
Mr Hansen had talked to Dad the other day. Tommy didn't understand much of it but he understood that Mr Hansen might have another job. Tommy wanted to ask Mr Hansen if he'd still be around to tell all those exciting stories. But he knew he shouldn't. Instead he asked mom who assured hm that Me Hansen would only be away for a short while.
One the beach, three men were roping off the area where the path led out to the lighthouse. One man took a folding chair and set it down at the foot of the path. The other men went back to the small grey car and sat in it. After a few moments, the car proceeded down the road and out of sight. The man sitting in the chair was very tired. The lifeguard's chair was about 500 feet from the path to the lighhouse. It was empty.
In the lighthouse, two men forced Mr Hansen to sit in a chair and tied him to the chair and gagged him. One man took out a pistol and pressed it up against Mr Hansen's chin, warning him to be perfectly quiet. Sweat was dripping from Mr Hansen's chin. The men looked out the window. On the horizon, a tiny object appeared on the water. A boat.
A half block down the road from the beach, Tommy and Ricky were running around and laughing. They were slowly approaching the beach. When they reached the beach, the man guarding the path to the lighthouse was asleep in the chair with his hat shading his face.
Back at home, Mom hung up the phone wondering why Mr Hansen had not answered. She did not want the boys playing on the beach if Mr Hansen was not there. She came out the front door of the house and started walking down the sidewalk towards the beach.
Tommy and Ricky ignored the sign and jumped down into the sand and over the rope surrounding the area.. They ignored the sign which said: "Keep Out." They walked toward the rocks that led out to the light house. A man was sitting in a chair in the sand. He was sound asleep with his hat on. The two boys giggled at his snoring.
"I got an idea." whispered Ricky. Ricky picked up a crab and placed it on top of the man's hat.
They both gigled some more. Then the two boys continued traveling on the rocks towards the light house. They would periodically look back at the man and giggle some more. They reached the Light House and heard some angry voices inside. Perhaps they should head back. But they didn't.
They were about to peer in the window when a loud sharp reverberating sound filled the air. They looked at each other surprised.
"A firecracker?" asked Ricky.
Tommy shrugged his shoulders. They peered in the window and saw Mr Hansen slumped over in the chair. What were they to do? They saw the boat approaching the lighthouse. They had no choice but to hide someplace so that nobody would see them. But where? The only place to hide was under the water. There were no bushes or rocks near the lighthouse. Only a steep slope on all sides of the light house. The only rocks were on both sides of the path to the lighthouse. So the boys retreated to the water. They selected a spot where they could not be seen from window or door. Hopefully they also would't be seen by the occupants of the approaching boat.
Tommy and Ricky ducked under the water and stayed submerged for as long as they could. But they had to come up for air. Their only hope was that the people would not see them surface. Tommy got an idea. They swam underwater alongside the rocks until they reached a large rock. They hid behind the rock. But it was to no avail. One of the men in the boat spotted them and yelled at them. Then two men came out of the lighthouse and yelled at them. Tommy and Ricky dived into the water and began swimming for shore. Suddenly Tommy went under. He tried to come back up. He surfaced for a moment and then went back under. The boat was approaching. One man jumped out of the boat and went underwater searching for Tommy. The other man grabbed Ricky and told him to calm down. The first man found Tommy just as Tommy inhaled some water. The man lifted Tommy up to the surfaced and put him in the boat beside Ricky. Tommy was coughing up water. The men got on the radio and called for an ambulance.
The guard had woken up to the feeling of a crab crawing on his hand. But somehow it was no longer funny to Ricky. They had Tommy and Ricky sit in the sand. They went to their car and got a few large blankets. They covered each boys from shoulder to foot in the blanket. Then the ambulance and the police arrived.
"Didn't you see the sign?" The policeman asked.
Ricky shook his head back and forth.
"You can read it from here." The policeman pointed to the sign. "What does it say?"
"Keep out." Ricky answered.
"Next time you see a sign and a rope like this, what are you going to do?"
Ricky lowered his head. "Going to keep out."
"Thats right," said the police officer, "These signs are posted for your safety."
Mr Hansen came walking down the path and approached the two boys. "It's okay. I know these boys."
"Mr Hansen! We thought you were ..." Ricky voice faded and hehugged Mr Hansen.
