East Hampton

There’s a seesaw right on the edge of the woods, maybe 10 feet away from the house and 2 feet away from a giant drop off. We usually weren’t allowed to play on it because the rust would get on our nice dinner pants. When she wasn’t looking, we would teeter-totter back and forth until we got caught. The pool was always full of pine needles; he never wanted to chop down the pine trees. So, the vacuum was always running. We would battle the vacuum like we were David and it was Goliath. Jumping between the hot tub and the pool, sending shivers down our arms and bellies. He would walk down the broken stone path and yell at us to leave the vacuum alone. We never did. The bedroom the two of us stayed in had a closet full of board games. I maybe opened it once. We made our own games. Attaching notes to string and passing them to one another over the banister of the second floor. Trying to find the one fish we were told lived in the pond. The movie theater never played more than three movies at a time; I don’t think I’ve ever been inside. We never buy anything when we visit because it is too expensive, except for candy necklaces and apple cider donuts. I ran away from the projector screen when the ugly green witch appeared. They laughed at me always. The carpet wasn’t carpet; I hated walking on it barefoot.

I haven’t been back in maybe two or three years. The driveway seems smaller than it did before. She had the front doors redone, except I don’t think I’ve ever walked in those doors when I’ve arrived at the house. The pool is almost never heated. Hot tub is just another word for the smaller, equally as chilly, pool right next to it. It was always hard to find the hidden driveway, but there was a rock with our last name on it right before the driveway. Our name isn’t on the rock anymore. It’s hard to find the house now. Sometimes I don’t think I want to find the house. A fish hasn’t lived in the pond for ages. I’m pretty sure the landscapers took away the rusty seesaw. I still get donuts when in town. They haven’t changed.