Congratulations, Dr. Snicketts
Friday, June 1, 2012
OLeif worked from home that morning – squeezed behind the monster countertop desk in the orange library.
Collette handed an postage-stamped envelope for Puck to put in the mailbox…
“What’s this for?”
“It’s to pay for your ear infection.”
“Well. Since it’s my ear infection, do I have to pay for it?”
After running fifteen times around the house prior to lunch…
“I think of monkeys chasing me,” Puck explained, taking a breather on the porch step beside Collette.
…Puck was allowed an educational film – deep sea volcanoes and landscapes.
Then OLeif’s monster-moolah boots arrived in the mail – some sort of 19th century cobbler effort.
The grandmas were gathering at the house for Dad’s official PhD party. Grandma Snicketts brought two yellow items – an hibiscus for Mom’s and Dad’s upcoming 32nd anniversary and a shirt for Puck in MIZZOU colors, reading on the back – “Hooray for Grandpa!” She joined Carrie for ice water with lime in the living room until Carrie fired the grill and the rest of the family began trickling in… afterwhich Linnea departed again almost immediately for a youth pool party at the Plum’s house down the road. Meanwhile OLeif – in his Alaskan-logger-style boots – and Puck stripped Nevada-sized sheets of bark off the dead tree outside the house. Puck strapped on a too-big-alien-ski-mask and hauled out a tin bucket of tools to continue taking down the giant.
Flaming burgers melted under three selections of cheeses, bags of honey mustard and onion pretzel bites, Doritos, and Sun Chips, then pickle spears, and baked beans with added bacon, and a Caesar salad, all Carrie-composed.
After about ten minutes of chomping, Rose busted through the garage straight from the Illinois wing with a stack of lightening-fried boxes which she dumped gracelessly on the table. Lightening and Rose hadn’t been getting along too well lately.
The ice cream cake emerged with “Congratulations, Dr. Snicketts!” scrawled across the top in blue frosting.
Joe dialed in on video chat from Cimarron not long later after Francis rush-delivered Linnea from the party and before Rose lit out to bartend at The Chapel.
“Ok, Dad,” said Carrie, “go outside on the porch for your graduation present.”
The gathering meandered into the early evening as the vroom echoed down the street – Francis parading the squeaky-new red and black cushion-seated double lap-bar riding lawn mower. Dad got a big grin and tested out the machinery, spinning donuts and revving around the lawn. Then Puck got a ride with him, dimpling up for the camera as Joe observed the fun from afar.
“This is a present for the boys, not me,” he joked.
Before leaving, Puck gathered dark red fruit from the now-producing Japanese cherry tree in the front yard.
One last stop for the day. Old Navy for Puck’s summer flip-flop stash. After selections ended in size 12/13 black and white-red stars with blue – “Red for the Cardinals.” – Collette handed Puck a quarter for the fist-sized high-bouncer rubber ball machine. Out cranked a red one – of course – split with strips of other brightly colored patterns…
“Thanks, Mama!! Did you get this for me for Boy Day?!”
“Sure,” Collette laughed.
“Thank you, Mama! Thank you for getting me this for Boy Day!!”
That night, Puck again requested some of the old tunes – a rarity.
“Sing to me, please, Mama.”