Fun Things
“Did Gloria show you the donuts yet?”
That was about the first thing Theodore asked me when we walked through the door that afternoon. Mini chocolate Entenmann’s. I don’t remember how many I ate. But who cared; it was Saturday.
Half an hour later, Puck and I were having conversations – varying between whispers and Puck’s screeches – through a vacuum hose he dug out of the dumpster.
About a minute after El Oso and Theodore drove off for emissions, inspection, and oil change in the Mazda (time to discuss life), Gloria walked inside with sacks of barbecue for lunch.
When the men returned to partake, somehow the subject of drunkenness surfaced. All I remembered was Puck’s response.
“Why did they do that? Because then he got drunk and would probably buy a gun.”
This really isn’t my fault.
By this point it was about time for the game. Carrie-Bri and Rose came over for a couple of hours while Theodore and El Oso drove out again to buy tools. Puck had mailed Theodore a coupon earlier in the week, so it was a good excuse. And a way to make Puck feel important for all those afternoons he sorts the mail for me. Usually unsolicited.
So after awhile Puck – probably to escape the discourse on baseball indoors – donned swim shorts with t-shirt to run through the sprinkler in the backyard. Halfway through the game, a mud channel had been dug under the big tree. Gloria provided the occasional update from the kitchen window.
“He’s digging a hole with the hose nozzle.”
When I checked on him the first time, he was pressing mud balls into the cement to dry for … well, who knew what really. My second check-up found a complete mud mural of a tree also drying on the exterior basement wall.
“You like my artist-ing?” Puck checked for my approval.
I did. So did Gloria. As long as he promised to wash it off. He did; although he didn’t specify when.
My son is spoiled; he really is. Two spend-the-nights, back to back. Gifts of a flashlight and helicopter toy from the spoils of tool shopping. 44 books from the library. Bowls of watermelon and grapes all afternoon.
So while Puck shooed us away – he was more interested in using the punching bag with Izzy – El Oso took me out to Orange Leaf (blackberry, orange, and pineapple), the shop once occupied by his first real employer, Stallone’s Formalwear. And also the Cardinals were now tied for 1st in the division. I guess I’m spoiled too.