inside the shed where
they were stored he had little desire to ever step out again. But there was no choice
because the audience was assembling outside.
“Can I light the first one, dad,” Sam asked. He had a
plastic bag over his slippered foot.
“OK, as long as you’re careful. What do you want?”
“A rocket of course.”
David went back in the shed to get one and brought it out
together with an empty wine bottle and the box of extra long matches.
Kay stood next to Sam as he placed the rocket inside the
bottle then lit the match and held it against the twist of paper until it
caught. “Quick. Run!” he called out to Kay as he hobbled towards the others. In
her rush to escape, Kay’s foot clipped the bottle which fell to the ground. The
resting position couldn’t have been more accurate if she’d tried. The rocket
took off at a shallow angle and with a piercing whistle and sparkles of red and
green light, shot straight through the open shed door before bouncing around in
a vain attempt to escape the confines of the building. There was a brief pause
before the rat-tat-tat of bangers. Then the whole shed was illuminated by a
shower of pastel pink sparks as a fountain ignited.
All this was happening in seconds, enough time for a range
of possible remedial actions to rush through David’s mind, but insufficient
time to get up and do anything. Finally he edged towards the shed. Before he
had taken more than a few steps there was an almighty explosion as the whole
collection of rockets was set off. One came flying through a window with an
almighty crash, sending a shower of glass onto the lawn. Another shot out the
shed door, staying low as it headed towards the spectators. They scattered to
dodge the missile.
“Wick-ed!” Rachel yelled.
“This is so cool,” Andy added.
By now in addition to a cacophony of noise and an
explosion of colour, the shed itself was alight.
“Have you got a hose, David,” Bridget called out.
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“In the shed, I’m afraid.”
“What about buckets?”
“There are a couple in the kitchen, under the sink.”
Rachel and Andy ran in to collect them, but their feeble
attempts to throw water from too far a distance did little to diminish the
flames which were now coming through the roof. The last fireworks to go were
jumping jacks which scuttled out the shed, bouncing along the lawn. A
discussion ensued about whether to call the fire brigade, David deciding
against it as the shed was well away from their own and their neighbours’
houses so couldn’t spread to other buildings. They watched transfixed as the
fire waned and the light dimmed.
“Well, that was the best firework display I’ve ever
seen,” Andy exclaimed as they made their way indoors.
“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I never much liked that
shed anyway,” David said, making light of the incident, but aware of the
problem to come.
The Reunion – R J Gould
Chapter 13
David and Jane were sitting at the kitchen table, looking
out to the charred remains of the shed. It was Saturday.
“What made you decide on having fireworks here? We always
used to go to the park.”
“I thought it would be nice for the children to have a
quiet event at home,” David suggested.
Jane stood and walked across to the fridge where she took
out a carton of milk. She inspected the label. “Since when have you been
drinking this?”
“It’s called milk, you’ve seen it before.”
“Not red top.”
“It’s healthier. And safer to go organic, too.”
“Have you got a heart problem?” she asked.
“Absolutely not, I’m fine.” He glanced at Jane, did she look
disappointed? He didn’t like the way she came in as if she owned the place,
though admittedly she did own half of the part not held by the mortgage
company. On arrival, using the key without ringing the bell, she’d entered with
the merest of nods to acknowledge his presence before walking into the kitchen
and turning on the
they were stored he had little desire to ever step out again. But there was no choice
because the audience was assembling outside.
“Can I light the first one, dad,” Sam asked. He had a
plastic bag over his slippered foot.
“OK, as long as you’re careful. What do you want?”
“A rocket of course.”
David went back in the shed to get one and brought it out
together with an empty wine bottle and the box of extra long matches.
Kay stood next to Sam as he placed the rocket inside the
bottle then lit the match and held it against the twist of paper until it
caught. “Quick. Run!” he called out to Kay as he hobbled towards the others. In
her rush to escape, Kay’s foot clipped the bottle which fell to the ground. The
resting position couldn’t have been more accurate if she’d tried. The rocket
took off at a shallow angle and with a piercing whistle and sparkles of red and
green light, shot straight through the open shed door before bouncing around in
a vain attempt to escape the confines of the building. There was a brief pause
before the rat-tat-tat of bangers. Then the whole shed was illuminated by a
shower of pastel pink sparks as a fountain ignited.
All this was happening in seconds, enough time for a range
of possible remedial actions to rush through David’s mind, but insufficient
time to get up and do anything. Finally he edged towards the shed. Before he
had taken more than a few steps there was an almighty explosion as the whole
collection of rockets was set off. One came flying through a window with an
almighty crash, sending a shower of glass onto the lawn. Another shot out the
shed door, staying low as it headed towards the spectators. They scattered to
dodge the missile.
“Wick-ed!” Rachel yelled.
“This is so cool,” Andy added.
By now in addition to a cacophony of noise and an
explosion of colour, the shed itself was alight.
“Have you got a hose, David,” Bridget called out.
“Yes.”
“Where is it?”
“In the shed, I’m afraid.”
“What about buckets?”
“There are a couple in the kitchen, under the sink.”
Rachel and Andy ran in to collect them, but their feeble
attempts to throw water from too far a distance did little to diminish the
flames which were now coming through the roof. The last fireworks to go were
jumping jacks which scuttled out the shed, bouncing along the lawn. A
discussion ensued about whether to call the fire brigade, David deciding
against it as the shed was well away from their own and their neighbours’
houses so couldn’t spread to other buildings. They watched transfixed as the
fire waned and the light dimmed.
“Well, that was the best firework display I’ve ever
seen,” Andy exclaimed as they made their way indoors.
“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I never much liked that
shed anyway,” David said, making light of the incident, but aware of the
problem to come.
The Reunion – R J Gould
Chapter 13
David and Jane were sitting at the kitchen table, looking
out to the charred remains of the shed. It was Saturday.
“What made you decide on having fireworks here? We always
used to go to the park.”
“I thought it would be nice for the children to have a
quiet event at home,” David suggested.
Jane stood and walked across to the fridge where she took
out a carton of milk. She inspected the label. “Since when have you been
drinking this?”
“It’s called milk, you’ve seen it before.”
“Not red top.”
“It’s healthier. And safer to go organic, too.”
“Have you got a heart problem?” she asked.
“Absolutely not, I’m fine.” He glanced at Jane, did she look
disappointed? He didn’t like the way she came in as if she owned the place,
though admittedly she did own half of the part not held by the mortgage
company. On arrival, using the key without ringing the bell, she’d entered with
the merest of nods to acknowledge his presence before walking into the kitchen
and turning on the
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