Last Holiday
Monday, January 2, 2012
As Collette washed the breakfast dishes, Puck expressed thoughts on his impending future…
“Mama. I think I have decided not to marry Aneliese. I still love her, but… I’m not sure that I want to marry her.”
“Well, that’s alright,” Collette replied. “You’ve got plenty of time to think about that.”
“I want to marry her.”
And not long later, into the huff of wild wind and cold and sunshine.
They drove through some of the back country first, in a round-about loop. Puck observed the forests flashing by as they made their wintry run in the high winds…
“And anyway, these trees have to be cut down because they don’t have any leaves.”
“It’s alright buddy. They just loose their leaves in the winter.”
“Are they sleeping?”
“They sure are.”
“Yes, but. One tree is not going to sleep.”
“That’s an evergreen. They keep their leaves all year long.”
And then to that glade of woods and bluffs tucked inside Chesterfield amongst the old carousel, butterfly house, paths ringing the old Spanish houses and greenhouse, and the 1800’s reconstruction village: Faust Park. The boys puffed around up and down the slides and jungle gym in the bitter blows by the frozen soda machine, OLeif’s red yiddish bear and glasses sticking out from behind giraffe-yellow hoodie, following the green mohawk from set to set. Puck would have stayed longer, but OLeif was an ice cube.
A ten dollar Chick-fil-A card fixed all requirements for lunch including Dr. Pepper for OLeif and digital cow wristwatch for Puck, after which grocery shopping was completed (including cilantro for the buns). And a very important-looking little man in red wellingtons marched into Target with his fifteen-dollar gift card.
Puck was at first dissuaded from the stacks of plush red and pink corduroy heart pillows… was it really that time again already?
“I wanted to get it because I love you guys so much,” he explained.
But a full shelf of books soon tempted him away to a fat collection of Curious George, followed by the dollar quadrant, in which he spent the last four dollars of his special card on a wad of silly putty (inspired by Curly’s recent purchase), a blue squeeze ball, blue water bottle, and a box of bubble gum balls. It was a successful venture.
Upon return to the biting outdoors, it was very much like Iceland in March, down by the silver Viking ship sculpture at the shore. Absolutely blasting.
At two o’clock, OLeif was due at the McCrae’s residence to fiddle around with Atticus for awhile. And Collette saw to her own necessities of the day. When there were no rubber bands left to bundle 2011’s receipts and bills, multi-colored pipe cleaners had to be the solution. Pork chops into the oven with Worcestershire sauce and Hungarian paprika.
And when OLeif returned, there was another popcorn feast over further episodes of Arthur, that ingenious old show.
OLeif had enjoyed his two hours at the McCrae’s despite his returned headache…
“Atticus is one of the most amazing men I know,” he said. “The guy just turned 60, started playing the violin two years ago, but he practices two hours a day. It sounds more like he’s been playing for four or five years. He builds custom pieces for his violin. He’s amazing.”
After reading another chapter of The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure, Puck was down for the night. And OLeif’s and Collette’s vacation continued into the evening with cello from Iran and Coldplay’s “Paradise”, Penn Station club sandwiches, fries, peppermint patties, a new set of ear buds crafted from mahogany and acajou for OLeif, and a Danish film, partially set in India. There was something almost familiar about the language, just like the Dutch, almost English in so many ways, although the Dutch was more intriguing to hear.
Before falling asleep, Collette read another chapter of The Help, as recommended by Gloria.