will be down by
lake to launch fireworks display.” Sasha shrugged his shoulders to express the
opinion that he could be no clearer.
At first Ricky looked disappointed. Then his face took on a
lighter expression as he considered the possibilities.
“You mean , I get to show the
fireworks display to Butterscotch and the Mountie?” Ricky thought out loud.
“I think the term is Master of Ceremonies,” Horace added,
winking at Sasha. “We’ll tell you exactly what to say.”
“I’ll do it,” Ricky had announced enthusiastically.
“Okay, here is a walkie-talkie. Have you used one before?”
Now Sasha and Horace were waiting. They’d set up their
display well before the wedding during the early morning hours. The wedding
itself was beautiful, though not what anyone had expected, but still the two of
them couldn’t wait to run down to the lake to be with their precious creations
until nightfall. Now it was beginning to get dark, the perfect time to start
the display, but they had yet to receive the go-ahead from their young MC. The
walkie-talkie finally crackled to life.
“Squad Leader to Gunnery Officer,” a young voice chimed.
“Squad Leader? Gunnery Officer?”
Horace questioned Sasha. “Did you work this all out with the Kid beforehand?”
“Preparation is the key.” Sasha scowled at Horace and picked
up the walkie-talkie. “Gunnery Officer Ivanovitch-Jones to Squad Leader, all is
ready and waiting your command.”
“Begin ignition on my count,” the Squad Leader snapped quite
authoritatively. Then the countdown began. “Three, two, one,
ignition.”
* * *
The Mountie and I had barely ended our dance when the first
explosion happened over the lake. We all filed outside to watch. This time
there were oohs and ahs of wonder instead of yelling
and threats of dismemberment.
“I wondered where Dad had gotten to,” Chuck muttered.
Ricky came running through the crowd and skidded to a stop
in front of us. He had a walkie-talkie in his tiny hand.
“Squad Leader reporting for duty. Butterstotch , you and the Mountie are supposed to come with
me.”
I looked over at the Flowers to see if she was upset at
Ricky’s role in the fireworks. Though pale, she had come away from Big John’s
bed to rejoin the festivities.
She smiled and said to her stepson, “Lead on, Squad Leader.”
* * *
Horace and Sasha had consolidated and timed their fuses such
that they only needed to light ten bundles at key times for the entire display
to go off without a hitch. They lit the first four fuses in a prescribed order.
Then they waited some more.
It didn’t take long before the pinwheels ignited, all ten of them. The night sky lit up. Then the firecrackers began to explode,
producing brilliant flashes and concussive sound waves. The fountains came next
spraying their colored sparks into the sky.
Horace and Sasha began dancing, alternately linking opposing arms so they could spin in a circle. They hooted
and hollered as they danced, sparks landing all around them. Then the time came
to set off the next batch of fireworks. They ran in opposite directions but
rejoined each other after their fuses were lit. More sparks flew. The shore of
the lake had now become such a chaotic display of sparks that neither of the
men could distinguish the sparks coming from one display from that of another. The
night was on fire.
And out of the night, Ricky came running, straight toward
Sasha, his new father figure. The Kid pulled up short as Sasha stopped dancing.
They considered one another carefully. Then Sasha crouched down to address the
boy.
“Come. We have rockets to launch,” Sasha said with a smile.
He had been waiting all day for this moment.
Horace watched the entire scene in wonderment. Sasha whisked
Ricky up onto his shoulders as if the boy weighed nothing. He stopped to smile
off into the night and wave. Horace followed the direction of this gesture and
saw the Flowers standing
lake to launch fireworks display.” Sasha shrugged his shoulders to express the
opinion that he could be no clearer.
At first Ricky looked disappointed. Then his face took on a
lighter expression as he considered the possibilities.
“You mean , I get to show the
fireworks display to Butterscotch and the Mountie?” Ricky thought out loud.
“I think the term is Master of Ceremonies,” Horace added,
winking at Sasha. “We’ll tell you exactly what to say.”
“I’ll do it,” Ricky had announced enthusiastically.
“Okay, here is a walkie-talkie. Have you used one before?”
Now Sasha and Horace were waiting. They’d set up their
display well before the wedding during the early morning hours. The wedding
itself was beautiful, though not what anyone had expected, but still the two of
them couldn’t wait to run down to the lake to be with their precious creations
until nightfall. Now it was beginning to get dark, the perfect time to start
the display, but they had yet to receive the go-ahead from their young MC. The
walkie-talkie finally crackled to life.
“Squad Leader to Gunnery Officer,” a young voice chimed.
“Squad Leader? Gunnery Officer?”
Horace questioned Sasha. “Did you work this all out with the Kid beforehand?”
“Preparation is the key.” Sasha scowled at Horace and picked
up the walkie-talkie. “Gunnery Officer Ivanovitch-Jones to Squad Leader, all is
ready and waiting your command.”
“Begin ignition on my count,” the Squad Leader snapped quite
authoritatively. Then the countdown began. “Three, two, one,
ignition.”
* * *
The Mountie and I had barely ended our dance when the first
explosion happened over the lake. We all filed outside to watch. This time
there were oohs and ahs of wonder instead of yelling
and threats of dismemberment.
“I wondered where Dad had gotten to,” Chuck muttered.
Ricky came running through the crowd and skidded to a stop
in front of us. He had a walkie-talkie in his tiny hand.
“Squad Leader reporting for duty. Butterstotch , you and the Mountie are supposed to come with
me.”
I looked over at the Flowers to see if she was upset at
Ricky’s role in the fireworks. Though pale, she had come away from Big John’s
bed to rejoin the festivities.
She smiled and said to her stepson, “Lead on, Squad Leader.”
* * *
Horace and Sasha had consolidated and timed their fuses such
that they only needed to light ten bundles at key times for the entire display
to go off without a hitch. They lit the first four fuses in a prescribed order.
Then they waited some more.
It didn’t take long before the pinwheels ignited, all ten of them. The night sky lit up. Then the firecrackers began to explode,
producing brilliant flashes and concussive sound waves. The fountains came next
spraying their colored sparks into the sky.
Horace and Sasha began dancing, alternately linking opposing arms so they could spin in a circle. They hooted
and hollered as they danced, sparks landing all around them. Then the time came
to set off the next batch of fireworks. They ran in opposite directions but
rejoined each other after their fuses were lit. More sparks flew. The shore of
the lake had now become such a chaotic display of sparks that neither of the
men could distinguish the sparks coming from one display from that of another. The
night was on fire.
And out of the night, Ricky came running, straight toward
Sasha, his new father figure. The Kid pulled up short as Sasha stopped dancing.
They considered one another carefully. Then Sasha crouched down to address the
boy.
“Come. We have rockets to launch,” Sasha said with a smile.
He had been waiting all day for this moment.
Horace watched the entire scene in wonderment. Sasha whisked
Ricky up onto his shoulders as if the boy weighed nothing. He stopped to smile
off into the night and wave. Horace followed the direction of this gesture and
saw the Flowers standing
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