Counting Gold

Puck was busy chasing the cats that morning.
“Oooh!” he exclaimed. “Kitty coo!”
While Joe drove the gaggle down to Elephant Rocks that morning, everyone else left to visit Grandpa. He was reading the newspaper, keeping an eye on the women’s 800m free on the television.
“Well, hello!” came his usual greeting. “Are they treating you right, Puck?” he asked the chub, who was munching on fruit puffs in his Uncle Francis’ lap.
Grandpa had a full calendar of optional events affixed to his closet door, including baking sunflower cookies (which he would, of course, not be doing), piano performances, and a sports bar to watch the Olympics. As they departed, the score of South Pacific was playing in the lounge.
Next, it was over to see Grandma Snicketts with a bucket of KFC fried chicken, biscuits, macaroni, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Grandma also brought out a pack of miniature Cokes. And Puck, after chowing down on lunch, tackled the stuffed teddy bear (from the previous generation), while Francis and Linnea dug into tiny cups of vanilla ice cream.
In the afternoon, Francis, Creole, and Puff ‘o Lump were busy phoning each other. Francis would call Puff ‘o Lump on Mom’s cell and hold it up to the home phone where Creole was already on the line.
“Let’s call two pizza places and have them talk to each other,” said Francis, laughing.
As Collette and Puck left that afternoon, the sky was filled with towering rolls of pale blue clouds, as though they had been painted there into the heavens. The weather had been scented with autumn for days, barely reaching above 84 degrees at any time.
As Collette wrapped up her jog that evening, the sun exploded in silky bolts through the cool haze of sea gray clouds, as though shining through water. Then came, once again, Reeses peanut butter cups and the Olympics, another late night of swimming and gymnastics.
“So have an extra cup of coffee,” said Bob Costas, “’cause you’re gonna be up late.”