Four

Sunday, October 23, 2011
In which another game is passed over, under the stars…

Sunday morning passed quickly.
And with the traditional sausage supper upon return to the house, including a pot of Carrie’s creamy mashed potatoes and truffle brownies, as the subject of mono was being discussed…
“Balthasar and I had mono once,” Dad was saying.
“Grandma Snicketts always said that’s why they started losing their hair and Clarence didn’t,” Mom added.
“I just remember getting out of bed to go to wrestling practice, and I was so weak I…”
“…only won twice,” OLeif cut in.
Dad got tickled over that one.
Then the discussion morphed towards penguin sweaters and Hallowe’en costumes…
“I’m gonna be a naughty Peregrine Falcon,” said Joe. “Caw! Caw! Caw!”
And for the Hallowe’en party Rose would be attending, she had decided on becoming a person struck by lightening.
After the kitchen was cleaned, Mom and Dad departed for Branson for their three-day holiday.
And other items commenced: Linnea returning from the youth weekend, which had involved a fender-bender on the road home; (she was not in the cars affected by the impact). Puck cut his finger and was blubbering a little, until Carrie-Bri pointed out that the blood was ‘Cardinals colors’ and wrapped a shiny silver band-aid around the problem.

And for Game 4, plans were being made to attend the first of at least two big-screen viewings on Art Hill for the night. Carrie dug up a red shirt labeled in white print: ‘Science’ for Puck, and spiked the top of his hair in a red Kool-Aid mohawk, sent off Rose with a red scarf, and tried to hunt out red face glitter for Linnea.
Once Magnus had arrived, everyone but Carrie and Francis departed to join the crowds. Collette estimated a showing of upwards of 1,000 fans. Bonfires smoked on the green ridge below St. Louis himself. And under the lights of the museum, Gus’ Pretzels, bags of popcorn and bottled water, and hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, chocolate, and marshmallows was being served, free of charge.
A loss in the end; but that seemed to make the series all the more tensely-exciting.