Orfe Read Free

clever. To be on Rab’s team was better than to be on Frannie’s, the King being better than the Queen; and in fact Rab’s team most often won the game. But Orfe—
    Orfe changed the rules, she wouldn’t keep to the rules. She didn’t care if her team won, if her captain was the winner. Everybody yelling at her at once couldn’t make her do what they wanted. She broke the game down into chaos. Nobody ever knew, on any day, what Orfe would do, how she would play.
    Orfe in the line sometimes, and never for any reason, let go of both the handsshe held, to start turning in a circle with her fingers twined high over her head. Or sometimes she turned to grab both of a teammate’s hands and raise them up to make a gate; the world shifted before the runner’s eyes as if between the moment he was called and the moment he reached the line the game itself had been changed, from red rover to London Bridge.
    Or if Orfe was called to run—and she ran fast, unexpectedly fast, effortlessly—she would dart toward one section, then feint to another side, run backward, or simply run down around the end of the long line, and the line would pull itself sideways like a drunken snake to try to keep Orfe in the game. Sometimes Orfe fell onto her knees to crawl underneath the wreathed arms, causing everyone to crouch down so that—sometimes—she would jump up then and jump over the barrier of bodies and arms, to run on, laughing. Or she might dance, singing, up and down the line—sing, dancing, back and forth—until in anger and laughter they would come to mill around her, her own team as well as the opponents, and follow her around the playground.
    The geometry of line and moving dot that was red rover Orfe could at any timeturn into chaos: Because where she sang, people gathered around her, and when she sang, the rules seemed impotent.
    *  *  *  *  *
    â€œPain like you can’t imagine,” they said. “Imagine it.”
    â€œShe can’t begin to imagine.”
    That wasn’t correct.
    â€œLike putting cigarettes out on him. On his chest.”
    â€œHis face—”
    â€œThe insides of his elbow—”
    â€œThey get excited. You know what I mean.”
    â€œThey get off on it.”
    â€œListening to him screaming, blubbering.”
    They had found me alone on the playground and circled around me.
    â€œNobody can do anything to make them stop.”
    â€œLike the river, the way nobody can stop chemicals being dumped in the river, poisoning the water, killing everything.”
    â€œA company is too big. Too powerful. It’s got friends in government and nobody can stop government. It’s too big.”
    â€œYeah, if you’re strong enough, nobody can ever stop you from what you’re doing.”
    â€œOr if you’ve got weapons. Like nuclear bombs. Imagine a nuclear bomb.”
    The ends of my mouth pulled down and I couldn’t stop the quivering. My eyes overflowed.
    â€œIt was just an ordinary morning,” they said, “like today, and there must have been kids in school then too.”
    â€œAnd they blew everything up, all it took was planes in the sky, the Enola Gay.”
    The sky overhead was empty.
    â€œBefore you could turn your head to see what it was—whoosh—gone—”
    â€œExcept for the survivors. ’D’joo see those pictures, Enny?”
    I had seen them.
    â€œExcept for the ones who looked normal, after, but there was radiation and they had monster babies—”
    Orfe stood with her head bent down.
    â€œIt happens here too, but they don’t tell you. It’s in the air. From the testing. In milk because the cows eat the grass that grows in the air. Nobody can stop them. They’re the government, they’re the army.”
    Tears oozed down my cheeks. I was sick with fear and pity.
    â€œIf you’re the strong one or rich or just