Second Chance

Chapter 5

“I can’t believe you guys talked me into doing this!”

Gabby and Gabe were standing on the edge of the corn field, he was holding black canvas bag. For some reason this felt wrong, Nina was right, after all it was stealing. She guessed that when they were kids and did this, it was the thrill of possible chase and getting caught that was the fun part of it as much as corn roasting.

“Oh come on Gabby, it is just like the old times” Gabe answered as he pulled her into him and placed a quick kiss on her lips

“No it’s not. We are not kids anymore, we are adults and this kind of feels wrong. How about we just go and ask old lady Bertha to give us a bag of corn and we pay for it too”

“She would probably give it to you and tell you to keep your money” a deep voice said behind them and they both spun around surprised. A tall older man was standing few yards behind them, white hair, wrinkles around grey smiling eyes, long walking stick in his right hand “It is good to see you kids back to your old tricks” he smiled.

“Good to see you too Bob” Gabe replied a little stunned and rooted to the spot. Gabby just stood there too, not sure what to say.

They just got caught red handed.

Old man Bob smiled

“Go on, go. Take as many as you want, and tell the rest of the gang I said hi. I missed chasing you kids trough these fields. You all grew up too damn fast. These younger generations are not into it unless it’s a chase in some kind a video game” he chuckled “I don’t think I can do chasing anymore either, old age you know” They were still staring at him warily

“I’ve heard you both were visiting. Glad to see you both back, even if it’s for the summer. You kids take care, and stop by sometime if you get a chance, to say hi” he turned around and continued walking.

“What the heck did just happened?” Gabby was still looking at retreating back of an older man and started laughing. Gabe started laughing with her

“I think he just gave us his blessing”

They filled their canvas bag with corn and headed towards the river bank where Nick, her cousins and their wives had the fire going on already. They were all sitting around the fire, conversation and laughs flowing around, obviously waiting for Gabby and Gabe and the corn. Glowing red embers were spread around the fire that was crackling in the middle and they made about dozen or so sticks they can stick the corn on and place on the embers to roast.

“You guys didn’t take long” Nick said

“We ran into an old man Bob”

“Huh?!” was everyone’s reply, shocked looks on their faces

“He didn’t yell after you or chase you guys around the field?” Pete asked, now laughing. They were all chased by Bob at some point or another in their life.

“No, he pretty much caught us red handed and then told us to take as many as we need” Gabe said

“Did hell freeze over?” Nick still had that shocked look on his face

“Not really. He looked really nostalgic there for a second. Told us to say Hi to everyone and how he missed chasing us trough those fields, like it was last year and not what, twenty-twenty five years ago. Kids these days don’t know how to have fun it looks like, it’s all about gadgets and video games. He was probably getting a trill out of chasing us around that field, just as we got it from outrunning him with his corn. Hmm...” Gabe answered as he moved Gabby’s sitting log in front of his so she would sit close to him. She sat on the log between his legs, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her into him and nuzzled and kissed her neck.