Mr Hansen smiled and said, "No. No. Nothing like that. We were rehearsing a scene."
"Rehearsing a scene?" Ricky asked.
"Yeah. For a movie."
"You're making a movie? Really? Could I be in it?" Ricky was jumping up and down.
"Sorry but the movie has no youngsters in it."
Ricky's face dropped.
"But I'll tell you what. I spoke to the director and he said you could watch us make the movie."
"Cool!" said Ricky
"But you have to behave and not run around while we are working. Understood?"
"Yes!"
A few blocks from the lighthouse, a boy's voice filled the air with happiness. "Schools over!" Little Tommy ran home from school with joy and enthusiasm seldom matched by an adult. He was anxious to show his mom his report card because he got good grades in all subjects. "Yahoo!!" He jumped over the low fence surrounding the freshly cut lawn and ran toward the front porch. He jumped on the porch skipping a few steps and opened the door. "Mom! I'm home!" He yelled waving the report card.
His mom was in the kitchen making a salad. She wiped her hands with a towel hanging on wall and took his report card. "Very good!" she said, "Very good." she paused, "You are not suppose to wear your bathing suit to school."
Tommy looked surprised.
"Its sticking out of your pants." She tried hard not to laugh.
This summer promised to be very hot. And Tommy would take advantage of the good beach weather. Today he looked forward to walking the path to the Light house after 4:30 PM and listening to the stories told by Mr Hansen. Tom's family knew Mr Hansen well.
He looked at the clock. It was 4:00 PM. He started for the door.
"Eat first," his mom said as she served dinner, "Call your brother and wash your hands."
"Ricky." he shouted.
His younger brother came out of the bedroom.
"Ricky got a good report card too." Mom said, "Right, Ricky?" Mom turned off the stove burner.
Ricky smiled and sat down. "Hey!" he yelled.
Mom turned and looked at Ricky.
"Tommy put more peas in my dish." Ricky complained.
"Tommy, you have to eat your peas." She turned to tend to the dirty pans.
Ricky ate and started walking away from the table. Tommy threw a pea at Ricky. It missed and landed in the sink.
Mom turned around and sat next to Tommy. "Eat your peas." She watched him until all the peas were gone. "Thats better. Now you can go out and play. Don't go swimmng without a life guard." she tapped Tommy on the shoulder as he and Ricky walked toward the front door. "And I mean a real life guard. Not Ricky. Understand?" She gave them a big towel.
Tommy and Ricky shook their heads up and down.
"Good!" said Mom, "Now go out and have fun!" she smiled as she watched her two boys jump off the porch and run down the sidewalk towards the beach.
Mom picked up the phone.
Mr Hansen had talked to Dad the other day. Tommy didn't understand much of it but he understood that Mr Hansen might have another job. Tommy wanted to ask Mr Hansen if he'd still be around to tell all those exciting stories. But he knew he shouldn't. Instead he asked mom who assured hm that Me Hansen would only be away for a short while.
One the beach, three men were roping off the area where the path led out to the lighthouse. One man took a folding chair and set it down at the foot of the path. The other men went back to the small grey car and sat in it. After a few moments, the car proceeded down the road and out of sight. The man sitting in the chair was very tired. The lifeguard's chair was about 500 feet from the path to the lighhouse. It was empty.
In the lighthouse, two men forced Mr Hansen to sit in a chair and tied him to the chair and gagged him. One man took out a pistol and pressed it up against Mr Hansen's chin, warning him to be perfectly quiet. Sweat was dripping from Mr Hansen's chin. The men looked out the window. On the horizon, a tiny object appeared on the water. A boat.
A half block down the road from the beach, Tommy and Ricky were running around and laughing. They were slowly approaching the beach. When they reached the beach, the man guarding the path to the lighthouse was asleep in the chair with his hat shading his face.
Back at home, Mom hung up the phone wondering why Mr Hansen had not answered. She did not want the boys playing on the beach if Mr Hansen was not there. She came out the front door of the house and started walking down the sidewalk towards the beach.
Tommy and Ricky ignored the sign and jumped down into the sand and over the rope surrounding the area.. They ignored the sign which said: "Keep Out." They walked toward the rocks that led out to the light house. A man was sitting in a chair in the sand. He was sound asleep with his hat on. The two boys giggled at his snoring.
