Franny Boy: 16
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Francis was 16.
And, similar to most 16 year-olds, he was prepared at any moment to test for his driver’s license.
However, Francis began his day with a 7:30 appointment with the foot doctor for a disgraceful ingrown toenail. Similar to his elder brother who had forgone wisdom teeth removal for an embarrassing amount of time despite the pain, Francis had apparently done the same with his respected appendage. Not unlike OLeif, who had found himself in a similar way a number of years ago… And so Francis’ plight was shortly amended.
Meanwhile…
Collette’s sore throat had dissipated, and despite her voice sounding rather cracked, she seemed to be nearly recovered.
Breakfast.
Collette told Puck that he had to eat more food to add some ‘flub’ to keep him strong. For the rest of the meal, Puck continued to ask if the ‘flah’ was going away as he ate through his oatmeal, banana, and glass of milk with a blue drinking straw from the package that OLeif had picked up at the store the previous evening.
“Do hiccups mean my ‘flah’ is going away?’ he would ask.
Then his mind turned tables…
“Who made God, Mama?”
“No one made God. He was always there.”
“Where do I get to sleep in Heaven?”
“In God’s house.”
“Is Heaven God’s house?”
“Yes.”
“Does He have a kitchen?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Does God have refrigerators, because we will starve to deaf (death).”
“God will give you everything that you need.”
“I have some hiccups, hiccups, hiccups, hiccups…”
Mid-morning.
Somehow it seemed a bad sign that, even though Puck seemed to generally enjoy learning how to read, he had still hidden his textbook underneath the book table in the living room…
Shortly after Puck read his very first word, recognizing the sounds, the word: ‘am’, and Collette was busy researching submitting manuscripts procedures…
Puck was very keen on asking numerous questions as to the burning of all things at the end, before the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.
“God will make everything better and beautiful for us,” Collette attempted explanation.
“And then we’ll come back after we spend the night in Heaven?” asked Puck.
On to… A Bear Called Paddington: the original story of the bear from darkest Peru, as read by Stephen Fry, as Carrie’s recommendation.
This was followed with Puck making faces at himself in the mirror.
The afternoon.
Into the tub for Puck with another half of the foaming green bath cake. It erupted as he held it in his hand, like a living sea creature. At one point, he put on the green swimming goggles that Carrie had given to him and he attempted a dive under, which did not go very smoothly. He came up sputtering. He immediately absolutely insisted on calling up his aunt with the news.
“I almost choked when I went under the water with my water glasses on, Sun.”
And Collette, sitting on the linoleum with a Japanese mug of hot water while Puck had continued his bath, had been reduced to whispering in order that she might not begin coughing.
OLeif returned later that evening with more sparkling green tea ginger ale and to join in on the Cary Grant film fest.