Dad Gains One
Waiting for the streets to be plowed on Dad’s 56th birthday. We didn’t leave till after nine, El Oso captaining the Mazda through brown sugar slush roads, unsalted highways (MODOT had run out of salt), and “sea-mist” snow swirling pavement, all lightly plowed.
Puck had packed a whole city of knick knacks into a cream-colored pillow case for the excursion, clutched tightly, dragged behind him in the snow to his grandma’s front door.
A huge plate of chocolate peanut butter truffles under glass on the counter, made at the hands of Joe and Jaya Tuesday night. Francis was still slumbering in the basement – college was also canceled. Puck dumped his whole colorful city on the kitchen table, scrounging for more goodies in the junk drawer underneath the television such as: plastic fruit pie whistle, McDonald’s circa 1989, while everyone else discussed Francis’ and Irish’s collegiate futures in the living room, and the bill being presented to make the high five Missouri’s official state greeting.
Francis left for work-outs, life guarding. Broccoli-cheese soup for lunch: frozen solid in a pot in the garage. Puck’s two outdoor sledding adventures that afternoon ended in, “Hot chocolate! Quick!” And then, “Get me a hot foot bath! Quick!” Fortunately, Carrie always has emergency supplies ready, and Mom had also stoked the stove fire.
Carrie mixed spice cake muffins from a 1940’s recipe with caramel frosting, and homemade garden vegetable soup with homemade crusty Parmesan French bread for Dad’s birthday dinner. Puck built more cities in the kitchen as Joe drove up from work: arguments about pocket squares. He left the conversation under a head of uncut hair to watch zombies in the basement with a bag of Doritos.
Dad got a second round of Happy Birthday at dinner. We were missing El Oso, Francis (supervising kids in the pool), and Rose who claimed that she was with Dad “in spirit.”
El Oso picked us up at 7:30 after a rehearsal at the local PCUSA church for that Sunday morning service: improvising with a keyboard and harmonica.
After Puck marveled over the fat giant icicles hanging from the roof, and prayers said over his squishy fat cheeks, rosy from another great day, El Oso hit the library for me, and the store for more street salt and dental floss.