Collette

Friday, August 3, 2007

That morning, OLeif’s cellphone alarm rang at 5:02am (according to Collette’s alarm clock, which was two minutes fast). However, he decided that he wasn’t interested in waking up that early on that particular morning. He turned it off again and went back to sleep. Ten minutes later, it rang again. OLeif reached for it, frustrated that it hadn’t shut off. Ten minutes later – again. Collette grabbed it and stuffed it under her pillow.

Come about 6:15, they could here Puck grunting very loudly to himself in his crib. The boy had learned how to use his vocal chords in a new way, and he wasn’t about to let them sit idle.

Collette and Puck had a day at home to clean the house and stay out of the heat of the day.

Meanwhile, Rose had another exam downtown after taking a four-month break.

Everyone else was going to meet over at Grandpa’s swimming pool that evening: the Snicketts, the Hobcoggins, and the Silverspoon’s, for a “luau party” to celebrate the boys’ Hawaii adventures with friends.

Actually, the boys’ entire summer had been one big party. But at least they would have one final hurrah before Wally left for Rolla and Joe began his college studies at the community college.

“I was going to do the palm trees and pineapples,” Mom had told her about the luau. “But we’re not going to mess with it. Just barbecue. And Libby’s making quesadillas. Did you find Puck’s swim shorts?”

Collette found them in his clothes box – hand-me-downs from Donald Saint. They looked like they would be a little big on the Squish, but she would bring them just in case. Libby would also have the hot tub running if the little nipper didn’t enjoy the coolness of the pool on his chubby legs.

Collette was not ready for the summer to end, just yet. She loved the fall, and it would be fun to have Puck bundled up against the snow in fluffy blankets when winter arrived. But until September rolled around, the summer had been mild enough, that she hoped to enjoy the second half of it before the leaves began to fall.

Puck spent part of his afternoon concentrating on batting at his stuffed animals over his bouncy seat and listening to Missiego and Tarkan. He managed to take a hard enough swipe at his stuffed bear, to send it flying off the loop and onto the floor. Then he hit himself in the forehead with his fist. The same fist was smashed into his mouth as he swung in his swing in the office later that afternoon.

“Yummy,” thought Puck.

He stared at the bright books on the shelves flash past as he eyes became more drowsy and more drowsy.

“Pretty… books… Zzzzzz…”

Word came from Rose that she had passed her exam that afternoon, bringing her credit tally to 58 – almost half-way through.

The skies were gray by the time they arrived at Libby’s. Within the hour, the Snicketts (minus Dad (who was home studying) and Carrie (who still had returned from Springfield), all of the Hobcoggins, three more pals of the boys’, Tor, had all arrived.

The pool was thrashing. Never before had it been so full. OLeif was at the grill. Libby brought out her amazing quesadillas and Mom sliced up the watermelon.

In the distance, Collette thought she heard a rumble. After Denae had taken Puck (who was losing his dinner over almost everyone who held him), Collette walked over to the lake to bring back Rose (who was on a turtle hunt).

And just after Rose had hopped in the pool, the skies lit up. The food was removed just in time to the gazebo before the rain came.

“Did you bring the rain?” Denae asked Ben-Hur, who had just arrived.

The group split themselves between the basement and the gazebo, taking turns watching the slide-show set to music of the boys’ trip to Hawaii.

Then Carrie-Bri arrived, looking like she had just hopped off an alpaca in the Andes. They viewed her bungy jump on OLeif’s laptop as Lacey’s gooey butter cake was passed around.

After Dad had arrived to make sure that none of the kids were still in the pool – (lightening was still in the air) – the group (except for Ben-Hur) decided to hit the movie theater. And Carrie was thinking about going off to the coffee house.

“You sure you don’t want us hip young guys along with you?” Curly asked.

Oh, the potential embarrassment.

There was something odd about the loud gathering.

“Kind of like a family reunion,” OLeif was saying.