Derek's Special Place

 

Derek dashed across the street as fast as he could run. The school was out and buses rumbled by one, two, and three big yellow buses. There was a work truck thundering down Lupita Lane. Derek saw a tree-shredder buzzing through the branches and leaves on Corina Street.

This was not Derek’s special place.

When Derek got closer to home, a fire truck roared past his street. Sirens screeched and dogs barked. The firefighter clanged his bell and honked the diesel horn. It was getting late, and Derek was happy to see the work truck leaving. The driver of the work truck stopped his truck to talk to the driver of the tree-shredder and left his truck running. Black smoke was shooting into the air from the exhaust pipes of the work truck.

This was not Derek’s special place.

Derek walked into his house. He wanted to spend time in a special place. In the study, his sister Deanna was playing her dance music. His brother Ron was practicing his trumpet lessons. Derek wished they would stop making noise. He left the study, holding his hands over his ears.

This was not Derek’s special place.

Derek washed his hands and went to the kitchen for a snack. The blender was mixing; the water was running, and the dog was barking for his treat. Derek could still hear the music playing, his brother trumpeting, and his mother clinking glasses in the dishwater.

This was not Derek’s special place.

Derek went to his room and changed from his school clothes into his play clothes. Derek went to his desk to sit down when suddenly, his little brother Calvin ran into the room swinging his toy lasso and screaming “Yee-haw!” as he galloped by on his pretend horse. “Ride ‘em, cowboy,” Calvin laughed as he bucked out of the room.

This was not Derek’s special place.

Suddenly, Derek had an idea. Derek ran to his closet and pulled out his sleeping bag. He grabbed extra things and ran out to the backyard. He could still hear the work truck humming, the buses rumbling by one, two, and three, the fire bell clanging, the tree-shredder buzzing, the music playing, the trumpet trumpeting, the blender mixing, the water running, the dog barking, and Calvin shouting “Yee Haw!”

Derek walked up the stairs to the apartment, over the garage. He built a fort over his sleeping bag and pulled out his bed pillows, a crank flashlight, fruit snacks, and some comic books.

Now, this was Derek’s special place!