G'Day, Mate
Sunday, February 6, 2005
The weekend had been splendid, a wonderful day for Dad to have his birthday with a family of kindred spirits, old, old good friends… It was a peaceful, almost sad day in a way. And on top of everything, Diana was going home the following day, and it was hard to see her leave again.
But the time with Apple and Elazar had been fabulous. Over lunch they shared experiences and looked over the Aussie money – thin bendable plastic in bright colors and made with windows… very original and cool. They discussed snapping turtles as well. And Apple related Justin’s proposal to them all in her soft sweet voice.
He was studying to be a pilot and was a Dutchman and had an enormous family coming over for the wedding ceremony, summer tea, and reception, with the grand engagement party. She told about how she had known him since she was nine, how he was rather shy and it took him a good time to get around to proposing after they had been going out a full year. And then finally after a lovely dinner overlooking the harbor and a relaxing talk, he drove her to a point overlooking the ocean, and asked her. Of course she was thrilled, after wondering for so long if he was ever going to ask. And they were going to have a picnic with champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries, but they were too excited to tell everyone, so they sped back home and woke everyone up that late Monday night. And her ring was quite beautiful – gold and a diamond with curvings, lovely around her finger.
Then Elazar went on to tell of the goofy things his pals would do for his party (equivalent to a bachelor party). There would be nothing dirty, of course, he said, but he was planning on sending him north on a train in his boxers, covered in honey and feathers.
Upon hearing about the snapping turtles, they all looked at each other.
“Snapping turtles?” Ryan asked, his inflection rising at the end into a question, as they seemed to do in about every other sentence. “Are you serious? I thought they were something you’d only see in movies.”
And then there was the Aussie lingo (dodgy, g’day mate, that’s mad…) to the American.
After lunch, there was a trip to The Mills shopping mall, where Elazar videotaped the mammoth complex, and Apple most kindly treated them all to ice cream.
“Seriously, I’ll shout you all,” she urged them, when they hesitated. “We do it all the time at home.”
And finally, when they understood what she was saying, she convinced them.
There was Haagen Daas, which they had never had, surprisingly. Collette took a small bowl of raspberry sorbet, while there was Belgium chocolate chocolate for Apple and Elazar, which they loved, and sorbet for Rose, with chocolate vanilla mix for OLeif, Carrie-Bri, and Joe. Apple and Elazar did need help with the sorts of cones available. In Australia they had only waffle cones, while here, there were three selections.
Upon returning, they had to see a trailer park, and so, while there weren’t any ridiculously trashy places nearby, they drove through one with mailboxes still upright and yards tidy. Then they whipped past a torn-down dump house, afterward.
“You see that house there?” Carrie was saying.
Apple and Elazar seemed amply horrified.
“Well, if you put a whole bunch of them together, that’s a normal trailer park.”
“Quick, Elazar, get it on tape!” Apple exclaimed as they thundered past.
And then to prove that St. Charles was really a very wealthy area, they drove past the multi-millionaire castles and summer homes… enormous stone creations – Windcastle, Whitmoore, and Camelot (where the famed Mark McGuire was rumored to have lived), on the way home.
For dinner at the English’s there was chili, (which they had never had), games, pictures, a cake for Dad with candles and singing, s’mores over a bonfire, and the whole lot.
This was followed by Starbucks in the Valley and a tour of Wal-Mart. Then two rounds of hugs and goodbyes. It was difficult to see them go. It seemed like they had been around forever, and they all found it a bit hard to see them leave.
No one knew when they’d see each other again. There was something hearty and good about the Moss’. They were completely fine with themselves, it seemed, just alright with everything, laid back, and genuine… absolutely nothing about trying to impress anyone. Able to be impressed by other things and interested, but never prideful about their own. It was quite refreshing.
And there was yet another surprise – The English’s had already begun filling out paperwork for the adoption of a little Taiwanese boy, a year old. Collette could hardly believe it. They already had Leia from China, for three years. This would be their tenth if everything went through alright.