chicken farm than a family restaurant mascot.
"Now what is it that makes you think the serial animal thief will be coming for the soup-can chicken tonight?" Maggie asked.
"The hurricane. Super chicken over there doesn’t stand a chance in this storm. Our thief will want to add it to his herd and get it under wraps before the storm hits. While most people are buying bottled water, this guy is stocking up on fake animals. Makes sense to me."
"Me too," Danny said, his mouth full of biscuit. "Did you pack the lemonade too?"
Maggie pulled out her thermos of fresh lemonade. She poured Danny a cup and passed it back to him.
"Thanks Mama," he said. I picked up the binoculars and scanned the front of the restaurant.
"Have you tried Birdie’s new pecan crusted chicken?" Maggie said. "It’s delicious and a great way to use up pecans."
"Not yet. Leo and I will have to try it next time we’re out with the boys."
"And the baby." Maggie smiled.
"Yes. We’ll have the baby, too."
I glanced back up at the chicken. It was still holding down the roof. I still hadn’t had time to ask Birdie about her new boyfriend. She had been single for as long as I could remember. I thought it was strange she had a boyfriend that none of us had met. Whoever this man was he was artistic enough to make a giant chicken. What else could he do?
"Do you see anything yet?" Danny whispered as if the thief would hear us.
"Not yet."
"Will the guy be wearing a black mask?"
"Why would you think that, Danny?" I asked.
"Because the bad guy always wears a black mask in the cartoons. There are holes cut out in the middle for his eyes, so he can see where he’s going. Seems like the cops would see those masks and know right away who the bad guy was."
"If it were only that easy, your uncle Judd would be able to go fishing more often," Maggie said.
"Don’t you worry," Danny said,"if the bad guys show up, I brought my own mask." He pulled a black plastic mask out of his backpack and began slipping the elastic band over his ears. "I’m Batman. I get the bad guys." He removed the mask and looked at Maggie. "Did you bring the chocolate cake, too?"
Aunt Maggie reached down for her container of chocolate cake. She opened it with the precision of a surgeon and extracted a piece of cake, placing it on a napkin for Danny.
"Now don't you go making a mess in the back of Betsy's car. Betsy doesn’t want to be scrubbing chocolate off the seat."
"Is this where you're going to have a baby? Right here in this very seat?"
"I hope not."
"I made a present for the baby."
"I know. I can’t wait to see it."
"I can’t wait to see the baby," he said.
I remembered when Zach was younger, he and Danny sat in front of the TV for hours watching cartoons. Danny and Zach played together for years, but now that Zach was getting older, Danny was losing his best buddy. I hoped this child would be as good a friend to Danny as Zach had been.
The street was eerily quiet on this hot summer night. Not a car or person in sight. Most people were inside with their air conditioners running, either asleep or watching television. After the food had been put away, we sat in the dark for what felt like forever.
"I don't know, Betsy. Maybe you were wrong about the thief."
"I'm sleepy. I want to go home and go to bed." Danny let out a huge yawn.
"I'm getting pretty tired myself. Maybe it is time for bed." Aunt Maggie said.
I felt sure the thief would hit tonight, so I really didn’t want to leave. "Can we just wait another half hour?"
"I suppose," Aunt Maggie said, now settling comfortably in her seat. The ache in my back spread. I struggled to find a more comfortable position. I was so tired, my shoulders hurt.
I was convinced the thief would hit the chicken place. This was the only place left in town sporting an over-sized animal. It just had to be Birdie’s and this had to be the night.
"You know you're just wasting your time, Betsy." I looked in the back seat, expecting
"Now what is it that makes you think the serial animal thief will be coming for the soup-can chicken tonight?" Maggie asked.
"The hurricane. Super chicken over there doesn’t stand a chance in this storm. Our thief will want to add it to his herd and get it under wraps before the storm hits. While most people are buying bottled water, this guy is stocking up on fake animals. Makes sense to me."
"Me too," Danny said, his mouth full of biscuit. "Did you pack the lemonade too?"
Maggie pulled out her thermos of fresh lemonade. She poured Danny a cup and passed it back to him.
"Thanks Mama," he said. I picked up the binoculars and scanned the front of the restaurant.
"Have you tried Birdie’s new pecan crusted chicken?" Maggie said. "It’s delicious and a great way to use up pecans."
"Not yet. Leo and I will have to try it next time we’re out with the boys."
"And the baby." Maggie smiled.
"Yes. We’ll have the baby, too."
I glanced back up at the chicken. It was still holding down the roof. I still hadn’t had time to ask Birdie about her new boyfriend. She had been single for as long as I could remember. I thought it was strange she had a boyfriend that none of us had met. Whoever this man was he was artistic enough to make a giant chicken. What else could he do?
"Do you see anything yet?" Danny whispered as if the thief would hear us.
"Not yet."
"Will the guy be wearing a black mask?"
"Why would you think that, Danny?" I asked.
"Because the bad guy always wears a black mask in the cartoons. There are holes cut out in the middle for his eyes, so he can see where he’s going. Seems like the cops would see those masks and know right away who the bad guy was."
"If it were only that easy, your uncle Judd would be able to go fishing more often," Maggie said.
"Don’t you worry," Danny said,"if the bad guys show up, I brought my own mask." He pulled a black plastic mask out of his backpack and began slipping the elastic band over his ears. "I’m Batman. I get the bad guys." He removed the mask and looked at Maggie. "Did you bring the chocolate cake, too?"
Aunt Maggie reached down for her container of chocolate cake. She opened it with the precision of a surgeon and extracted a piece of cake, placing it on a napkin for Danny.
"Now don't you go making a mess in the back of Betsy's car. Betsy doesn’t want to be scrubbing chocolate off the seat."
"Is this where you're going to have a baby? Right here in this very seat?"
"I hope not."
"I made a present for the baby."
"I know. I can’t wait to see it."
"I can’t wait to see the baby," he said.
I remembered when Zach was younger, he and Danny sat in front of the TV for hours watching cartoons. Danny and Zach played together for years, but now that Zach was getting older, Danny was losing his best buddy. I hoped this child would be as good a friend to Danny as Zach had been.
The street was eerily quiet on this hot summer night. Not a car or person in sight. Most people were inside with their air conditioners running, either asleep or watching television. After the food had been put away, we sat in the dark for what felt like forever.
"I don't know, Betsy. Maybe you were wrong about the thief."
"I'm sleepy. I want to go home and go to bed." Danny let out a huge yawn.
"I'm getting pretty tired myself. Maybe it is time for bed." Aunt Maggie said.
I felt sure the thief would hit tonight, so I really didn’t want to leave. "Can we just wait another half hour?"
"I suppose," Aunt Maggie said, now settling comfortably in her seat. The ache in my back spread. I struggled to find a more comfortable position. I was so tired, my shoulders hurt.
I was convinced the thief would hit the chicken place. This was the only place left in town sporting an over-sized animal. It just had to be Birdie’s and this had to be the night.
"You know you're just wasting your time, Betsy." I looked in the back seat, expecting
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