Chapter One Hundred Five
Rain, beautiful rain. Somehow I had forgotten it was coming. Birdsong, a crack of lightening, fluttering white blossoms, green, green grass.
Mom had scrambled eggs, buttered toast, strawberries, blackberries, and giant purple grapes waiting for breakfast. Carrie was cramming in more study hours, which she had not been able to do Sunday night because she was bleach-blonding Rose’s hair.
Because the St. Louis Planetarium was celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this year, they were offering fifty-cent star shows all week. We hit up two of them, Mom, Francis, Linnea-Irish, Puck, and myself. On a wet gray morning. A giant Ferrari gold ribbon wrapped around the white building resulting in an enormous gold bow in the front.
A Blue Angel was the first allure, of course. If you ever want to tempt a Snicketts, mentioning the weather is always a fine start. Or something in the solar system. But of equal importance would be the presence of any form of fighter jet or other interesting aircraft.
I hadn’t been inside the Planetarium since I was way young. When Dad took Carrie and I to a star show and then let us each pick one small item from the gift shop. We both decided on holographic book marks. They were both clear and white with a large sparkly spot at the top. Mine was fuchsia, Carrie’s was sapphire. I might still have that bookmark someplace. It was one of my most prized possessions.
Our live star show began at 11:30. The night sky, as observed from the countryside. I wouldn’t mind having my own planetarium, for when the weather is good. And by “good”, I naturally mean stormy. One of my goals in life is to see the brilliance of the Milky Way far removed from civilization. Surprisingly, the remote Israeli desert could not provide that effect for me. So it’s a bucket-list item, if you will…
“Well, Mom just paid fifty cents for me to take a nap,” Francis grinned as we walked out.
“Francis!”
“No! I mean, it was interesting. I just fell asleep at the end.”
Switch off the lights and Francis is out… like a light.
Because it’s Puck’s birthday week, Mom encouraged us to visit the Science Center gift shop, where the sweet elderly lady with the white hair was working again…
“Let’s buy something to HELP THE CITY!” Puck announced.
More than once. I think I remember saying something about that before to him. But what I forget is that once said, never forgotten. At least not usually. Linnea found a spring bracelet painted in colors of the cosmos.
Puck was very eager about the six-dollar hand boiler. In green.
“THANK YOU!” he told the kind lady.
“Oh, you’re welcome, honey.”
“THANK YOU, GRANMDA!”
My son is loud.
Our second star show found all five of us stretched out on the blue floor mats to observe “The Planets of the Sun”. A stream of laughing French students poured past us on our way out.
Salami, turkey, cheddar, and provolone deli sandwiches, Fritos, yogurt-covered pretzels, banana chips, and… some of Rose’s Vitamin D milk [shhhh…] provided lunch just down the street.
“Should we get cupcakes?” Mom asked.
Mom is always up to add on to the party. This time it meant cupcakes from The Cup in the CWE. Twelve fat cupcakes in Red Velvet, Double Chocolate, Gold Rush, Mocha Cappuccino, and Peanut Butter Cup.
Mom was down for a nap before Carrie returned from her afternoon appointment with a sack of bunny feed. Joe was already home from cleaning Vanbuskirk’s for more graphic design in the cave of his basement bedroom. We kept Dad out of the cupcakes before dinner while Carrie shaved sweet potatoes into thin cakes. Francis observed the baked orange circles on the counter from afar…
“Are those burgers, Carrie?”
“Yup.”
“Those aren’t burgers!!”
Puck layered his sandwich with banana chips and a flat chocolate cookie, before I could stop his crafty work, taking after Francis and ordering a leftover salami and provolone instead. I guess the hot zucchini and yellow squash bake wasn’t intriguing enough for them either.
As the evening birdsong arrived, Mom took a poll for the color of the front door. A repaint.
Puck’s closing remarks for the evening as he entered the bathroom to brush his teeth…
“Prince DOODLE! It’s time to EVACUATE THE WORLD!!!!”