"I got an idea." whispered Ricky. Ricky picked up a crab and placed it on top of the man's hat.
They both gigled some more. Then the two boys continued traveling on the rocks towards the light house. They would periodically look back at the man and giggle some more. They reached the Light House and heard some angry voices inside. Perhaps they should head back. But they didn't.
They were about to peer in the window when a loud sharp reverberating sound filled the air. They looked at each other surprised.
"A firecracker?" asked Ricky.
Tommy shrugged his shoulders. They peered in the window and saw Mr Hansen slumped over in the chair. What were they to do? They saw the boat approaching the lighthouse. They had no choice but to hide someplace so that nobody would see them. But where? The only place to hide was under the water. There were no bushes or rocks near the lighthouse. Only a steep slope on all sides of the light house. The only rocks were on both sides of the path to the lighthouse. So the boys retreated to the water. They selected a spot where they could not be seen from window or door. Hopefully they also would't be seen by the occupants of the approaching boat.
Tommy and Ricky ducked under the water and stayed submerged for as long as they could. But they had to come up for air. Their only hope was that the people would not see them surface. Tommy got an idea. They swam underwater alongside the rocks until they reached a large rock. They hid behind the rock. But it was to no avail. One of the men in the boat spotted them and yelled at them. Then two men came out of the lighthouse and yelled at them. Tommy and Ricky dived into the water and began swimming for shore. Suddenly Tommy went under. He tried to come back up. He surfaced for a moment and then went back under. The boat was approaching. One man jumped out of the boat and went underwater searching for Tommy. The other man grabbed Ricky and told him to calm down. The first man found Tommy just as Tommy inhaled some water. The man lifted Tommy up to the surfaced and put him in the boat beside Ricky. Tommy was coughing up water. The men got on the radio and called for an ambulance.
The guard had woken up to the feeling of a crab crawing on his hand. But somehow it was no longer funny to Ricky. They had Tommy and Ricky sit in the sand. They went to their car and got a few large blankets. They covered each boys from shoulder to foot in the blanket. Then the ambulance and the police arrived.
"Didn't you see the sign?" The policeman asked.
Ricky shook his head back and forth.
"You can read it from here." The policeman pointed to the sign. "What does it say?"
"Keep out." Ricky answered.
"Next time you see a sign and a rope like this, what are you going to do?"
Ricky lowered his head. "Going to keep out."
"Thats right," said the police officer, "These signs are posted for your safety."
Mr Hansen came walking down the path and approached the two boys. "It's okay. I know these boys."
"Mr Hansen! We thought you were ..." Ricky voice faded and hehugged Mr Hansen.
Mr Hansen smiled and said, "No. No. Nothing like that. We were rehearsing a scene."
"Rehearsing a scene?" Ricky asked.
"Yeah. For a movie."
"You're making a movie? Really? Could I be in it?" Ricky was jumping up and down.
"Sorry but the movie has no youngsters in it."
Ricky's face dropped.
"But I'll tell you what. I spoke to the director and he said you could watch us make the movie."
"Cool!" said Ricky
"But you have to behave and not run around while we are working. Understood?"
"Yes!"
The ambulance technicians were strapping Tommy in the stretcher while his mom was consoling him.
And in the process Tommy learned about the job opportunity that Mr Hansen talked about. Tommy realized their oversite. They had looked inside the light house window but never saw the man in the small mobile vehicle supporting a camcorder on a tripod!
When Tommy's mom and dad arrived at the hospital, they were very happy that he was okay. But they were also very angry that Tommy once again had broken the rules. They did not have to worry. This scary experience would stay with Tommy a long time. Tommy would never again swim without a life guard present . And he would never again ignore beach signs. He had learned that it was easier to listen to mom and dad than it was to learn from his own experience.
And in the process Tommy learned about the job opportunity that Mr Hansen talked about. Tommy realized their oversite. They had looked inside the light house window but never saw the man in the small mobile vehicle supporting a camcorder on a tripod!
When Tommy's mom and dad arrived at the hospital, they were very happy that he was okay. But they were also very angry that Tommy once again had broken the rules. They did not have to worry. This scary experience would stay with Tommy a long time. Tommy would never again swim without a life guard present . And he would never again ignore beach signs. He had learned that it was easier to listen to mom and dad than it was to learn from his own experience.
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