Block Tales: Rubie Counts Gunshots

Rubie Tedor ducked her head farther under the covers as she counted the gunshots, and knew what area the shots were coming from. She may only be eight years old, but she knew all about hearing gunshots. Ususally, multiple shots with the same sound meant somebody was shooting at something or someone; two different sounding, multiple shots meant somebody was shooting at a person, and the person was shooting back. She learned how to tell where the shots were coming from by listening to her older cousins talk about it. "It came from Calvert, I bet it's Jay's brother!" One cousin would exclaim, trying to seem smarter than the elder cousin. Her oldest cousin always knew exactly where the gunshots were coming from, and it would cause Rubie to wonder if he knew more than he was telling.

Minutes later, Rubie heard another rush of gunshots, and knew instantly the shots were moving closer to her block. She stilled herself to hear better. More shots, but a different sound ... it was a shoot-out! Rubie rose from beneath the covers, and heard her family moving about the house. "Mom!" Rubie was getting scared. She didn't want to get out of bed for fear of what could happen, if the close-sounding bullets ended up coming through their window. But she had to know what was happening, so she eased out of bed and tiptoed toward the bedroom door.

More gunshots retreated Rubie to her bed, and underneath the covers. She could hear her father demanding the people downstairs to "get down!". She couldn't go any further down in her bed, but she was trying. Rubie had heard gunshots before, but never heard them as close to her house as she did tonight. She was scared for certain now.

Her mother's footstep ascending the stairs made her feel better, but she was still scared from the close sounding gunshots. Her mother returned Rubie's fears as she rushed into Rubie's room, flipped the light switch, and rushed to check on Rubie. Hugging her tightly, Rubie's mother asked Rubie if she was hurt. Rubie replied "no", but wanted to know why her mother had asked the question. Hearing her father rush the stairs, with her cousins in tow, Rubie learned that a bullet had indeed came into their house. Her father rushed into Rubie's bedroom in search of something on her walls.

Rubie, cried to know what had happened. Her mother wiped Rubie's tears, and pointed to the small bullet hole in her bedroom's door. Rubie's eyes grew wide, and tears fell. She told her faimly, through tears, of something telling her to move away from the door. It was just as she heard the last gunshots.