Chapter Seventy-Four
It’s all Ireland in St. Louis right now. I’m not even sure we have parades for any other holiday besides that one, worth mentioning anyway [which means whether I know about it or not.] Bright green shamrocks painted on the streets. Whether it’s Cottleville or Dog Town, they’re out and about. In fact, I’m going to cite that as the one reason church decided to not wait a week to vote on the pastoral candidate. Everyone would be busy back home with their corned beef and cabbage. Well, at least my family would be. All that to say, Mom had Irish music playing on Pandora when we walked in. Joe puttered off on the red moped to work. Eight hours at Vanbuskirk’s, then he was meeting Jaya, Annamaria, and Thunderbird at Applebee’s. Mom toted out the old moon sand box, which I forgot I still had…
“Mom!” Puck declared loudly, his hands sifting sand, “Wouldn’t it be funny if space mans came to a planet that was already ruled?!”
Carrie pulled on knee-high socks, checking the temperature by sticking her head out the patio door. She would be driving out to the airport for another flight after weather delays and other problems over the past weeks. Linnea tried on our old madrigal gowns from years past, settling on Carrie’s gothic black and burgundy from ten years ago. Puck trumpeted the Spanish American War bugle all over the house, impressing Mom with his ability to produce sound. Much. Sound. Puck took his tunes downstairs, and was interrupted by Francis protesting the noise…
“I know you’ve had a hard year, Uncle Francis! I’m sorry!”
The bugler retreated to the back yard for his concert…
Linnea had finished her studies early, so a friend dropped by to hang out till the afternoon volleyball clinic trying on more madrigal dresses. It was already lunch with leftover sausage, kale, squash, and onion. I don’t know how she does it, but Carrie can take stuff that I find pretty much disgusting and create dishes that leave me wanting a second helping… Puck went dragging ropes and things around the yard while I examined the moss specimens and Francis left for madrigals and the Y. Carrie schooled Linnea in “heat bubbles”. Meteorology class.
Mom heard of a fish fry at the Catholic church in Dog Town for the night. Grandma Combs also drove out for the occasion, bringing with her a soccer ball from Nagle’s for Puck which he kicked all over the yard. We met Dad, The Bear, and Rose at a hopping Turtle Park [minus the boys] and drove a few blocks down to the church that was… no longer serving fish that weekend. Seamus McDaniel’s has great pub food though. If it’s actually called pub food. Half of us walked to the abandoned hospital [about to be restored for the Zoo’s purposes] before returning to an outdoor table, hot po’ boys, pork sandwiches, Seamus burgers, nachos [really good nachos]. A lot of Provel mixed in. Our specialty cheese in this city. Under ropes of light bulbs, newly budding trees, dark blue night skies, cool breezes, laughing and ribbing. Particularly Rose, because of her recent raise…
“This dinner’s on you, right, Rose?” Dad suggested.
And Puck chugged about 16 ounces of milk in two minutes…